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Looking great is never an indicator of what’s happening within. We get one life, and it tends to last for considerable time so ensuring your health is at optimum performance, is important.
I’ve been friends with people in my life who to me, looked beautiful and yet they complained about fatigue, back pain, high blood pressure, mental health issues, diabetes, and the like.
The sooner we start to take care of ourselves, the more it will benefit us in the long run. It’s wonderful to look good on the outside, however, our health on the inside is what counts.
As we age, nothing gets easier. The nature of your lifestyle overall will determine how severely your body declines as you grow.
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In my own experience, when I’d reached my unhealthiest physical state, I noticed the things I use to do without hesitation and complete ease, were now beginning to take effort. I would become breathless quicker than my younger years, as an example.
I would always linger on an unrealistic expectation. Everything would change for the better, with minimal effort applied. As you may expect, this didn’t happen. Change came, only when I began changing.
We read and hear all these warnings about what your health may, or may not look like after a certain age if you do, or do not eat certain foods or do certain things.
I’m of the belief that if we could glimpse our future, and be made aware of potential ailments, most of us would be inclined to change the way our life looks, immediately.
There’s no way of knowing, but the principle remains. We must prioritise our health as prevention will always advantage the need for a cure.
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Some of us have dependants and most have a certain lifestyle we aspire to live once we reach retirement. When we fail to look after our health, we risk our future quality of life and our ability to look after ourselves and others.
The most prominent catalyst for me, was seeing the older generation of my family, suffer from restrictive and debilitating conditions.
I’d read and heard all the warnings but it wasn’t until I saw the consequences playing out in the lives of the people around me, that I took notice. Witnessing the effects of a poor lifestyle first-hand, solidified what I knew I needed to do for myself.
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I’ve grown to love and respect the person I am. Actioning this self-respect has meant, doing what I know will benefit my health overall. I knew there were foods I was eating which were no good for me.
In addition, office working for most of my career meant I’d been living an entirely sedentary lifestyle, for too long. This lifestyle was supported by the facilitation of online shopping, and being a full time driver. Things needed to change. I was already 32 years old.
Anyone, no matter their age, can make changes at any point in their life but the sooner you start, the better it will be for your years ahead.
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If you’ve watched any of my YouTube videos on my weight loss and gym journey, you’ll find a resounding message. You must make the changes gradual. I’ve emphasised this in one particular video here.
Like many, I had tried the get-slim-quick diets repeatedly in the past. The problem with these diet types, is primarily that they’re not sustainable over the long-term.
Additionally, they’re usually not healthy. There tends to be an emphasis of extremity in favour of a specific increase or decrease in certain food types.
Our food intake must be balanced. This won’t sound pleasing to those who want to drop weight yesterday, however, this is how it works when you want to have real lasting results.
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My main problem with get-slim-quick diets, went back to the root cause of why I wanted extreme weight loss in a short period, in the first place. We’re constantly fed societies expectations of how our appearance should be.
We may have events to attend and aspire to squeeze back into clothes we’ve outgrown. It could be, we’re single and want to find a compatible partner, so desire to improve our prospects.
I’ve used the above as fleeting examples, but at certain points in my life, these were reasons for why I wanted fast weight loss. Once I was fixated on having better health, and how this would benefit me in the long run, my ‘why’ changed. The changes I made, then also became long-term.
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I began slowly changing my eating habits in 2019 and spent that year working on the consistency of the changes, until my new approach to food became a habit.
Midway through 2021, once my nutrition had improved for the better, I turned to incorporating physical activity. I had already lost almost two stone in weight.
I found it difficult to commit to the gym because of work, distance, opening hours and the like. I took advantage of my home, fitness tools I already owned, and free fitness workouts on YouTube as an alternative.
There’s an abundance of online material for free which has made the weight loss process accessible for all.
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I can admit, since the changes I made from 2019, I’ve had periods where I’ve gained weight here or there. The difference was however, it never returned to the state at which I’d began.
I’m disciplined thanks to my consistency. Getting things quickly back on track has become second nature. Whether I have gaps in training, or perhaps a weekend of indulging in some food fancies, I always revert back to my health commitments. Overall, I’ve stayed committed.
Fast forwarded to present day, I attend the gym three to four times a week as standard with one full week off every two months, to give my body a rest.
I’m 10 years older then my unhealthy state in my mid 20’s and yet, I look younger and feel healthier than I was. My photos below, speak for themselves.
I’ve written a detailed blog on my weight loss story here. It’s not just about looking great, it’s about feeling great from within which radiates and manifests externally.
The biggest lesson that these good practices have taught me, is that whenever you decide to venture into changing things in your life – it must start with you first.
Dedicate your life, to your life. You deserve to be your best.
