Healthy. Well, my version anyway.

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This post has been inspired by Fat Mum Slim’s Photo a Day challenge x

About the photo: OK, so I am actually not that much of a fan of strawberries, but I’ll eat them if they’re a part of a dessert…they were probably the healthiest part of my cake (besides the water I poured in there) that I made on the weekend, but still, they were there, looking pretty and red so I took the photo!

I’m almost a week into my improved diet (not ‘diet’ as in fad diet but as in what I eat – big distinction) and I’ve already noticed a big difference. My body does not like the unhealthy foods I have been addicted to anymore, even if my brain does (I learnt this the hard way after a pig out yesterday for my grandfather’s 90th). I felt more energetic almost immediately after having my first consciously healthy meal last week. I was nowhere near as bloated and I stopped obsessing so much over what I was going to eat and more about how I was going to best fuel myself (a big feat for a food crazy person like me). I hope I can keep all of this going, because I fall off the wagon so easily when temptation is put in my way.

Here are some of the things that are keeping me motivated:

Catching up on my favourite TV shows while exercising.

I am obsessed with the iPad I got for my birthday this year. I have all the TV network apps on there that let me catch up on my favourite shows the next day (I always miss them). I sit on my exercise bike (which I seriously want to trade for a treadmill – that’s the dream) and I pedal away while watching. I can do this in our bedroom while the Little Mister naps and it feels like me-time. I am not the kind of person who likes to think they’re exercising. I have to keep my brain busy as well as my body or I just get bored or forget to push harder. I love realising that one of my awful reality shows or embarrassing dramas are waiting for me when I get on the bike. I’ve stopped obsessing over what I’m going to pig out on once the Little Mister is asleep and have started thinking about what shows I’ll watch while I exercise – a big win as that’s my biggest weakness, usually.

Cutting out soft drink, juice and dessert. 

It’s the simplest thing, but it can help you to feel better and lose weight without being too much of a sacrifice (depending on who you are of course but it works for me)! I just drink water and after dinner, I know to resist temptation. I reckon I’d probably lose a couple of kilos just by doing this. Some people even clean their teeth right after dinner, to stop them from indulging in ice cream or other sweets!

Not depriving myself on special occasions. Or Friday nights. 

I don’t want to feel like I’m on a starvation diet. I love food. Good food and…not so good food. I’ve decided that Friday nights (when we finish the Little Mister’s swimming lessons late) are takeaway night and that I’m not going to say no to some yummy cake or other treats on a family birthday or at a special celebration of some sort. Of course, I realise that if this happens more than not, then I’ll have to reassess and do some damage control, but for now it’s viable. I’ve coped this past week or so because I’ve known that those days are coming. It makes eating healthy salad and unprocessed foods so much more manageable. I want a lifestyle I can maintain, not some kind of torture or punishment.

Great recipes that don’t feel like ‘diet’ food. 

I’ve been pinning up a storm on Pinterest and researching things that actually look tasty and satisfying and, the clincher, EASY to make. With ingredients I have heard of and already like. So cool. There are so many more than I thought there would be. You don’t have to be down with quinoa or weird members of the zucchini family if you don’t want to. You don’t even have to spend hours deciphering complex recipes. It’s great! So far we’ve had mini frittatas with salad, pita pizzas (without the really greasy toppings) and a few other bits and pieces. Also? Avocado on wholemeal toast is divine.

Making friends with salad.

Just make every side a salad! Even easier with beautiful summer weather on its way. Chips, mashed potatoes, pasta and other stuff can just be replaced with salad. Suddenly you have a nice piece of protein and a lot of yummy greens. For me, carbs are something I abuse (rather than consume in healthy moderation), so this helps a lot.

I’m just doing this my way, I guess. It’s nothing revolutionary, but I know that if I push myself too hard too early, I will give up. I have to make sure my better habits are sustainable, especially with a toddler around and less time on my hands to experiment in the kitchen! I feel like a bit of a dag, writing about my renewed attempts at being fit and healthy over and over (because it doesn’t always stick), but I’m on this journey with all its peaks and pitfalls and I guess that just makes me real, so I’ll keep doing it however long it takes to get it in my head for good! x

What little tips and tricks do you use to stay healthy?