Take baby steps for healthier and happier life.

Money can buy you the best doctor, the most comfy bed in hospital, and the best medication in the world, but money can’t buy health, agree?

Living in Singapore, I learnt that the medical expense is very costly and I believe that, sickness is the least thing that I wanna experience in my life.

So, our health = our long term investment to our own-self and it benefited to people surround us especially to our loved one. J

But the question here, how to achieve a healthy life?

For me this year’s goal is to stay healthy, shed those fats and to lose weight. To live healthily and happily (ever after). 

But, how to achieve this goal?

Like old folks said, “Take a baby steps to achieve goals.”

Achieving goals require taking small steps. And to take baby steps is a major decision to make.

I mean, people often looking at a big picture, the final goal. But how many people even want to plan those baby steps to reach the final goal?

SO!

Here are 5 baby steps to achieve healthy life. It’s a small step but very impactful contribution to achieve healthy life. Well, at least these baby steps work for me!

• Stay Active.

Well, it ain’t easy to keep myself active especially to those OL who works 8 hours in front of the monitor. Seriously, the only exercise that we do is, finger-exercise typing the emails, or, mouth exercise munching tidbids or chatting with colleague. LOL. So to keep our self-active can be a little tricky here.

Start with small changes such as taking staircase instead of lift every day. 

Do some stretching every 2-3 hours to soften the stiff back. 

Or WALK down when out to lunch or to toilet or pantry.

Well, I like to exercise so I will run on the treadmill every once or twice a week. Or jogging in the park, hey, it’s the safest, easiest, and cheapest exercise, anybody can just put on their shoes and do it! If you have knee-problem, try brisk-walking instead of jogging.

Going to nearby swimming pool is also a good idea since it’s now summer. Take it to the next level, I enrolled yoga class and it will be starting soon….so from now on, I’ve been reading tons of yoga books and videos to try on some beginner/easiest pose. My inspiration is Tara Stiles. She’s pretty, energetic, and humble. She’s the one who introducing yoga in the very fun way form of exercise. And it’s ok if some beginners do not know how to bend our body like pretzel so listen to our own body and have some fun. How I’d love this idea! :-)

• Diet

They said, it’s best to eat 5X small meals instead of 3X big meals a day. But it’s not applicable to me as I’m having braces now. How to eat and brush teeth 5X a day!?

So for me, I’ll stick to 3 X big meals a day. And when the “itchy mouth syndrome” kicks in, I drinks tons of water to counter-attack. Oh, sometime peppermint tea and ginger tea will helps to suppress appetite, too!

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper is also a good practice. I’ll always be having a big breakfast and love my cup of coffee in the morning, eating normal meal during lunch time, and salad / oats/ fruits for my pauper dinner. We need more energy throughout the day so having proper breakfast and lunch is essential. And then for dinner, less-meal will do the trick coz we don’t really use much energy during night time. And for the supper, well… I don’t eat supper yo! Coz I feel like if I eat supper then the next few moments I feel very energetic (coz it’s mess up my sugar level)  and it affect my beauty night sleep, too. Furthermore, the next morning I will feel sooo hungry and overeating during breakfast/ lunch. So supper is a NO-NO for me.

Additionally, for those who apply 5 X small meals a day. You’ll need those snacks in between meal time. Try to change those unhealthy snacks with packs of raisins, fruits, almonds, energy bars, cut fruits, and plain yogurt (not sweetened/ fruits one) The key is DO NOT over-eating/snacking. Stop when you're feeling half full.  oh ya, avoid potato chips or salty/sweet unhealthy snacks coz it will mess up your taste buds. It’s delicious and (yes!) so much addictive so best not to touch those unhealthy snacks AT ALL. 

Sometime our body mistaken thirst as hunger, so drink plenty of water will help to suppress the “itchy mouth syndrome. “ Better drink water rather than soft drinks/ ice lemon tea/ those hidden calories in the sweet drink!

•  Quiet time

This can be quiet time with God, do Christian thingy such as bible-reading, pray, and talk to God.

Or do meditation. It ain’t simple as it is, to just sit down quietly, focus on the breathing, and meditate. Sometime my mind will wander around, think about various thingy, and then the next moment I found myself in a deep sleep.

The other routine that I normally do is browsing internet and find some enrichment quote. Jot it down in the piece of paper, stick it note near mirror or near bedside table so that I can see it first thing in the morning. It’s not only help to motivate me but somehow it enriches and refreshes me from the inside out. Just a few words such as, ‘You are beautiful, girl” or “Today is beautiful day, I will conquer the world with my red-lipstick/ high heel”, will make my day complete. J  See, small steps but make huge difference! My love language’s tank is full. Happy life leads to healthy life!

• Write down the achievement daily/ weekly basis

Okay, this is a bit creepy but I found it very helpful to just jot down few goals to achieve weekly and then put a tick box, tick it once goal achieved. 

Something like this, yo!

This week I will need to achieve:

Daily:

Drink plenty of water 8X glass a day                        

Stretching 5 mins morning and night

Smile and greet to 1 stranger a day

Weekly:

Exercise on Monday and Thursday

Eat salad thrice a week

Junk food max ONCE a week!

So once you tick all the box and achieve every single goals....the next thing that you want to do is....(next point)

• Rewards your achievement.

Well, it’s ok to enjoy ourself occasionally.

So the equation is strict healthy diet on the weekdays, and indulges once on the weekend.

For example, after I did exercise twice a week on the weekdays, I‘m free to buy a dress on this coming weekend. 

Or something like, after I achieve my thrice a week- salad quota, I’m entitled to eat a slice of Tiramisu with friends on weekend. Or big breakfast at McD's! Yummeh! 

So that’s my 5 baby steps that I can share of, at least it works for me and hope it's work for you, too!

-Deb-