Ending the year on a “low”


We just entered a new year and last year has been very eventful to say the least. Started of with lockdowns and restrictions and then we went back to “(ab)normal”. Towards the end of the year, the threat of lockdown is back with a sudden surge of cases in China. No-matter how a year goes by, we all prefer to end it on a high. I did manage to end mine on a new “low”. It’s not what you think though.

I have the habit of checking my weight once a week. Those 30 seconds you take to prepare yourself to step on the machine and eagerly wait for the scale to settle down could be nerve wrecking. It almost brings out the feeling of waiting for exam results after all the effort you put in through the year. It’s the moment when the outcome all our actions or in-actions can be seen. More often that not, we see the scale going the wrong way. Stepping on the scale despite the week gone by has got to be the bravest thing we do 😂. Those rare moments when the scale does go in the right direction, it does feel like stepping on the winners podium to receive a gold medal in Olympics.

It was 31st December morning and I decided to step on the scale while reflecting on the year gone by. It turned out to be an official “low” for me. I managed to bring my weight down by ~7kg from what I was at the start of the year. So, I did manage to end the year on a new “low”. In this post, I share my experience and opinion on weight loss and how to go about it.

Importance of having the right goals

We all need goals in our life to direct us in the right path and help navigate the challenges thrown at us. “Loosing weight" is a goal that’s part of new year resolutions for many. Weight is just an outcome and often a reflection of your health and habits. Being fit and strong should be our focus. “Gaining fitness" should be our immediate goal and "being fit" should be our lifetime goal.

Do we really need to wait until something happens to us to take health seriously?

We tend to take health seriously after a bout of poor health or sudden occurrence of a condition. In my case, I was diagnosed with a slipped disc and was unable to move for a week. Day-to-day activities like sitting and lying down became a painful task. This was the trigger for me to take my health seriously. You don't have to wait for your tipping point.

How do we gain fitness and improve our health?

Exercise, diet and sleep are the holy trinity of fitness. They are closely inter-linked and are equally important. I don't want to prescribe what form of exercise or diet changes you must adopt. It's an individual choice. Walking, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, gym based strength training, high intensity workouts are all activities that are accessible to many. Pick the ones you enjoy the most. Personally, I enjoy running, yoga and high intensity workouts.

I think we (in India) consume a lot more carbohydrates than actually needed. Our diet is more suitable for someone who has to physically work hard everyday to make a living. Consulting a doctor and getting a customised diet plan for me certainly helped.

If I don't sleep, I feel miserable doing exercise the next morning. If I don't exercise, I cannot eat what I want. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep is essential. Lack of sleep has been associated as a cause for many health problems. We don't have to look beyond our children to understand how to sleep. No matter what happens in a day, when they hit the bed, they sleep. Listening to music or stand up comedy at the end of the day helps to take my mind off and I end up sleeping well. We all have slept in broad day-light in college in the middle of lectures or reading textbooks 😂. Perhaps, we should try the same 😂.

While the holy trinity gives a holistic approach towards better health, there are some principles that helped me to adopt these changes successfully and sustain it over a period of time. I have listed the top 3 below.

Focus on the process, not the outcome

Often, people start this and don’t see outcomes in a day or week and give up. This is because we focus on outcomes. We need to create a plan that works for us. Trust the process and stick to it. Do not worry about the outcome. If our plan is good and we execute it honestly, outcome is just a matter of time.

Enjoy it while you are at it

Any exercise or diet changes we do should be something we like and are happy to continue. Without this, we might gain fitness but we will struggle to maintain it over the longer run. We might be able to moderate these changes a bit once we are reasonably fit, but fully going back to old habits will most likely result in reversing the gains.

Celebrate your success

There is nothing more satisfying than reflecting on success. It serves as a reminder of what you are capable of and what else you can aim for. I did this by having a Wall Of Fame in our house where all the running medals are showcased.

Let me end this post by sharing the thoughts of my inspiration (Eliud Kipchoge). "No Human is limited". You can wake up tomorrow and walk, run or do anything. You just need to remove the barriers from your mind, prepare and execute. 

Let's attempt to start this new year on a "high" and end it on a "new high"; or should I say "low" 😀.

Happy New Year!



Comments

  1. Arun5 January 2023 at 04:46

    Measuring low....and finishing very strong ..what a year you had....
    Good writing ..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kaarthi5 January 2023 at 05:34

    One of the lows to be proud of ..nice ly done in writing and in action

    ReplyDelete
  3. Balasundaram5 January 2023 at 05:37

    Nicely written, Ashwin! Hope I can say the same next year :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AruneM5 January 2023 at 18:02

    I was about to say , "Bro you have not shown the y-axis in the graph clearly ", but that would be missing the whole point of this post!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shubhro6 January 2023 at 23:20

    Nice read!

    ReplyDelete

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