MouthLondon - London Student & Youth Magazine

Lifestyle: The New Beginning

Posted on Sep 18th, 2012 by Delia Piccinini · No comments yet · Tags: Food, Gym, health, London, New Years, Travel, University

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There are only two distinctive dates that have the power to awaken in me an in-controllable desire to change my life for the better. One is, of course, New Year’s. The other is the start of a brand new university term. Even the simple approaching of it brings in me a motivation and a desire to act so strong that I sometimes wonder where it comes from.

We all know the feeling: we make lists, write plans, set rules; we decide that some things are just not going to stay the same… But then they do. How many times, on the 31st of December, have we decided to change? To start exercising, to drink less, to learn how to cook. I know I have. Yet somehow I am still not going to the gym, I am still drinking vodka and my idea of cooking (I am ashamed to say) is still to heat something up in the microwave. Needless to say, in a quest to living a healthy life, roaming around London doesn’t help: you constantly find yourself surrounded by brownies, cookies, burgers and beer, and resisting all of it is incredibly difficult, especially when healthy options tend to be forgotten or simply ignored. What does it actually take to make a change, then? An unstoppable will, an everlasting motivation to bring things to an end for once. So here I am, one more time, making plans, convinced that it can be done, convinced that I can do it. And that other people can, too.

…two years and more than ten pounds more later…

When I moved to London I didn’t imagine it would be so hard to stay healthy, to exercise and avoid junk food, but it turned out it is. Before leaving I kept on seeing people coming back to our home town, remarkably heavier after only one semester at university, and wondered how they did it. Now I know: I somehow did it, too. So now, two years and more than ten pounds more later, at the start of another university year, I’ve decided things have got to change. I will start a quest for a healthy life, in London. I will try to discover gyms, restaurants, websites, recipes that are going to help me reach my goal. I will toss my Subway discount card for a gym membership, my Domino’s Tuesday evening pizza for my running shoes and finally learn how to have a proper meal: no more burgers and chocolate cake for lunch or cereals for dinner, third year will be the year I am going to learn how to be healthy in London.

It’s the new year’s resolution fever talking, you say? It might be, but if you can turn it into a lifestyle change, it really is worth a try. So, what do you say: are you with me on this one?