Weight is something we all struggle with irrespective of how we actually look in the mirror; the pressure, paranoia and sheer determination to look a certain way all too prominently exists. So, how do we 'get' the balance between living (and enjoying life), loving our bodies and also importantly learning to say no to gluttony?
1. Listen to your body
Seriously, this is easy gals but 99.9% of the time it's overlooked. If you feel TIRED, SLUGGISH and BLEH after eating rich foods, lots of dairy, too much wine or an inexcusable amount of junk then it's time to reevaluate what you load onto that fork.
I always maintain this theory; if we use a cleanser that brings us out in a nasty 'just hit puberty' breakout we sure as heck wouldn't use it again - would we? So, why should we continuously do the same with our food intake? Cut back or cut it out entirely.
2. Say no to sugar
If you know me, you'll know I've a sweeter tooth than my four year old nephew. I'm a sucker for the most sickening yet lavish desserts. I'll easily polish off an entire tub of ice-cream singlehandedly. Lindt? Oh yeah, it's g-o-n-e. Devoured, I ate the entire box.
Why's sugar so bad then? For SO many countless reasons. When we eat foods with a concentrated amount of sugar, it's scary how our body reacts. FYI it basically is of no nutritional value and the background into the sugar industry will scare you even more. Intrigued? Click here.
3. Follow these three simple rules:
Step one: Eat your evening meal as soon as possible, ideally between 5pm and 6pm. Some nights I find I'm working late, I'm home after maybe 9pm and eat literally before falling into bed. It's stupid as I'm running on empty for so long and then finally refuel only to not need that food to 'power' my body as I'm switching off and falling asleep.
Step two: Only eat if you are actually hungry, cravings when you aren't hungry do not count. For real.
Step three: Aqua. Wasser. Eau. WATER. Drink it. Drink lots of it! Infuse the beautiful stuff with lemons, lime, ginger, raspberries etc and gulp, slurp and sip away. Your skin will thank you, your body will love you and you'll start to feel half human again. Hooray!
4. Don't step on..
..the scales. Like, never. I'm convinced they are the origin of all weight related evil. For example, within the last month I've gone from being 10 stone 2lb to now 9 stone 3lb. I stepped on the scales this morning in a state of panic as I watched the number register, flick and finally settle on 9 stone 6lb. How is this possible? Why did I order seafood chowder? Dammit, why did I EAT the seafood chowder? Heck, I need a crane to hoist me into these jeans. Someone send the fat police. It's me, the ten tonne monster. I'm here, seeking liposuction.
Moral of the story? They do nothing but depress, stir paranoia and create a negative association with a bunch of numbers on a scale.
5. Always listen to good cop
Wait, who's bad cop? Ergh. Picture this, you're home from work and are excited to eat XYZ but no, you smell pizza. Your brother has a large, uber cheesy pizza and the delicious aroma of each sizzling slice seems to linger in the air inviting you to have 'just one piece..' <--- THIS is bad cop. The voice in your head that says 'heck it's ok, we'll start on Monday' or the old faithful 'you've not consumed too many calories today so it's ok..' etc.
Good cop says no. Good cop can rationalise. Good cop also knows the difference between greed, want and need. Learn to listen to this voice and you'll thank yourself later!
Finally, love yourself. Be happy in who you are. It's hard, I know that. I don't care what anyone says but we all have 'ima throw everything in the air and STROP at how I look right now in this outfit' days. It's a rite of passage we all journey through, some of us more gracefully than others. If it's any consolation, I am so not on the graceful side of that reaction.
Bottom line? Find out what works for you, listen to your body, be sensible, allow treats but also learn to say no. You've one life to enjoy, but we equally have one body to look after.
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