Throughout my life I have always struggled with wanting to be fit. In my early twenties I always rolled my eyes when I came across a "fit" article or a "fit" influencer. It always felt out of reach in terms of what they were showcasing. It wasn't until I started really teaching myself how to cook when I was punched in the face with the reality of how many unhealthy habits I truly had.
Even to this day there are habits that I am trying to change in order to prolong my overall health. Being in America, it is nearly impossible to stay away from some of the most unhealthy foods on the planet. From triple layer burritos to burgers and even cheese cakes, I am surrounded by some delicious food and it is extremely difficult not to give into the temptation.
It has taken a lot of effort on my part, to look at these foods and ask myself a few questions. "Can I make this better? How will I feel after I eat this?" "Will this really make me happy?" Even looking at a candy bar on a grocery run, I am constantly asking myself these questions.
Over the last few years I have turned to a pescetarian focused diet. For those unaware, that means I focus on eating fish as a protein instead of traditional meats like beef, pork and chicken. I still have a piece once in a while, but I have made the decision after a lot of self reflecting. This change has made my body and mind feel ten times stronger. I am more clear minded, and physically do not feel as exhausted as I once was.
In addition to changing my overall diet, I have fallen in love with an app called Lose It! . I was extremely nervous starting this app because of the criticism many of us hear when someone talks about calorie counting, but this app has helped me realize exactly what I am putting into my body. The first month I tried it out, I was truly disgusted with myself.
When I first started to be more aware about what I am putting into my body, I went "cold turkey", or completely dry, meaning I stopped eating anything that was deemed unhealthy. This was the wrong way to start this journey. I found myself being more irritable, short tempered, and to be honest, very unhappy. This led to me going down a rabbit hole of complete disregard to my health. Overindulging in heavily greasy food, extreme use of alcohol, and persistent sleep deprivation.
It wasn't until I realized how much weight I gained that I really buckled down and starting easing up on certain items I was eating. I started gradually putting in foods into the Lose It! app and after tracking everything I ate, I starting cutting things down. The slow approach has really helped me, and I feel very confident in being able to hit my health goal.
The fascinating part of this journey has been listening to what my body is telling me. I read article after article from these "health experts", who turned out to be some fitness influencer just trying to sell a product, as well as different workout videos which inevitably turned out to be the same end game, selling a product. I have tried various diets and workout routines, and after fives years of studying myself, I am proud to say I found something that works for me, but it hasn't been easy.
I am still struggling with wanting to work out. I get discouraged by the hyper competitiveness surrounding gyms and workout culture, but I am finding solace in doing at home workouts away from that type of culture. I fail some days by not going for a walk or doing Tai Chi, but I don't attack myself for missing it like I used to.
I have a goal this year, lose body fat, increase my endurance, and become more mindful of what I can do for my body. I hope some of you will join me this year in making a positive impact on ourselves.
-Balfour Wong
You’ve been do great so far too!!