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Blog: Working Toward Health May 16, 2006

I just discovered, through the Biggest Losers list at PhysicsDiet.com, a brand new blog by user quotidianlight – Working Toward Health.

She’s only been using PhysicsDiet.com for a couple of days, and the blog only has one post on it so far (One Fat Vegetarian), but it’s a great one. It sounds like quotidianlight has had the exact same self-realisation I had back in December – nothing is going to change unless I take charge.

She describes a pattern of steady weight gain over a period of time, with several false starts and failed ‘diet kicks’ that just never seemed to stick for more than a short time. I had a very similar experience, and never seemed to be able to fit exercise and proper eating into my normal routine. Then one day I just woke up and decided that enough was enough. I could make all the excuses in the world, but the fact was that I was unfit, overweight, and not enjoying life to the full. If I didn’t make a change, who would?

So I started walking in the mornings. It was only something small, but it was progress in the right direction. Walking beats doing nothing. Gradually over the next few months, I started making other small changes to my lifestyle – cutting sugar out of my coffee, cutting snacks and biscuits, eating smaller meals, making healthier food choices, taking my children for walks, and I even graduated from walking to jogging.

Each of these changes I made using the 30 day trial technique. Although I only committed to each for 30 days at a time, I made sure I was making changes that could be incorporated into my lifestyle without major disruption. For example, something like visiting the local gym several times a week wasn’t going to work for me – it would turn my home life upside down. Getting up half an hour early to go for a walk was doable, though. Over time, each of these changes just became a part of my normal routine, so I’m able to stick with them for the longer term. I wasn’t on a ‘health kick’, I was slowly and gradually forming healthier daily habits.

I really resonate with quotidianlight:

I had done this several times but there was a huge difference, this time… I wasn’t punishing myself. Weight loss would not be punishment for bad behavior that I enforce on myself only to fail. This time weight loss would be one prong of several changes to modify my life and bring me in balance.

And the future is looking great, because now we’re in control of our own destiny:

I look forward to becoming a strong swimmer. I look forward to learning to run again. Somehow I will learn to balance exercise, eating and life.

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