Starting Weight: 134kg
Previous Weight 119.8kg
Current Weight: 113kg

As I write this latest episode, I am officially 21 kg down on my starting weight. This is a major milestone in my wellness journey, absolutely – but it is also not central to my feeling of progressive accomplishment.

Certainly, weight loss, changes in clothing size, and any physical manifestation of the positive impact of better food and lifestyle decisions is a good indication that whatever one is doing is working. However, wellness, as we are continuing to discover on this journey, is holistic, and the body is only one part of this.

I try really hard not to go all “Eat, Pray, Love” when I document the journey here on BTG, because I do believe that the feeling of being well is such an individual and inward experience for each of us as human beings. Which is probably what brings me to this episode’s central theme – cosmetic procedures, specifically Botox in this instance, and whether it can be a part of your wellness routine.

What does social media say?

A quick flick through Instagram and TikTok, clicking through hashtags like “wellness”, “holistic living”, “health”, “inner peace”, and the like all lead us to the same place – eat well, exercise, sleep, meditate, repeat. As I documented in Episode 4 of this column, there are five primary pillars that form the foundation of wellness. However, from that foundation, we often build up to create a more individually motivated sense of wellness. 

Many of those things that we build on those foundations are, from an opposing perspective, frivolous, however, we can all testify to the fact that there are just some things that we build into our routines that may not contribute to our physical health per se, but certainly contribute positively to our mental and/or emotional health. I must reiterate and repeat with great emphasis that wellness is holistic – it is the sum of all the parts of you. 

Think about the little things you might do as routine (or on special occasions) that just make you feel good, that sit on the foundation of the five things we discussed last time but are not necessarily directly a result of those things.

For example, grabbing a Rivareno mandarin sorbet with a friend on Sunday evening, or going to a fashion sample sale (full disclosure, this is my idea of hell, but I have friends who I love who would not miss a sample sale if the world was ending), or catching the ferry for a cruise around Sydney harbour. These are just things we do but aren’t often acknowledged as things that contribute to our overall wellness – none of us can deny that they absolutely do.

So where does Botox fit in this conversation?

I live in Sydney, where cosmetic procedures are a way of life. I would suggest that 90% of our city’s population has had at least minor renovations to their appearance, the most common procedure being Botox and fillers. 

These procedures are often derided as a means to escape reality, or as a manifestation of dissatisfaction, but I wondered – what if they aren’t? Prior to the pandemic, I had had experience with Botox, it was preventative I had told myself at the time, then when the events of 2020 struck, my face returned to its natural state.

I perhaps in that time also adopted the world view that cosmetic procedures were anti-wellness, but have since some to consider that, like anything, there is an opposite side to that coin. Surely, if casual cosmetic procedures make a human being feel good, then they could have the potential to improve wellness, and be part of a holistic wellness routine. 

I certainly found more than I was looking for in researching whether there was any evidence linking Botox specifically to wellness. A particular medical journal documenting studies that propose that Botox could aid in the treatment of minor depression was of particular interest, as it also spoke to the idea of mind-body connection.

The essential premise is that if one feels a negative emotion, the thought is communicated to the face which reacts with a physical expression of the internal sentiment. Think about when you’re angry, or anxious – the first thing you do is furrow your brow. The research paper suggests that if your face does not react to your brain’s prompting, then it cannot reinforce the sentiment, which does not take away the feeling completely, but inhibits it from overwhelming the person. 

I am not in any way suggesting that Botox is a cure for mental illness, I am simply suggesting that there is something to be said about conducting further research to understand whether an emotionally and mentally healthy human being can utilise the procedure to alleviate some of the pressure of the more pressing seasons of life.

Contour Clinics

My research took me to Contour Clinics in Newtown, where I was introduced to Dr Josh Wall, who is regularly quoted by Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar as an expert in the field. Josh is one of the founders of the doctor-led clinic and is super knowledgeable in all things skin.  

In discussing the mind-body/face connection of cosmetic procedures, Josh could neither confirm nor deny the effectiveness of Botox as a therapeutic option but did note that his patients did report an overall sense of happiness after the results of a procedure were fully realised.

Now this could be purely cosmetic (pardon the pun), but it did have me wondering whether some people may find therapeutic benefits in cosmetic procedures, when administered by trained and seasoned professionals that put medicine first, such as those that I found at Contour Clinics.

So, I went, trusting my 37-year-old face to Dr Josh Wall.

The Result

As you may or may not know, it takes about 7 days for the results of Botox to become apparent, and my results were excellent. There is a misconception that one may end up with a frozen face, devoid of expression, but this is simply not true. Well, it can be true if that’s your jam, but that is the benefit of seeking the expertise of expert medical practitioners, and in my case, I was happy with the amount of movement I had, and how relaxed my facial muscles were after treatment.

Beyond that, I measured my responses to ordinary circumstances to figure out whether this could be light therapy for everyday levels of anxiety or stress. Before I share my results, I must note that I am not clinically diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and my recorded experiences are purely anecdotal.

In my experience, I did find that my emotional reaction to situations that may cause a sense of anxiety were lighter than they usually would be. I also found myself not being able to confirm stress, because quite frankly, I could not express stress through my forehead (which is ordinarily where I first physically manifest reactions to stressful situations). I also just liked the way my skin looked, which I feel boosted my confidence, for a more generalised sense of wellbeing. 

I concluded that basic cosmetic procedures could be helpful for some human beings’ sense of overall wellness, provided that there are no pre-existing mental health considerations. At the heart of wellness is the desire to feel good in your body, your mind, and your spirit, and achieving that feeling is a combination of various activities and therapies. For me personally, I will be back to see Josh and his fabulous team for the occasional top up every couple of months.

The post Follow the Fuzz: Episode 5 appeared first on Balance The Grind.

Starting Weight: 134kg
Previous Weight 128kg
Current Weight: 119.8kg

How is it already almost June? With the cold of winter firmly set in, I was reminded of the need to update you, my loyal reading audience, on my 12 month wellness journey. If you have been following me on Instagram (@fuzz.ali) you have no doubt been prithee to my whinging, euphoria, failures, and triumphs – yes, it has been a journey akin to Dickins’ oft quoted (and misapplied) opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, and I am the city, in the midst of emotional, psychological, and physical revolution. 

In seriousness though, anyone thinking of committing time towards understanding wellness must ride the rollercoaster that comes with figuring out what works best for them. The reality also is that what may work for someone else, may not work for you. As you will know if you have been following along on my journey, I have dragged my partner, Ilai, along, to reinforce the fact that this process, even though it can be undertaken together, ultimately has individual outcomes. 

The five things

So far, my exploration of wellness has been fruitful – I am stronger in the gym, have better mental clarity, and have lost a total of 14.2kg since the start of this journey in December 2023. The reality is that it took me about 3 months to actually commit after committing, and I know that you know what I’m talking about.

The first months saw cosmetic changes to my wellness routine – I drank some green smoothies, went to the gym, and tried to move a little bit more. My diet changed marginally, but not really, and I didn’t consider wellness as a whole thing, but rather a thing in parts. 

It became apparent by March that whatever I was doing wasn’t working. I felt stronger, but I hadn’t lost very much weight, and more often than not I was lethargic and unmotivated. Upon reflection of the journey to that point, I noted five things that I had focused on as individual efforts, at disparate times, but never all at once.

• Nutrition and Gut Health

You don’t necessarily need a medical professional to tell you what isn’t good for your body, because your body will tell you. I’m not talking about genuine allergies, I am talking about foods that just make you uncomfortable. We are all built differently, and some things just aren’t for us, and can affect our gut health, which ultimately has an impact on our motivation, mood, and energy levels.

For example, I have always known that wheat does not agree with me. I am not a coeliac, and if I wanted to I could eat croissants all day everyday. The reality is though that if I do eat wheat and wheat products, I am often left feeling bloated and lacking in energy. Now I do enjoy a croissant here and there, but I limit my body’s exposure to wheat.

Another interesting thing to consider for nutrition is the importance of your gut microbiome. The bacteria that exists in your gut has a massive influence on the foods you crave. Eating a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, increasing my intake of fermented foods (kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut), and limiting processed sugar and wheat has fundamentally changed my relationship to food. Think of your gut as an organ that thinks, just like your brain does – whatever you feed it is what it (eventually) tells you it wants to eat.

• Movement

Finding multiple ways to move that you enjoy is central to moving more. I no longer think of it as exercise per se, I just think of it as moving and strengthening my body.

Also, just because everyone else is doing it, it doesn’t mean it’s for you. I live in Sydney, and people are always running, and I LOATHE running! But I love strength training, and I really enjoy boxing. The combination of these two things alone have been excellent in building my muscle strength and increasing my cardio capacity. 

Finally, movement doesn’t have to be structured. Incidental movement, like walking, is excellent, and a goal of 10,000 steps a day may sound like a lot, but it isn’t. As cliché as it sounds – choose the stairs, catch public transport, and if you drive, park a distance away from your destination. It all adds up, and the results are wild.

• Reading and Learning

Combining the physical with the intellectual is super important. I love to read, so getting into it, and setting time aside everyday to read wasn’t a major life change for me. Being intentional about it though is probably the difference. I read not just to entertain my thoughts, but because I know that it is good for my mind, and my mind receives it like that.

If reading isn’t your jam, make some time everyday to learn something new, or perfect a skill you already have. The effect on the mind is the same, if you are intentional about what you are doing.

• Sleep

I have always been a terrible sleeper, or so I thought. What changes do you ask? Nothing. I literally just took myself to bed earlier. This is a tough lesson for those of us who feel like we need to be awake until 3am to get to bed, or who doom scroll in an effort to fall asleep – nobody is going to tell you to go to bed as an adult, and no one will hold you accountable.

This was the realisation I had, and I knew that if I wanted to perform at my best, considering my busy work and social schedule, and my increased commitment to working out to lose weight, I needed to get more sleep. 

At first, it is hard, but eventually your mind and body learn the benefits of being rested, and you just fall into better sleeping habits. Sure, sometimes I’m still up into the early hours, but I have learned to make up for it on the days that follow.

• Spiritual/Meditative Practice

The theme developing over the previous four things discussed is the idea of balance as a human being – finding a sense of equilibrium between all the things that make you, you. The final weight on the scales is adding some sort of spiritual or meditative practice to your everyday life.

I am a person of faith, so I start my day in prayer, which is essentially meditation on the divine. This feeds that part of me that isn’t tangible or physically identifiable in any way, other than to be described as my essence. You could find this through the same means, or through meditation, or through daily breath work. The idea for this fifth thing that completes your sense of wellness is to continually re-centre yourself.

Conclusion

What I have found is a consistent commitment to these five things, done consecutively and parallel to each other is what achieves results. You feel better and perform better when you feel balanced as a person in the world. 

Do I manage to do all these things everyday? Of course not! But I try, and at least 90% of the time now, I manage to do it all, and it works. 

Next time

In Episode 5, I will be discussing cosmetic procedures as a form of wellness. Until then, be well!

The post Follow the Fuzz: Episode 4 – The Five Things appeared first on Balance The Grind.

Starting Weight: 129.6kg
Finishing Weight: 128kg

The thought of boxing for fitness conjures scenarios in my imagination:

1. a night club vibe room, with Beyonce blaring at me, and a workout alternating between bags, moderate weights, and burpees
2. a sweaty gym with winners belts on the walls expressing the prowess of those who have trained there, with a ring to fight, and no desire in me whatsoever to actually fight, but rather just to punch aimlessly at the smorgasbord of targets around me.

Ideally, my personal emotional and mental state requires a combining of these two methods of boxing training – I have a desire to actually learn the skill and technicalities of boxing, to get a great cardio/strength workout, to just punch everything because life is lifeing, and to listen to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter on repeat while doing it! 

I had the great privilege of finding this happy sweet spot when I trained with Grant Norton – a British transplant, whose accent is fresh, but whose tan is seasoned. Grant made his way to meet me in the Domain for our very first meeting, and spoke of this gym that was just 30 minutes South, where boxing came alive in its most native setting, so I thought why not! 

Grant calls Cronulla home, training out of Southside Boxing Gym – a real boxers gym complete with an initially threatening ring, championship belts on display, encouraging quotes about pushing through to toughness, and a fully equipped weights gym that feels like you’re at a mates place to hit the metal… I think that’s what people say.

Upon entering, there is a sense that a community built this gym, and that it is a living breathing space. Grant indulged me by ensuring that Beyoncé was coming at me through the speakers to keep me motivated, and in my short time with him I learned to appreciate the actual skill involved in being a boxer (as well as sweating my tits off from the sheer physical exertion needed to keep your hands up and your legs moving). 

What I didn’t expect to take away from this one-on-one coaching was a lesson about life, balance, and the flexibility to not be singularly defined. Grant has been a hairdresser and educator for over 25 years, travelling all around the world, and has been heavily involved in the global fashion industry, and his first jab and cross were thrown only when he moved to Australia.

“I first started boxing when I arrived in Australia, 25 years ago. I love the camaraderie with other people, learning a new skill, and stepping out of my comfort zone.” Grant said.

In finding community in and outside the ring, he thought of boxing as an opportunity to perfect another skill, drawing parallels with his experience in the hair industry as a creative. Often we can see the two things as being opposed to each other, but here I was confronted with the two things existing in the body and hands of the same man. Boxing for Grant was more than just a physical activity, it was another avenue to explore the world and his body as a human being.

Just as Grant went from being a trainee in the studio to an educator in the notoriously competitive hair industry, he has also become a boxing coach:

“I love coaching boxing and feel that the education skillset from hairdressing has helped me cross over. Life has become more about balance, and I have managed to find time to focus on both passions.”

Who would’ve thought (certainly not me) that these two passions could co-exist? Perhaps I am just not as evolved as I think I am, but my experience with Grant not only made me healthier in body, but certainly in mind and sentiment. 

The Benefits of Boxing

Improves your heart health

The sport is a form of high intensity interval training (HIIT), widely believed to be an excellent method to maintain and improve heart health, and has been associated with decreased risk of heart disease.

Aids weight loss

If you’re trying to lose a few extra KGs, the benefits of boxing cannot be overstated. The activity keeps your heart rate high, and a person can burn 390-560 calories per 60 minute session.

Boosts whole-body strength

If you have never boxed before, do not assume that punching power comes only from your arm and shoulder, because it is quite literally an entire body experience. A good punch involves your lower limbs, and whole body coordination to deliver power through the hit. Think legs, core, then arms to deliver a knockout bow.

Improves balance

Boxing isn’t just punching a bag, pads, or a person (if you get in the ring), it is a whole lot of coordinated movement. When coached, you are taught to develop reactive movement strategies based on changing conditions. This specific type of mind-body connection leads to improved balance.

Decreases stress

This is perhaps what I enjoy most about boxing – it is a safe and fun way to let out your stress. I felt a noticeable improvement in my mood, particularly if I went into a session with a lot on my mind. Let’s face it, punching a bag feels good.

The post Follow the Fuzz: A 12 Month Wellness Journey – Episode 3: Boxing Differently  appeared first on Balance The Grind.

Starting Weight: 134 kg
Finishing Weight: 129.6kg

To think that the first of January was a whole month ago, complete with resolutions, commitments, affirmations for a year filled with hope. As you may recall from Episode 1, December ended in disaster, and so I was determined to make January 2024 a success! A real fresh start, a line in the sand, a new beginning, and I would never look back.

As we have all come to realise at some point or another, the journey of wellness does not have a defined start and finish line, because it is not linear, and there is no destination. Wellness, as I am coming to understand it, is an awareness of mind, body, and emotions (what some would call spirit).

The reality of that awareness is that it shifts and changes, moves and moulds itself based on knowledge and practice of a particular time. I like to imagine it as one of those old school lava lamps – the gooey bits are always there, they just move, collide, and change shape, as long as the switch stays on.

And so I was more forgiving of myself in January, not recording any transgressions as a disaster (I had one long weekend away and may have over indulged). In fact, berating yourself because you fell off the “programme” is again falling back into that destination psychology around wellness, as though any “wrong” move has you sliding down the hill to hell.

Life is a series of happenings, not all within our control, and as people we do what we can within the circumstances of the moment. As long as we return to the intention of wellness for our minds, bodies, and emotions, we are generally good.

This does not mean that I am advocating for a life void of discipline. On the contrary, I am continuing down the path of understanding the importance of cultivating a healthy mind-body connection, which involves discipline, flexibility, and determination.

We are looking for balance, not perfection, not even perfection in balance – a continuous adding and subtraction to reach equilibrium for the majority of the time, because perfect, unending balance is not possible, and, ironically, leads to unbalance. 

The importance of the mind-body connection cannot be overstated, and the two are inextricably linked. If your mind is strong, your body will be empowered to do more, and if your body is strong, your mind will have the assurance it needs to ask your body to do more. It is in the balancing of these two parts of who we are as people that we live out our overall wellness.

STRONG Pilates

One of the methods to develop this mind-body connection, is to explore exercises and programmes that require you to develop equilibrium between the two to achieve the desired outcome. Pilates uses six primary principles which does this:

1. Breath: Coordinating simple but challenging movements while trying to stay alive by breathing
2. Concentration: Having to be fully aware of your body to maintain balance and equilibrium, while engaging your core literally the entire time
3. Centring: Focusing on the area of your body required to complete movements, and sourcing power to complete said movements
4. Control: Total, deliberate, purposeful muscle control is required for all movements, which essentially challenge you to engage the parts of your brain that tell you that you’re strong enough, with your body’s ability to bend, move, and hold
5. Precision: Developing knowledge of each movement’s purpose for your alignment, bringing together different parts of your body to support the central point from which you’re drawing power to complete movements
6. Flow: Finally, and importantly, to make smooth and graceful movements, that reflect the previous five principles

Then you have STRONG Pilates, a new way to engage in this particular wellness practice on a modified reformer called a “Rowformer” (a traditional reformer on one end and a rowing machine, or stationary bike, on the other) which I accepted as my January challenge.

The principles are the same as those above, with an added element – burst of high to medium intensity cardio between blocks of movements completed on a rowing machine or stationary bike. The idea is not dissimilar to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), but also different in that you are challenging your body to move between stability, balance, strength, AND endurance. It is sad that you burn upwards of 800 calories per 45 minute class, so I was sold!

And here’s what fascinates me – I went in thinking that just Pilates was my mind-body moment, my “going inward to go outward” situation, but as a person who actually hates cardio (with an absolute passion), what I have discovered over the month of January is that completing cardio is just as much of a mind-body thing as anything else. Through the STRONG practice, it dawned on me that cardio/endurance is not just a matter of sore legs and being out of breath, it is actually about connecting, purposefully, one’s mind and intentions with one’s body. 

I am happy to say that I am continuing my STRONG journey, and exploring other forms of cardio to continue to develop this connection. 

February

As part of my renewed understanding of the mind-body benefits of cardio, for the month of February, I have challenged myself to swim 800m to 1 km per day to see how this affects body composition. Follow me on Instagram @fuzz.ali and @balancethegrind for weekly updates.

The post Follow the Fuzz — Episode 2: STRONG Pilates and the Mind-Body Connection appeared first on Balance The Grind.

In the latest episode of Fuzz Ali’s 12 Month Wellness Journey series, we follow the superstar as he dives into the world of STRONG Pilates. Renowned for its unique blend of Pilates-inspired workouts with a twist of cardio intensity, STRONG Pilates is redefining the fitness game.

A Glimpse into the STRONG Experience

Our team had the privilege of filming Fuzz’s workout at a STRONG Pilates class, capturing every moment of his exhilarating experience. Unlike traditional Pilates, STRONG Pilates offers a revolutionary approach to fitness, combining elements of rowing and riding for a full-body workout. It’s designed to be low-impact yet highly effective, catering to a range of fitness enthusiasts, from beginners to seasoned athletes.

The post Follow the Fuzz: Fuzz Ali Takes on STRONG Pilates appeared first on Balance The Grind.

In the first issue of Follow the Fuzz, Australian media personality Fuzz Ali candidly shares his personal wellness journey. Starting with a realisation about his unhealthy relationship with health, Fuzz sets out to make meaningful changes. He outlines simple, daily goals like moving more, eating whole foods, and nurturing his mental well-being. Join him as he navigates the ups and downs of this year-long endeavour, offering an authentic look at the pursuit of a healthier, more balanced life.

The “Why’, The Steps, The Disaster: The Beginning  

The obvious must be stated as a preamble to my future ramblings – I have a deeply unhealthy relationship with health. I have often treated wellness and wholistic living as a pursuit rather than a lifestyle, an eventual destination rather than a journey.

This possibly comes from the fact that I have always found it difficult to remain in the mundane, and only now at the age of 36 am coming to terms with the reality that much of life happens in the mundane, the ordinary, the everyday. My preference has always been instead to seek excitement and adventure at every turn – chasing highs is a Leo trait (when all else fails, blame the stars). 

However, reality struck me one morning as my knees creaked out of bed after a night of dancing and too much alcohol, possibly followed by some gorgeous, greasy, goodness found only in the expiring moments of darkness – in order to continue to find joy in the adventures of my years to come, I must be well enough to do so.

I had been warned of this sensation by those far more intelligent than me, that one day a sober reality would settle into my consciousness, one that I, and perhaps you, have been far too proud, and willingly ignorant to accept.

This truth, which even the most powerful selective amnesia cannot ignore forever, is that the vessel that we call home, our bodies, are irreplaceable, not indestructible, and that that degradation of the biological facilities, emotional capacities, and mental prowess that form a part of our whole being can be undone by our own doing.  

Bleak? Perhaps. But it was the reality check I needed, and in my self checking what became unavoidably obvious was that in some way I had been running from the responsibility of taking care of my one and only earthly home for as long as I can remember.

An up and down relationship with food and fitness, and a non-existent awareness of my mental and emotional health (as a Millennial, I was not raised to believe that this was a priority – but it absolutely is! Mental health needs to be treated with as much importance as physical health), meant that I had spent my entire life yo-yoing through life.  

The Realisation 

Thankfully, this did not have to be the end of my story. My renewed awareness sent me digging, and the first step was figuring out why? In all my self reflection, I came to the conclusion that the physical and the mental/emotional were inextricably intertwined.

One helped the other – if I made the effort to move, to challenge my body, and to nourish myself with the correct food, my mental and emotional state would also be in a state of flow, challenged to growth, and nourished.

Vice versa, if I made the effort to fill my thoughts with knowledge, took the time to rest my mind, practiced mindfulness in my conduct, my body would move with purpose, I would have greater strength, and I would choose to do what I knew in my mind and spirit what was correct for my body.  

So these were the decisions I made: 

1. I will move/exercise at least 30 minutes each day (this is a minimum) 

2. I will eat no processed foods, except on very special occasions (flexibility is important) 

3. I will write/keep a 1 page a day journal of my first thoughts (a mind dump when I wake up first thing in the morning) 

4. I will read 10 pages of a book a day (this is a minimum) 

I figured if I attempted to stick to these 4 simple rules, I would be on my way to fixing my life. 

Balance the Grind 

Accountability is always key when embarking on any personal journey that leads to change, and my partner and I whilst fabulous together, not so great at accountability. After 16 years together, you figure out how to enable comfort over discomfort. I have been fortunate to have developed a gorgeous community on social media, specifically Instagram, so we decided that we would start sharing the journey with them.

Then came Balance the Grind, and the opportunity to share the journey with an even bigger audience, and it just seemed that perhaps the universe was conspiring to make this journey through wellness a success! We decided it would all begin on the 1^st of December 2023, and that the journey would be documented over 12 months.

Vively

Then came Vively – an Australian health tech start up making it easier to figure out your metabolic health through a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) and an innovative app where you could track your meals alongside the ebbs, flows, and dreaded spikes of your blood glucose. 

Why is this important? Because it paints a picture of your metabolic health. And what is metabolic health? Put simply (because it is a wide ranging, not completely defined concept) to be metabolically healthy, it means that your body is able to digest and absorb nutrients from food without unhealthy spikes in blood sugar, inflammation, and insulin.

Avoiding these spikes is important in the long game of life because if these spikes aren’t kept in control they could lead to the development of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and all that bad stuff that none of us wants in life. Also, keeping blood glucose in a steady range helps you avoid gaining weight, and combined with exercise, can lead to weight loss if that’s the goal. 

In order to assess the effectiveness of the Vively tracker, and to get closer to understanding my body – my partner and I both had them installed on our arms for 14 days. The results fascinated me because they illustrated how sometimes eating the exact same foods as someone can have a completely different result on ones body.

As part of the subscription to the app, we had access to wellness scores based on our logged food, and a dietitian who could assist in fine tuning the ideal eating style for our bodies. This was never about figuring out a diet – it was about figuring out how to eat for my body for life, to give it a fighting chance to be the best it possibly could be. 

December Disaster  

Having found myself back in the gym in the last week of November using Chris Hemsworth’s Centr app (review to come soon), December was looking up! But, the point of this 12 month project, which will lead to a lifelong way of thriving, is to be transparent, honest, and real with you. While the month started off strong, the closer we got to Christmas, the less motivation I felt to stick to it… and then the excuses came. 

You know the excuses “oh I’ll just take a day off”, “it’s the season for it”, “a week won’t kill me”, and on, and on, and on. I went from intentionally moving daily, to only once the week of Christmas.  

However, and importantly, in those seasons (and we pray that they are short) where self-control and discipline seem like distant weird cousins that no one needs at the party, we have to speak to ourselves with kindness rather than judgement, because what I found was the more I said “that was a bad day”, the more that day rolled into another day, and then a week.

When I paused to remind myself that this journey is not the pursuit of a destination, but rather a continuous, evolving, intrinsic, emotional, psychological, emotional part of the movement that is my life – that’s when I said to myself instead “that was that day, and tomorrow will be better”.  

We have to stop judging ourselves as having made a mistake along the journey. We need to love our vessels enough to love it through the ups and downs, and to acknowledge that giving ourselves the gift of physical and emotional health and wellness is the greatest way to express that love.  

So yes, the last 2 weeks of December (and the 1^st week of January if we’re being honest) ended up being a disaster, but that disaster does not define the continuum of existence that constitutes my essence. It was a time, and I enjoyed it (too much), and I am now once again enjoying the gym, long walks, Strong Pilates (more on this next time), and eating the foods that make my body and mind feel good. 

Until Next Time 

Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. It’s going to be wild! And I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings for us all. 

Follow along on social media on @balancethegrind and @fuzz.ali. 

If you have any tips, tricks, or would just like to reach out, my DMs are open to everyone seeking a happy healthy life. 

The post Follow the Fuzz: A 12 Month Wellness Journey — Episode 1 appeared first on Balance The Grind.