Client Journal: My Health and Fitness Journey with Aphroditi Dinatis

Life, Health and Fitness Coach, Aphroditi Dinatis and I. 

This client journal was written by my dear friend, Regina. I'm very happy to coach her Health and Fitness Journey. 

August 01, 2017

Hi, I'm Regina and I'm a workaholic. While this may sound like a humble brag, it's far from it.

Being a workaholic is deadly. In fact, my father died of heart failure when he was only 50. He was a slender man who ate healthily. But the stress of being a Type A Personality got to him.

I was just shy of 15 when he died. He was my best friend. His death tore my world apart.

As I am around that age now myself, I fear that if I don't change my lifestyle habits, I'll end up the same way. And I don't want to do that to my family.

My father (middle) flanked by his grandad and dad.

It's easy to fall into unhealthy habits. Those of you who work 2 jobs or freelance, know what it's like to have "zero free time." This is in quotes because, well, you have to "spend time" to be healthy. It doesn't come for free. :)

However, it doesn't take a lot to see healthy changes in your body, energy and spirit.

The funny truth of it is this: Spending time exercising actually gives you more time. More time alive on this earth, for sure. But also more energy = more time to do the things you love. And I don't mean more work...!

Why I'm Sharing this Health and Fitness Journey with You

This journey won't be easy. That's why I'm sharing this journal with you. I hope reading about the obstacles and the solutions I face will help inspire you. Here's how I got started...

Week 1: Getting On and Off Track (and on again).

Some back story: Like my dad, my body build is naturally slender. Meaning, when I'm in shape, I get compact, rather than bulky.

To illustrate that, here's my 50th birthday photo. This was roughly 3 years ago, before I tore my achilles and gained 20 lbs. I was running and cycling and eating pretty much what I wanted.

The author, second from left.

However, when I was young, my relatives insisted that my slender build was unhealthy. Looking back, I see how sexist that is. Because hey, I was built just like my dad. And no one made him eat sweets!

So, my poor mom was guilted into plying me with cakes, cookies, ice cream and a whole bunch of stuff that I discovered I'm allergic to. (Dairy and Wheat).

The result: an unhealthy kid who hated sports (because I was bullied). A kid who developed an addiction to afternoon sweets. And today, I'm a middle-aged woman who battles sugar addiction, injuries and muscle loss. But this can and must change.

Every one of us has some sort of "bad habit" or obstacles when it comes to being healthy. It's based on recurring incidences in our past.

How do we break free?

Recognizing our habits is the crucial first step. That's why I started a food journal. It really helped me notice the patterns in my self-destructive behaviour.

My food journal.

From these pages, I see that it's the afternoon that gives me cravings. That makes sense because that's when I'd return from school, feeling blue. It was the time my relatives fed me sweets.

Now, many years later, I still get an urge to eat sweets at 3pm. And I feel tired and overwhelmed around then, too.

The good news? My life coach, Aphroditi is there when I get a craving. She encourages me to make new patterns. It's not easy, but I'm trying to go outside more, stretch or call someone before I lapse. Anything to break the habit of reaching for sugar.

A fistful of regret (600 calories later).

Today was my second day of meeting my Health and Fitness Life Coach, Aphroditi. Sure I had some pitfalls. I binged on these sweet piroulines and instantly regretted it. But guess what? By increasing my exercise, and abstaining 80% of the time from sweets,  I lost 1 pound in 1 week.

Sure, the heavens didn't part. But having gained over 20 lbs in 2 years, I'm not expecting any that. 1 lb a week is a healthy pace for me.

What am I expecting? To change my unhealthy habits so I can live longer than my dad. :) He's want that for me. So I won't let him, my family, or myself down!

Stay tuned to next week's journal entry, where I'll include the exercises my coach Aphroditi has given me. So far, it's been a lot of fun...!