Health and fitness update

My post pregnancy health and fitness has been full of ups and downs. The last time I wrote about it was here. I tend to do well for two or three weeks then I go away for a few days, visit grandparents, go to an event or am out of routine for too long and everything goes to pot. It then takes me a while to get back on track which can leave me feeling disappointed with myself for various reasons. One of the reasons is because consistent exercise and healthy eating is a lifestyle pattern I’ve always wanted to establish in my life. The 20’s are the body’s peak years and I feel it should be that way; regardless of whether I’ve had children or not. Now is the time to create life long habits that will allow me to live an active, long and full life.

My energy levels recently have been atrocious. I wake up feeling like I’ve barely slept (which is sometimes true) or with a headache that goes soon after I wake up. I know it’s because I’ve been eating far too much sugar for the last few (sun filled) weeks, but I’ve been trying to ignore it. I live an active life and exercise has been good, but I always feel so much better when healthy eating and exercise are equally successful.

Jared bought me these sports tights for my birthday so I’ve been looking for excuses to wear them. I improved my Park Run time by 31 seconds last Saturday. I put it down to a good breakfast and my new sports tights!

H&M – £19.99

I’ve been reading a book my Sarah Wilson called ‘I QUIT SUGAR‘. Sarah describes perfectly what I want to achieve with regards to my eating habits:

“My aim when I set out to quit sugar was to get my body back to a balanced state, so I could rediscover my natural appetite mechanisms, instead of reacting from craving to craving. And ultimately to find my happy weight.

When we’re in balance, and eating no sugar, our bodies find a happy homeostasis. And we reach a happy weight. We have few cravings. We get full and genuinely lose interest in food. We burn off calories in our system. And only then do we feel hungry again when another set of hormones tells the brain we’re hungry once more.

This is not some magical state of utopia. It’s what our bodies do on their own”.

I desperately want to recalibrate my body and get it into a balanced state. One that is not dictated by cravings or lack of discipline and allows your body to find it’s ideal weight. I’ve gone sugar free for periods before and it is quite scary how awful the sugar detox period makes you feel and how soon the symptoms kick in – headaches and the lack of energy. After a couple of days it hits you, smack in the face! Research has shown that it takes around 66 days to form a new habit. This is when the habit comes part of your life and occurs without thinking about it. I’d love to go sugar free for 66 days and see what happens. I’ve read person after person say that it is completely life changing.

So…

I guess the rest is up to me.

E xx