You might be wondering where are we now with our lifestyle changes in 2024. And where have the last 6 years gone…..I dare to ask? Well welcome to the new and improved version of us—now with extra kale! Ha ha!
We kicked off our Just One Bite at a Time blog in mid-2018 after getting a not-so-gentle nudge from reality—more like a health wake-up call that felt like a slap in the face with a giant celery stick.
And a lot has changed….. but totally for the better. Some things bigger and not so big but there have been changes.
Our Lifestyle Changes 2024
We’d love to share our last 12 months with you from mid 2023 to now mid 2024 – with lessons learned in the areas of health, mindset, food, lifestyle and of course alcohol…..and we’re going to share everything…..nothing hidden from the beer loving Greg to cake chomping Sonny.
From swapping chips for chia seeds join us on this journey to a healthier, happier life. Oh yes Just One Bite at a Time. Trust us, if we can do it, anyone can. Grab your green smoothie and read on.
This story is split into two sagas: Greg’s 12 months of lifestyle changes (cue the Rocky theme), followed by “A ha’s” with Sonny’s journey.
GREG
Alcohol
Great. Tastes good! The last 12 months haven’t been too bad at all dealing with alcohol. It’s kind of a bit of a mix up. The occasional binge if there is a celebration, maybe 1 to two weeks without a beer or then 1-2 beers in a week. At the moment I’m staying off it and am enjoying the break.
Food
I love food too. Ha ha. Eating a little too much but not putting on weight. Actually, losing some. Though….a little confession time from me…..4 weeks ago I was 97 kg’s on the scales but this week now 93 kg. Yikes! (didn’t want to tell the Missus).
Basically, when the alcohol is cut down the weight comes off and I replace the beer with a glass of water with a big squeeze of lemon juice. It doesn’t take much for me to get back on the health train but basically, it does come down to cutting a few things out and of course discipline.
Health
I feel pretty good. I like to take a daily supplement of Inner Health – Zingles – a Vitamin C and Zinc combo supplement. If I’m starting to feel a little funny (niggle) then I’ll take 2 to 4 for a couple of days…(Zingles that is), in a row. No serious cold or flu for 4 years. I make sure I get vitamin C, D and Zinc plus take magnesium tablet before bed which gives me a good night’s sleep.
Filtered Water
This has been a big change for us. I try to drink around 2 litres of water a day. About 2 years ago we purchased a ceramic water filter. similar to this one from Village Pottery and also similar to Sean Nicholson water filters. The inner filters removes a high amount of chlorine, glyphosate, fluoride, lead, metals, E.coli and bacteria.
We’re living the filtered water life now! We drink it, cook with it, freeze it into fancy ice cubes, and even our dogs have developed a taste for it. Regular water? We aren’t purists and still drink normal tap water at times but if we don’t have to we won’t.
Mindset
I feel happy. The thoughts you have all the time are how you are going to feel. I decided to just wake up and feel happy.
Lifestyle
Oh, I’m loving bowls. Yep this is my new hobby….lawn bowls and have met a lot of new people. I think it’s important to meet new people and make new friendships. When I’m at bowls we just laugh and probably talk a bit of crap….well that’s me talking the crap.
I also like to SUP -Stand up Paddle and go hunting. I think appreciating what we have around us is important. We enjoy the simple things like walking with the dogs in the morning on the beach. Always a laugh for sure. Plus trying a new hobby or sport has been great for me. Hey you might just enjoy trying something new too.
Hairstyle change
Last year and absolutely nothing to do with lifestyle change I decided to grow my hair. Well it was hard work keeping the mop under control and it definitely got me loads of attention. Mostly not so flattering and the usual….“go get a haircut” Greg, or “are you having a mid life crisis?”. Ha ha !! On my birthday this year I got it cut short. In Summer it was rather sweaty to say the least but an interesting experiment! 😁
SONYA
Alcohol
Oh like it and hate it! While I do enjoy a couple of wines I don’t enjoy the after effects, like poor sleep, puffy eyes and the go-slows…. lethargy the following day. Plus the preservatives can give me a headache too. I woke up one morning and said I’m going to stop trying to stop drinking…if you get that. And the weird thing was that I was looking for something online I came across Annie Grace from The Naked Mind and listened to one of her videos.
One of the first things she said was I’m going to stop trying to stop drinking. I took that as a sign and I started her free course called The Alcohol Experiment from The Naked Mind.
It’s not focused so much on trying to stop drinking but rather why we get the urge to drink and how it imprints patterns (or what I like to call ruts in the road) in your brain. Quite a different look into drinking alcohol.
Food
I’m pretty happy with what I eat….. though…. we still like the occasional bag of chips on the weekend. I’ve cut back on the sugar but still eat a few cakes while experimenting making more natural sugar snacks without refined sugar that taste awesome. I’ve cut down on dairy…(think the side effect of cheese is windy bottom syndrome) oh my, but I do still enjoy sour cream and Greek yoghurt. You have to dollop something on top of your nacho’s.
See ya later bread – I hardly eat any bread or gluten products anymore but sometimes I weaken a little. Though Greg’s sour dough – is just rather moorish.
Juices – Drinking cold pressed juices has been lovely too. Nice and gives me a little bit of a hit for the day.
Goin’ Organic – We’ve embarked on a different journey into the realm of organic, free-range, and roadside produce for our food. Our pantry’s getting a makeover, swapping out the oldies for the organic goodies: flours, spices, tea, oats, you name it. It’s a gradual process and can be a little bit more pricey, but am loving it. Wholefoods stores have become our new hangout as there’s just so much cool foods and products to find.
Health
The world of ingredients….well this is…. for me is a big part of health. The other day I read on Instagram that when a women leaves the house in the morning she has already come in contact with 260 chemicals. Woah!.
The last 12 months I’ve been looking more into the things I’ve been eating, drinking, applying to my skin and breathing in and what affect they have on my health. All the stuff we slather on ourselves—makeup, skincare, sunscreen, soaps, toothpaste, deodorants, (I use a natural one now), shampoos— basically everything that turns us into walking beauty experiments for 8-10-12 hours a day, is often packed with toxic ingredients. Not to think about the washing powders, detergents too.
Researching ingredients is something I’ve always loved to do. It was a big part of my work in beauty therapy and haven’t stopped since. And…. yes at times I have turned a blind eye to what’s in the things we eat and use on our skin just because I still wanted to use them.
There’s so many great natural and organic products available now. It’s very exciting and the quality and variety is awesome.
Lifestyle
Bowls not balls Sonya! – I’ve also joined in with Greg in a game of mixed bowls on occasion. Extremely funny and a lot of bending ze neez’s. The girls do go up for moral support and a little social outing too. I keep getting in trouble for calling it balls instead of bowls from the boys. Technically they are balls….just sayin.
Gym – I’ve decided it’s time to join the gym. Two of my friends are already there, sweating it out, and I want to join the fun. Plus, I could use some muscle and a tushie that doesn’t jiggle like jelly. So, hitting the gym is on my radar for the next couple of weeks. Bonus: it’s a great excuse to mingle with the locals and maybe even impress them with my treadmill talent!
Walking – I love our beaches and bike tracks and would like to get more into having a bucket list to plan for more adventure. As my sister always says…. if you don’t book it in it doesn’t happen. True words.
Mindset
My motto is a bit like Greg’s….start your day in a happy way.
I know not all days and the circumstances in our lives are happy. Sometimes far from it. But I think if I can move the happiness meter up a dial, just one, it all helps to change your mindset. It’s sort of like the Just One Bite at a Time theory Greg said when we first started –
I figure with the right mindset you can do anything. (lets dream together). I’ve learnt so much in the last year especially about how your thoughts shape your life, and have been scrutinizing my own. I was amazed at how negatively I could speak to myself but would never dream or even think to say the same thing to anyone else.
So be kind to yourself.
A few years back I would wake up already feeling wired. I got out of bed on high alert so to speak and you can imagine how fun that day turned out. Now I take my time, get a cuppa, listen to a short, but calming meditation and read some scripture or daily devotional. It’s been a game changer.
The Final Result on our Lifestyle Changes in 2024
The conclusion: We’ve both figured is to keep on keeping on. And you are probably thinking that’s not really anything new. We don’t know all the answers, aren’t guru’s or medical professionals and this blog is only the story of our journey and please don’t take this as health advice. We just wanted to share what we’ve done over the last 12 months what’s been working and not working.
Our ideas might not be ground breaking or earth moving, but it’s the small tiny steps that make the biggest changes. Thanks for tuning in to our journey!
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