Our health is ultimately the most important thing in our lives yet it may be one that was the least cared for in our younger years. I saw an article about “Retire at 55 and live to 80; work till you’re 65 and die at 67” If so, then my deadline has passed.
There seems to be more articles about early retirement suggesting that the new target age should be 55! So now that retirement is staring at me, I am taking on a new healthy lifestyle to be in good health shape to be able to do things on my retirement bucket list!
My eating habits were influenced and the effects of my environment and activities. I am aware that forming habits can take time but I have to start somewhere, as late as it may seem. According to some research, it takes 21 days to form a habit. To get started, I am making "New Year‘s Day resolutions in July!" My new year's resolution is to create new healthy living by adopting new habits. Primarily I have to battle relying on food-to-go for convenience and eating late heavy dinners for comfort. If there’s a will, there’s a way. I know that I can change. It just takes a little mindfulness and effort in order to overcome old habits.
Here are the following habits that I have started:
1: Eat breakfast.
Since my daughter is back home from college, she has been making chia pudding for breakfast.
2: Drink more water and green tea.
Although I have been drinking the suggested 8 glasses a day, I have added green tea to my daily liquid intake.
3: Walk 3 miles a day.
I like walking outdoors better than on the elliptical, it’s an emotional struggle just to leave the house. I don’t like to walk alone but I also am not comfortable walking past strangers, esp those unmasked.
4: Make healthy lunch bowls at work.
This has been a journey so far. All I know how to make is Filipino food, where rice is a staple. I have been adventurous with my office lunches, trying out different salads and totally avoiding rice.
5: Finally, make healthy dinners at home.
This would be hardest one to do since, I have to consider my husband’s choices..... “Focus on what you can do, rather than focusing on excuses for what you can’t.” So this will be a blog for another day.
Hopefully, at the end of three weeks, these new health habits have formed into my system☺️ so that I can actually begin a retirement bucket list!
Comments