I've been living a sedentary life. I sit a lot. And if I remember correctly, it has been going on for almost a decade. At first, it was because of the nature of the work that I did (I was a translator/editor at that time), but it gradually became a "habit." I was overweight (I still am), had trouble sleeping, and my social life was practically a mess (still somewhat true). It put me in a position where I got tired easily from even doing daily activities.

Then, this year, I decided to put this to an end. I don't really remember the exact reason, though. Maybe it was because I wanted to look better. Maybe I wanted to at least have a better chance of having a long life. Maybe I didn't want to become a burden on the family in the future. Or maybe I just want to feel good about myself. All in all, that's not really important. Some would argue that having a clear reason behind it would help me, but I beg to differ that not having a clear reason also might be better since I won't have some bullshit mindset like "feeling less motivated" to potentially stop me.

So here are a few things that I did:

Get Up From My Chair

As I said before, I sit a lot because of the nature of my work. That's why I now try to consciously get up from the chair and take a few minutes to walk and stretch. One piece of advice I got is to buy a standing desk and a good ergonomic chair. That's a great idea, but I can't do it right now since I'll be moving from my current place in a few months (hopefully). I will definitely buy them in the near future, though.

Go To Bed Early

I've been having a sleep disorder for a long time. I know it's not good for my health in the long term, but it's become a habit that even when I try to get into bed early, I still can't fall asleep. Now, I try to consciously get into bed before 11 or 12 PM, maximum. It's still hard to do, but I have seen some progress lately.

Intermittent Fasting

I jumped into this one in full throttle because I had the mindset that my sedentary life happened because I was overweight. Starting with the 18/6 eating window for two weeks (with a few cheating days) and then going with 20/4 for a month. It was looking really good. I lost a few kg. But after that, my weight was stuck, and even when I kept doing it (the second month coincided with Ramadhan, so I only ate meals once a day when breaking my fast) for another month, my weight was still around the same. Something must be wrong here and I decided to keep looking for the answer. Turns out our body is too smart. After a while, they would adapt to the calorie deficit state and become more efficient at burning calories. So, it became a zero-sum game. Damn.

I came across some articles suggesting a method of intermittent fasting in which you fast for 5 days and then eat normally for 2 days to prevent the body from adapting. However, I found it difficult to stick to this plan because of the 2 "cheating" days. It's hard to limit cheating to just 2 days, at least for me. This method might work for you, though. You should give it a try.

Lately, I no longer practice intermittent fasting, but at least I only eat one or two meals a day now.

Workout

Finding a weight loss method without including exercise is nearly impossible. I wasn't doing it regularly (at least 5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time) until late April this year. One thing I've noticed is that exercise won't magically make you lose fat overnight. However, I definitely feel more energized throughout the day after regularly doing it. I feel healthier overall, and that's a feeling I haven't had for since ages.

I've tried to exercise regularly a few times in the past, but one thing that I do differently this time is that I don't over-push myself, at least for the first few days/weeks. I don't know whether it's going to stick from now on though, but I had the feeling it will. I found it to be fun and fulfilling this time.

Start slow, and add more intensity gradually. Just do it at your own pace, for yourself.

Eat Less and Choose Less Processed Food

I found this one to be the hardest to execute. I don't cook (which is actually the best solution here), and finding a healthy meal around is challenging. Too many processed and unbalanced foods here. Both are way tempting too.

So this time, I am making an effort to choose healthier meals every day. I prioritize vegetables, protein, and fruits while reducing my intake of carbs and flour-based foods. I don't particularly enjoy consuming high-sugar drinks, so this one doesn't bother me that much.

More Step and Sunlight Everyday

I've been rarely walking. I can chain myself up to my chair the whole day and then just go to bed when I get tired. The walk that I did was just going to the bathroom and taking food, every single day for years. Even when I don't order food online, I will go to the nearest warung by motorcycle. No sunlight exposure too, which means low vitamin D.

But let's face it. Walking took time. So, I try to fix it by combining it with other activities like getting meals. Less ordering food online and more ordering food by walking to the warung. I did it at 10-11 PM every day so I could get sunlight exposure, too. Two birds one stone.

I plan to make time for regular running at least once a week too, but I still frequently end up skipping it. Oops.

Those lifestyle changes make me feel more energized, healthier, and better overall. I still struggle with it and a lot of other things, but I hope to get better day by day, or at least not get worse than today, haha.