Weight Loss....

So yes I've been writing about my life but it takes a while to get to the internet I usually save my posts to a flashcard then paste them all at once. Thats why I have 3 posts in one day. I will probably be doing this every couple weeks.

We are a society concerned with our weight. Not a week goes by that I don't read in my weekly Newsweek provided by the peace corps about health and some new kind of diet trend. The easy advice I have to any man that wants to lose weight quick- MOVE TO Kazakhstan. Men for some reason go through major weight lose in this country while usually women gain weight. Since I've been here depending upon if Ive gotten sick in the last week or not, I've lost between 20-25 pounds.

Its funny though I not quite sure why I've lost so much weight. The Kazakh's I live with, only eat twice a day and with a very lite breakfast in the morning so when I eat I stuff myself. The sugars I used to eat in mass quantities has trickled down to nothing and its almost in possible to find luxury items like chips in my village. So the aspect of snacking, which we do in the states so often has been completely erased. Another thing is since I live in a village I walk everywhere. To school and back is about 3 miles with a full pack so I get my workout. But those these things should be countered by...

"But Jose what do you eat?"
This is the funniest part I eat mostly bread, potatoes, noodles, rice, and mutton or cow meat. So the Adkins diet makes no sense to me after living in Kazakhstan. I think I should be gaining weight. The winter diet here includes mostly starches since the weather is so cold. Only now in the middle of February have I begun to see good fruits again. The weather has begun to change and its getting prettier and nicer everyday (even saw a wild flower yesterday) but thats not to say all volunteers are the same. This country is huge and parts of it are quite close to Siberia. My good friend in the northern most central part of Kazakhstan is still having-15-20 degree Celsius weather right now. COLD.....

Another one of my buddies has lost 30 pounds and he was already skin and bones when we got here. In conclusion whatever muscle mass I had prior to coming here is gone now. Even though I've begun to work out regularly at the school gym and in my room. My clothes which fit me well when I came to here now make me look like a college kid, since they are so baggy. But to any future male Kazakhstan volunteers out there make sure to but a couple holes in your belt and bring some clothes that are a little tight and under your current size.