I am currently single, hold a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and am working as a self-employed personal trainer. Looking back at my life so far, I can't say I've had a tough time of it. I have loving parents who have always been extremely supportive of everything I do. I've had the opportunity to travel around the world thanks to sport. As soon as I graduated, I had jobs lined up right away. I have some great friends that I can really connect with. I succeed at almost everything I try, if I put in the time and effort. I can speak three languages (French, English, and Japanese), although my Japanese still needs a lot of work.
As you can see, my life seems pretty great. But that's what most people see on the outside. On the inside, I'm struggling. I'm not taking good care of myself. I've gained weight, some of it through lack of physical activity, but most of it through poor eating habits. I waste hours on end binge-watching TV shows. I leave almost everything to the last minute. I am not sleeping enough. I let things accumulate (e.g. dishes, laundry, homework) instead of taking care of it right away. I feel lazy, unmotivated, stressed and overwhelmed. I make tons of to-do lists but barely get anything done. I have so many things I'd like to do but I never have time because I'm always running behind. I'm not really living, but rather simply existing. Going through the motions without deriving much pleasure or satisfaction.
The worst part is that the only thing preventing me from living the life I want to live is ME. I am my own worst enemy. I have all the tools I need to succeed, yet time after time, I fall back into destructive patterns of behaviour (e.g. binge-watching TV shows while consuming junk food).
As a personal trainer, I'm supposed to be a role model of health for my clients. I'm ashamed and embarrassed to admit that some of my clients live a much healthier lifestyle than me. Who am I to lecture them on proper eating habits if I'm not even doing so myself? Hypocritical, I know. All I can say is that we all struggle with something, whether it be nutrition, exercise, stress, relationships, finances, etc.
So why am I writing this blog?
I want to document my journey as I make changes every day to become healthier. It will take time, but I want to be able to look back and see how far I've come. In the process, I'd like to inspire others to do the same. It doesn't matter who you are, or where you're starting from. All that matters is THAT YOU START.
Yours faithfully,
J2H
