I’ll be turning 39 in January. For some odd reason, I always get sick days before my birthday. I was talking to Boyet and Zayne a few days ago, and I told them that I think it was because they both celebrate their birthdays in November. The stress of planning for their birthdays is followed by the Christmas holiday rush. And to add to that, even if I plan so hard, I still end up rushing to finish year-end stuff that piles up at work. And let’s not forget the erratic changes in weather here in the Philippines. And so even if I stock my body with more fruits, vegetables, and vitamins than usual, my almost non-existent immune system still fails at the beginning of the year. (I’ve always been strict with our family’s diet. I make sure that we have tons of servings of fruits and vegetables in our daily meals.)
Anxiety started to kick in when offices started the RETURN TO OFFICE mandate to follow government regulations. Although I’m lucky that our company opted for the hybrid setup, the change in routine starting in April of 2021 still shocked us. I usually experience migraines or acid reflux the day after I go to the office. Even my teammates who didn’t usually get sick pre-pandemic started using up their sick leave credits. Some of my teammates developed allergies and rhinitis for the first time. I even have a teammate who experienced having an asthma attack for the first time in her 30s! During the start of the school year in August, most schools also began doing face-to-face classes. Although I was excited because it was Zayne’s first time, I was so anxious with the unknowns. True enough, Zayne told me that her classmates would take turns in missing classes due to illness. By October, Zayne missed school for a week when she caught the flu.
After two years of lockdown, our company finally made APE (Annual Physical Exam) mandatory again. I was surprised that I have teammates in their 20s with cholesterol and uric acid levels crossing the borderline. I’m glad that my blood results were not alarming, but I had something in common with my teammates - almost all of us on the team gained weight during the lockdown! It was inevitable being in IT working from home with food as our primary source of stress relief. I gained ten pounds. I’m at my heaviest, excluding the time I was pregnant with Zayne. My tummy literally looks like I am on my third trimester. Although my current weight is still within the normal range, the ten pounds I gained is obvious for someone like me who is only 4’11’’! When I came back to the office, I started wearing a “uniform” – straight cut black dresses. You’ll probably think I’m going minimalist, but it’s really because none of my old clothes, especially my pants, fit me. Huhuhu.
Aiming for my weight loss goal is not mainly to look good. The deeper reason is really my health. I think that my recent health issues, especially in my gut, are because of my lifestyle. Although I’m conscious of WHAT I eat, I sometimes neglect HOW I eat. I recently read about MINDFUL EATING and realized that I have been eating mindlessly for years. Things like eating fast, eating while working, munching something while watching TV, and using food to escape stress are just a few of the many mindless eating habits that I’ve developed. I believe this contributed not only to my weight gain but also to my health issues. Apart from this, my sedentary lifestyle is also to blame. At the beginning of the lockdown, I was glad that I found time to do more exercise. I used the treadmill and even followed yoga tutorials on YouTube. But then I started neglecting it, giving myself the “I’m too busy” excuse.
Again, I’m turning 39 in January. I have a seven-year-old daughter, and my wish is to live longer for my family. My health issues have been preventing me from doing more things for myself and for my family. Of course, I also want to look good in my 40s, so living healthier and losing my belly fat should be my main goals for 2023!
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