FIT Lvls – BMI 27.7 // 84kgs
The dieting mindset is starting to kick in and exercise is now following suit.
I know I am in a good place mentally when I feel like my day is incomplete without some form of exercise. Whether it is skipping, push-ups, kettlebells or just a run, I’m starting to zone in on my fitness. There is an inherent primal satisfaction when I look down at how much I’ve managed to push myself.
But the more crucial thing here is … habit building.
Just like I promised myself and my partner at the beginning of the year, 2024 is all about establishing positive routines, habits and rituals that will aid in my mental acumen and physical growth. Writing this Consul’s Record every week is a good habit to ensure I get to reflect on what has happened and what lessons I need to remember. It also allows me to write more, a habit I need to keep until I am no longer able to type and just remind myself how fun it is to actually engage in something creative.
Even if it is just writing down my thoughts.
Last week, work was very manageable. I got a new co-worker who will ensure my life is easier as the manager of events for Gelato Messina. He is from Europe, a well-travelled Muslim man and soon to be husband. So far, he and I get along just great and I’m very relieved to know that he has a solid head and that he and I have similar views to work … get it done, fast and efficiently and call it there. Don’t be lazy, don’t be slow, just do everything as quickly as possible, ensure everything gets done, stay until the bell, but if there is nothing to do … play truant.
Event work can be the biggest hack, if you are a screwed on operator and I’m very thankful my new colleague is one of those kind of workers.
My manager has also arrived back and it’s fun to see her actually get excited. I could sense her burn-out near the end of the year, but it seems a long holiday in Europe, with her friends and peers, has managed to revitalise her. All in all, work seems to look really positive, with new and old colleagues actually smiling at work, my wishlist of equipment being largely fulfilled and I’ve really done my best to integrate into the existing structure seamlessly.
Aside from work, my health is looking better. I’m not sure where I lost two kilograms, but my conscientious decision to cut back on the amount of food and a more structured weekly exercise regime is clearly paying off. I really like knowing that I can lose weight and that positive feedback is now fuelling my desire to lose even more. It’s like an addicting, exciting game and I’m really keen to see myself at my target of 74kgs within a few months.
Yes, it is boring eating the same food almost every time, but it is immensely assisting me with my finances and diet, and like I’ve always told myself … everything comes at a cost and if looking and feeling good is the end product of boring lunches and restrictive dinners, so be it. I’m in my 30s now … taking care of myself is critical for how I will face my 40s and beyond.
Speaking of health, I’ve had a strange revelation recently, from one of my partner’s friends. It served as a wake-up call and a reminder that I need to prioritise my friends and family more. The timing of it too, was so strange, as I had just finished listening to the Shawn Ryan Show’s podcast episode, featuring Christian Craighead, the 22nd SAS trooper of Obi-Wan Nairobi fame, in which he detailed a similar revelation about life, how people move through it and the importance of always ending every conversation on a positive tone.
It was a sobering reminder, and I instantly reverted to cold, morbid humour to cope. It’s always interesting seeing how I react to such news and I am always shocked at my automatic decision to resort to dark humour. Whether it’s my upbringing where I was typically exposed to stiff British upper-lip attitudes in my media (Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python etc) or the fact that I was probably too immersed in trying to be a cynical detective out of a Raymond Chandler noir book/film, I noticed that this attitude to dark news, is ingrained in me now.
However, moving past that dark observation about myself, when I heard the news, I’m just reminded of how much stuff I want to achieve.
And that motivation is still going strong even now.
Last week was definitely a motivational one. A push to do better, to be stronger, tougher, fitter, smarter and more financially well off.
It’s been a good start to the year so far, and I want to keep that direction going.
Ain’t no quitting now.
~ Damocles.
Damocles' Journal 