Tales from a Bruised Mind

Don’t judge me: I’m currently having a bit of a quarter-life crisis.

Around September last year, I thought I had it all sorted. My mind was good, my body was crawling back after years of eating no so well, and I felt really good about the world. I had lost nearly 7kg in just a few months and felt so much lighter on my feet, all largely thanks to a change in diet and NO alcohol.

But then I found myself slipping back to my old ways.

Strangely, I was using bad food choices and alcohol to mask issues or problems in my life. That’s strange because I haven’t always had the best relationship with eating, being a stress head and what not.

Flash forward to now and I am currently the heaviest and most unfit version of myself that I have ever been in my life. I’m sluggish, I’m tired, I am self-conscious and in no way confident. I feel like I am slowly falling apart.

And I’m just 26 years of age.

In the last two days, I have had somewhat of an epiphany. I woke up one morning with visions of being fit and active and amazing. It shocked me, because that’s currently exactly what I’m not.

So I laid there a while and eventually realised this is not the life I want to be living. I want to be the best version of myself. That’s the complete truth.

Steps I’m going to take to be a better Zak

Going cold turkey with certain things is a pretty bad idea, I think, but that’s what I am going to do.

I’m going to:

1. Give up sugar and beer intake entirely

2. Exercise at least three days a week

3. Get a dietician to help guide me along the way

4. Have a much more balanced diet and cook more myself

5. Spend less time at the pub, or simply don’t go at all

That’s the grand plan. By Christmas 2024/25, I aim to lose at least 15 kilograms. I’m currently 105kg, I want to be 90kg by the Christmas break. Easy, right?

It’ll be difficult, but I believe that I can do it. I’ve lost weight before and I can do it again and again. It’s a lifestyle choice and one that I am ready for.

Wish we luck!

Zak