The second month of 2024 is upon us and as per usual, I cannot believe how fast January ran away. Despite my many aspirations for 2024, I ended up literally wasting all of January. But I am motivated to do better this month and to keep myself going, I am going to post my progress here week on week. My first goal is to get healthy again. After becoming the healthiest version of myself in 2018-21, I slowly slipped back into unhealthy habits such as not working out and binge eating. And while my goal has always been to lose weight, my outlook is now changed. I want to focus on becoming an active, healthy adult whose body doesn't hurt all the time (back creaks as I adjust in my seat). If you're also struggling with adopting a healthy lifestyle, here are some things I plan on doing -
A. Working out -
1. Looking for an exercise that I enjoy partaking in - it could be walking, jogging, cycling, yoga, gym, dance, anything. Start with finding 30 minutes every day for that activity and 5 days a week. Then slowly increasing the time I spend doing that activity.
2. Find friends to workout with. (Eg: Find a friend to go for a walk with post lunch in the office)
3. Download strava and partake in some fun challenges to keep me motivated.
4. Walk or cycle everywhere that's less than 2kms away. Try to do at least 6-7k steps every day.
5. Use cabs less and public transport more. It is more sustainable and helps get some physical activity while commuting. (Stairs, walking to and from the metro station, etc.)
B. Food -
1. Keeping note of everything I eat as soon as I eat it. That way I have an idea at all times of how much I've eaten during the day. A lot of times we eat because we're bored and not because we're hungry. This will help keep that in check. I don't believe in calorie counting since that can lead to other kinds of eating disorders. But this note will be my reminder of how I'm going through the day and whenever I do feel like binging, seeing how well I've been doing over the past few days will help deter me.
2. Add protein in every meal as it helps keep fuller for longer. I will also try to consume 6-7 vegetables in every meal. I will focus on eating a balanced diet every day.
3. Keep a cheat day every week. If I deny my cravings for too long, the day I give in, I end up binge eating. Instead I'll keep one meal of the weak as a cheat meal - Friday night dinner or Saturday night dinner.
4. If I ever eat excessively I will not give up on my journey. The next day is a new day, I will start a fresh.
5. I will not let myself get demotivated if it takes time to see a difference. Instead of focusing on the number on the scale alone, I will focus on getting healthier i.e. lesser body aches, more active, better mental health, etc.
6. Since I tend to overeat at night, I will stop eating at 7PM. I have set an alarm for 6:30PM to get a reminder to stop. This helps stop the late night cravings, helps sleep better, stops me binging out of boredom and gives my body a break from food.
Adding tofu to salads to make it more protein rich (I'm vegan)
C. Mental Health
As much as we believe that being healthy is just about the body, it is the mind that controls everything and if that's not healthy, it's difficult to get your body to get healthy. I will attend therapy, work on my anxiety, spend time in nature, do fun activities, binge watch less and make sure my head is a happy place. 2024 is all about mental peace.
If I'm able to follow these for the next 11 months, I think I'll achieve my goal to be healthier by the end of the 2024. I will update you on my progress every 2 weeks which will also help me stay motivated.
If you're also looking to get healthy, join me on my mission! Leave a comment below and we can help motivate each other to do better every day. If you are someone who follows a healthy lifestyle, drop some helpful tips.
What are your goals for 2024?
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