My Personal Obstacles to Exercise & Eating Healthy

Exploring Roadblocks to my Fitness

Diet Confusion

I stare at my morning cup of tea without any milk or sugar. It is a good start. But it also stops right there. Because perched besides the steaming mug, is a plate of cookies, crisp, crusty and crunchy. I bear neither the will nor the resolve to resist. My day is filled with moments like this. Second helpings at meals, the bar of chocolate demolished all too quickly, desert helpings that should have been declined, snacks that should not have made their way to my home in the first place – the tangle of hurdles on the pathway to clean eating are endless.

I have read many diet books, consulted nutritionists and maintained a food diary. Set up a schedules to walk, do yoga on weekends, eat mindfully, and meditate before going to bed. Crafted similar healthy habits that create the lattice of health, vigor and wellbeing. Building blocks of habits but staying on tracks for sustained periods has always been a challenge. Why, I question myself is it so hard to slide into the healthy lane, while it is so easy to fall into the trap of unwholesome ones? Where is my determination and resolve when I need it most?

No Pain No Gain

I need to make peace with eating. It cannot be a daily struggle, an every meal hurdle. I no longer want to finish my meal and realize that I barely tasted it. Chomped my way through a bag of chips or snacks and wondered what happened? Our days are filled with screens, schedules and stressors and eating is not cherished or valued. Food triggers guilt, confusion and the pressure to make the “perfect” choice. In short we are constantly overwhelmed.

As my quest for food freedom, self-trust and long lasting well-being continues, I seek deeper answers. I realize I ought to connect my health and exercise to broader life themes like resilience, self- compassion and wholehearted community support. Isolation makes it harder. This is why I decided to share my story.

New research suggests that habit formation takes a significant amount of time, potentially 59-66 days on average, varying widely. This arc requires patience and consistency. Influence of context and enjoyment, such as reliable behavior and engagement in healthy activities can strengthen new habits.

A completely new concept that I stumbled upon is MBIs – Mindfulness- Based Interventions including MB-EAT which is Mindfulness – Based Eating Awareness Training. Recommended to improve controlled eating, fullness awareness, reduce external eating and impulsive food choices.

As I revisit this journey towards food freedom and identifying my emotional triggers and simplifying my daily choices – I invite you to join me. Share your tried and tested secrets, how you reclaimed enjoyment in eating and broke free from yo-yo dieting. Let’s motivate ourselves towards the path of emotional regulation and self –compassion and thereby set ourselves free. Promise ourselves not to embark on another diet of weight loss program – but towards intuitive eating and body trust. In a word, a healthy relationship with food.

We are stronger together