Freelancer Health Journey: Reality Check 2021

I’m on a journey. A health journey and I would love you all to join me. You see, I’ve been a freelancer or independent contractor for nearly 17 years. It’s been great and I have no intention of stopping any time soon. However, as many of you may know, sitting on our tushes all day long is doing none of us any good.

Where This Journey Began…

I’ll admit, like many others have experienced this last year, that I’ve gained more than a few pounds and haven’t been taking care of myself as well as I know I should. It’s been bothering me but up until now I’ve not taken any action to correct the situation. I promised myself that once it was safe to do so, I would get all my yearly physicals done and start the process.

Well, I am now officially immunized, having had both of my Pfizer shots, so I recently went to have my in-depth yearly physical for the first time in a few years. The results? Exactly what I expected. I guess, not exercising and stuffing tubs of ice cream down my throat as a coping mechanism has its issues. I was told I needed to lose weight (28 lbs. to be exact), lower my cholesterol, and watch my sugar intake in order to stave off diabetes and heart disease.

This report is probably quite similar to many freelancers and independent contractors’ health situation and it’s not all COVID-19 lockdowns that are to blame. The fact is that as freelancers we tend to work longer and harder than people who have regular 9 to 5 jobs. We have to. Unlike 9 to 5 jobs where you show up and get paid weekly regardless of what you do that week, if freelancers aren’t actively working, we don’t get a paycheck. This is where our health issues can begin if we aren’t diligent and self-aware.

Why I Am Sharing My Freelance Health Journey…

So, I’ve decided to share my freelancer health journey with you all for several reasons. One, making this journey public will help to keep me accountable to all of you. Two, sharing this journey might just inspire other freelancers like me (perhaps you?) to make some healthy changes. Three, I’m hoping we can all build a community of freelancers that are not only successful financially but also health and lifestyle-wise as well. Together we can really have it all if we work on the most important thing, which is our physical body.

So, once a month, I am going to check in with you all to let you know how my progress is going, what things I’ve learned along the way, and what challenges I’m having. I will also give you some tips and tricks for getting in shape and achieving optimum health while living the Freelancers Life.

My Starting Point…

Now, I guess the best place to begin is where I am right now. I currently weigh 154.2 lbs. Historically, my personal ideal weight is between 125-130 lbs. I am not going to put the pressure on myself to reach 125 lbs. because that was my weight in high school and let’s face it, I’m far from that age now. My goal is to reach 130 lbs. This is a weight that has always felt ‘just right’ for me. I would also like to say that I actually started this journey 3 weeks ago, right after my physical and my weight then was 158 lbs. So, this is my actual starting weight of this journey. I’ve lost 3.8 lbs. in the last 3 weeks.

My Freelance Health Journey Plan…

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After a lengthy discussion with my private physician, we’ve come up with a plan.

1. Intermittent Fasting: My doctor is a huge fan of intermittent fasting and introduced me to Dr. Jason Fung’s book, The Complete Guide to Intermittent Fasting. Using this lifestyle plan in the past, I have lost 15 lbs. with no problems at all. I highly recommend it for the many reasons stated in the book and more. It works if you work it. So, as of three weeks ago, I began intermittent fasting again. I generally do 18/6 most of the time but occasionally do 16/8. If you have no clue what I’m talking about here’s a quick guide from John’s Hopkins Medicine on the subject. Also, I highly recommend Dr. Jason Fung’s book mentioned above. To track my fasting and eating times I also use an app called Fastic. It’s a great app that is available for iOS and Android.
2. 10,000 Steps A Day: This is something that I used to do all the time but I just got lazier and lazier last year and eventually stopped. To track my steps, I have a Fitbit Versa 2, which I LOVE, that keeps me honest. To make it more fun, I’ve also joined the 99 Walks community. This is a fun, supportive group of people who set monthly goals and cheer each other on. When you achieve your monthly walking goal, you get a bracelet with the monthly theme written on it. Last month’s theme was “Splash in the Puddles” and May’s theme is “Keep Growing”. It’s an amazing group of people and I highly recommend it. If you decide to join the 99 Walks community with me, make sure you look up and join The Freelancers Life walking group, called Freelance Walkers, so we can keep motivating each other. (BTW, my monthly walking goal for May was 80 miles and I just accomplished that last week so I’ll get this month’s “Keep Growing” bracelet. I will probably up my goal to 90 miles for June.)
3. Elliptical Workouts: This one I haven’t begun yet but I will in the next week. I plan on doing 30 minute elliptical workouts 3 times a week with increasing intensity.
4. Eating Healthier: More water, less sugar and salt, less processed foods, and more fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Plain and simple. Basically, a Mediterranean-type diet was suggested. I was already working on this in the weeks before my appointment so I will continue to improve on this.
5. Yoga and Meditation: My doctor also recommended I meditate daily using breathing exercises or meditation apps as well as begin a yoga routine. I haven’t yet started these.
6. Strength Training: Although my muscle mass was okay, it was suggested that I lift some weights to try to improve my muscle strength. I haven’t yet begun this yet.

These are the basics of where I am beginning. Some of the things above I haven’t started yet. I didn’t want to make the classic wrong move of starting everything at once. That usually makes it feel overwhelming and generally can lead to failure. Instead, I am choosing to start with the intermittent fasting, the 10,000 steps a day and healthy eating. Over the course of my freelance health journey, I will be adding the other things step-by-step until they all become regular habits.

To Be Continued…

So there it is. The beginning of my Freelance Health Journey. I will check in again on June 25th to report my progress, my failures, and my next steps. I would love to hear your insights on your own health journeys as well by leaving your comments below, using our Contact Form, following us on Facebook here, or joining our 99 Walks Freelance Walkers group. The theme for June is LIVE LIMITLESS! Want to join me? Click here or the picture below to get started! Until next time, make sure you’re choosing the healthful things that will prolong and enhance your Freelancers Life.

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Veronica Buhl is a freelance social media manager, who has been a writer, editor, proofreader, summary writer, and transcriptionist for some of the top motivational and self-improvement speakers in the world. She has also helped numerous clients develop their websites, blogs, and social media presence in order to promote their businesses, non-profits, and projects. She is the author of the book, Making Your Business A Social Media Superstar, and is co-author of the book, The Massage Disadvantage. Her official website can be found at www.veronicabuhl.com