Ngithole Amakhilogremu angu-140 Alwa Nomdlavuza. Nakhu ukuthi ngibuye kanjani nempilo yami.

-Delile

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Izithombe: Courtney Sanger

Akekho ocabanga ukuthi bazothola umdlavuza, ikakhulukazi hhayi abafundi basekolishi abaneminyaka engama-22 abacabanga ukuthi abangahlulwa lutho. Nokho, yilokho kanye okwenzeka kimi ngo-1999. Ngangenza umsebenzi wokuqeqeshelwa umsebenzi erenki yase-Indianapolis, ngiphila iphupho lami, lapho ngolunye usuku isikhathi sami saqala—futhi azange siyeke. Kwaphela izinyanga ezintathu ngopha njalo. Ekugcineni ngemuva kokumpontshelwa igazi kabili (yebo, kwakukubi kangako!) Udokotela wami watusa ukuhlinzwa ukuze ngibone ukuthi kwenzekani. Ngesikhathi sokuhlinzwa bathole umdlavuza wesibeletho wesigaba sokuqala. Kwangishaqisa ngokuphelele, kodwa ngangizimisele ukulwa nayo. Ngithathe semester ekolishi futhi ngathuthela ekhaya nabazali bami. Ngakhishwa isibeletho ngokuphelele. (Nazi izinto ezi-10 ezijwayelekile ezingadala isikhathi sakho esingajwayelekile.)

Izindaba ezinhle ukuthi ukuhlinzwa kwathola wonke umdlavuza futhi ngangena ekwelapheni. Izindaba ezimbi? Ngoba bathathe isibeletho sami namaqanda, ngishaya ukuya esikhathini-yebo, ukunqamuka kokuya esikhathini, kuma-20s-njengodonga lwezitini. Ukunqamuka kokuya esikhathini kunoma isiphi isigaba sempilo akuyona into emnandi kakhulu. Kodwa njengowesifazane osemusha, kwakubuhlungu kakhulu. Bangifaka ekwelashweni kwe-hormone replacement therapy, futhi ngaphezu kwemiphumela engemihle evamile (njengenkungu yobuchopho nokushisa okushisayo), ngiphinde ngakhuluphala kakhulu. Ngayeka ukuba yintokazi yezemidlalo eya ejimini njalo futhi yadlala eqenjini le-softball langaphakathi futhi ngathola amakhilogremu angaphezu kwekhulu eminyakeni emihlanu.

Noma kunjalo, ngangizimisele ukuphila ukuphila kwami ​​futhi ngingakuvumeli lokhu kungidumaze. Ngafunda ukusinda futhi ngachuma emzimbeni wami omusha-phela, ngangibonga kakhulu ukuthi ngangiseduze! Kodwa impi yami nomdlavuza yayingakapheli. Ngo-2014, ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ngiqede iziqu zami ze-master, ngangenela umkhuba wokuvivinya umzimba. Udokotela uthole isigaxa entanyeni yami. Ngemva kokuhlolwa okuningi, kwatholakala ukuthi nginomdlavuza wegilo wesigaba I. Yayingahlangene ngalutho nomdlavuza wami wangaphambili; Ngibe nebhadi nje lokuthi ngishaywe umbani kabili. Kwakuyigalelo elikhulu, ngokomzimba nangokwengqondo. Ngangine-thyroidectomy.

Izindaba ezimnandi ukuthi, futhi, bathole wonke umdlavuza futhi ngangisethethelweni. Izindaba ezimbi ngalesi sikhathi? Indlala yegilo ibaluleke kakhulu ekusebenzeni kwehomoni evamile njengamaqanda, futhi ukulahlekelwa okwami ​​kwangiphonsa esihogweni samahomoni futhi. Akugcinanga lapho, kepha ngithole inkinga engajwayelekile kusuka ekuhlinzweni okungishiye ngingakwazi ukukhuluma noma ukuhamba. Kungithathe unyaka wonke ukuthi ngikwazi ukukhuluma ngokujwayelekile futhi nokwenza izinto ezilula njengokushayela imoto noma ukuhambahamba ngebhulokhi. Akudingekile ukusho, lokhu akuzange kwenze ukululama kube lula. Ngithole amanye amakhilogremu angama-40 ngemuva kokuhlinzwa kwegilo.

Ekolishi ngangibe ngamakhilogremu ayi-160. Manje ngase ngineminyaka engaphezu kuka-300. Kodwa kwakungesona isisindo esasingikhathaza ngempela. Ngangibonga kakhulu umzimba wami ngakho konke ebingakwenza, angikwazi ukuwuthukuthelisa umzimba wami ngokwemvelo ngenxa yokuguquguquka kwamahomoni. Okwakungikhathaza kwakuyikho konke mina akakwazanga yenza. Ngo-2016, ngithathe isinqumo sokuya e-Italy neqembu labantu engingabazi. Kwakuyindlela enhle yokuphuma endaweni yami yokududuza, ngenze abangane abasha, futhi ngibone izinto engangiziphupha ngempilo yami yonke. Ngeshwa, i-Italy yayigcwele kakhulu kunalokho engangikulindele futhi ngazabalaza ukuqhubeka nezingxenye zokuhamba zohambo. Owesifazane owayengudokotela eNyuvesi yaseNorthwestern wanamathela kimi zonke izinyathelo. Ngakho-ke lapho umngani wami omusha ethi angiye naye ejimini lapho sifika ekhaya, ngavuma.

"I-Gym Day" yafika futhi ngavela phambi kwe-Equinox lapho ayeyilungu khona, ngithukile. Kuyindida ukuthi umngani wami ongudokotela akazange aqhamuke, ngenxa yesimo esiphuthumayo somzuzu wokugcina. Kodwa bekudinge isibindi esikhulu ukufika lapho futhi bengingafuni ukulahlekelwa umfutho wami, ngakho-ke ngangena. Umuntu wokuqala engihlangane naye ngaphakathi kwakungumqeqeshi wami ogama lakhe linguGus, owathi uzongivakashela.

Ngokujabulisayo, sagcina sesibambene nomdlavuza: UGus ungitshele ukuthi ubanakekele kanjani bobabili abazali bakhe ngesikhathi belwa nomdlavuza, ngakho-ke waqonda ngokuphelele ukuthi ngivelaphi nezinselelo engangibhekene nazo. Khona-ke, njengoba sidabula iklabhu, wangitshela ngephathi yomdanso wamabhayisikili eyenzeka kwenye i-Equinox eseduze. Benza iCycle for Survival, uhambo lwamadolobha angama-16 oluqoqa imali olusiza imali yokuxhasa izifundo zomdlavuza ezingavamile, ukuhlolwa kwemitholampilo, kanye nezinhlelo ezinkulu zocwaningo, eziholwa yiSikhumbuzo Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ngokubambisana ne-Equinox. Kuzwakale kumnandi, kodwa ayikho into engangizicabanga ngiyenza-futhi ngenxa yaleso sizathu, ngenza umgomo wokubamba iqhaza ku-Cycle for Survival ngolunye usuku. Ngabhalisela ubulungu futhi ngabhukha ukuqeqeshwa komuntu siqu noGus. Kwakungenye yezinqumo ezinhle engake ngazenza.

Ukufaneleka akuzange kufike kalula. UGus wangikhipha kancane nge-yoga futhi ngihamba echibini. Ngangesaba futhi ngesaba; Ngangijwayele ukubona umzimba wami “uphukile” ngenxa yomdlavuza kangangokuthi kwakunzima kimi ukwethemba ukuthi ungenza izinto ezinzima. Kepha uGus wangikhuthaza futhi wenza konke ukuhamba nami ngakho angizange ngedwa. Esikhathini esingangonyaka (2017), sisebenze sisuka ezisekelweni ezimnene saya emabhayisikili asendlini, ukubhukuda emathangeni, ama-Pilates, isibhakela, nokubhukuda kwangaphandle eLake Michigan. Ngathola uthando olukhulu lwazo zonke izinto zokuzivocavoca futhi ngokushesha ngangisebenza izinsuku ezinhlanu kuya kweziyisithupha ngesonto, kwesinye isikhathi kabili ngosuku. Kodwa akuzange kuzizwe kungaphezu kwamandla noma kukhandla kakhulu, njengoba uGus aqinisekisa ukuthi ukukugcina kumnandi. (I-FYI, ukusebenzisa i-cardio nakho kungasiza ukuvimbela umdlavuza.)

Ukuqina kushintshe indlela ebengicabanga ngayo ngokudla futhi: Ngaqala ukudla ngokucophelela njengendlela yokuphehla umzimba wami, kufaka phakathi ukwenza imijikelezo eminingana yokudla kwe-Whole30. Ngonyaka, ngehla ngamakhilogremu angama-62. Yize bekungeyona inhloso yami leyo-bengifuna ukuqina futhi ngilulame-bengisamangele ngemiphumela.

Kwathi ngoFebhuwari 2018, Umjikelezo Wokusinda wawusenzeka futhi. Ngalesi sikhathi, bengingaboni ngaphandle. Angigcinanga ngokubamba iqhaza, kepha mina noGus sahola amaqembu amathathu ndawonye! Noma ngubani angabamba iqhaza, futhi ngiqoqe bonke abangane bami nomndeni wami. Kwakuyinto evelele ohambweni lwami lokuqina futhi angikaze ngizizwe ngiziqhenya kangaka. Ekupheleni kohambo lwami lwehora lesithathu, ngangikhala izinyembezi zenjabulo. Ngize ngabeka inkulumo yokuvala emcimbini weChicago Cycle for Survival.

Sengifikile kuze kube manje, angizazi kahle-futhi akukhona nje ukuthi ngehle ngosayizi abahlanu bezingubo. Kungasabisa kakhulu ukuphusha umzimba wakho ngemuva kokugula kakhulu njengomdlavuza, kepha ukuqina kwangisiza ngabona ukuthi angibuthaka. Eqinisweni, nginamandla kunalokho engangikucabanga. Ukufaneleka kunginikeze umuzwa omuhle wokuzethemba nokuthula kwangaphakathi. Futhi yize kunzima ukungakhathazeki ngokugula futhi, ngiyazi ukuthi manje senginamathuluzi okuzinakekela.

Ngazi kanjani? Ngolunye usuku ngaba nosuku olubi kakhulu futhi esikhundleni sokubuyela ekhaya nekhekhe elimnandi nebhodlela lewayini, ngaya ekilasini le-kickboxing. Ngakhahlela izinqe zomdlavuza kabili, ngingaphinda uma ngidinga. (Okulandelayo: Funda ukuthi abanye besifazane bakusebenzisa kanjani ukuzivocavoca umzimba ukubuyisa imizimba yabo ngemuva komdlavuza.)

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