The temptation to crash diet is REAL! | Getting Back On Track Series, Chapter 3

The temptation to crash diet is real

 

In February I began to realise the truth about my binge eating and my poor relationship with food. Since then I have been trying to think of ways to improve this relationship and getting my head into a healthier place.

Avoiding crash diets is actually hard

I know, I know…I’m supposed to say that I love taking life in the slow lane and gradually changing my habits, and that I love my body so much more because I’m no longer punishing it with extreme dieting.

But you know what? I don’t. I don’t love my body more and I’m not enjoying this sustainable approach.

And here’s why:

It’s hard to stay motivated when you don’t see results quickly.

I know I’m not alone in this because otherwise detox teas and waist trainers wouldn’t be all the rage right now.

I’m changing my habits gradually as I feel this will help them to become ingrained, as opposed to something I stick to for a mere five minutes. On an intellectual level, I understand how important this is and know that I will hate my crash diet within a matter of days. However, on an emotional level, when you don’t like what you see in the mirror and want to change your body as quickly as possible, it is hard to stick to the healthier-but-slower route.

It’s hard to stay motivated when you don’t see results quickly”

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10 reasons why you need to go travelling | Travel Inspiration

10 reasons why you need to travel_deborahbazeleywanderlust

Having trouble getting beyond your fears and stepping out onto the road? Then this post is for you.

I cannot count the number of times people – particularly women – ask me about my backpacking adventures and declare, “I wish I could do that, but I’m too scared/anxious/single/frugal.”

And I completely relate to this. When I said that I wanted to travel South America by myself, a significant number of people thought that I was either utterly insane or downright stupid. People genuinely thought that the only way I could travel somewhere like Brazil was to go either with a boyfriend or a group of friends. I am also someone who is very cautious with money, and who suffers with anxiety. I don’t come from money and my parents didn’t pay for my trip – I had barely been on holiday abroad, let alone visited exotic locations and embarked on long-haul flights. All of this meant that travelling seemed like an impossibility.

But you know what? I went. I saw. I conquered.

And I was fine.

In fact, backpacking changed my life in so many spectacular ways that I was more than fine – I was fantastic.

So, want some quick inspirational points as to why you need to stop putting your travel dreams and go for it? Read on:

1. I hear, “I wish I had gone travelling” so many times. But I have never heard anyone say, “I wish I had never gone travelling – it was a complete waste of time.” Have you? Nope, didn’t think so.

2. Self-esteem. Once upon a time, an ex of mine declared that I would never travel by myself because I wasn’t capable of looking after myself in a foreign country; that I would be overcome by my anxiety within five minutes. And I kinda believed him. However, after eight countries + years of hitchhiking, trekking and travelling solo, I know in my bones just how damn capable and independent I am.

There is nothing in this world that I cannot do or accomplish if I set my mind to it.”

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Gymshark Leggings Review

I have thus far bought 4 pairs of the women’s Gymshark leggings:

Like many fitness goers, I discovered Gymshark via my favourite YouTubers, and I quickly fell in love with the company’s branding and pricing. Whilst I do love my ambition leggings and the quality of the flex leggings, I have mixed feelings about my experience of Gymshark as there are some issues with sizing.

Most of the reviews that I read prior to purchasing were made either by the athletes sponsored by Gymshark, or they were by women with slightly smaller waist/hip measurements than myself who were comfortably wearing the size small.

As such I have written a detailed and comprehensive review of each of the leggings, including notes on quality and sizing.

I am somewhere between a size small and a size medium in Gymshark leggings.

For reference:

  • I am a size 10 in UK jeans
  • I generally wear a size small in most sportswear ranges
  • I currently have a 28 inch waist and 34 inch hips. However, when I purchased my first two pairs of Gymshark leggings, both size small, my waist was 26-27 inches and my hips were around 32 inches.
  • I opt for a 29-30 inch leg length when buying jeans.

Form Running Compression Leggings

form running compression leggings gymshark womens

The waistband on the compression leggings began to stretch and warp after only a couple of washes

The waistband on the compression leggings began to stretch and warp after only a couple of washes

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The truth about my binge eating | Getting Back On Track Series, Chapter 2

Photo credit: Bethany Newman

At the beginning of February, I made a pledge to change my relationship with food over the course of 2016.

For once I made no plans to lose ten pounds or to build my glutes to bikini model proportions.

Instead, I chose to spend February quietly observing, with as little judgment as possible, my eating habits.

And what I discovered actually shocked me:

I am an emotional binge eater

Which I have never seen myself as before, but I  am. I am the Queen of Dairy rolling around in clotted cream.

Most days I will eat somewhere between 2000 and 3000 calories composed mostly of dairy and refined carbohydrates. The days when I am sad or stressed, I’m at 3000 calories and beyond.

One day included: chocolate for breakfast, biscuits for a mid-morning snack, cheese toasty for lunch, two scones complete with clotted cream and jam, an apple (winning), hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, more biscuits, vegetarian curry for dinner, and cake for dessert.

Much of the time I feel nauseous and bloated, and I don’t like what I see in the mirror.

I also noted that the days when I had food prepped, my binging was kept to a minimum.

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What are you living your life by and is it serving you? | Who or what is your “Higher Power”?

Photo Credit: Zain Bhatti // Unsplash

Photo Credit: Zain Bhatti // Unsplash

Now, I use the term ‘higher power’ because I’m not necessarily talking about God or any kind of religious concept – for many people their higher power is spiritual, but for others it might well not be.

I’m talking about that ‘Thing’ or idea that you live your life by and aspire to. It’s what brings you sanity on the days when you just can’t quite think straight. It’s what helps you to determine the path of your life and the choices that you make. It could be a god; it could be the universe; it could be Society; it could be a philosophy; it could be a particular set of values or principles; it could be food and calories; it could be humankind; it could be drugs or alcohol; it could be sex and sexual validation.

The concept of having a higher power outside of religion occurred to me after I spoke to a lady who had just gotten out of an abusive relationship:

“I made him my higher power,” she told me, shaking her head. “My whole life revolved around him and how I could make him happy. If I ever had a decision to make, I would go by his opinion. If he told me I was rubbish, I believed him. If he told me I was beautiful, I believed him. I didn’t have God – I had my boyfriend.”

This got me a-thinking about what I my higher power is and also what it is for other people in my life.

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