Embarking on A Healthier Lifestyle Journey

One of the things that I enjoy doing is going for fitness classes. You've probably read this a few times in my blog and I have been doing this since April 2017. I started with Zumba, alone, with a group of strangers, and it was nerve wrecking. Suddenly I had to do all these fast paced movements, while moving to the music, and catching up with the instructor, then I got overwhelmed by it. 

I would have given up but it was pretty fun and I ended up going for different types fitness classes, to places where I could reach on time, or almost, after work. After Zumba, I liked Strong by Zumba which I thought was so tough and so different from Zumba despite sharing almost the same name. I still don't get why it is called Zumba where it is basically Cardio and strength training workouts done to the tempo of music. But I liked the synchronised movement which I could catch up better than Zumba and though initially, I kept telling myself not to faint because it could get pretty exhausting with all the jumping, burpees and what nots,  I began to treasure those wind down moments and focus on my breathing.  And it became manageable. The breaks in between helped too as it allows your body to recover for a little while before going on to the next quadrant which will be tougher than the previous one.

Actually, I'm not really here to talk about just fitness. I'm doing it for health and because I wanted to do something else besides just going to gym on Sundays. But a healthy lifestyle isn't about fitness only. It's also about being able to eat right.

Our diet plays a bigger part and to be honest, while I try to avoid or cut down certain foods, I still think my diet needs to be revamped.  For example, I would tell myself I am allowed to eat a burger or a bun because I just did a HIIT workout earlier. So I ate a cheeseburger :D

Anyway, I am going to be a little tough on myself to get my sh*t together in terms of the food I consume. We should stop the mentality that oh just because we exercise, we are allowed to slack a little over the food we consume. No. Diet and exercise goes hand in hand. I don't think you would want to waste all the times you spent at the gym or those fitness classes by ruining your diet.

I want to see progress, like serious physical progress, and though I do feel stronger and healthier, I don't really feel like I see any other progress as in the physical body change. I don't want to remain this shape forever. I want to look leaner and though I tell myself this all the time to do something about it, I don't really put in much effort.

And then I get frustrated if I see no changes, lol.

Anyway, I want to do this for myself. I also don't want to feel happy only after I look a certain way or reach a certain weight. Happiness comes from within. We should be happy with ourselves at any size or any shape but the point of wanting to have a healthier lifestyle, is for the long term as well. It's not just about wanting to look aesthetically pleasing. It's also about how we feel in general. If losing weight helps to raise our confidence level, boost our self esteem, raise our energy level, why not?

Body positivity is also about loving your body and yourself beyond the physical appearance. But currently, I don't think I am loving my body enough and hence why I am not so careful with the types of food I eat in general.

Starting last weekend, I made small changes to my diet and while it seems tough, such as changing the sauce to a less fat option for the salad and tasted a little bleh, over time I can overcome this. I should pay more attention to the foods that goes into my mouth. Because it will make a difference in the long run.

From the videos I watched on you tube, it is not going to be easy. Ordinary people like me, when they embark on this journey, goes through a series of emotions and the feeling of wanting to give up because they are so used to their previous unhealthy lifestyle and this new fitness and diet routine is the totally opposite of it. Even in the midst of their challenge, they experience a little slacking but they don't like oh off it, I might as well go back to my old lifestyle habits. In fact, they motivate themselves to work harder to make up for the time they had slacked of by eating unhealthy. 

The point is, it's okay to slack a little, and it's not the end of the world if you have eaten a cookie. But to consider this as a lifestyle which means we will just go back into the groove because this is our life and we have made a commitment to ourselves to be healthier.

So wish me luck and hopefully I will be more successful this time. I know I should be doing this for myself but I can't help but think if my crush at the gym will notice the difference when we come back after the gym reopens after renovation in mid December. Then he will be curious and finally start talking to me, haha. Oh wishful thinking ;p