How You Can Be One Of The 8% Who Achieve Their New Year Goals (Part 4)

Truth is whatever you can concoct right now, I've already lived and breathed through it. Diet pills, fad diets, etc. I've lost weight, I've gained them back double fold. Never planned for my retirement years, both in finances and health. And when I weighed 112kg, heaviest I've ever been, with the realisation I have at least 40 years to go, I knew I needed to change. Walking around feeling breathless, knees ached when I climbed stairs, then seeing all the old folks with their knees bandaged, I didn't want that to be me. I knew I needed to change.

While handling my financial situation couple of years back, I chanced upon this quote by the great Oprah WInfrey:

"Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do."

What if I worked hard right now to lose all that weight so that I can walk as I got older? What if I put in the effort to head to the gym to train my muscles so that I won't need a walking stick or ride on a PMA in my later years? What if I got myself healthy enough now so that I won't spend so much on medication in my sunset years? 

In a world that dwells on YOLO, there is a now, but there is also a future. Just as I needed to plan for my finances, I knew I needed to plan for my health as well. This became the basis of my "why." Just as I tracked my finances and spending habits, I also started tracking my eating habits. What I needed to change was my behaviours, and like I mentioned in the previous blog, it took over a year and half to get to where I am today. Having to list all my behaviours down, and then to change it one at a time took a long time, but it was worth the effort.

Did FOMO set in? Of course it did. Does that mean I cannot eat ice cream or pancakes or pizza anymore? That fear of missing out hits everyone. From my experience over the past 4 months, I can assure you, I still ate pizza. I still ate ice cream. I had my burgers and fries. And I still lost weight and put on muscle mass. But all these were timed and planned so that I wouldn't be consuming more calories than I should. It also helped that I had a financial budget that got me locked in, so I wouldn't be overspending on food and snacks. And when my "why" is stronger than my excuses, that kept me in check.

My mom commented just the other day that she is seeing me wear singlets that she has not seen me wear in years. I'm now the smallest I've ever been in at least 8 years. The work that I've put in in the past 4 months have paid off. And even though I still have some ways to go, the behavioural change that I've done have been good stepping stones to such success. I had given myself a full year when I started this journey. I cannot wait to see how I look like by Oct 2021. I can tell you though, I feel amazing. A feeling you will feel as well once you embark on this journey.

My hope is that through these 4 weeks, you have been able to identify your "why" and have started tracking your behaviours for change. Once again. This is only temporary. Do what you have to do now, so that you can do whatever you want to do later.

May 2021 be the start of something new for you.