1.To tackle my weight issues head on in a healthy manner
If you’ve read any of my fitness blog posts before, you will know that my weight issues have been a big thing for me most of my life. When I was making my health and fitness goals for the year, the very first thing I thought of was my weight and the health problems it has caused. I’ve topped out at 140-145KG and at present i’m 124KG. In the past i’ve had help from my doctor in the form of a prescription for Orlistat, which helped me a fair bit in getting my weight down. However, i did put it back on once i stopped using it. At present, my goal is to get myself back under 120KG so that i can get another prescription of Orlistat to help me. I’ve blogged about my experience with Orlistat before and really can’t wait to get some again.
To aid myself further, i’ve changed gyms from a local council one to a smaller, closer to home, women’s only gym. It means i can nip out at lunch time or just after work and work out. I also invested in a walking treadmill and a desk raiser for my laptop so that i can walk during the day when working from home. Due to my obesity, I have been experiencing varicose veins and pains in my calves, especially when sitting down for long periods of time. This is what prompted to change up my working from home situation. I also have some dumbell weights at home which make it easier to squeeze in a little home workout if needed.
For my birthday I got a Nintendo Switch, so one of the games I’ve bought and plan to use this year is the Ring Fit Adventure game. You basically exercise whilst having fun! Using the controller and bands, you run, do squats and other exercises to play the game. It’s a pretty cool concept and just adds a bit more movement into your day if you’re looking for some fun. I will do a review on it at a later date once i’ve had a chance to play it properly.
I also invested in a HUGE 2.2 litre water bottle from Amazon. At first I felt ridiculous when it arrived with it’s carry strap, multiple lids and pocket for my phone. However, it is solely for keeping on my desk when i work from home. I’ve been using it for a week as I type this blog post and i’ve already found myself really appreciating it. I am quite forgetful and also one of those people who can get zoned in on a task and forget to eat or drink, sometimes skipping lunch or getting to the end of the working day and realising I haven’t had a drink!! But this is the perfect height, with a straw for me to sip on slowly whilst i’m working at the computer.
If you read one of my previous posts you will know that we got a new puppy, little miss Riley. Getting a second dog has been a whirlwind of fun, training and some OMG moments but it has been fantastic for getting me back into a good routine. With 2 dogs, you’ve got to get out and walk them and play with them. Albie is a very chilled dog, and would often let me lie in in the mornings. He is not a morning dog, but we got an angel of a second dog who has always slept through the night with us but is full of energy at 6am! So being able to walk them now together is adding more steps into my daily walking, particularly when Rob is away for work as I have to walk them both. Sometimes I walk them together, and sometimes seperately, to give Albie some peace from Riley and her bouncy, mischevious ways and to train Riley to listen and walk sensibly together. When I walk them seperately, I get far more steps in that day!
My beloved apple watch died after nearly 5 years of continuous use, so i traded it in and got the Apple Watch SE in the lovely starlight colour and matching band. Perfect neutral colours for everyday use. It’s so nice to have a watch that doesn’t die on me half way through the day anymore because its battery isn’t holding charge. I’ve been recording my daily steps and aiming for at least 500 calories of logged exercise a day.
I’m hoping this combination of treadmill, healthier diet, reintroduction of Myfitnesspal, huge water bottle and a new puppy to add to my walking list will all help me in my journey in a slow but steady way!
My goal at the moment is to bring my weight down under 100KG as instructed by my doctor. When I reach that goal then i will reassess my health and go from there.
2. To work on my mental health and try to look after myself better
Making health and fitness goals is so important, but I have to remember to focus on my mental health too. Bad mental health has been something that has been a huge problem for me. However, late in 2022, I was referred for assessment for ADHD and ASD. After speaking with my doctor after having diagnosis of depression, anxiety, being overweight etc and explaining how I felt on a daily basis through keeping a journal: it became quite evident I needed to be referred for ADHD. My family history is quite shrouded in mystery due to family circumstances, and only last year did I find out that my birth father wanted me tested for ADHD at age 4 but it never happened before I was adopted. I know the NHS waiting lists can take years but i’ve been doing my own research to find supplements, routines and task management ideas to help myself.
I’m trying to be kinder to myself when I notice I get overwhelmed by sensory issues and trying to use kinder language with my own thoughts when I notice myself acting in a way that would normally make me feel awful. I’m trying to be kinder as well about how different my life might go compared to how I originally planned it as I struggle to deal with some things.
Part of this is taking supplements and vitamins to help myself. I am really bad at looking after my health in this way and I’ve been doing research into ones that may help symptoms of ADHD but also general health. Things like a general vitamin, vitamin D, magnesium, I bought myself a little pill organiser to help me take them throughout the day. As i spend most of my day at my desk, I have kept it on my desk with reminders on my phone to take them- so far it’s working well!
3. To walk more and explore more
ToNow that I work from home, I’m sat at a computer 8 or more hours a day. This has really had a big impact on my health. So, I bought a walking treadmill and desk riser so that I can walk whilst I work and help myself even further with my health and fitness goals. The walking treadmill folds in half, making it easier to store out of the way. The desk riser is fab because you just pull the handle and it extends up, but you can collapse it and put it away in a drawer or down the side of a desk. These two items have been game changes for me and my productivity. Also really handy if the weather is rubbish and you don’t feel like going for a big walk.
I am working my way up to 10K a day and plan to continue that into the future. I’m hoping as I slim down and I find it easier to walk for longer that I may be able to get above 10K comfortably, but we will see.
Now that I have 2 dogs, I’m determined to get them out and about more. Riley is getting to be around the same height as Albie although slimmer, and we’re training them to walk well together on a lead splitter so that it’s easier to walk the pair of them on one lead rather than two. We’re lucky to live in an area that’s very dog friendly with plenty of green spaces, parks and woodland nearby.
