Building A Healthy Lifestyle

People be like "Oh you're so skinny!" 

People also be like "Oh how can you eat so little rice?" 😒 

.....

I don't remember how old I was when I decided that health would be a priority in my life. Was it due to the frequent hospital admissions I had as a sickly asthmatic child? Was it a conscious rebellion against the thought of weakness? 

Whatever the driving force was, it was one that led me to good health habits which has probably allowed me to maintain myself at a healthy weight for the past twenty years.

There are no shortcuts - it's just diet and exercise.

I believe I have a healthy relationship with food, and I've never had to diet - although over the years I have made conscious efforts to eat healthier; from the attempts to reduce sugar to advocating portion control, to the occasional attempt to add superfoods to the diet.

I eat at consistent times (thanks mama and ayah for ingraining that in us!) and rarely eat heavy meals past 8pm (except for special occasions). At certain times when I'm not as active as I usually am, I won't feel as hungry and I adjust my meal accordingly. I also have no qualms at leaving food on my plate if I've been served an extra large portion. 

 

I started exercising at home since my teens, and despite being far from fit, somehow I managed to consistently do something that would contribute to my fitness at least once a week for the past 20 years. 

These are all habits that were built over years. 

I like to think that a lot more people are starting to embrace a healthier lifestyle, but at the start of change it can be an uphill battle. Changes don't happen overnight, unless you're going through an intensive program, and that may not always be sustainable. 

Make small changes. Take smaller portions. Do a few hundred extra steps a day. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up, but make sure you get back up and try again.  But most importantly, be consistent about it.

Our health is a precious gift, and one that should never be taken for granted.