Tis the season to indulge, so please let me indulge you, dear reader, with my latest attempt to improve my health and to make Tis the Season to Get Fit.
2022 hasn’t been a total disaster, but it has been a difficult year with September being the worst month. I lost my mum in September and, if I am honest, my heart is still broken. I know EVERYONE says this, but my mum REALLY was the best.
I also caught COVID. I had managed through socially isolating (I’m far too good at it for my own good), mask wearing, hand washing, and vaccine taking to avoid it for 2.5 years. However, complacency by myself and a lack of mask wearing by the general public saw me finally succumb.
Two months on and I am still a little breathless on exertion and I’ve been rather sedentary for the past three months (several weeks sitting by a hospital bed didn’t help) as I’ve become far too comfortable with working from home.
One symptom I might have welcomed was the loss of taste, as during my period of grief I turned to food and undid a lot of the good results I had achieved prior to and during summer.
As I said, 2023 hasn’t been a total disaster and if nothing changes between now and the end of the year, I will have ended the year 28lbs lighter than I started it
But change is inevitable, and I am not waiting until January 1st 2023 to make those changes. I turn 50 in January and looking after myself seems more critical. Watching my mum die has possibly made me think more about my own mortality while the history of heart disease in my family cannot be ignored.
And I will not ignore it. Nor will I go overboard this Christmas. I will enjoy food and the odd gin, but I will not devour chocolate, nor will I use the excuse that it is too cold and wet to stay active. Now, these barriers are indeed barriers to many, but I have waterproof shoes, waterproof jackets and trousers (hopefully I won’t go that far), and even waterproof socks. Not to mention waterproof skin.
I also have a gym membership and enough home gym equipment to open a gym. However, the most important thing I have is determination.
I am not going to spend another year looking back. Wishing I had made different choices. Wanting to turn back the clock. I am going to look at what future me will achieve and it makes me smile. I have a lot to look forward to in 2023 and I’ll share more with you soon.
But back to 2022 and my changes. First one is walking more. And with it being winter, I am going to need a bit of motivation. I’ve set myself a target of just under 500,000 steps between now and the end of January. For old me, this would have been a walk in the park (lots of walks in parks), but with my busted knee, flat feet, and excess weight, I will need to take it easy and be consistent each day. I will reach my target as I’ve bet $60 that I will at Healthy Wage.
Healthy Wage uses cash-bashed weight-loss challenges to incentivize and gamify behavior change. I am a big fan of gamification and those of you who follow me on Twitter will see that I have my own gamified project. More on that soon. The premise is simple. You bet (monthly direct debit) that you will walk x number of steps or lose x number of pounds in x amount of time. When the time comes if you have hit your target, you will collect about four times your bet. Not bad odds…if you reach the target. If you don’t lose the pounds, then you lose the pounds (gbp). Healthy Wage don’t simply take your money and leave you to it. They do provide advice, support and encouragement while I do love all the statistics and data charting your progress. Something else which motivates me. But will it be enough? Will the prospect of winning (or losing) a significant sum of money motivate me and keep me focused on the prize? I’ll do one of my Honest Reviews on Healthy Wage in the New Year, but my honest answer is no. This is how Healthy Wage can pay out large sums to those successfully reaching their targets. Because the majority probably don’t. If losing fat and keeping it off was easy, we wouldn’t have an obesity problem.
To truly suceed I will not only need determination, but also discipline, dedication and the desire to lead a healthier life. I have all of these, but I am not going to leave anything to chance. I will use every resource open to me to ensure success. I will use apps, supplements, equipment, and professionals (more Honest Reviews on the way) to help me win. Not just the bet, but a better life.
Will you join me in making this the season to get fit?