New to Nerd Fitness in Guatemala!

[daniellecaryn]

I'm an elementary teacher at an American school in Guatemala City! Guatemala is a lovely country, but it does pose its challenges to a healthy lifestyle, at least for me.

 

Challenges:

• To stay in shape, I used to walk, run, cylce, hike and generally do things with others that were outside. Guatemala City doesn't really have much public green space for outdoor activity.
• Crime is a problem and walking/running/biking/hiking around is a problem for a blonde gringa.
• The main activity among my friends is meeting up at the pub.
• My boyfriend is a great cook, but his idea of "light" is a steak and potatoes.
• The local cuisine is quite limited, not a whole lot of variety!

 

I've become really good at making excuses, however. I did the gym thing for a while and got bored after 3 months. I was in really good shape, but then lost it all and gained weight as I just went back to my old habits.

 

Guatemala, for all it's faults, does have a lot of opportunity for healthy living and fitness with a little planning and initiative. I can't jump on my bike and bike to work (like I've done in other cities) but...there's other things I can try if I'm a little adventurous.

 

 

My long term goals are as follows:

 

• Lose 10 lbs.
• Stick to the Paleo diet 80/20
• Cut out alcohol during the week
• Do 10 pull-ups in a row
• Dead lift 150 lbs.
• Beat someone with the same skill level in a game of tennis.

 

I just started, and I'm only 3 days in (eek) but I think I have a really solid plan:

 

Monday: Beginner Body weight Training on my porch - increase reps/weight/circuits over time

Tuesday: Interval training in the gym - increase # intervals over time

Wednesday: More body weight training

Thursday: Yoga class with other teachers/parents at my school

Friday: Intervals

Saturday: Tennis lessons - add in practice days over time

M-F: Paelo Diet: count calories and stick to my goal (1300 calories) according to BMR and activity using Livestrong.

S/S: Bit looser, but no binging, eat only if hungry and watch portions

All Days: Say "yes" to every opportunity that provides something new and active i.e. golf, hiking a volcano, swimming, etc.

 

One thing I'm wary of is the "eager beaver" profile because that's been my MO in the past. I think this fitness schedule includes enough variety to help me stay on track, but I also have to stick with it as best I can and not get derailed.

 

The Paleo diet is proving to be the hardest for me even after only 3 days. I'm not an enthusiastic cook, and as I said, variety and my boyfriend's cooking style are not supportive in this area. And I'm HUNGRY all the time. However, I've always eaten really healthy during the week because I prepare my own lunches, the biggest thing I can do to cut calories is cut alcohol out during the week. This is the main thing I have to stick with.

 

Wish me luck!

 

 

[RES]

Welcome to the rebellion! I found the easiest way for me to eat Paleo was I had to let go of the 'counting calories' mindset, when you're hungry, eat! Just be sure you're eating something that falls in the paleo guidelines celery and carrots with almond butter is really good...so is paleo hummus...this website is good for snack ideas as well

[daniellecaryn]

Thanks for the advice! I'm planning to just do the "counting calories" thing this week to get a good idea of a baseline. Since things like almond butter can be hard to come by here, option are limited or can be outrageously expensive. However, like I said, it's time to let go of excuses and try new things. Perhaps I'll find almond butter at the Organica store I know is somewhere in z10. I used to live in Portland, OR, health food mecca of the US, and it was so EASY there! It's a bit harder here, and I've let it get the best of me. Next step, almond butter. Thanks again for the tip.

[UnlikelyHeroine]

You got to me first, but welcome anyways! Guatamala, wow! That's so exotic! Anyhow, I have the same boredom problem, and I really think that all the PVP and 6 week challenges are going to keep it interesting. Hope it works for you too! Hugs!

[Basement Cat]

Welcome to the rebellion, Danielle!

 

Good luck with your goals and keep us posted!