2015 was a year filled with distractions! Weddings, babies, family commitments. Everything was a priority except me and even though I tried to maintain regular gym sessions; they were haphazard attempts at maintaining my fitness levels…a few good weeks followed by a couple of cancellations and just as I start to find my rhythm, a new distraction would come along and keep me from my goals.

 

By October, the frustration was starting to mount! Summer was approaching, my clothes were fitting a little snug and I wasn’t feeling good about myself at all.  That was when I decided to get my mind into gear once and for all in order to achieve some sort of progress.

 

Previously on the yo-yo diet express, I would start with great gusto and enthusiasm; head full throttle into the realm of lettuce leaves and tasteless food, only to have it wane after a few weeks. This time I decided to slow down the pace. Make small commitments, stick to it and then build onto it from there! I decided to throw out any ideas I ever had about diets and dieting and start from the very beginning…without being boggled down with the expectation of instant results. I shifted my focus from “weight loss” to pursuing a healthier lifestyle! I knew that before I got things right, I first needed to figure out what I was doing wrong. I knew where I needed to be, but I also knew that in order to reach there I needed to start with basics.

One thing that played in my favour is that I’ve maintained a relatively active lifestyle. I love exercise!! It’s the one thing I can’t do without for long periods of time. I figured, what better way to start this journey than to start with what I know, what I’m comfortable with! So my initial plan of action was just to get moving more consistently again. This was hard for me because my mind was telling me to go wild and crazy…but I also know myself well enough to know that if I started that way, the momentum wouldn’t last. At this stage I didn’t make any drastic changes to my diet. I was obviously a bit more conscious of what I ate, made a few healthy changes here and there, but didn’t embark on any particular plan. I knew that any small change was a significant change. That it was at least a step in the right direction, even if just a small one.

The first few weeks were predictably great! I was mentally committed and it showed in the effort I put in. By the third week my momentum fizzled out a little. Fatigue settled in and I slacked somewhat. If it wasn’t for jotting down my progress, I’m sure I would have allowed the slump to continue…but once again, the power of the mind proves to triumph! I had to give myself a good talking to and reignited my desire to succeed.

Through this exercise of trial and error and jotting down my progress, I was able to see that my weakness lies in the weekends! Underactive and overeating sabotages my own progress. I know that investing an hour at gym (or outdoors) over the weekend will make a huge difference, not only physically, but mentally too. Somehow a good workout has the power to propel me into making better eating choices too. And so decided I to incorporate some weekend classes to my routine. By the end of the month I was feeling fitter, healthier and very much determined to continue on this path!

* If you’ve missed the first instalment, read here