January
Healthier January – The month of new beginnings!
We are already half way into the month of new beginnings, January. Some of us has made a New Years resolution to become healthier, to eat better food, to start exercise. Some has altogether stopped making the resolutions as they do not seem to last.
For most people life catches up and we get stuck in an unhealthy pattern of work, eat, sleep. The shards of time left over are spent ferrying kids to different activities, trying to clear the house and keeping everything together. As a result, no time is spent on ourselves, the most important person in your life. We expect our bodies to cope with the most hectic of lifestyles without any form of maintenance. We do not see ourselves as important, but hey, if we are not fit and healthy we cant give all that love that we want to give, we become heaps of worn out machinery that is no good for anyone.
How can we make it work?
The reason!!!
I never said it was going to be easy, but as Oprah Winfrey once said “every step however small brings you forward and closer to your goal”. Everything is easier with a good reason, arm yourself with a pen and paper and start to think….. Why???? What reasons do I have to get fit, healthy, eat healthier foods, stop smoking or whatever your “get healthier resolution” is. Put down all those lame, worn out reasons that everyone says then think a little deeper…
What happens if you get a heart attack because of those excessive pounds around your waist. Do your fitness levels allow you to play with your children or grandchildren? Moreover, What if you develop lung cancer due to your smoking, or worse, what if your children develop cancer from passive smoking because YOU were smoking in the house or in the car. What if your appearance start to drop as your clothes no longer fit. What IF??? Only you know how your unhealthy habits can turn your life into a complete nightmare. I can hear the resistance to look the facts in the eye! Im young, I do not get a heart attack. Cancer only happens to other people. Im ok because i had a tomato soup last week. Sorry guys these excuses do not hold up.
A friend of mine recently got admitted to hospital, fit as a flea in his early 30’s, his downside – unhealthy eating habits and smoking. Cancer happens to all ages, some seem more susceptible than others, the internet is full of examples, read about them, put yourself in their shoes, what would you do? No – getting healthier is not a guarantee that you will stay healthy, but it surely increases the odds.
My reason
I have always been a fairly active person and i love healthy food, never smoked and never been keen on alcohol. I love horse riding and walking but then life happened and it all came tumbling down as a ton of bricks. After coming out of a relationship that was far from perfect, i started to focus on the bad bits, on those bits that I could not do anything about, problems that I just could not solve. The circumstances made me take responsibility for actions that were not mine to take responsibility for, felt bad for things that were not mine to feel bad about. I created a prison and thought circumstances and other people, completely outside of my control, held the key. The pounds started to pile on, my clothes did not fit. My health and fitness level deteriorated and I could not see a way out.
It took a doctors appointment to make me realise! The coin dropped! The very blunt Gentleman doctor said. “You got to drop 30 kg, why have you put on so much weight?” Yes i know, but it had not sunk in. Not until i sheepishly tried to explain to the doctor that ” oh I don’t know, i eat healthy and I do walk” and he replied “Ok but you eat too much and exercise too little”. It was literally just like flicking a switch. I just replied ” You are right! This is not me!” pointing at my body, this is just wrong. That moment set me up for a journey that not only will take me to better health but also bring me back to the life I tirelessly preach that others should lead.
How can we make these commitments work?
Again you have got to look at what kind of person you are and how much time you have got. I’m the kind of person who wants results, and needs to see a result in order to stay focused, most people are I guess. Having said that it is no use starting to run before you can walk. No use getting into a crash diet that you cannot keep up.
The best way to start is to write down everything you eat for a day, lets say yesterday. You cannot change yesterday that’s why yesterday is the best day. Can you see a pattern? Where do those extra unwanted calories hide? Have you got a sweet tooth or do you just loooove bread? Do you use both butter and mayo? Fried food? Or is it alcohol, crisps or cake? Nothing wrong with starting off slowly, find one thing that you can reduce or eliminate! You have to skip 7000 calories (kcal) to loose 1 kg.
Examples!
- A Doughnut contains about 250 kcal, thats 28 Doughnuts you have to say no to, to loose 1 kg.
- Slice of white bread, 54 kcal, thats 129 pieces of toast. But hey that’s just the bread.
- Thin spread butter for one piece of toast (7g), 52 kcal.
- 1 sachet of Mayo (12g) 82kcal. Not a lot of mayo…..
- Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon grated, 41kcal. Who uses just one tablespoon?
- Regular cappucino at Subway, 78 kcal.
An average woman needs 2000 kcal to keep the weight. A man needs slightly more at 2500kcal. You will need to shave off 7000 kcal to loose 1 kg (2.2 pounds), so if you reduce your intake to 1000 kcal per day you will loose 1 kg in one week. The body is not a machine and do not follow the textbook so expect irregular weight loss.
If you want to know more about calorie content of your favourite foods visit the NHS calorie checker. NHS also has a very good simple little app that tells you if you are overweight and when you are in at a healthy weight. However fabulous computers and apps are, I cannot enough recommend a good handbook. I recommend “The calorie, carb and fat bible 2019”, a fab calorie book that will be your friend for a long time. With a book like this you can easily find healthier options and alternatives as well as new ideas.
Exercise
I cannot stress enough the importance of taking it easy to start. There is absolutely no point in doing too much too soon, it is simply too painful! Go with the healthier option and start off slow, go for a walk, take some riding lessons, go swimming.
Walking
Walking is one of my absolute favourites, you can speed up and increase the length of your walk as you feel you can cope with more. Being out and about also cleanses your brain, you get all that lovely fresh air, you clear your thoughts and get lots of new impressions. In fact it is quite amazing how much more you see when you open your senses and actually take stock of what is happening around you. This is why i would like to suggest that you refrain from wearing headphones and instead listen to the natural sounds around you.
One of the good things with walking is that you can do it everywhere with a minimum of gear. Having said this do make the effort to go to exciting places from time to time. Visit forests, beaches, cultural and historical landmarks (the brain needs food too). The only thing you need is a good pair of shoes. If you like me have wide feet, I recommend Salomon. They make both trekking boots and walking/ running shoes. Sizing can be a bit on the small side so choose 1-1½ size bigger than normal. You will want room for your toes, running or walking downhill makes your foot move forward in your shoe and if there is no extra room it can become painful. I don’t like pain.
Swimming
Swimming, another fabulous activity, a full body workout all wrapped up into one. The chances of getting hurt are very low and as the water carries you it does not feel so strenuous.
Riding
My absolute favourite is riding, you would be amazed how many calories you burn by riding horses. This is also a great exercise for the mind, the warm feeling of the horse and its movements calms all those stresses stored in your body.
Going to the gym
Remember that going to the gym is not just for fitness freaks and muscle mountains, it is for you and me too. Most gyms have an instructor who can tell you all about which machines to use, what they do and what you need to do to get the desired result, just tell them you are on the road to a healthier lifestyle. Remember to check with your GP, you might be eligible for a discounted price due to an existing medical condition.
Exercise and burning calories
Many guides, apps and reference books state the number of calories you burn when you do a certain exercise. Take these numbers with a pinch of salt! Don’t add the amount of calories you think you have burnt to the number of calories you can eat. Look at it as bonus points instead. Pat yourself at the back as you feel your body responding to the new healthier lifestyle. Keep up the good work and you will see the results.
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Swedish Nubbe
