My Diet and Fitness Journey; Year in Review 2017

Weight loss and fitness have been high on my values and are constant themes in my life.  I’ve always wanted to write about my journey, but never felt like I had the ‘right’ to – having not achieved my (ever-shifting) goal weight or meeting society’s (perhaps my ideal) image of fit. Also I haven’t got it all figured out yet – but realistically if I had I’d be that all knowing fitness guru! I am figuring things out as I go along. But I have reached a place of feeling OK and recognising the need for balance and self-compassion. So here is a summary of what I have learned.

No diet is the right diet – they are all good diets and all bad diets. I have tried so many, starting with the Atkins diet, South beach diet, Beyonce’s master cleanse, metabolic balance diet, blood type diet, 3 day military diet and juicing for a week to name a few. I have contemplated whole30, attempted eating super healthy following the Hemsley sisters, or Deliciously Ella, and of course after Sam Smith lost all that weight I discovered his nutritionalist Amelia Freer, and followed her recipes – the list goes on. But bottom line – all of them work and they don’t in the long run, because – it is all about whether you understand the basis of the diet and if you can take on the principles and own it. A prescribed diet can only work for a certain amount of time – you eventually will fall back to your previous habitual ways. It is a slow process to take on new principles and shift your perspective. It is essential to understand the thought process behind that specific diet plan before it can make its way into your daily life and become your choice. My pet-peeve is listening to discussions on eliminating foods, sometimes whole food groups without reason or without having an intolerance. You have to do a bit of homework and understand what is happening here, learn what macros work for you (at least to a small degree) and have a rough idea of your calorie intake (even accounting for superfoods and good fats), read the labels. You need to see where the diet is coming from so you are not just calorie deficient constantly – this is not going to work for the long run. Yes you need a calorie deficit for weight loss but in the long run it slows down your metabolism and burns your muscle mass. Also you are going to be hangry and lethargic all the time! This is no way to live! Further our needs change all the time, and we need to listen in to our bodies and be aware of the larger picture of what is going on in our lives at that moment in time to understand what will work. Are you looking for a quick-fix or a sustainable lifestyle change? Also be honest with yourself – ask the question, what is my relationship with food? Do I eat out of boredom, am I an emotional eater? Is my appetite insatiable? What can I add to my diet instead of remove? How can I nourish myself?

I refer to and rely on healthy life-style gurus, weight loss instagram influencers, healthy cook books and friends who are part of the fitfam and I am always on the look out for new fitness classes and follow fitness blogs. These work as a guideline for me, a point of reference and a place for inspiration and creating new ideas. My approach is to be mindful and put good things in to elevate my mood. 

Give in to craving, if you want something, just have it! If you don’t, you are just going to binge in a moment of weakness and feel remorseful. Recognise that if you had a burger (with fries no less) for lunch it is probably not the best idea to have pizza for dinner. But have the burger! Savour it and Be happy! And remember to have balance. Everything within moderation. Keep active and then have a couple of slices of pizza another day. I’ve found when you give in to your craving and a food is no longer forbidden it looses its power over you. No food is bad. It’s all just food and it is all OK. Know where it is coming from – have it if you love it, be kind to your body. I have needed flexibility around my diet for it to be sustainable. Louise Parker in her book speaks of ‘the dance’ – I find this to be a really good analogy of being able to dip in and out, the ebb and flow within your diet. To not beat yourself up or throw in the towel when you are less than perfect but just to recognise it and step back into your plan.

Similarly with fitness I have tried pretty much everything that is trending. I have pushed myself to try some daunting things..Barry’s bootcamp I found pretty terrifying. I haven’t worked up the nerve for the viking method metabolic session yet! I was a Psycle junkie for a while, then a yoga bunny, I’ve always been a gym go-er and only started lifting heavy weights 2 years ago. I have boxed intermittently for years, and I’m developing a respect for functional training. All of it has its place at certain points in your life – sometimes your body is calling for pilates or yin yoga and other times an F45 intense cardio class. However I do think it is important to focus on building muscle mass along side anything you do – it will not bulk you up, but in the long run can create change in your body shape, it will boost your metabolism, support bone density and make you leaner and stronger for life. I am not a PT to give you the science behind it but what I have found is that building you body strength makes you feel stronger within and boosts your overall capacity. I didn’t grow up an athletic person and it has given me more confidence in my overall ability to be active with my kids and do physical things. Plus I feel more supported by my body and believe I’m less likely to get injured when I decide to go to a climbing wall with the kids!  Bottom line – Listen to your body. There are different things you need at different times. Most important thing is to stretch, keep up your mobility exercises and keep moving. This will keep your energy levels up.

Recognise that you need to move on different planes, exercise needs to support your daily lifestyle and if you meet resistance in certain positions – work on them. There is no point just lunging forward, you need to lunge backwards and at an angle. In real life you are not going to squat to pick something up in perfect form (!) you are going to reach and bend in different directions – and you want to be able to do this with ease. You are (and I am) training for life – your motivation may be weight loss but regular training is a lifestyle and it has to work for you and serve you.

And of course persistence and consistency – Results take a long time, and you need to be in it for the long haul. There is no quick fix and if there is, it is not sustainable. Don’t stress yourself. When exercise becomes a stressor that is when your body starts to break down and when you start to resist it you become unhappy. It becomes a deterrent. Try different things, see what works for you and listen to your body. Change things up now and again. Sometimes you may need a brief haitus. What works for someone else may not work for you. I’ve discovered, for me it is a mix of cardio and heavy weights, some focus on functional training and the occasional boxing session. But that’s me in this moment in time.

Take the supplements! There’s plenty of talk out there about getting all your nutrients from your food intake. Yes in an ideal world, but we have busy lifestyles, our bodies are lacking in different ways, food production and the origination of our food is sometimes unknown to us. Sometimes we need that helping hand and boost a supplement can provide… The vitamin D we lack in London for example. Post workout you need the protein shake, during a heavy workout you need BCAA’s, you need the glutamine and magnesium for muscle recovery. You need the omega 3 & 6 for reducing inflammation in the body and improving cognitive function and probiotics for gut health – do your research, understand the basis for taking something and support your body.

I hear a lot of chitchat about the best workout for fat loss or best diet for weight loss. These are short term goals, when you train for life you need a lifestyle change – no quick fixes work, they lead to the yo-yoing effect. I believe what works is reaching a place self-acceptance, compassion internally and finding balance externally. There is no ‘one size fits all’ prescription. Check in with yourself and just keep on moving.

Celebrate your successes by all means – it is only with recognising small success can we feel motivated to persist. However, if you are over emphasising your fitness and diet goals and your achievements around training have become you. Then ask yourself – why am I seeking perfection in this area and which other area of my life is lacking. Where am I lacking empowerment that I am looking for compensation here? Yes weight management and fitness are important and I’ve struggled with my body image for most of my adult life. I’m guessing countless other people have felt this way too. But at the end of the day it is just one aspect of who we are – there is so much more to each and everyone of us. You and I are so much more than the numbers on the scale. Reclaim your power and see that you are a multifaceted, dynamic and unique valuable individual.

p.s – remember to hydrate, I always forget (clearly)! Insanely simple to do and so integral to your success and well-being.