A Newfound Determination

I love to work out. I used to go to the gym five times a week and go to a yoga studio almost every day. All changed because of a very disabling condition, lower back pain. It happened for the first time in 2013 and has been recurring for about five times in the span of two years.

Every time it occurs, my activities become more limited, preventing me to maintain my body shape to the point where I couldn't go to the gym and gaining weight instead. I was really frustrated. The more I became frustrated, the more I ate. The more I ate, the more frustrated I was. And the vicious cycle went on and on. In the span of two years, I gain almost 13 kilograms from 58 kg to 71 kg. I exercised only when I taught Antigravity Aerial Yoga and Power Swing classes, which were not too often. 

62 kg, Phuket, January 2014

The picture was taken one and half year ago. I wasn't that ripped at the time, but at least I was quite toned and that's exactly the shape I want to achieve. But my chronic lower back pain is very problematic. Due to the conditions, I can't do any heavy weight lifting or strenous cardio exercise. Achieving my goal seemed to be impossible. For the last several weeks, I've been asking around, reading articles about LBP and the suggested exercises.

67.4 kg, Jakarta, June 2015

Suggested by my physiotherapist, I started swimming. It's been almost a month now and I have lost 3.5 kilograms. I gain back my optimism. Don't get me wrong, my lower back can get very uncomfortable every once in a while and I can be very panicky when I feel sharp pain on my lower back, but despite the debilitating condition, I found this newfound determination. So, for the next three months, I will share my exercise routines, diet program, and my progress. It's going to be my exercise journal and I hope it can inspire you to achieve the impossible.