Are you in it for the long haul or are you after a quick fix?
A six week diet perhaps to get you ‘bikini ready’? A few sessions in the gym to get you out of pain?
While quick fixes can and do work, I unfortunately, see the other side of diets- the metabolic syndrome, the depression, the body’s inability to lose as much fat the next time. And the other side of a lifetime of minimal or incorrect movement.
It’s just so much better to be consistent; eating well every day- to prepare, cook and enjoy food that’s delicious and healthy, without feeling deprived. We all need treats and to eat or drink things that really are not very good for us occasionally, because we want to. Life’s boring without that glass of champagne or that slice of chocolate cake. But those special indulgent treats become less and less treat worthy if we indulge every day and subsequently our bodies pay the toll. Our bad gut bacteria proliferate rather than the good, affecting our immunity, energy and mood, not to mention hormone disruption.
And then there’s the weekend mentality. Behaving yourself, eating well, staying off the booze Monday to Thursday or Friday and then along comes the weekend and wham! everything goes to pot, the wheels come off and the belt gets loosened. The trouble is that the weekend of indulgence usually undoes all the good work that was done during the week, not just in terms of calories, but also the gut flora can again be disrupted causing us to want the burger rather than the beetroot, all over again.
Essentially you’re on a diet during the week and then off at the weekend. On/ off/ on /off. Is it any surprise that our bodies are a little messed up?
A mindset shift needs to happen whereby feeding yourself with yummy nutritious food is the treat. A healthy lean body is the treat. Feeling good every day is the treat. Not getting sick is the treat. Yes it takes a certain amount of discipline, but soon it just becomes habit.
Additionally, how would you feel if every day you moved a little more, spent time during the week to work on one of themost important things; mobility- to ensure your body moves optimally and stays functioning into old age. To spend time maintaining and developing muscle to reverse the atrophying effects of ageing and maintaining metabolism. To not think of exercise as a ‘punishment’ to burn calories from the night before, but to exercise for pleasure or to train for a sport or personal goals. How about taking time for yourself? Less stress more relaxation. For life.
What can you do next week to make yourself feel healthier for good?