Happy New Year

2023 Chapter I Section XVI

New Year, Still working on the old Me

Is it still the new year if I am writing this on the 16th of the month? Either way, Happy New Year folks.

I started this year strong on the health front. I want to keep it simple, affordable and most importantly consistent. I know I have said that before but I want to give it my all. I cannot afford to have so many health issues anymore. I am finally in the right head space (or so I feel) to tackle some of the issues that has defined my obesity.

Of course this will not solve all my health problems but it can maybe give some relief. I do not care about the aesthetics of it all; I genuinely am worried if I keep at the path I was on, I would have major irrevocable health problems.

So far so good. My anxiety does try to hinder it from time to time but instead of stuffing my face till I felt numb, I go for long walks in the cold air. It does miracles. Also, I love long walks. My mind seems to slow down and enjoy nature and sights and sounds around me. It is too busy staring at that cute puppy. Of course if weather doesn’t permit for outside walks, I am slowly discovering the joy of slow but steady walks on the treadmill. I like the gym in the building. It is not the shiniest but it has all the things I need. I also love that there are many regular gym goers, seeing them gives me an invisible sense of camaraderie.

No delivery January is also going great. I am loving not spending insane amount of money for the most unhealthy and ridiculous foods. I am still treating myself to outside food but so far it has only happened twice and I actually enjoyed them instead of mindlessly eating them.

I am also rediscovering my love for cooking. It does hurt my back but I am learning ways to work around it. I look forward creating interesting and fun meals now. I have always enjoyed variety and I try to do that every week. I am truly hoping to make this a permanent habit.

Now my back pain had become quite bad in December. There were days I could barely move. But, with regular exercise now it is a more functional. I have decided to look for a good physiotherapist or chiropractor who can help me with maintenance.

Work has also picked up which is great. But I realised there is so much more to learn now and so many things to revise.

So overall, there is nothing new that I am doing this year, just more of the old but elevated. And, I think that is the best way to go about it. My aim this year is to worry less about the future and in general and take time to relax and socialise and of course to enjoy. Life is for thriving, not just living! :)

2020 Chapter I Section 1

Happy New Year

A new day, a new month, a new year and a new decade. Now, that’s a lot of ‘new’s. Am I new?

Well, aren’t we all a little newer every single passing moment? Who I was a moment ago isn’t me anymore. Too philosophical? Yeah, I think so too.

Anyway, I have no new resolutions. I do not think you need a specific day or date or time to start something. I used to think so. I used to wait for that magical day when the clock “will strike 12 and suddenly a new me will be born”. That never happened, so now I believe the magic is within us, we can turn a in to a “new me” whenever we want to.

In 2019, I started a slow but steady journey towards getting fit and I am continuing that journey. It doesn’t end with me losing “a bunch of weight”. This is a continuous journey and I have to keep at it.

I have a few personal projects I want to work on in 2020. I hope to make those happen and not give up as I do with many things.

I do not have any specific wish for 2020. I am happy to be alive and well for another day.

2018 Chapter I Section 7

A little late but still a start

The first Sunday of 2018! So, I took a bit of time off writing in the latter half of last year and also in the first few days of this one. And, it was worth it. I have a lot going on and yet I feel like I am standing still. I am looking for work, trying to further my studies (I am thinking about a second Masters and trying for it) and definitely making sure I am healthier than before. It has been a struggle sometimes to lose weight and eat right. When things don't go well I always depend on food to make me feel better. I want to change that. I want to be my own support system. 

I have been trying a new way of eating: Ketogenic diet. I know there is a lot of controversies around it and initially, I was very apprehensive about it. I have to say till now it has been the most successful way of eating for me. I am less hungry and more focused. I have been able to finally go under 179 lbs in 3 years and stay there. I have had my own bit of struggle with it, but I am back at it strong. One of the things I do not like about this way of eating is that I end up eating a lot of meat and dairy products. But, slowly and steadily I have been switching over to the plant-based alternatives. One of my goals in 2018 is to eat more plant-based foods. This is not only for health reasons but I want to leave less of a bad carbon footprint. 

I have also started Intermittent Fasting. It was a struggle, a true struggle but with time I have realized because of IF I eat less junk food now. I am more aware of what I am putting in my mouth and when. Earlier I had a habit of eating chips and chocolates at 1 or 2 in the morning. But, because of the specific times, I can eat, I eat better and get the right calories in. 

I tried different forms of exercise last year; from interval training to running to swimming but I couldn't sustain any of them, and I realized because I never addressed my back issues or other health issues. And, though I would start strong with my exercises, I would inevitably fall sick. This year my plan is to start slow and maintain. Thanks to my chiropractor my back pain is minimal and I sleep better. I want to start slow with walking. I also realized I love to dance and music always makes me happy. So, I have decided to dance for 10 mins every morning right after I wake up. I have done it for a few days and that has been a good experiment. I end up happier throughout the day.

So, basically this year I will continue to improve upon all the healthy habits and knowledge I started and accumulated last year! 

Last year was good. It definitely did not go as planned and that is fine. I met some exceptional people from all over the world. And, I cannot be more thankful. This has been one of the most eye-opening experiences in my life. Seeing the same things from a different perspective can be such a revelation.

I have realized my worth and I have realized I do not need to feel worthy through other's words. My actions speak for them. I have cut off a few people from my life, people who at one point in my life made sense, made me happy but I feel their presence in my life now is more harmful. 

This is a big year for me as I turn 30 and I have a short bucket list, that I want to go through (I will try putting some of them in this blog, some are too private for me to share here, though I am pretty sure I am the only one who reads my blog).

In general, I want to be happy this year and make sure I make others happy. I do not know where I will be at the end of the year. I do not know if I will be able to do all that I want to. I do not know if I will be successful in my endeavors but I know at every single moment I can choose happiness and that is exactly what I wish to do. 

I also want to be a lot more mindful of others and the world in general. I want to give as much as possible for me at the moment and I want to be aware of my surroundings. I am slowly switching to a more minimalistic approach to life, I have started having more plant-based foods and switching to products which are homemade and more natural. I know I cannot go cold turkey overnight but I can choose to keep making these small changes this year. 

A few goals I have for myself this year: 

  • Lose the excess weight I have been carrying around for a while now. It's time to treat my body with more respect and give it the right nutrients. 
  • Read more and read things out of my comfort zone. Goal is to read 52 books this year. 
  • Meet more people. Be more social. 
  • Help out more, in whatever small way I can. 
  • Write every single day (yes, I know I have missed the first 6 days already, but hey at least I started). I want to make this a memoir that I can go back to and read and be reminded of who I am, it seems sometimes I forget that. Also, I will be tracking a lot of my food and exercise and reading habits through this. I want to make it like my own one-stop shop diary.
  • Slowly change food habits to more plant-based. 
  • Be more environmentally aware. 
  • Learn more. Be it from books, online, from people, from college. I want to increase my knowledge. 
  • Learn a new language (I am currently trying to learn Spanish). 
  • Be Happy. There are too many reasons to become sad, angry, frustrated with life, others, the world, with yourself. But, I can choose happiness over everything else and that is what I want to do more. Everything on this list are just meant to make sure I achieve this last goal. I want to be happy and try and spread that happiness to others. 

Here is to you 2018, I am Ready for you! 

Let's do this! :) 

Tata!

TODAY'S CHECKLIST:

  • Exercise: 
    • Cals Out: 1838
    • Steps: 13,823
    • Miles: 5.45
    • Dance: 60 mins
    • Others: 0mins
  • Food: 
    • Breakfast: Fried Eggs (2), Sausage, 
    • Lunch: Roasted Chicken Thigh with Salad.  
    • Snack: String Cheese, Raspberries, Home Made Chocolate
    • Dinner: Ground Beef low carb taco.  
  • Eating: Keto
    • Cals In: 1515
    • Fat: 136 g (80%)
    • Protein: 61 g (16%)
    • Net Carbs: 17 g (4%)
  • Sleep: 5 hrs
  • Study: It's Sunday man! 
  • Read: The Hate U Give (1/52)
  • Feeling: Feeling ready, bring it on, 2018! 

2017 Chapter I Section 1

New Year & ETC

So, Happy New Year! I feel so strange. I feel like it was just yesterday that 2016 began. I was with my sister at Seattle, all excited about the new year. The new year which was to bring us new beginnings and new hope. 

A year later, and none of it happened. This year I am not feeling that excitement anymore. I am not dreading either, but I don't know, I am quite empty. 

Now, don't get me wrong I am not trying to sound depressed. I am not depressed. But, I don't know I am not very elated either. 

The first day of the new year was void of any events. I woke up like every other day, too late for comfort. Spent quite some time talking to my sister about how bizarre 2016 was. At around 13:30 IST I wished her New Years (she is in California) and then she proceeded to sleep and I towards a book. I am currently reading, rather re-reading Zero to One by Peter Thiel. 

At around 16:30 IST I decided I should stop being lazy and make my Super Drink (recipe will appear on my site soon). I lazily moved around to make my drink. I was super clumsy for some odd reason, and I added a lot more wheatgrass than I intended to. 

After what seemed like 2 hours of a non-stop nonsensical barrage of YouTube vlogs of the tens of different YouTubers I follow, I fell asleep. I think I might have had an adverse reaction to the wheatgrass, or maybe it was because it is the 17th day of my Period (!!!) I was feeling too weak to do anything. 

So, the day ended as it started! Very uneventful! I hope this is not an indication of the rest of the year! 

Though, I am not keeping any resolutions, I have decided to check off a few things each day. My motto: One Day at a time. 

First is to keep a check on my health, especially the food I am eating and the exercise I am getting. A video by the YouTuber Blogilates has inspired me to keep a specific tab on what I am putting in my mouth. I am not going to be too strict about it, but I will definitely try my best. I have added a few I want to personally follow.

  • No Dairy
  • No Gluten
  • No Added Sugar
  • No Processed Food
  • No Alcohol
  • 3 days of Cardio and 3 days of weights
  • One day of complete rest
  • One cheat meal a week

Second, I want to read something everyday. Even, if it is a page a day, I want to do that. I want to finish a book a week. I used to read a lot more and I have realised that used to make me happy. 

Third, I am currently doing an online course and I keep studying, be to learn a new language or mind improvement specific games. I want to spend at least an hour or two everyday learning something new. 

I also want to keep a tab on how I am feeling in the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. This is not for any specific reason, just felt like it. 

And, finally I want to write about my day everyday. Somedays I might write more, somedays I might not write more than a sentence. But, I want to write. I used to keep a diary and I remember that made me feel so much lighter. I am a woman of the new age so writing a daily blog replaced my brick and mortar diary. :) 

Well, here's to 2017, I am cautiously hopeful for the year (even though I don't want to). Don't break me like 2016 did. 

Today's Checklist:

  • Exercise: None
  • Food:
    • Breakfast: Nothing
    • Lunch: Homemade Fried Rice and Palak Chicken 
    • Snack: Super Drink 
    • Dinner: Homemade Fried Rice and Palak Chicken 
  • Study: None
  • Read: Finished around 30 pages. 
  • Feeling: Extremely Blah! 

[Note: Due to some Website glitch, this is appearing on 2nd of January. It was meant for the 1st of January, 2017.]