Things I Changed in My Life: Post 30 Edition

Its been 4 years today, since I am dabbling with the 30s (what a tricky way to put my age out there :D) and I am grateful for so many things and mostly for the changes that I have made in my life. I remember last year same time I was going through a not-so-happening phase in my life. I had put on weight in all the wrong places and had started looking unfit. I remember seeing pictures from a Goa trip I took last year, and was so disappointed in myself and the way I looked.

I decided to dedicate a major part of my last year in getting fitter physically and mentally and making some changes that have now become a norm. These changes have brought out the best in me and its time I share it with you guys.

Acceptance: Probably the biggest step to a better you. Accept the way your body is and work towards it and not against it. I always wanted to be slim or lose weight and the focus was never on getting fit. I would stand on the weighing scale and curse at every gram I had gained. It was a constant battle that ended with me not being happy most of the time. Today, I have accepted my body and I am working towards being fit, and since past 6-8 months I am at my fittest best. I don’t stand on the weighing scale anymore, I just work hard each day and eat to my heart's content without stressing too much. I set targets for myself and work towards achieving it. My next aim is to be able to run at least 5 kms without getting exhausted. Best luck to me!

couldn't imagine wearing a croptop even a year back.

Squats: Squats are my new best friend and I absolutely love the fact that such a simple exercise can change your body so much. I do 100 squats (all kinds, with weights and without) 4-5 times a week irrespective what workout I am doing that particular day. After a month of doing squats my legs became stronger, thighs were toned and the biggest problem area, the lower abdomen reduced by an inch. The initial results got me super excited and even today I start my workout with 100 squats no matter how lazy or tired I am. I really want all of my readers to include squats every day whether you workout or no. Please ensure that you do it the right way; there are videos on YouTube that will help you with the right form.

Moisturize: Natural oils are my new best friend now. I have always seen my mom-in-law use different oils almond, walnut, coconut, mustard, etc. to moisturize her skin or oil her hair and it's amazing how she steers clear from anything chemical. I got inspired by her and have been using them since. After I moved to Delhi 3 years back, my skin and hair suffered miserably because of extreme dryness. No matter what cream or shampoo I used, they just made it worse and these oils really came to my rescue. As you age, the body loses its natural oils and it is extremely important to use these oils to restore the lost moisture in skin and hair. While I oil my hair once a week, I use a few drops of these oils on my skin if I feel the need and I really see the difference.

Pic Courtesy: Kellichronicles.com

Eat a diet rich in protein and fiber: Coming from a Goan family, non-vegetarian food (2-3 times a week) was quite the norm. So, when I got married and moved to a family that was vegetarian it was quite a shift. I could feel the difference in my body as it was craving some protein and eating non-veg only during weekends didn’t really help. I had to have my protein fix and decided to incorporate some vegetarian options. I started having more dal, pulses, millets, etc in my diet along with enough salads to aid my workouts and help muscle building, and slowly but surely I saw a big difference. I was rarely binge eating, felt fuller for a longer time and had high energy levels. And, I included ghee, changed oils to only groundnut, mustard, sesame, and sesame. No olive oil, rice bran oil, sunflower, kardi, etc for me. Binge watching Rujuta Diwekar videos helped a great deal.

Pic Courtesy: Archana's Kitchen

 Intermittent fasting: I discovered this around Jan-Feb this year and have been doing it pretty often, especially on days I feel lethargic or if I have had a big dinner the previous night. I mostly do it on Mondays after going crazy binging on weekends and also during the week depending on my mood. I fast anywhere between 14-16 hours and not more than that. I am a big breakfast person so fasting was difficult for me initially, but now I am used to it. I usually keep myself busy in the mornings so I don’t realize that I am fasting. I have seen a great difference in my waist/belly fat, my metabolism has improved considerably and after the fast, I feel like eating something healthy as I don’t want to spoil the whole purpose of fasting. There is enough information explaining what happens to our bodies when we fast. So yes, give it a try.

Pic Courtesy: Masculine Development

Say no to processed food: While this is extremely difficult to incorporate since most of the food items are processed, I have tried to eliminate many things. I rarely eat biscuits and farsan, no pre-packed meals, etc. I make all my meals and have started including locally grown veggies and grains instead of the imported ones. Rijuta Diwekar’s videos are extremely helpful in making these lifestyle changes as they guide you, explain the exact science and make you understand why it is important for our economic growth that we support local produce and farmers.

Pic Courtesy: Stock Pictures

Wear bras with underwire/Sports Bras: While this is the last point, but in no way is it less important. We all talk about wearing the right bra but never really care about it. We are more interested in experimenting with our clothes, at least I was. I wore bras without underwire as I never found them comfortable only to realize how wrong I was. I remember walking into La Senza store and trying one with the underwire and trust me my life has changed since then. Now, I can't think of wearing anything else as it has changed the way my outfits look or even my body looks for that matter. Super thankful for this discovery. And yes, can’t imagine my life without sports bras. I wear them when I am at home, when I am working out or when I feel any discomfort during period days, almost every time I need to feel extra comfortable. 
Your body goes through a huge change post 30, post-pregnancy when there is drastic weight loss, etc and sports bras really come to the rescue. So, start wearing one and see the change, irrespective of what age and size you are.

Pic Courtesy: Bendon Lingerie

Pic Courtesy: Tasc Performance

This topic is really close to my heart as these changes really helped me, my energy levels and also, how healthy I felt. Its never to late to make changes in your life that will prove beneficial in the long run. Its time you think about what kind of life you want to live, a healthy one or one that is dependent on medicines.