Answers to questions no one asked!™
I promised a follow-up to my previous post regarding my goals for 2022. To be more accurate, these goals haven’t changed, but my methods of pursuing them have.
To wit: I’m still striving to improve my health through diet and exercise. I still stick to a set meal plan all week and workout regularly. However, I’m still trying to find the right balance in both areas.
Part One: Food Stuff
My previous diet: Vegan, all day every day. I really enjoy eating this way, and I had set breakfasts, lunches, and snacks that I looked forward to daily. Dinner was the wild card, providing just enough variety to keep things interesting. Of course, the rest of my household is…less than enthusiastic about many of my meal options, so I usually have to make a separate dinner for everyone else.
Which led to…
My current diet: Flexitarian (100% Vegan on weekdays, anything goes on the weekend). I made this adjustment for two practical reasons:
- As I said, my family prefers an omnivorous diet. This often results in leftovers that no one will eat. I HATE WASTING FOOD. I was throwing away entire chicken dinners, burgers and fries, take-out leftovers and expired lunchmeat because no one else wanted them. So on Saturday, I devour any leftovers.
- Eating “normal food” helps keep the peace. We often go out or visit people on the weekends, so I play along with whatever food is available wherever we go. (It would be a jerk move on my part to expect people to make something special on account of me.)
Part 2: Mind-Body Connection
My Previous Routine: Wake up early, bust out a Basement Beast workout.
I mentioned above for my exercise routine, I’ve focused on working out. I genuinely enjoy getting up early, doing my workout, and feeling pumped for the day. I love the variety, intensity, and results I get from various programs. Those 20-30 minutes give me energy, give me confidence, and improve my overall mood a good deal.
Still, I’m stressed a lot these days, and I can’t pinpoint why. My life is objectively better in many ways than in the past 5, 10, or 20 years. Looking back, though, I was much more even-keeled then than now. What gives?
My New Routine: Basement Beast PLUS some meditation.
This is the newest change in my life, so I’m still finding my footing here. I am doing a trial of Waking Up, and so far I’ve enjoyed the sessions. I’ve heard so many people talk about the benefits of mindfulness, transcendental meditation, Zen Buddhism, and countless other methods of mental recalibration that I’m sufficiently curious to dip my toes in the mystical waters.
I’m a skeptic by nature, but I also understand effective mediation is not a “quick fix,” so I’ll take my time with this before making any firm judgements. I accept that my state of mind is primarily (if not entirely) responsible for how I perceive and react to the world, so it’s more practical to learn how to adjust my state of mind than to reshape the world around me.
But who knows…maybe with all these resolutions, I can do both!
M. J. Lau 