Fitness Update 2024 – Part 1

This year, I want to be accountable in a new way. When I came back from my trip to Istanbul at the beginning of January, I went to do a body composition test. I purchased three tests, so I did the first just last week, the second one is going to be at the beginning of July, and then finally, the last one at the end of December. I’m doing all three at the same place, on the same testing machine (InBody 770). Before I go through the test report, I’m very proud of the muscle %. According to the report, I have a significantly higher percentage of muscles than the average female of my age and height. But then, on the flip side, my fat percentage is also quite high. Higher than I expected. The most concerning to me is the visceral fat score. It’s a sign that I need to reign in my eating and take it more seriously. Without further ado, let’s go through some numbers.

My report score is 71. According to the report, anywhere between 70-80 is good, the higher the better.

Weight: 82 kg (180 lbs)
Muscle mass: 27,4 kg (60 lbs)
Fat mass: 32,1 kg (70 lbs)
Fat %: 39,1 % (normal would be 21-32 %)
Fat Mass Index: 12,5 (normal would be 5-9)
Visceral fat score: 154,7 (normal would be below 100)
Waist-hip ratio: 0,93 (normal would be below 0,8)

So in 2024, my goal would be:
– reduce fat mass
– reduce the visceral fat score
– increase muscle mass

I’m not setting out to lower my weight but I guess that would come naturally if I succeed in reducing fat. If I can get my fat mass index and waist-hip ratio closer to normal, that would be great!

A few words about what I’m going to be doing to achieve my goals. I am going to restrict my calorie intake, not much though. I just have one rule and that is I’m going to try to hit below 2000 calories. I don’t do well whenever I go too low. I’m following my fasting schedule and try to eat low-carb whenever it’s called for. I’m keeping my habits of working out around 30-60 min every day and walking 10K steps daily. I shall try to lift heavier during my workouts to increase muscle mass.

So here it is, short and sweet. See ya back here in July! 🙂

Blogmas 2023, Day 25 – Challenges of 2024

Last day of Blogmas! MERRY CHRISTMAS! I’ve written about different challenges I’m going to embark on in 2024, so this is more like a summary for easier future references. Like checking in at the Summary of 2024 just how many challenges I manage to do. So let’s go.

Libraries
I’m starting a new blog to track the libraries I’m going to visit next year. My goal is visit at least one library in my city or the cities near me in a month. And I will be writing about them in my new blog Infinities Under Roofs.

Reading Challenges
I’m doing two: Helmet Reading Challenge 2024 and Summerween Reading Challenge, I wrote about them here. I want to read more than 50 books in 2024 too!

Movie Challenges
I’m doing multiple movie challenges next year, one of the main ones would be 100 horror movies in 2024. I’m hoping to also complete some of lists on Letterboxd. I wrote about them here.

Fitness Challenges
I’m going to keep the 10K steps a day, workout every morning and have a calorie cap of 2000 calories. I’m also taking fasting more seriously. Read more about this in here. I created a new Instagram account to track my food, so I could be more accountable about my eating. You can follow me at Fuel.Fables.

Finance Challenges
I’m looking to become consumer debt free next year, and also save up at least half of the emergency fund (full would be 10K). And would be very nice if I can find me an apartment to buy. Small goals, no biggie. XD

Here they are and here we are. When I decided to do blogmas this year, I thought it was going to be very painful and difficult – to write daily after not writing regularly for so long. But after the first week or so, it became very easy. Like long-dormant muscles that still remember what to do after the initial stiffness. So I am very much looking forward to the year of blogging next year! Thanks for joining me, merry blogmas! ❤

Blogmas 2023, Day 24 – Summary of 2023

Happy Christmas Eve! I track multiple things daily on my bullet journal and I would like to share some stats here. Aka any excuse to create some pie charts! 😀

Mood chart

A good chunk of my year was spent in a great mood, and also very zen. Some of those days require more work to stay zen but most of the time, it comes naturally. Around 23% of the year was spent in excellent mood. The best month was August. Only 1,7% were less zen days, where the mood is good. All in all, I’ve been doing great this year! Here’s to another great one in 2024!

Sleep chart

I think this chart played a big part in my mood being so good. I’ve been quite consistent in getting enough good sleep, almost 75% of that is excellent sleep and waking up without alarm. And 22% are also excellent but a little short. And the rest were choppy and restless but it’s a small percentage.

Headache chart

Almost 75% of the year was without headaches, which is unheard of for like a decade. When my migraines began around when I hit 30, I used to spend two-thirds of the time in some sort of headache. And out of those headaches only 2.5% were severe enough to render me useless for hours. And the length of those more severe headaches was also a lot shorter compared to before. This had a big influence on my mood for sure.

Social chart

I always say that if I can have at least 35% of the days all to myself, I would be a happy clam. And thanks to the home office that’s truly the best thing that came out of the pandemic, I was able to have a lot of me-time and yes, that also played a big part on me being happy and zen most days.

Workout chart

And last but not least, my goal in 2023 was to do my morning workouts 85% of the year, aka ‘allowing’ only 55 rest days in case of headaches or being sick. And because there were way less headaches than usual, I hit that goal quite easily. And on June and October, I didn’t miss any workouts. I think my good planning is working so I will continue the same routine next year.

Well that was fun 😀 One more blogpost left for tomorrow! Merry Blogmas!

Blogmas 2023, Day 23 – Health Reform

One of the biggest health-related decisions I did this year was to stop taking the birth control pill in preparation of getting sterilization next year. I was scared to get terrible period of my youth but surprisingly, it had been weirdly smooth sailing (*knock on wood*). My cycle settled on almost exactly 26 days, without much fuss. No period pain or anything. What I didn’t expect was my migraines and headaches to drop drastically. Which of course made me feel really good about actually going through with the sterilization.

I’m not sure at all if my smooth-sailing with my cycle is partly because of the new fasting lifestyle. If you want to read more about it, you can find the posts here and here. I like to think that it did a lot. 😀

Here’s today, short and sweet. 😛 Merry Blogmas!

Blogmas 2023, Day 21 – Financial reform

The final 5-day chunk of blogmas posts! I want to concentrate on highlights and summaries of the year and also challenges for the next year. Let’s begin with a rather boring theme – finance. Well boring for many, but I can talk about personal finance for hours. Yes, I am Asian after all.

After two years of vigorous saving, I managed to save up my down payment and I got my mortgage approved. I’ve been looking to buy ever since June. But I’m not in a hurry (my rent now is very cheap) and the economy is what is right now with sky-high interest rates.

In spring, I discovered Caleb Hammer‘s Financial Audit on YouTube. In addition to being entertaining, it changed my mindset a bit. Even though his tips can’t be specifically applied to the Finnish financial world, the essence is there to learn. Inspired by him, I started my own emergency fund. Even though I do have a spectacularly great safety net against losing my job or the ability to work. I have excellent unemployment insurance, but also get six months’ notice if I ever do get fired. And my mortgage is also insured against unemployment. A lot has to happen before I’m forced to sell the house. My taxes also include health and unemployment insurance which would mean that if every safety measure I’ve acquired for myself as a soon-to-be 40-something single woman with no rich parents or siblings, the Finnish government would take care of my basic needs as long as I need them. As I am listening to the dire financial situations on Caleb’s channel, I do realize how lucky that my parents decided to move to a Nordic country. Yes, taxes are high and things are more expensive because of consumer tax, but I feel very secure against all the curveballs life can throw at me, financially speaking. One of the reasons I never complain about paying taxes (since my salary is very average, I only pay around 25% in taxes, and that includes the insurances. Sorry for hyping up taxes of all things. XD

In short, this year, I got approved for my mortgage loan, started an emergency fund, got my small consumer debts in order and am becoming completely debt-free within the next 6 months (well, except the mortgage, of course). 😀 I’m kinda sorta starting a no-buy year that would exclude the actual apartment I’m gonna get and any new furniture I might have to get. But I’m very happy of my financial situation, never been happier in fact. And I imagine I would be even happier by the end of next year. 😀