Posts tagged healthy weight

Achieved - a key health goal

Our goals for a better life are more love and laughter, improved health and worthwhile challenging work.  Improved health for both of us has meant working on a less stressful lifestyle, improved fitness and for me – achieving a BMI which is considered healthy – 25 or less. It’s taken me nearly 5 years to achieve this goal and along the journey I’ve lost 20% of my body weight.

The before photo, taken on a cycling trip in Laos, prompted me to “action” and contrasts with a photo taken today to celebrate the goal achieved.  This journey has had such a positive impact on both my physical and mental health, my energy levels are higher, my balance is much better, I feel 20 years younger and I’m fitter, stronger and more toned than I recall being ever before.  I have much more confidence in my ability to complete the long walking tracks and cycle trails that are on my bucket list.

As my goal was about better health I achieved it by the formula of eat less, exercise more – this formula is so simple to write, but much harder to implement.  I always ate healthily, but even more so now, and I eat a lot less. I always exercised, but I exercise a lot more now, especially up hills which gives the benefit of high intensity exercise.  I love to exercise in the great outdoors, preferably in sunshine, but also in wind and rain.  That’s been so good for my mental health as it puts life’s problems into better perspective and reminds me of the glories of nature.

With the benefit of hindsight I wish I’d achieved this health goal much earlier in my life.   I ponder why no health practitioner ever suggested to me that it might benefit my physical and mental health to lose weight.  Most of all, I’m determined to maintain a healthy BMI to facilitate the active lifestyle I’m intend to continue living.