I'm not one to make new year's resolutions, but I think I'll try to live according to this quote. Hard work is what's ahead of me anyway, having to write my BA-thesis, a few finals and conquer some MMA ground techniques. Or well, all of them if I'm being honest. It's not that I didn't develop at all, but let's just say I don't suck as hard as I did when I started, but I still have a LOOOOOONG way to go. But I will do it. Just like I did everything else until now.
Anyway, 2013 came and went and here we are a year after I made that pact with myself that I will get moving and live a healthier lifestyle. So, what did change?
I drank alcohol on 9 evenings this past year. Two of them were like full-on drunk evenings, the rest was like having a glass of wine, cider or something else I drank for the taste. But I reduced my alcohol intake drasticly. And let me tell you, I didn't miss a thing. The only annoying side to this is the fact that most people just don't get it and ask you why you're not drinking. Over and over again. And mostly they don't understand when you tell them you just don't want to or don't feel like it.
I became a morning person. And it wasn't even hard. During the winter it was a little challenging at times, but knowing that you will be feeling much more awake when you go for that 30min run than when you just lie there another 45min helps a lot. During the summer I was mostly up at around 5 or 5:30 and went to the gym or for a run before going to work. And even now, during the busiest time of the year, I managed to get up at 6:30 the latest on 4-5 days a week to get a morning training done. Admitted, the MMA HIIT -class, which is pretty personal with 3-4 participants, helped a lot. It's just something else when you feel like someone is going to notice when you skip training.
I started the first part of my lifestyle change eating-wise. I cut white pasta, bread and rice, candy, convenience food and fast food from my diet. There were a few days where I craved something like pizza or a burger, then I had them, but mostly I stuck to veggies, good carbohydrates like quinoa, beans, oat bran (I love oat bran "pudding", and if it had to be whole-wheat pasta and Finnish Rye bread, fish, meat and good fats. And enough fat.
I ran a half marathon without training. Probably the stupidest thing I've ever done, seeing that I never even ran 21k at once before. But...I ran under 2hrs. which is supposedly quite good.
I made my dream of training MMA come true. This is maybe the most important part of them all. Nothing can motivate you like complete enthusiasm for a sport. I love everything about it and I got to know so many great people through it.
I just started doing stuff and seizing opportunities left and right. So, now I'm not only happier because I let things sit for a while to worry me, no, I was also voted into the Student Representative Council (and into a Finnish party's student organization's board, even though I didn't exactly run for it). Not quite sure how this is going to turn out, but it's experience and experience is good.
Oh, and I lost 6kg and two dress sizes for good. Even though I gained muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. People tell me I'm slender these days. Strange feeling after I've been chubby for so long.
So, what's left for 2014?
Getting my monetary affairs in order. Do I need to say anything about this? Being a student with little money makes you desperate. But I'm gonna plan my finances better.
The second part of my lifestyle change eating-wise. Cutting everything (as far as possible on a student budget) with added sugar and other unhealthy/unnecessary additives.
Maybe compete in a low-key MMA or submission wrestling tournament. Maybe. If my trainers give me the go. After I got the basics down. Nothing too crazy. I'm not totally mindless about this thing even though there have been a few people asking me when I will be competing for the first time.
Oh, and well, I made a before-after-picture, it's quality sucks, but maybe one can see some of the results of 2013. And hopefully there will be even better results by 2015. :D
