Not a pretty title, not something I like to be called, but my BMI is still high, so I am Morbidly Obese. However, a lot has changed since I did my first post on this about a year ago (see part 1 here), including getting to my lowest weight in quite a while, 278 lbs, which means I have lost 52 lbs since COVID. Along the way, there have been some hiccups, which I thought I’d share as part of the update.
The main, sustainable exercises I’ve been doing are Yoga, Drumming and Walking, alongside some weight work. I’ve built strong habits on all of them, and it’s going well.
Meditation and Yoga
I found apps for meditation and yoga, and now start the day with a 10-minute breathing exercise and then 10 to 15 minutes of yoga on the mat. I’ve never thought to do this kind of self-maintenance, not because I saw no value in it but more because I saw little value in myself. Taking this 30-minute time early in the morning for myself sets me up well for the day, centres me. I’d recommend this to anyone else, maybe not yoga but this time for yourself, it makes everything your trying to achieve that day easier.
Drumming
I want to play the drums for my own sake and in bands again. I’ve done 5 gigs recently, which I loved. I’m not deluded, I’m not looking to make a career out of it, I just want to enjoy it and the process of improving. I’m taking lessons for the first time with an online teacher, Stephen Taylor, who is not only a wonderful drummer but a lovely human being.
Learning & writing
I’ve also got back to learning, something I have always found hard to do as I am dyslexic but now with all the multi-modal ways of delivery I feel better equipped to learn than I ever did before. And writing… something I have always found difficult but loved to do, I am now committed to blogging, storytelling and communicating my thoughts; it doesn’t matter who reads them, it just helps me process. I could never keep a handwritten journal; I did try, and they were unreadable, but with the help of technology, it’s possible.
Walking
I love to walk, and the health benefits, both physical and mental, are huge. I tend to walk briskly, music or audiobook in my ears, usually along one of the many canals near my home. I’ve never been a gym-goer or a sporty person; it never interested me, but anything that doesn’t feel like exercise I’m better with, like walking, like drumming, and maybe I can work up to running one day. The other benefit of walking is leaving the house, enjoying the fresh air, and the space outside; you don’t get that on a treadmill. Of course, on shitty days, you either get wet and cold, or you stay home, but you can usually dress up warm and pretty dry except for the worst days.
No diet! Just healthy eating
I have totally changed my eating habits. I don’t diet; diets are unsustainable unless you make them lifestyle changes, and then they aren’t really diets anymore. What I changed;
- Dumped fizzy Drinks: Replaced mainly with water, with an odd can here and there.
- Fried food: Replaced with baked or air-fried versions, chips are still great!
- Much dairy: Mainly cheese is gone, and I now have oat milk instead of cow’s milk. Milking an oat is a skill indeed.
- Cut down on bread: I love toast too much but cutting down was a good idea.
- Crisps: Never been a big crisp eater, but I’ve had my moments. If I have them now, I buy a small bag as a treat, not a family pack.
- Reduced chocolate/biscuits – Fruit has replaced it for the most part but I still have the odd bar or biscuit
- Cut out processed meats and red meats.
- Increase in veg and fish in my meals.
Getting healthy can make you sick…
- Kidney Stones: So I had the joy to experience these; what incredible pain I’ve never felt before. I now have a scale of pain: toothache, gout, torn cornea and Kidney stones, in that order. What gave me kidney stones was the incredible amount of canned drinks I’d consumed for years, and what caused me to pass them was, ironically, all the exercise without proper hydration had caused my kidneys to shrink and eject the stones.
- Mental Health Setbacks: Staying motivated, being engaged and recovering from depression and anxiety isn’t always easy. Keeping up with exercise and healthy eating habits isn’t easy, especially when I used to comfort eat to feel better.
…As part of the process, and so far it’s working, a lot more weight to lose, but I feel good about what I’ve achieved so far.