I was just thinking about life and I was feeling pretty lousy about myself. This isn't about having low self-esteem, but rather, I felt very dissatisfied with the condition of my physical health and physical body shape.
I then came across an article that talks about losing belly fat.
Article from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323309#how-to-lose-belly-fat
See, if I were to inhale, and suck in the stomach region of my body, I would look as if I portray the body shape of a normal, healthy, young adult. However, that is not the case.
What I saw is not to my liking.
The article that I read hits home for 4 out of 7 points.
The points are as follows.
<article excerpt starts>
1. Improving their diet
"May want to avoid sugar, fatty foods, and refined carbohydrates that have low nutritional content. Instead, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates."
2. Increasing exercise
"Sedentary lifestyle can lead to many serious health problems, including weight gain. Include a good amount of aerobic exercise and strength training in your daily routine."
3. Reducing stress
The release of the stress hormone cortisol influences a person’s appetite and could cause them to eat more. Stress-relieving tactics include mindfulness and meditation, and gentle exercise like yoga.
4. Improving sleep patterns
Sleep is vital to people’s overall health. Sleep allows the body to rest, heal, and recover, and it can affect a person’s weight. Getting enough quality sleep is essential when a person is trying to shed weight, including belly fat.
<article excerpt ends>
The other points are also important, however I am not including them as they are not the points that I want to focus on. If you think that the aforementioned points contains advice already an integral part to your life, and would want additional relevant advice, do check out the article.
But basically I am trying to hold myself accountable because self-discipline is a very key component to growth.
As for me, seeing that you, the reader, made your way through my meandering post, let me provide more updates on my life. The main reason why I am now focusing on my health is that I have finally taken care of a very important portion of my life: finances. Finances have not been an easy part of my life ever since well.... I was young. But, by the generous grace of the One above, I am now out of the red. And I mean, out of the red.
See, in the past 25 years of my life, finances have always been a rocky question, with unforeseen circumstances happening sporadically. But, with the foundation of a steady job, a couple of (processed and pending) pay increments, I have managed to finally set aside a sizeable amount of my savings every month. Only for a couple of months, however it is not the size of the accomplishment that matters, but the habit that is cultivated sustainably.
And now, to move on in the my holistic self-development plan, fitness. Not just in terms of overall weight, but also in terms of body fat percentage. To know thyself and win a hundred battles. The journey has just begun, hopefully a pleasing progress update report will be available in the form of a blogpost by the end of the year.
