Welcome to Iron Lotus, Andy!

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To say that I’m Mercurial would be an understatement.

My wife points out that I’m project oriented and once I’m done with a project that interests me, I move on.

One project that I am continually drawn back to is my health. I am not one to accept anything on faith. I was drawn to Buddhist Practice for this very reason. Questions are encouraged rather than forbidden.

I should say that my Practice, these days, is pretty minimal. Meditation in the Zen style is any thing but regular. I am philosophical Buddhist. I try to live in a Buddhist manner, in accordance with my values. I have found, in Unitarian Universalism, a connection with the religion of my childhood and I have found peace with the elements of Christianity that speak to me and remain a Buddhist.

One thing I do believe in is nutrition science, or really anything that’s fairly well proven. Exercise and strength training are known quantities. In our world today, most of us do jobs that don’t tax our bodies to optimal levels and we intake food that is engineered to make us want more of it and, for most of us, it’s fairly nutritionally bankrupt.

I went off the Standard American Diet three years ago when my wife and I went on Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live Plan. We didn’t stick with it long, but our shift away from animal based protein as well as most dairy and eggs has lasted. I’ve been a 99 % Vegan since then. I’ve had some times where having dairy made sense and I did so. You shouldn’t hold any point of view so firmly that you can’t adapt it to the changing conditions of your life, but I can say I’ll never go back to eating meat.

In an effort to close the loop in refining my health even further I am working on beginning strength training anew. My friends here at Iron lotus noticed and asked me to join them, writing and tracking my journey here. It’s been daunting, honestly. I’m still trying to regain any knowledge I once had on the subject.

So far I have committed to doing body weight training. This is because I have no abdominal muscle wall. I had a gangrene like condition in my appendix when I was 17. I barely survived and have had three subsequent hernia repair operations. I need to lose another 125 pounds to get to the point where a total reconstruction might be feasible. So, that’s what I’m working on now. Last year I lost 100 pounds, this year, so far, nothing, but the year is not over yet.

Looking forward to sharing my journey with you,

– Andy “@uuzennie”

Today we welcome a new friend to the site, Emily Helt. Some of you may know her as @mindfulness108 on Twitter (and if you don’t follow her yet, I suggest you fix that).

Welcome to IronLotus, Emily!
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I have always been physically active and grew up a pretty serious athlete. The first time I touched a basketball I was five years old and I never put it down after that. As I got older, things got more serious- I started seeing basketball trainers, playing AAU, and getting ready to compete in high school with serious plans for college ball. Eventually I started losing interest. The love I once had began to fade as basketball started to feel like a chore. This great passion I had was fading and I couldn’t figure out why. Then, my sophomore year I had no choice, I had to stop playing to get back surgery. I was restricted from sports for a year and this changed my life.

Overtime I realized that physical discipline is meaningless without mental focus and emotional maturity, both which I had spent little time cultivating. Looking back, I can see how I lacked mindfulness as I immersed myself entirely into basketball. I DO love playing basketball and after dealing with injury I was able to refocus and discover a new appreciation for it.

Although most of the time my injuries frustrate me like crazy, I am grateful for the challenges and lessons I’ve learned. Now, I focus on keeping balance and push myself with the knowledge that maintaining this is what sustains my fitness. When I’m not cooped up in the gym I am scouring the Internet for random geekery, blogs, or creative inspiration. My computer is an integral part of preserving a balanced life.

– Emily Helt “@mindfulness108”