Health

It is true that "Health is Wealth". There is nothing in our lives that is more valuable than good health. However, there was a time in my life that I didn't think this saying was important. Just like others, I wasn't paying attention to what I ate and barely engaged in any physical activity. I was overweight and had no confidence in myself. Then everything changed when I decided to go back to school here in Canada.

Back in 2013, I took the Health Care Assistant course. Our first project was a Lifestyle Change Challenge. For this challenge, I chose to lose weight. My goal was to lose 5 lbs in a month and to try to be fit for my future job but it wasn't easy. There were numerous obstacles holding me back from achieving my goals. I used to live with a friend and her family and they cooked tasty meals all the time and I would eat large portions. I used to work in a restaurant where I was allowed to eat and drink at a discounted price. I had my own car so I never had to walk or use my bicycle for even short distance errands. As an average young adult, I had an active social life. I always hung out with friends, joined them on road trips, and parties. And finally, the most serious problem that I had to face in order to achieve this goal was my own laziness.

I started to purchase my own food and groceries. Cooking my own meals instead of eating out all the time. I cut back on my consumption of restaurant food and drank lots of water. I walked or used my bicycle with my friends to go to work since my workplace was only 15 minutes away from my house. And, I even encouraged a couple of my friends to go to the gym with me. All this hard work paid off, I achieved the goal for my Lifestyle Change Challenge. I was very happy; I lost even more than I was aiming for. I got the highest score for this project and I loved the positive impact this had on my life.

From this project, I learned that making a lifestyle change is a very difficult thing to do. It's a process that requires time, support from your friends and self-discipline. Nevertheless, once you are ready to make a change , the most difficult part is committing to it and persevering in it. There are many obstacles that have the potential to hold us back from achieving our goals. In my case, a good example of such obstacles were my everyday habits.