My Health Journey

How many times do we all say that we are going to get fit, get healthy, or make better decisions? I know I've said them more times than I should. All of them with varied results but end up back in the same place, me in my comfort zone and bad eating habits. I've recently been wondering why that is and what I can do about it. I finally came to the realization that I have triggers when it comes to food and exercise that I have been unable to get past. 

As someone who lives with anxiety on a daily basis, I'm constantly aware of what triggers that and can throw me into a panic attack. I do my best to avoid these situations while realizing that it's not always possible. I've learned techniques on how to cope when these happen and what triggered it in the first place. It's not easy, but something I've been able to incorporate into my life and live what I assume is normal. 

When thinking about my journey with my health, I realized that I have similar triggers. Food, in particular food from the country that I raised, makes me feel comfortable. It has a soothing and calming sense to me. It's my go to. Not to mention that I feel the same when it comes to anything sweet. I grew up with families that always had something sweet at every meal, and I continue to practice the same. I realized that things such as stress, exhaustion, time, etc. are all things that contribute to my less than successful attempts at having a healthier lifestyle. 

The other thing I noticed is that I'm a visual person and need multiple reminders to reinforce the habits I'm trying to form. Taking this all into account, I've created a few signs to put around my house, in ideal visual areas, to remind me of what I'm trying to accomplish. See I don't always want a candy bar or cookie (while they do sound good), what I really want is to find something to do. If I'm going to snack, I need to make better choices. So I have a sign up near the cabinet that has this information to remind me of what I should and shouldn't do.

Exercise after a long day at the office can seem like the last thing I really want to do. When really curling up on the couch, wrapping up in a blanket, and binging on some Netflix seems like the perfect idea. I need to find better ways to motivate myself. So the sign that is hanging on my door from the garage as I come into the house reminds me of this. 

I have a few more that are there to remind me of the benefits of self-care and why it's essential to have a healthy lifestyle.  I'm not sure how well this will work, but I need to give it a try. Maybe this is what will work for me. Perhaps I'll be able to find that balance. I do know that I'm not going to give up the foods I like, but in moderation and portion size it will be okay. I know that I won't always follow these signs, and that's okay. As I age, I want to be better about how I take care of my body. I want to be able to enjoy life and mobility later on. I just need to take care of myself now so that I can. 

So here is to see what happens with this. Fingers crossed and hopefully I'll remember to follow up on my blog. Apparently, it's been 5 years and I should get back to this blog.