Although my health and fitness journey started on the “right” track, I have to admit how badly I’ve begun to slack since returning to work. My routine was going so great, but then I lost my “mojo.”
I returned to work at the beginning of June and was confident keeping things in order would be a success. Sadly, that wasn’t the case because since it had been almost three months of leave, I forgot how draining employment was. Don’t get me wrong, my job is somewhat smooth and I’m grateful even to be employed during the circumstances. The issue is, most of my shifts consist of ten plus hours, plus I commute a little less than 200 miles (about an hour and a half to and from work) each day. That alone is beyond bizarre, but hey, it’s what I signed up for!
I guess you can say I became spoiled with my break.
My sleep pattern was ultimately off, and I was able to work out whenever I felt like it- most mornings just not exceptionally early. Of course, I now had to re-figure life out, and that only took dedication (as I’ve spoken of previously). For some reason, the commitment was absent. Luckily for me, I will always be the one to “practice what I preach.” Having a lifestyle category on my blog, expressing how easy it is to lose weight or get fit with just dedication and consistency- I can’t BS my audience, and I won’t!
Eventually (about a week later), once I was back into the “groove of things,” I pushed myself to get up early enough to visit my local park. At my local park, I’ve been able to walk at least one to two miles before work. I haven’t been able to ride my cruiser since, but walking is all I need to keep my weight loss journey going. Each day I do walk, I try to beat my previous recorded time. Sometimes I walk a little faster, sometimes a bit slower, but that doesn’t matter because I made it there in the first place!
The moral of the story: KEEP PUSHING, even if it is draining, KEEP PUSHING! Stay true to yourself, find the time for yourself and make it happen, be consistent, and DO NOT GIVE UP!
Social distancing either improves you or makes you miserable. I feel sorry for those who became miserable instead of finding ways to be more creative. You didn’t literally have to stay locked in your home, being lazy with absolutely nothing to do. Yes, face-to-face communication with some of your favorites may have been limited, but there were plenty of other ways to manage.
Gyms were closed for the longest, so a lot of people were as they say, “unable to workout” instead of just going to walk outside or doing simple exercises that don’t require a gym or equipment. My opinion is those were excuses, because if you really wanted to stay fit or active, you would have done everything in your power to accomplish those goals. People rely on and get so attached to people, places, or things, and forget about the basics or what was done before they were even introduced to those places, people, or things.
Then you have strong, dedicated, and motivated people like my Mum. Yes, she does have exercising equipment, but she barely used it due to her gym preference. Of course, the closure of gyms did not affect her too much because she was now forced to use her equipment. Not only did she work on herself, but she also created a workout group chat with a few women (including myself), and I named it, Losing Weight With Tae. The group was a 21-day weight loss challenge and was meant to support each other while social distancing.
We knew some women needed that extra push to get into the weight loss spirits, so what better motivation than a cash prize? Like seriously, who doesn’t want a chance at winning some easy coins? By the end of the challenge, each player sent the winner $20, so that was a cute little payout. The purpose of the challenge was not to defeat each other but to encourage, motivate, push, and support one another.
Sending inspirational quotes and workout plans, checking-in and sharing photos of our daily workouts and meal preps, keeping each other on track so no one would give up, etc., were all ways we helped the group. It was a getting fit and healthier social distancing experiment, and it was a success! I’m very proud to have been apart of such greatness. I will be honest and admit, I slacked once it was time for me to return to work, but I still managed to lose 7lbs. Not bad if you ask me.
I encourage those struggling to lose weight due to the pandemic to consider creating a group for emotional support! Always remember, you can do whatever you put your mind to. All goals can be accomplished with consistency and dedication. Good luck on your weight journey!
Take a look at some things I did to stay on track:
My favorite meal prep consists of jerk salmon with broccoli and shrimp.
Sup Hooters? Let’s get into this new lifestyle I’ve officially decided to join– the “Healthy World”! It was time for an extreme change within my weight and appearance. When you’ve been 115-126lbs just about your entire life, seeing yourself with extra weight takes a toll on you- at least that’s what it did to me. My weight gain had nothing to do with food but medications so I never tried too hard to fix it. I felt it was pointless to try to lose weight when the medications were just going to cause me to gain it back (that’s exactly what happened). Eventually, after trying various medications my doctor was finally able to prescribe me something that didn’t cause weight gain! I now had assurance the main factor to my problem would somewhat be resolved. The real solution was to officially get healthy and execute change!
Honestly, I was never big on eating completely healthy until recently. Seriously, who really wants to eat healthy when there’s so many amazingly delicious desserts, snacks, and entrees to choose from? During the Coronavirus shutdown, I had plenty of time to reevaluate my life. Self-improvement was my top priority so I chose to work on myself. For starters, getting more fit and healthier was the main goal. Although I had already been somewhat active, I wasn’t active enough. My gym and hiking routine before work was really helping me with losing my unwanted weight and getting back into shape.
When the pandemic began, the gyms and trails closed- I almost panicked because I felt like my workout regiment was ruined. I was walking 1-2 miles each morning before work for a great start to my day. The consistency gave me a sense of hope (even when I didn’t feel like it) and it kept me motivated to continue each day. We all need that extra little “push” and my early morning walks served as that purpose. All of my walks were refreshing, I enjoyed the peace of mind and the beautiful nature when I was able to hike.
Yes, all of the walking really paid off for me but my biggest struggle was my horrible eating habit. I was eating spicy Thai fried rice, pizza, or Buffalo Wild Wings just about every single week. Plus, I was drinking a crap ton of Dr. Peppers (for the sizzle in my throat- *insider) more often than usual. At work, I would order Subway or have tuna with crackers most days for lunch but that was tiring. Eating the same thing repeatedly gets so annoying! It’s like I get bored with food and then I’ll stop eating it for a while. Whomp. Whomp. Whomp!
Luckily, overeating has never been a struggle for me so I knew that wasn’t a contributing factor towards my weight gain prior. Knowing I could lose weight without eating completely healthy was quite interesting. My desire for wanting to lose the “more to love” pounds quicker was even more interesting so I decided to act on it! I bought a bike because I now had nothing but time on my hands and I was able to actually enjoy it for a while. I also invested in a dance pole to have other options when I didn’t feel like riding my bike or walking around the local park. Now that my options for working out increased, it was time to crack down on the eating.
I had slacked on my water intake during “quarantine” and I noticed that made a major difference by slowing down my weight loss process. I begin drinking more water again and I unintentionally stopped drinking Dr. Peppers. Assuming it was a natural instinct due to my determination, I didn’t realize I hadn’t drink a soda in weeks until literally a few days ago. No complaints though! A tough milestone had been defeated but I didn’t stop there.
Researching ways to eat cleaner in the wee hours of the night became obsessive for me. I was going to lose more weight before my next birthday and before I returned to work- I claimed it and I did! Even though Buffalo Wild Wings is one of my favorite places to eat and enjoy beers, I had to cut back. Pizza Hut is one of my favorite pizza chains, I had to cut back. That amazing spicy Thai fried rice, goodness gracious- I had to cut back! Those were extremely tough decisions to make but great for my health and my pocket$.
Eating cleaner started as a challenge because healthy foods tend to waste quicker and I had no desires of running back and forth to the grocery stores during a pandemic- I did though. Haha! I tried to buy as many green foods, salmon (absolutely love), and shrimp as possible for my new journey. I will say, immediately I noticed a difference and I was happy about that. I also purchased a nice yoga app, Yoga Go, that offered meal plans. Unfortunately, none of the meals were appealing enough for me so I had to “86” that tab of the app!
I don’t know what it is with me but I’m not too fond of a lot of healthy foods (avocado, lentils, nuts, quinoa, oatmeal, yogurt, etc.) that most healthy people eat. Some of it just doesn’t look tasteful. I could be wrong with the assumptions but I’m honestly not ready to find out and not sure when I will be ready. I will say, I have been trying to keep an open mind when it comes to new healthy foods but it will definitely take some time! I feel like once I’m able to try these new foods, I’ll be able to perfect the healthy and clean eating lifestyle.
I highly encourage those looking to improve their lifestyle to start by getting healthier and more fit. It may be challenging at first and you may want to give up but you have to keep pushing! Even if you need to find that one person to give you motivation each day- do it! My biggest workout inspiration comes from my Mum. Just about everyday she gets up at 2-3am and heads straight to the gym before work. Even when she doesn’t feel like it, she still goes because she is beyond determined to have a healthier lifestyle. I promise you will feel so much more cleaner and lighter once you decide to make that drastic change in your life!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog. Good or bad, I will be keeping you all updated on my progress with my new lifestyle. Wish me luck and best of luck to you because I know you’re choosing to join the Healthy World!
