There’s an old saying, “if you don’t want to start over again, don’t quit”. Over the last few years, I’ve been travelling back and forth from coast to coast, and I’ve quit my workout/diet several times. My entire life, I had always been pretty skinny, but one day, I woke up overweight, overworked, and middle-aged. Over the past year (during covid), I could have worked out and lost some weight, but I think a big part of me was still mentally split between San Francisco and the east coast.
As you know, I’ve recently moved back to the east coast, and I’m in the process of consolidating my life and time. I’ve made health a priority by doing the following:
- Establish new doctors in maryland
- Check on the state of my health (thyroid levels, status of my a-fib, and overall health)
- Eat healthier
- Exercise
- Get proper sleep
- Lose weight
So far, I’ve established new doctors and I’m happy to report that my thyroid levels are normal and I no longer have a-fib. The doctors are working together to reduce my medication—I’ve already subtracted flecanide, which is a huge relief. I still need to meet with my general physician later this month.
As for eating healthier, I’ve been starting a proper diet. The biggest challenge is the quantity of food that I can eat—since I’m at a caloric deficit, I experience hunger more often. I’ve also been meal prepping, which has helped automate my eating habits because it’s one less choice I have to make. The next step is to focus more on my macro nutrients as I track everything I eat.
I’ve been doing pretty well on the exercise part. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been dialing up my workouts as I track how many calories I’m burning. On days where I’m over my caloric budget, I try to add in an extra work out. Recently, I purchased a Peloton Tread Plus and it’s been easier to hop on and off to get a quick walk/hike in during the day. It’s more convenient than my Peloton Bike. While I enjoy the spin classes, walking seems to burn more calories. I’m at a point now where I can run at least a mile a day, albeit slowly.
I’ve been going to bed earlier, and I’ve been getting proper sleep. This helps me function a little better during the day, however, I still believe I need to go to bed earlier and set a habit of turning off my phone at that time. I have a bad habit of playing on my phone before bed, and it can keep me up for an extra hour… which is a poor trade of time.
Lastly, I want to lose weight. I was 195.6lbs. I just weighted myself at 175.2 this weekend. I’ve reached my first milestone of losing 20lbs. It’s been quite a journey so far, and the next milestone is 165lbs.
Strength training will begin a month from now, where I can put more energy towards building muscle. It’ll take time, but I’ll get there in a few months.