The Year I Lost It All - Being 27

## The Year I Lost It All - Being 27
It's my birthday! I turned 28 today, and this has been a year of major changes. This year I realised that **I** am the mythical "future George" who has to get my life in order, so I did it. I have lost a lot (in a good way), so if you'll indulge me, please stick around for the next few paragraphs whilst I talk through it all.

### I lost over 28KG
This is easily the biggest win of the last 12 months. I have spent my whole life thinking health is something that "future George" can deal with. That current George should be able to enjoy anything he wants, and that future George should be the responsible one and pick up the pieces.

At the start of the year, a switch flicked in my head. I made the realisation that *I* am future George, and I have to be the one to deal with it. So, I cut out almost all of my snacking, and I weaponised my laziness. I started counting calories, not because I *really* care about how many calories I eat, but because if I wanted a snack I had to open the app, measure how much I was eating, look up the snack, enter the details... and that was all stuff I wasn't willing to do.

Through being more conscious about what I eat, I have been able to shed 28 kg in the last nine months. I'd love to say that I feel much healthier, but I actually... don't. People tell me I look much better, and all of my clothes are now way too big for me, but I don't *feel* dramatically different. I'm still... me.

That being said, I do have another 15-ish kg left to go. Part of that push will involve going to the gym to not just lose fat, but also build muscle, so keep an eye out!

### I lost my nail-biting habit
In the spirit of being more conscious, I finally started mentally calling myself out whenever I bite my nails. Again, it was a habit that I considered a "future George" issue, but if "future George" is now, then now is the time to kick that habit.

It has been harder than the dieting because part of it is sensory. If I have a nail that isn't quite straight, or is a bit scratchy, I start biting at it to effectively try and file it down with my teeth. Ultimately this normally means I over-correct, and now I have no nail there at all (which solves the issue in its own way, I guess).

Regular nail care has helped, but it's still not perfect. It's a process, and I'm making progress!

### I lost my sadness
This was a lot easier said than done. Over the last year, I started regularly seeing a therapist. It's the first time I've been **SUPER** consistent with someone, and part of it has been weaponising my laziness again. I have set up a standing order on my bank account, and a recurring weekly meeting to see them. Some weeks, I have nothing to talk about. Other weeks, I wish my sessions were twice as long.

It has been the act of exercising the muscle so that when the time comes and I **REALLY** need them, I will be so used to talking to them that I have no excuse but to do so.

The other way has been to re-start taking medication. It was scary, and there were some side-effects in the first few weeks, but I have generally found that my social battery is a lot larger than it used to be.

I am going out and seeing people more. Sure, it still needs managing and I do still get exhausted if I don't make time for myself, but it is now much easier.