Since the start of this year, I have been working on improving my health and battling obesity. As a programmer, I spend most of my day sitting, which leads to an unhealthy lifestyle—minimal exercise, a love for ultra-processed foods (UPF), and binge eating. I wasn’t happy with this, so I decided to change my life. The first turning point was reading Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken. This book inspired me to change my diet, and now 80% of my meals consist of non-processed food. My cooking skills have improved, which makes me happy. Since last October, I have lost 5 kilograms. However, I am still about 20 kilograms overweight, so my journey continues. Here’s what has helped me so far:
Moving My Treadmill into My Home Office
I work remotely now, but my weight gain started when I was working onsite in corporate. I hated my job back then—it was stressful and slowly destroying me. Since last November, I’ve had the comfort of working from home, which allows me to focus on my health.
One of the best decisions I made was moving my treadmill into my home office. Previously, it was in a corner of the guest room, where I often ignored it. Now, with the treadmill in my workspace, I use it almost daily. Every 2.5 hours of work, I take a 25-minute break, which I spend walking. This small habit has boosted my energy levels and improved my overall well-being. I love it!
Quitting Social Media
A strange way to lose weight, right? But I used to spend around 8 hours daily scrolling social media. It wasn’t productive—I wasn’t learning anything new, and I constantly felt bad about my life. The comparison, stress, and frustration contributed to my binge eating.
So, I quit. One day, I simply told myself that social media wasn’t adding anything valuable to my life. Instead, I set a goal to read a book per week to improve my English skills. My social media detox lasted a few weeks, and now, I spend only about an hour daily on platforms like LinkedIn and Pinterest. My binge eating disappeared after quitting UPF, but I believe reducing social media use played a role too.
Creating a Financial Plan for Meals
I used to plan my meals, but I never had a financial plan for food. That meant I often bought “binge treats” like chocolate, baguettes, and ice cream whenever I had a bad day—which was almost every day. By the end of the month, I had spent too much on unhealthy snacks and felt disappointed in myself.
This month, I created a financial plan for food and stuck to it. It has improved my spending habits, helped me lose weight, and reduced my stress. Since I’m no longer constantly stressed, I don’t feel the need to buy unhealthy treats all the time.
Accepting My Sweet Tooth
Last but not least, I learned to accept my love for sweets. Instead of fighting against it, I now buy healthier snacks like crackers, nuts, and cookies. I also started baking my own treats. Here’s one of my favorite recipes:
Banana Cinnamon Cookies:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 150 g flour (I use gluten-free)
- 50 g butter (or 20 g peanut butter + 30 g regular butter)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Dark chocolate pieces
Mix everything together and bake at 180°C for about 30-35 minutes. These cookies are delicious!
I also have a simple recipe for a refreshing mango sorbet:
Mango Yogurt Sorbet:
- 200 g frozen mango
- 150 g plain yogurt
Blend everything together for a perfect homemade sorbet whenever I crave ice cream.
By accepting my sweet tooth and choosing better alternatives—whether store-bought or homemade—I have avoided binge eating and feel much better about myself.
Conclusion
I no longer see weight loss as a battle. It’s simply a way to feel good about myself. By taking care of my body and making mindful choices, I believe I will regain my health. Updating my workspace to include movement, learning new healthy recipes, and focusing on self-care have helped me love my life again.
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