It’s
time to face facts; the “sweet” life may be a little too sweet in terms of
health and wellness.
I’ve always had issues with my weight
and health and wellness in general. I was an average-sized toddler but when I
reached primary school, I ballooned to an alarming size. I endured name-calling
and ridicule for most of my primary school years, “The Leg of Ham” was a
popular nickname for me back in those days. Sure, I laugh about it now, but it’s
actually shocking to think that I weighed more at the age of 13 than I do now,
at almost 23! As soon as I started high school, I somehow lost all that weight.
I’m not sure how I did it because I definitely didn’t diet or start a strict
exercise routine, but I managed to keep the weight off until my matric year
when I picked up a few kilo’s due to exam-stress.
My early varsity years had me on a kind
of see-saw in terms of my weight. I tried to go to gym, but socials and studying
were the number 1 priorities in my life which meant that I ended up spending
very little time in the gym. By the time I had moved out of Nerina and into the
flat, decided to take my studies seriously and put the “party-animal” years
behind me, I was about 11 kilo’s heavier than my BMI index suggested was
healthy for me. This was when I made a decision that would change my life.
Club Healthpointe, a complete health and
wellness programme incorporating a healthy eating plan, plenty of movement and
exercise and the introduction of good-quality vitamins and minerals into the
body, was the first ever health and wellness plan that actually brought about
positive and lasting results for me in terms of weight-loss. The process was
not an easy one, but having a personal health coach at my side, every step of
the way, helped me tremendously. My goal was to lose 14 kilo’s in total and I
managed to lose 11 kilo’s over a period of about 15 weeks. I had never
experienced results like that before!
In my opinion, the Club Healthpointe
programme is a great example of what a healthy lifestyle should be. And this is
how I used it:
- I consumed plenty of healthy, purified water every day – this is a must for a healthy body. It flushes out the system and aids in the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
- I adopted a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Plenty of lean meats such as chicken and fish, salads with every meal, protein snacks such as biltong or protein bars throughout the day and minimal carbs such as half-slices of low GI seed bread encapsulated my diet. A low-carb intake forces the body to feed off of its abundance of fat reserves for energy and ensures that very few extra carbs can be stored as fat by the body.
- Vitamins and minerals are essential for a healthy body and mind. I consumed Omega, Vitamin B, Vitamin C and a good Daily vitamin, among others. These alone, make an incredible difference when it comes to energy and alertness.
- No health and wellness plan is complete without some form of exercise. Since plenty of movement is essential, I increased the amount of walking I did every day. I would take the stairs instead of lifts, walk the long-way round to classes and walk to the shops and back instead of driving. Not only did this help me to save on petrol, it definitely helped me see weight-loss results too! Since it’s important to record the number of steps taken each day, I quickly became best friends with my pedometer.
You’re probably doubting me at this
point, thinking: “So you never cheated huh? You never fell off the wagon?” Of
course I did! I’m only human after all. Plenty of birthday parties,
sugar-cravings, cravings for pasta and mash potatoes and all the delicious
foods that are so bad for health and wellness (but so good for making you feel
guilty the next day when you climb on the scale) influenced my weight-loss
journey. But I persevered and by following the steps, I managed to lose a great
deal of the weight that I had picked up over the years.
I felt pretty proud of myself until the
incident with the Lodger. The Lodger was my live-in boyfriend at the time. When
I decided that “the sun had set on our time in the sun”, if you will, I broke
things off with him and he eventually moved out. It was around October last
year that the incident with the Lodger, exam stress and general loneliness
convinced me to jump off the wagon as opposed to falling off slowly. So, I
drowned my sorrows in food; mainly plain baked cheesecake and condensed milk.
Shocking, I know. Along with these sweet evils, I also consumed copious amounts
of McDonald’s on a regular basis. I allowed myself to engage in this disgusting
behaviour until I met the Greek in early December. However, it was already too
late, I had gained about 4 kilo’s and I could see the negative effect they were
having on my body. The December holidays and the start of my honors year have
been unkind to me as I continued to eat poorly (though not as poorly as I did
in October) and my laziness has prevented me from going to gym.
Last week I made a very important
decision. I can no longer stand back and watch myself turn into the elephantine
version of myself that I loathe, not when I have a Greek to impress and a
wedding to attend in less than 2 months! So, I decided to change my eating
habits and revert back to the Healthpointe way. But the transformation doesn’t
stop there; I cannot let lack of exercise hinder my progress which is why Sarah
and I have teamed up in the battle against fat! We joined a gym together and
have promised each other that we will force ourselves to go to gym 3 times a
week, every week. I find that having someone to go to gym with makes the
experience so much more entertaining, and the support of that person provides
more encouragement than most people realise.
We started our weight-loss journey on
Tuesday, and let me tell you, it was a very bumpy start! We eased ourselves
into a routine by starting off with cardio exercises on the bicycle and
treadmill. I thought I was dying at this point, and could not believe how
disgustingly unfit I have become! When we returned to the gym yesterday, we kicked
our routine up a notch by adding in some weight-training after our cardio
warm-up. We definitely worked our abs with all the laughing we did while trying
to figure out how to use the equipment! Today we will return to the gym with
stiff muscles and pained expressions on our faces but I refuse to surrender, I
cannot and will not stop fighting the good fight!
It can be difficult to opt for healthy
choices instead of unhealthy choices that may taste better or seem more
decadent. But by respecting my body through the consumption of healthy,
nutritious foods, exercising regularly and making these healthy lifestyle
choices, I can ensure a long and happy life without devastating medical
complications in the future. If that means taking a little bit of the sweetness
out of the “sweet” life and putting in a little extra “sweat” to reach my
health and wellness goals, I am willing to make that sacrifice. After all, this
body is the only one I get and I have to live in harmony with it for the rest
of what I hope will be a long and happy life. So, I dare say that my body and I
have to pull ourselves together.
The race towards a healthy lifestyle
starts now! 3...2...1... GO!
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