So It Begins

"The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name."


I will start each entry with a line from the Tao Te Ching, regardless of whether I go on to parse it. It's meant to be a meditative exercise for me and whoever chances upon this blog.

I'm a political science major who hopes to go into international law someday. I became a vegetarian when I entered college for ethical reasons. I had always wanted to do so, ever since I had read Charlotte's Web and Babe: the Gallant Pig as a child. I would like to try being vegan, as milk, eggs, and other animal products that do not directly result in animal death do result in animal suffering. I will try being vegan next college semester, when I'm not under so much stress and can ease into it, making sure I get enough energy to keep up with all my work.

My Goals: I want to lose 16 pounds. And I want to eliminate the root cause of my overeating: I am not fully in tune with myself. I'm glad I'm emotional and passionate - it gives me a certain kind of strength - but I need to channel my emotions. I've gotten better at this over the years, but I need to improve even more, now, before I head into the professional world. 

This is really not a whole lot of weight to lose, and I'm quite confident I can lose it. My real issue is looking to eating when I am stressed or sad, and what this says about me - I am indulging in the fleeting pleasure of food instead of facing my problems head on. I want to sublimate my feelings positively - and I know it is within my power to do so - just as the power to do so is within all of the wonderful people on this website. I want to channel my frustration and anxiety (all of which are school-related) into hard work rather than mindless consumption. 

Once I do so, I can apply that mindset to every indulgence - not just food - and I will thus be able to get the most out of every moment I live on this miraculous planet. Healthy living requires constant vigilance, which I plan to keep up after attaining my goal. I want to take the best care of my body I can: it is a temple and should be treated as such. I want to learn how to maintain my goal weight and ensure that I am being as nutritional as possible. And finally, I'd like to start lifting once I've reached my goal weight. As an avid runner, I have great cardiovascular health, but upper body strength...not so much. I don't really care if lifting tones me up (though that's certainly an added bonus), I just want to be stronger and I know that lifting twice a week is essential to a healthy lifestyle.