How the Year Ended for Me Regarding Health

Exercising
31 Dec

Last Updated on February 4, 2018 by Michael Brockbank

So, this year didn’t end exactly like I planned. However, that’s not going to stop me from getting back into shape. Yes, I admit – I ate way too much over Christmas. The rotten egg burps came back, I feel lethargic and I wake up with a headache most mornings – and not from any alcohol. Does that mean I am going to give up? Negative. It was a minor setback, that is all. And this is why I believe I will succeed. It’s all about keeping the right mentality even when things don’t go your way.

What I’ve Learned by the End of a Year

I finished the year weighing more than when I started. That is because of my lack-luster performance with trying to remain healthy throughout the bad times in my life. It can be difficult to stay the course when your miserable all of the time. However, I did manage to at least lose almost a pound since Sunday. Any victory is still a victory.

Relish in the Small Achievements
You don’t have to drop five pounds per week in order to feel like you’ve accomplished anything. Even if you simply added more activity in your routine, it’s still an achievement. Don’t expect to walk out onto the floor and be capable of keeping up with other people. There are a lot of variables that play into how you remain healthy.

Focus on the Day, Not the Objective
Like I’ve said before, don’t try to focus your attention on the end result. Keep track of your daily activities. On days that your performance is less than ideal, there’s always tomorrow. As long as you learn from your mistakes, it will begin to get easier and easier to maintain healthier practices.

Proper Attire
Yes, there is such a thing as proper attire. When I walked 5k at the beginning of December, I felt physically good – no side pains or lingering muscle aches. Unfortunately, my feet were another story. I developed metatarsal stress fractures on both feet and was unable to walk for a while. From what we can tell, it was caused by obesity and bad shoes. My feet weren’t able to support my weight very well and my shoes were horrible for the walk. This is why there is such a thing as running and walking shoes.

Let me explain a bit better. I am a supinator. Supination of the foot causes people such as myself to walk mostly on the outside of their feet. This means that most of the body weight is supported more by the fourth and fifth metatarsals. Eventually, the repeated pressure of my body weight on these two bones was simply too much for them to bare – which will then lead to stress fractures.

Good shoes greatly reduces this problem as it helps keep the foot stable. The added cushion also relieves the tension of the metatarsals. If I would have been wearing some running shoes as opposed to loafers in the 5k, I probably wouldn’t have had a problem.

Don’t over estimate the value of good workout attire. Some pieces of clothing can make a profound difference in movement and comfort.

Scheduling My Time Better
One of my major flaws to not getting enough exercise time is by having a poor schedule. I need to develop a set way of doing things every day and deny those who try to monopolize my time. I’ve taken on too much and need to slow myself down. Did you know that at one time I was managing five different businesses and was only paid regularly for two? I’ve since given up on several of these businesses, but I still need to devise a schedule that allows more time for me and more time for my children.

A Little Bit Each Day Helps
Because my time was taken by so many projects, I didn’t get to the rec center as often as I wanted to. However, I could have taken 10 minutes throughout the day to use the dumbbells. Now, I am so sore from getting back into shape that my arms and pecks feel like their on fire. Essentially, I could have taken the time for a small workout while I was watching TV at night. This year will be different.

My New Year’s Vow

As the new year starts tomorrow, I am taking this vow – not only for you, but for myself. These are the things I am going to work on. By this time next year, I want to be at my goal weight. This breaks down to losing eight pounds per month. In order to achieve balance in my life, I am going to:

  • Schedule my days better – work, play and exercise
  • Keep daily calories in the green by 500 according to MyFitnessPal – every day!
  • Commit to an average of 500 points per day on Exercise.com
  • Increase my sleep average

My Schedule
I find that I have been doing fairly well committing to 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm for working Monday through Friday. Yes, I am a part-time online freelance writer. I can make virtually any schedule I want. This will give me time in the mornings to manage my liquor store, help Dad with his graphic design website and give me time to write this blog throughout the week.

Keeping Calories in the Green
MyFitnessPal is a free app and site that can help you monitor your food intake. By tracking everything, you can see just how many calories, sugars, carbs, vitamins and minerals you’re consuming. If I can keep this in the green for my physique and activity, I could lose as much as eight pounds per month if not more. You just want to be careful. Too much weight loss too quickly can be quite damaging on your body.

500 Points in Exercise.com
Getting 500 points per day on Exercise.com is relatively easy. In fact, I normally hit more than 600 points inside of a 25-minute workout. When I was working hard in 2014, I was clearing several thousand points per day – which is part of why I am still in the top 1000 on the website. I’ll start going over how these points work for you at a later date. Exercise.com is another free app that has great potential to help you get into shape – as long as you’re committed.

Increase My Sleep Average
According to my Fitbit Charge HR, I have incredibly bad sleeping patterns. This is a bit obvious since I am up watching TV or playing games until about 1:30am and get up at seven to take the girls to school. I need to set a rule for myself to get in bed before 11:00pm. This is a bit difficult for myself because I have the same problem young children do – I am afraid I am going to miss something. It also doesn’t help that my bed is horrible to sleep in.

You may not need to get into fad diets or dietary supplements if you want to get back into shape. I am about to prove that you can still eat the foods you like as long as you’re willing to get more physical activity and water in your daily routine. It’s not always about what you eat, but how much of it you’re eating. So, here’s to a successful 2016 in every way.

What kinds of things are you looking forward to this year?

About Author

Let me know what you think...