An on-off journey to being healthy

To this day, I remember vividly the color of my mom’s aerobic attire. I found it a few years ago when my mom and I decluttered some of our clothes. It was a combination of yellow, red, and blue. Before getting married, when she had leisure, my mom did her aerobics session a lot. Sometimes with her friend, sometimes she pursued it independently. Vicky Burky, a well-known aerobics instructor in Indonesia, was my mom's favorite! After getting married, particularly having four kids, including me, my mom stopped. “I was busy taking care of you and your siblings. It seems like I do not have enough time to do other things,” said mom to me while she folded the attire.

Conversely, my father has a limited interest in sports. I have not observed him engaging in any athletic activities. However, as an exception, recently, he started to do some workouts since he was getting old! As far as I know, he does love watching sports. Every Sunday, he engages in the activity of watching box matches. It could be a live match, or he could just rerun his favorite episodes. Ultimately, my siblings and I do not possess an interest in sports. We, my siblings and I, interpret sports as a regular part of our lives, as our parents have no influence in this regard. In short, my parents prioritize providing us with a supply of nutritious food and ensuring we have the financial means to enroll in a well-reputed school. In addition, schools have provided us with knowledge regarding sports, including fitness. Thank God!

How I maintain my sugar and salt intake. 
I cooked. Almost everyday. 

In summary, I do not engage in specific physical exercise, such as going to the gym or joining a sports club. I just do sports that align with my personal preferences, namely walking, running, and hiking. I am fond of them! Regarding the topic of fitness, I must note that my journey in this area has been quite intense since last year. During my time in Jakarta, I was employed and resided independently. During the initial two months, I had a notable increase in body weight. I was eating a lot due to the work-related stress I experienced initially, followed by a lack of physical exercise. Within two months, my body weight reached its peak. At the first stage, I was in denial. Until one day, I met an old friend. She said I looked weak. I admitted that. I felt tired all the time.

I mostly do the exercise just by myself in my 
lovely 'kosan'--a room in a shared-house <3

And sometimes running (or walking) either just by myself
or with my running (or walking) buddies. 

The transformation did not occur immediately. A week or two later, I was still struggling with my physical condition while I tried to do some home workouts. Thanks to YouTube for being my cost-free instructor! Nevertheless, it was an on-off journey. Sometimes I lose motivation and get tired of everything. Sometimes I felt like the healthiest person in the world. It happened for almost 2–3 months.

In February 2023, I met a friend who successfully achieved weight loss. According to her, she has made adjustments to her daily intake of sugar and salt, along with maintaining her regular yoga practice every Saturday. At that moment, I did not see her losing weight as a main accomplishment. I saw that she was so energetic and comfortable with her body. That was my aha moment to start my fitness journey. I commenced the process of decreasing my daily use of sugar and salt. Clearly, it is not a straightforward journey. Again, it was an on-off journey. However, I keep trying over time.

August 2023. I went back to my hometown, Kupang City. I lose weight up to 8 kilograms, which is approximately equivalent to 17.6 pounds. My family, my relatives, and my friends saw my huge difference. It was the result of my sugar-salt diet and my workout routine. Until a date, it becomes my habit. But again, it is not a smooth process; it is still an on-off journey, especially since I am still debating how to manage stress eating. Again, it is not easy, but worthwhile to do day by day.