Hi - I’m Katerina - I’m using this blog to record my journey into becoming the very best version of myself i can possibly be - in order to achieve this i have set myself up with specific goals i am dedicated to and passionate about. I find that i have clung to laziness and sloth and in return it has done me no favours. I wish to be an inspirational and aspirational person, but with the distractions i continue to put in front of me - i have failed to do what i wish. This changes now.
By the end of this year i will have the following :
- 1,000 followers on Instagram
- 500 subscribers on YouTube
- 75 - 100% in my first year university exams
- Read 50 books (fiction and non-fiction)
- Written 50,000 words towards my novel
- Achieved A1 in Polish
- Rid myself of UPF and sugar addiction
- Gained 20 lbs
- My front and side splits + backbend
- Saved 10k
- Passed my driving test and own a car
This is the easy part - the devising - anyone can be a dreamer - I’m sick and tired of being stuck in a dream world to cope with the misery i feel when i know I’ve spent hundreds of hours in a week simply scrolling. I’ve already changed inside - i have grown and these are no longer dreams or goals they are simply the future - the truth. I believe that my blog will attract people that also crave that change and know deep down they are capable of greatness and improvement - so join me on my journey <3
9 hour shift today but it’ll be worth it to see the money in my account by the end of the month - I have yet to incorporate stretching and working out into my regular routine but I think next week I’m going to take focus on it as well as getting to bed a bit earlier + waking up earlier - although I have managed to have better morning habits - three meals today is the plan + high fat snacks, up my calories as much as possible :)
Spent an hour before shift in my favourite book store - they’re the most peaceful environment and the people that work there are always incredibly passionate, friendly individuals. I will work for more money so I can spend more guilt free on books haha - I have so many I have yet to read though - I am still headset on my goal for this year, 50 books - which may not seem like much to some but as someone who stopped reading this will be an impressive achievement for myself :)
This year is gonna be the best year yet on record. I am going to be unstoppable. My goals are aligned and I am leaving no room for slacking - this is my year of hard work and dedication to my goals. Do I have work for the next three days? Yes. Am I going to complain? No. It is a privilege to have a decent job, with a decent wage in a safe and secure environment. Am I going to make sure I’m eating three meals a day + extra snacking to reach my weight gain goals? Absolutely. How many people go each year starving? How many children would kill for the choices I have for fresh and clean food / water. Am I going to go to bed early? And wake up even earlier? Without a doubt. The sunset and sunrise too beautiful to miss everyday. Is it going to be hard? Most of the time! But I am not giving up - you are not giving up - we are not giving up!
I want to preface that this post will not be discussing weight loss or weight gain - this is about eating healthy no matter who you are and the importance of fresh and nutritious food.
2026 is approaching rapidly and I have decided to make it my mission to fix up my diet and eating habits for a better and healthier life. I especially wish to focus on vitamins and minerals because I feel intensely deficient and have researched into foods that may help some underlying health concerns I have such as inflammation and low energy.
~ I’m coming up with a list of what I wish to change ~
Ditch UPF’s :
A UPF is an ultra processed food - these foods have come into existence within our time and as a result of advancements in science, enabling humans to streamline the production and distribution of food. While I believe it is always exciting to make developments in science, I heavily dislike science which is solely for profit and benefits the pockets of billionaires as opposed to helping the human race. UPF’s unfortunately are designed to be delicious and visually appealing / colourful and the occasional treat is never going to cause you much harm but it has become concerning how many of us rely on them for over half of our diet. What’s worse is that they can often be the cheaper option, leaving poor people exploited.
If you have the ability to - I encourage you to switch these out and focus on fresh, homemade goods instead. Around a year ago I stopped buying pre-made pasta sauces, soups and pizzas - instead I learned to make my own, especially pasta sauces, there’s so many recipes out there and ingredients can stretch to make multiple portions. I’ve also found in general they taste better - for example a fresh pesto will always have a new flavour compared to a shelf pesto - it’s even a different colour.
In general whole food ingredients and vegetables look gorgeous - there’s so much colour and it provides a stimulating learning experience, I’ve learned about seasonality, seasoning and flavour combinations - I’ve learnt so much more about my body and and fallen back in love with food. It’s not a chore to cook a delicious meal - it’s a privilege.
To avoid UPF’s - I intend to create my own recipe book with a variety of meals I enjoy and with details of all the goodness they contain. I want to shift my mindset when it comes to cooking - it’s a gift given and shared throughout human existence and a skill I wish to pass down to my own children one day.
Cut Down on Sugar :
Over the past few years I have developed a bit of a sweet tooth and while indulging in a sweet treat here and there won’t harm me - I have found that I have began to over indulge and now binge on sugary foods. The problem here is the impact it has on my diet for the rest of the day - when u swap out small sugary treats for whole meals you can develop deficiencies and energy levels fall out of line. Not to mention the lack of vitamins and minerals a packet of sweets contain - I should be grateful to eat a variety of vegetables, meats and fruits.
Rather than having sweets, candy or chocolate I intend to make my own desserts. That way I can control the amount of sugar used, any substitutions I can use and avoid harsh chemicals or flavourings. Anything I make can also be added to the list / book of recipes I wish to keep.
Get Educated
I want to know everything about all the foods I’m going to be eating and trying. Becoming invested in vitamins and nutrients - how they can benefit my body, how I can cook ingredients in different ways, what to eat when I’m sick or on my period. Learning is addictive when you do it right - i especially wish to place any of my findings and research onto my blog here :)
I’ve become curious too about cycle syncing with my diet - in which I eat certain foods at different phases of my menstrual cycle in hopes to alleviate negative symptoms like cramps and nausea - recently I have seen it trending to eat high iron foods like steak on the first day of your period - why is this? What is the benefit? What else can I find out?
Learn another language. Speak to new people in this different language. Read a book in a new language. Visit a new country. Immerse yourself in another culture. Paint and draw. Develop your own art style. Become inspired by other art. Visit an art museum. Create an art blog. Endorse other artists. Create music. Learn to sing. Learn to dance. Push our bodies to the limits. Run a marathon. Learn to sprint. Learn to long jump. Lift weights. Learn calisthenics. Climb a mountain. Climb a cliff face. Learn to do a flip. Learn to do the splits. Catch a fish. Grow flowers. Tend to a vegetable garden. Grow fruits. Grow herbs. Keep a compendium. Learn about different plants. Learn about different animals. Learn about natures medicines. Learn to sew. Mend old clothes. See opportunity in old clothes. Thrift-flip someone else’s old clothes. Read poetry. Write poetry. Read books. Write a book. Write your story. Make a bucket list. Complete your bucket list. Volunteer. Learn to cook. Cook for your family or friends. Make your own recipe book. Keep a journal.
While I believe social media has managed to connect us in many ways and has led us to be able to produce enjoyable content, I think it should be noted the harm an unhealthy relationship with social media can have - it’s normalised for young adults and teens to have high screen times with a majority of it spent on apps like TikTok or Instagram but this has tended to result in harmful behaviours and a general decline in mental health. I have seen this everywhere and all of my friends and family have been impacted negatively by social media in some way. Social media doesn’t need to be your enemy and in fact it can be used as a very effective tool especially for the creative communities - I mean without it now I wouldn’t be able to spread this message. But we’re seeing a decline in this now too - AI is sweeping over, artists are getting work stolen everywhere with little repercussions, AI art gets more attention than genuine artists who have spent hours upon hours working on their skill. Not to mention the commercialisation of video content creation - everything comes with hundreds of ads and a lot of creators have had to turn to click bait, rage bait or kid style content just to keep up with the audience demands. We know so much about celebrities we’re developing para-social relationships with them and I myself am guilty of this. Social media has taken a turn for the worse at the moment and I encourage people to try, even if it’s just for a month, to step away and experience your life without it.
The new year brings up so many emotions for me - it always has a looming doom surrounding it … another year finished … what have i done with the time i was gifted. The new year also brings forth an opportunity to start fresh - to be a better person than before - to pick up new habits. To make it count. Life is precious and we are only given one shot … why do we waste it on not learning or creating?
You’re so young! You have so much life! Why are you spending it on a phone? As a society we have allowed ourselves to become distracted and numb - the hours spent scrolling amount to nothing but money into the bank accounts of advertisers - you’re not a human being to them you’re a consumer …
We need to go back to our roots - we need to do more, create more and live more rather than living vicariously through others …
I want to have skills I can pass along to my children … but as of right now I can say I have none … this is why it’s so important to learn … to do things … things that aren’t just swiping your life away.
