Getting Fit: Why?
Hey guys!
I am going to start a fitness/lifestyle series and this is its introductory post.
So for the first post, what better than sharing the reason why or what pushed me to switch to a healthy lifestyle at a holistic level. Here it goes:
I have had PCOS for over 13 years now which obviously makes me prone to weight gain besides other nasty things that come along with it. Last year, my work schedule went from crazy to crazier. I was working on multiple projects at the same time, traveling often and totally not watching my diet or even sleeping well. I was a wreck, mentally and physically both. To make things worse, I moved out of Hyderabad to Delhi (with Shitiz still back in Hyd.) in October as we were to move here to Florida in next few months. Why worse? Because being away from Shitiz not just had me stressed 24*7 (and mind you, I used to be a stress eater) I was living with my parents mostly (or my in laws) and everyday I was over eating, because mom’s food! I was also catching up with friends every third day, eating out and drinking. It was winters and all those layers, just didn’t realise I was gaining weight left, right and centre!
Cut to February this year! I got here and not just I felt like a pig, because people are really fit here (at least most of them), but also unhealthy overall. Further, my PCOS got worse. I was diagnosed with painful ovaries and my lower abdomen would ache all day, everyday. I had painful ovaries for not days but months (almost 4 months). I could barely function. Besides that, my blood work reported elevated fat and cholesterol levels. My insulin pathway was messed up too because of my aggravated PCOS which only meant one thing – I could have ended up with Diabetes! This is around April and I was almost 6 months away from turning 30. With all this going on, in my head I knew if I didn’t take control, there would soon be no coming back for me. However, I still couldn’t get working on myself till June as I was actively traveling till then. Once I was done with my travels, I swore to get to my fittest version starting with weight loss and then gaining tone and muscle.
My own physical and mental well being, became a priority (and also one of the reason why I took my pseudo-break from blogging or didn’t take up a job) and my biggest motivation. This is why I drag myself to gym even today. This is my only reason. Not because I want to wear pretty clothes, look great on Instagram or get a bikini body to hit the beaches, that all is background noise to me. I just want to be healthy!
Coming to current state of affairs haha, by now, in last 4 months I have managed to lose 16 pounds, my blood reports are normal, no ovarian pains and my PCOS, it’s almost gone! I did it in a very slow, steady and healthy way. No crash diets, no killing myself or dying with restrictions, just one step at a time.
Let’s talk about timelines first. I started working out around June end. Now if you haven’t worked out for months, you can’t expect yourself to get into #beastmode in the gym just like that! It’s just not practical to start working out extensively everyday from the first week itself. Moreover, the initial first month itself is always the hardest to stay committed or gain that kind of momentum. Hence it’s always best to start small and slow and gradually up your game. I started off by working out for just 20 minutes at home itself initially. The idea was to gradually build the habit to workout and stamina over time.
July – I was working out for good one hour at home five days a week.
August – I could see a noticeable difference in me and my stamina, switched to more extensive exercises. I would work out at home and gym alternatively.
September – I turned 30 but never felt this good! Not working out at home anymore but in the gym for at least an hour to ninety minutes max., five days a week.
October & November – I am in much better shape. I am not losing much weight now but gaining tone, which is perfect actually! Getting stronger! Now I look forward to going to the gym, it’s my happy place.
However, when it comes to fitness, only working out isn’t enough. You need to have a healthy lifestyle which again can’t be achieved in one day and takes time. I started making small changes in my lifestyle, from food habits to sleep and mental exercises.
I will divulge more details on the lifestyle changes, favourite workouts, even something on PCOS in the following posts of this series. This is just an introductory post to share to a little back story 🙂
But before I end this post, I want to quickly talk about motivation. The problem with most people (including the past ME) is they are seeking short term or smaller goals.
“I want to start working out because I am getting married.”
“I want to lose weight for my next vacation.”
“I only need to get rid of this baby fat.”
and so on.
I have been there myself in the past and now I get it. You see, when you start working out for reasons such as these, this is nothing but a project to be accomplished over a small period of time, there’s no bigger picture here. Once you have achieved the set goal for the project, you eventually stop working out or dieting and go back to old habits. Unless you realise that getting/staying fit is not just to fix yourself aesthetically but it is for a better you mentally and physically, you won’t be motivated enough. Health & fitness is not a project for just few months but a lifestyle. You have to make the right choices each day of your life. You have to remind yourself everyday. Seek such reminders and motivation from around if needed. For me, I follow a lot of fitness accounts on instagram and keep pinning articles on Pinterest. Works as a daily reminder for me that I need to kick my ass. Posting my own pictures too on social media helps. I get so many of you guys DMng me how I have been inspiring you all to get fit and trust me, it only makes me want to keep going. Not just that, surround yourself with people who will encourage you if needed. Get a friend or your partner and work out together if that helps! But move! It’s never to late to start!
I will be back soon with my next post.
Much Love,
P
(Header picture via Pinterest)
