New Year, Same Me

Happy New Year! It’s been a good start to the year. Wedding plans well under way and one of my groomsmen has become a dad for the second time. So far so good. I probably shouldn’t be blogging. Have exams coming up and should be studying. Motivations have changed though. I’m not much of a multi-tasker and my mind is more focused on health at the moment more than a degree in financial services. I don’t see that changing although I will give college a decent shot until May. I’ve stuck with it for nearly 4 years so not long left now. Semester one exams will be over next week then 4 more months of studying and stressing and I’m done (I hope).

Nutrition is really one thing that I want to develop my knowledge of. I’ve mentioned before that not long after making a few alterations to my diet I felt a massive improvement in my condition. Listening to and reading the news though there’s always contradictions as to what is good for you and what’s not. I’m no expert and won’t be starting a healthy eating blog anytime soon but there’s a few things that I’m beginning to realise. For a start eating healthy gives you a great boost but it doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re used to eating food that’s considered bad for you an apple isn’t going to make much of a difference. It takes time. I actually really like preparing food now just as much as eating it. Chopping mangos & pineapples, in particular, I love. Probably just because it’s like some sort of release. I’m sure there’s been studies about things like this. I probably have some weird sort of fruit chopping fetish and need to see someone about it before I move onto to vegetables…. too late 😋

We have a group scheme in work where we can get discounts on certain things. One of which was a course on nutrition down from €395 to €9. Yes €9. What is there to lose? €9? I don’t mean to be boastful, but I can afford it. It starts in February for a month and it’s all online. Hopefully it will give me an idea whether I want to go down the nutrition route or not. But one thing I will stress is that this is by no means a life changing New Years resolution. Over the last few days all I’ve been hearing is “New year, New Me”. I’m not having that. I don’t know many people who said they were going to have a drastic lifestyle change on a random Jan 1st and stuck to it for the rest of their lives. In my experience small changes over time work best. I’ve had no real choice but to make changes. And even then, they’re changes I was always threatening to make. Well, for the most part anyway. Eating healthier and exercising more were always on the to-do list I just needed a push in the right direction. MS has certainly given me that.

Eating healthy and exercising more are nice things to say but you have to put them into practice. After all, what’s right for someone else may not be right for you. I’m still figuring out whats right for me to be honest. I’m getting there but it doesn’t happen at the flick of a switch. I’ve been given some good advice and pushes in the right direction but in the end it’s up to me how I implement these. Personally I try to prepare most of my food for the day. I have a plethora of lunch boxes in work with me each day. It means either getting up earlier in the morning or staying up later at night. I have to inject myself three mornings a week (thats another blog altogether) so that usually is what motivates me to get up early and prepare for the  day ahead. I’m starting to get better at running so try do a few km each lunch break during work. I sit beside a marathon runner so that’s motivation in itself. Although I’m happy just to do the 3.5km a few days a week. Plus the route I do has me running towards the Poolbeg Chimneys for the last km. Today was a good day for running. The sun was shining so vitamin D was absorbed and it was dry for once. One of the lads even sent me on a picture of the chimneys from Dolymount Strand. Just hearing that people are out and about taking advantage of good weather and getting exercise encourages me.

By all means I think people should make New Years resolutions. Everyone looks back at the previous year and can dwell on what went wrong. And that’s understandable. Sometimes the only way to learn from mistakes is by making them in the first place. If you’re going to make one, I recommend making a resolution that’s achievable. Look back at the good things from last year too and see if that can be bettered or even just replicated. Instead of “New year, New You” go for “New Year, Improved You” or “New Year, Same You”. By trying to be the “same me” I know I will constantly be looking for ways to improve my lifestyle and stay healthy. We can all do with a little improvement every now and then regardless of what time of the year it is but in moderation. It’s important to be proud of who you are. We don’t have a choice to pick the body we’re in. We only have a choice in the decisions we make.

“You have suffered enough, and warred with yourself, it’s time that you won” 

Falling slowly – Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

#KBYerrr