What’s Your FITT Masala?
A sluggish 2000 odd steps a day, 5 single malts – 4 times a week, even on weekdays this year. Thank God, a healthy breakfast has always been your good habit and somehow you manage to scramble up muesli and an apple with Nestle slim milk, or eggs with brown toast. Unfortunately, this is exactly where this good habit ends…The day, of course, gets hectic, and you skip lunch. You get uncontrollable and ravenous by 6 PM. Blinded by cravings you despise, you gorge on any and every thing from gooey chocolate cake, to an off-the-road white bread sandwich, or a Scootsy delivered “healthy” subway salad with oodles of fattening thousand island dressing.
Honestly, aren’t you fed up? You endlessly think of ways to get your ‘health thingy’ in place? Why on earth can’t you just start the walking? You can’t even start walking 20 minutes every day? The thought of 10,000 steps that you know you should be taking everyday scares you, and you can’t even imagine walking so much. You are about 40 and you have succumbed to those pressures that everyone grumbles about, haven’t you? The deadlines, the laziness, the mindless eating, and as you glance at the zillionth transformation story on Instagram, a shudder goes down your once athletic spine. Have you become the type of person that most Indians have become? The type that would prefer to drive to the bathroom if they could! Dr Naresh Trehan, an eminent Indian cardiologist, complained about this immense laziness in an interview with the Time magazine eons ago. (hyperlink research)
Hey there! Don’t fret. You aren’t alone. I am Madhuri Ruia, fit at 56, been there done that! I know exactly how dissatisfied, disillusioned and upset you are with yourself because of the fitness and health inertia that has gripped you. That is not what you are meant for. You were once this fantastic sports medallist in college. And guess what you can still be that person, here’s how:
Your biggest asset is that you are aware of the fact that staying active is important. Rely on your awareness brainpower, more than the dissatisfied brainpower, and kick-start a new mindful lifestyle by take small winning steps. Second, I feel that you are most likely trying to find the right answers from your external environment. You could be shuffling between apps, fitness wearables, wondering what shoes to wear, where to go for a walk, and trying out a million new trends and wondering if the new 7 minute HIIT exercise is just the thing for you. My take is that this approach won’t get you to actually take that first step, because you are trapped in the web of unending decision making. You are crowding your brain with decision making fatigue.
So lets look at the 3 most important winning steps you could take in the next 15 days:
The challenges –
- Too many single malts
- No desire to walk
- Skipped lunches
Now, the solutions –
- Decide to cut the single malts from 4 to 3 times a week in the first week.
- Expand the good habit of a good breakfast. Start a 20 minute spot march, or take rounds of your house first thing in the morning, even if you have to in your pyjamas. Ensure that you make breakfast a reward that you earn after a 20 minute workout.
- Announce to all at home, at the office, vendors and friends, that you will be taking a 15-30 minute lunch break and use all your devices to set reminders to have a healthy lunch, 4 hours after breakfast. Keep a ‘do not disturb’ sign for yourself at your table, and use it to ward of disturbances during lunch time, so you can sit and enjoy a nice lunch. If you set a strong habit for yourself, others get into the habit of thinking of you that way, and will support your situation. If you have a field job, plan your meetings and time before hand. If you find it awkward to tell people you need a lunch break, just tell them you are busy at another meeting.
Contact me if you wish to take this further. I love helping people who help themselves before I do. For recipe and exercise ideas, check out my Facebook and Instagram pages, and try out some of the quick and easy healthy food and exercise routines. Believe me that’s the way it always works! Share and Subscribe to my blog and get updated every week. I will be writing about lots of ways to easily make your busy lifestyle healthier by taking very small steps.