Thriving Habits: Embracing the Wellness Journey, Week 4"

Since turning 43 last year, I've noticed a shift in my hormonal balance. Experiencing increased stress, disrupted sleep, nighttime awakenings, lower energy levels, and an unwelcome weight gain of 5 kilos within a couple of months has left me feeling frustrated. Despite attempting my usual weight loss strategies—more aerobics, fewer carbs, meticulous food tracking, and calorie counting—I haven't seen any significant results. As someone who values their health and embraces an active lifestyle, this trend is concerning.

Recognizing that I need assistance, I began seeking guidance and even tried two paid weight loss options, but they proved ineffective. However, while browsing YouTube, I stumbled upon numerous videos by Dr. Berg. He discussed hormones, sleep, stress, the risks of overtraining, and intermittent fasting combined with a ketogenic diet.

Having followed a strict keto diet in the past (except for the occasional glasse of wine), which helped me maintain my weight but not shed any pounds , I decided to make changes gradually by incorporating one new practice each week. Here's what I've implemented so far:

1. Daily Listening: I now listen to Dr. Berg's videos during my commute to stay motivated and informed.

2. Active Breaks: I started going for a walk once or twice during my workday, ensuring I achieve a minimum of 10,000 steps daily. If I couldn't reach this goal during the day, I made it a point to complete the steps before bedtime. Eventually, I found myself consistently surpassing 10,000 steps to avoid this late-night routine.

3. Training Adjustment: Recognizing that my previous exercise routine left me physically drained, I modified it. Instead of frequent gym sessions and outdoor runs, I now engage in 2-3 intense workouts per week while incorporating easy walks to meet my step count.

4. Stress Management: Working in global sales means dealing with constant challenges, targets, and customer demands. Dr. Berg's recommendation to engage in physical work resonated with me, so I decided to do push-ups every 30 minutes. Starting with 10 sets of 5 reps, this simple practice significantly reduced my stress levels (monitored continuously with my Garmin watch).

5. Sleep Enhancement: To improve my sleep quality, I made three key changes. Firstly, I ensure my last meal is at least 3 hours before bedtime and doesn't contain carbohydrates or excessive calories, allowing my body to focus on rejuvenation rather than digestion. Secondly, I take B1 vitamin supplements before sleeping. Lastly, I've drastically reduced my alcohol consumption, limiting myself to a maximum of two glasses of dry wine per week.

Implementing these initial changes took me approximately 3-4 weeks. I weighed myself at the beginning of this journey and will do so again after a total of 6 weeks to assess my progress. For now, I haven't made any other alterations to my diet to avoid additional stress until I fully integrate these new habits into my daily routine. I'll keep you updated on my progress.