So following my last post in January “Sorting my shit out physically – well let’s get moving!” I feel like I have made some real progress. I can feel my strength and fitness levels improving and it has had a really positive impact on my mental wellbeing too!
You know what else (and I thought I would never say this) but I really enjoy working out! Each exercise I do is different, with different people and that challenges me in different ways and I’m loving the variety. I do each thing because I enjoy it – not because I feel I have to.
Now if you have read my last blog post about this, you will know that I am not one for a fad diet. To put it plainly – I haven’t got the motivation or the will power for them…I just love cake and wine too much!
However, with that in mind – I know that if I sit on my arse all the time eating chocolate hobnobs watching Gilmore Girls I am not going to be living my best life (actually…that doesn’t sound too bad! :P). But ultimately, I want to be able to experience life to it’s fullest and so I want to be as healthy as I can be in order to achieve that.
My goals are simple – eat less shit, move around more!
So I am definitely ticking the box in the moving around department, with 4 workouts per week (whoop whoop). The food, however, is always a bit trickier. I try and choose food that is going to nourish my body and give it the energy it needs and not fall into the habit of comfort eating crap that I have had over the years.
I am however a creature of habit and ultimately a bit lazy (especially when it comes to lunches) so it can either cost me in nutrition or money – but I’m working on that (see my February blog post for more). I do quite enjoy eating a fresh salad or soup and experimenting with healthier alternatives to my usual snacks.
But that doesn’t mean to say that I haven’t had a glass of wine here…a cream scone there and of course my daily mocha coffee! I haven’t deprived myself of treats when I fancy them…I just try to limit them so that they are actually treats – rather than the norm.
And do you know what has surprised me? I haven’t had any major food cravings throughout the whole of January. For the first time in what has felt like a very long time I have banished the food guilt, and it feels fucking amazing!
Now I know that there are some people out there who enjoy going on a more structured kind of diet. Some people need that support and routine and I know plenty of people who have had great results from it…and that’s amazing! You gotta do you – and if it feels good and is working for you then keep doing it!
But it isn’t the only way!
For those out there that maybe feel stuck in a diet that they aren’t enjoying – I want to reassure you that there are other solutions.
So I did my monthly weigh-in at the weekend and was honestly shocked by the results. I thought I may lose a couple of pounds but instead lost a whopping 7lbs. I must admit I did do a little happy dance in my head as I got off the scales!
Despite my little happy dance – as mentioned in my previous post – my goal isn’t to intentionally lose weight. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a nice bi-product – but my goal is to be fitter, stronger, healthier and happier. For me, it just goes to show that finding the balance between diet and exercise is the key.
You may look at these pictures and not see much difference – I can see little things – but I love them both the same. For me, it’s about the journey. I know which parts of me have got stronger and how much better I feel. By making these little changes, my body will inevitably settle to the size it is most comfortable in for my lifestyle.
Now if that’s a size 12 or 20 – it really doesn’t matter to me. It has been really liberating to not have to worry about what the scales say, what my dress size says or how many calories are in my mocha.
For the first time in what feels like a very long time I have respect for my body and what it can achieve, and I’m really looking after it.
I’ll keep posting updates each month, and I’m looking forward to seeing my progress throughout the year.
Whatever your fitness/health journey is – make sure that you are enjoying it and that it makes you feel good.
And if you want that piece of cake – have it – life is too short to not have cake!
