I work hard. I love what I do. I’ve been in the tech industry most of my career and it is fast-paced and ever-changing. It is especially true in the start-up world, which I have been a part of for almost two years now, after leaving the corporate world behind.
I also love my family. I have a 5-year old, who is active, curious, and demands constant attention.
And then there are my passion projects: my love for writing (whether it is my books or my columns), speaking, visiting with friends, etc.
While my work, coupled with my “extracurricular” activities, means not only delightful opportunity to get creative and paint the blank canvas, it also means putting in insane hours, sometimes weekends and holidays. My average working day is about 12 hours, but there are a lot of 15+ hour days as well.
Between the demands of work, family, and the rest it is easy to lose sight of your health. You tell yourself that you are young and you can push yourself hard now so that later you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. You tell yourself that your metabolism is great and you won’t gain weight … just yet. You grab the junk food between your meetings and your flights at the airport, because it is convenient and saves you time. You postpone prioritizing “you” over everything and everyone else… But in reality, this mentality will always steer you wrong.
Always!
That is how I gained over 20 pounds and started feeling “old” while still in my thirties. I’ve been ignoring “me” for a long time.
One unremarkable morning I woke up and I realized that things needed to be different. So I started making changes. Not radical ones, small ones. That’s the key. If there is anything I learned in life, it is that to get to that big audacious goal of yours you need to make small, gradual changes. And you need to be patient. I didn’t want to set any flashy New Year’s resolutions, because those never work out. I also didn’t want to diet to lose weight, because this approach is always short-term (all my friends that dieted always got their pounds back). I wanted a routine that was simple enough, but that would feel a regular part of my day.
Over the next six to 12 months I lost over 15 pounds, my sound sleep returned, I have more energy, and I feel better than I have in a while.
Here is how I did it.
Before you read further, keep in mind that I don’t enjoy exercising and I hate running. So if I could do it, you can too.
Walking.
We all heard that sitting is more dangerous for our health than smoking. But that’s all I do in my job – I sit in front of the computer. So I bought a Fitbit and started counting steps. I set a goal of 10,000 steps is a day. You cannot reach the goal you can’t measure and seeing a clear number of steps you took each day holds you accountable to that goal like nothing else. I also friended people through the Fitbit application because I knew I was competitive and that would help with the motivation.
This step is easy. What’s hard is to find time and opportunity to walk. For the past two years I have been working from home. So I got a treadmill and I jump on it whenever I have a conference call or in the evenings when my work is done and my daughter is asleep and I am watching a movie.
But I realize that not all of us have the luxury of working from home. When I had to go into the office in my previous jobs, instead of using a treadmill, I turned some of the face-to-face meetings into the “let’s walk while we talk” meetings. Instead of sitting down during calls, I dialed in through my cell phone and went for a walk with my notebook so that I could jot down the notes as necessary. I took stairs instead of taking an elevator. I parked further away so that I could walk more (plus, fresh air boosts energy). There are ways to get creative to rack up those steps and get moving during the day. If you hate running, you can turn on the music and dance. I do that often. Music also improves the mood.
Some of my friends, for example, successfully asked their management to put working treadmills in their office which allow you to work on your computer and slowly walk as you do so. A lot of companies are paying attention to their employees’ health and addressing requests such as these.
Standing at your desk vs. sitting is another way to burn calories. And ball chairs are good for strengthening your core, as well as good for your posture.
Muscle strengthening.
Just moving more will help you feel better and burn some calories, but won’t help you slim down as much. Three months after I introduced walking to my daily routine I bought a used Bowflex machine, created a 25-minute muscle strengthening routine I added to my regimen. My goal was simple. Find a 30-min break on my calendar at least three times a week. As I am a huge fan of multi-tasking, I usually do things like catch up on the latest podcasts while I am exercising. I cannot say I am extremely religious about this part, but I try to stay on schedule as much as I can, even while I am traveling.
I also do quick stretching afterwards. It helps keep the muscles flexible, so you don’t wake up stiff every morning.
Eating habits.
I started eating smaller portion, more often during the day. I didn’t change what I eat that much (I eat pretty healthy as is), I am just more conscious about the serving size and the frequency. I don’t count calories, and I don’t sweat it if I have chocolate or ice-cream now and then. But I make sure that my diet includes a variety of things.
I also bought a Vitamix blender. Now, every now and then instead of a dinner I make a smoothie for the whole family. Last summer I packed my freezer full of fruits and veggies which I now use to make the smoothies.
Sleep.
One cannot “catch up” on sleep, ever. So whenever possible I try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night (this is what I need to be fully productive). Electronics stay outside of my bedroom. We don’t even have a TV in our room. That way, when you walk into your bedroom, your brain is ready to relax and shut down, there are no distractions, it’s quiet, there are no unnecessary stimulations.
Here’s the thing…
I am not an expert on either exercise routines, sleep, or nutrition. I know the basics, but I don’t spend my time learning the craft. I don’t like to get fancy. I hate counting calories and I hate people telling me what I can and can’t eat. All I want is to feel good and have enough energy for both my professional and personal lives. By making these small changes in my life over the past 2 years, I was able to fit in the clothes I couldn’t fit in since I was pregnant with my child. I also don’t wake up every morning rubbing my neck and my back, felling “old.” That to me is a victory. So I continue to add tiny routines to my day that keep me happy and healthy. And if I can do it, you can as well.
Originally published on Inc.