I’ve been thinking a lot about my wellness lately, and I’ve realized something: I don’t want to go on another diet. I want to build a lifestyle that makes me feel healthy, strong, and good about myself.
I have done keto before, and I still tend to eat fairly low-carb because of that experience. I notice when I do eat heavy carbs, I feel absolutely exhausted and bloated. However, carbs are important and I have no desire to restrict foods, track every bite, or feel guilty because I ate something that doesn’t “fit the diet”.
For me it’s about small changes, better decisions, and maintaining it.
Starting with Small Changes
Right now my biggest focus is on increasing my protein. I have started looking at my meals differently, choosing higher protein options and making simple solutions. When planning meals, I am starting with the protein and aiming for at least 30 grams of protein a meal (plus protein snacks in between). There are tons of macro calculators out there and you can adjust them depending on your goals, but tracking macros requires a level of commitment that I am not currently at. We’ll save that topic for another day.
Breakfast has been an interesting experiment. I like mixing unflavored protein powder into my high protein Greek yogurt because it helps get more protein into my day. I added walnuts, honey, and cinnamon and it was delicious. But I have learned that this only works when I am prepared. When mornings get busy and I have not planned ahead, my good intentions fall apart fairly quickly. For now, this is breakfast about 2 days a week.
Another thing I have discovered, some days food doesn’t appeal to me. For the first time in my life, meat grosses me out. I used to drool over a nice tender steak or the smell of BBQ chicken, but some days I feel as though I am forcing myself. I don’t always understand why. One thing that has made a significant impact on my feelings about food was moving to Kentucky. Might sound odd, but seeing all these beautiful animals in my neighborhood and on drives around the area just makes me sad to think about the meat process. Some days I can get past it and others I can’t. I have started eating black beans to help the situation. We shall see what happens as time passes.
When it comes to wellness, it includes learning about yourself and boy am I learning.
Finding Movement Everyday
I have also been thinking about how to incorporate movement more into my day without turning it into another obligation. One of the biggest challenges I have is working a sedentary job. This was a huge change a few years ago when I switched careers. I went from walking about 5 miles a day to sitting all day long with a walk to the microwave at lunch or bathroom breaks.
I went and toured a couple gyms in the area and found a dog park with a walking loop. Right now, I am spending a lot of time working on projects in my yard. I am moving rocks, bending, lifting, sweating, and trying to get stuff done before winter. The important thing is, I am enjoying it!
For years I was trying to move out of New York…the cold dark winters were doing nothing for my mental health or motivation for activitiy. I would constantly say, “I just want to be outside”. Moving here has been life changing for me. I am outside every evening after work and for the majority of the weekends. It feeds my soul. So, no. I do not feel guilty about not going to the gym right now.
I take short walks on the beautiful campus I work at and do a few stretches throughout the day. It’s about adding in small things that don’t require me to rearrange my entire life.
Changing My Mindset
This might be the biggest part of my journey: changing how I think about progress.
I've read Atomic Habits and the idea of small, consistent changes has really had an impact on me. Yet it's surprisingly easy to forget that philosophy when I’m the one trying to make changes.
I can start a week with the best intentions, make a plan, and then feel frustrated when things don't go exactly as expected. But I am trying to change that.
If I have a day when I don't eat the way I intended, I don't want to think I've ruined everything and have to start over tomorrow. I don't want to wait until Monday or the beginning of a new week to get back on track.
I can start with the very next decision I make.
That is a completely different way of thinking for me. one meal doesn't define my day, and one day doesn’t erase the progress I have made. I can acknowledge what happened, make my next choice be a better one, and keep moving forward.
I don't need to be perfect. I just need to keep showing up for myself.
Weighing My Options
Recently, I looked back at pictures of myself from 2021. I had lost 70 pounds, was going to the gym six days a week, and felt strong and healthy. Seeing those pictures was difficult because I remember how good I felt. It’s hard not to compare where I am now with where I was then.
But I don’t want to spend this journey trying to recreate my past. I want to use what I’ve learned to build something even better.
Something I have been contemplating about is whether to try the Hume Pod scale or not. Scales bother be because they really do not reflect your body composition. The number can fluctuate pounds from day to day. However, it can be useful for accountability.
So, what is the Hume Pod? It is a smart scale and body composition analyzer. It tracks over 45 health metrics. One of the things I am most interested in is the metabolic age metric. I think that would be a great metric to track and set a goal around. I would like to learn more about changes in my body, rather than weight alone.
I haven’t decided whether I will buy one yet. I am still figuring out what makes sense for me. Stay tuned!
For now, my priorities are simple: increase protein, find small opportunities to move more, and work on changing my mindset.
Some days will go well and others won’t. I will make adjustments, learn as I go, and continue reminding myself it’s about progress not perfection.
If you are new here, check out where this journey started.
