Balancing Act

Most people I know have tried to lose weight through some form of dieting. Diets may include supplements, juicing, cleansing, calorie counting/restriction, maybe even cutting out meat. Alongside of this comes the exercise- flogging themselves daily, lifting heavy weights, excessive cardio…the list goes on. There is nothing wrong with any of this if you genuinely enjoy it, but for those of you who don’t- keep reading!

The thing that I have come to learn and one of the most important lessons is understanding the art of balance. So, do you want the good news first or the bad….wait, there is no bad news! It's actually a lot easier than you might think. Here’s a few simple pointers to better understand your body an how to look but most importantly feel your best!

-Understand your body type There are three different body types; endomorph, ectomorph or mesomorph. Knowing what body type you have will assist you in doing the best exercises to achieve the body you want. For example, someone who is mesomorph will gain muscle a lot more easily than someone of ectomorph body type. You may be able to do less but gain more-so depending on what results you’re after- having this information is very useful.

-Eat dinner early Try to have you meal done and dusted by no later than 7pm and give yourself 12 hours of fasting. I.e. don’t eat again until 7am. And hey, if you feel like a little snack- just make sure you have some fruit handy and a nice cup of tea. Eating late at night is habitual and is often not actually due to hunger.

-Eat smaller amounts later Watch your portion sizes at dinner. It’s better to fill up on a bigger meal earlier in the day (for lunch, or a 4pm snack) than a huge meal for dinner. Stop eating when you’re full. Don’t count calories- if you have a good diet and find yourself snacking on something unhealthy, just remember it doesn’t matter as much about what you’re eating that has high calories, it’s more about the portion size. In saying that- if you feel like that block of chocolate once in a while- bloody go for it! Life’s too short!

-Don’t restrict yourself I prefer to find alternatives than to completely cut things out of my diet. Switching from dairy milk chocolate to raw organic chocolate still gives you that little hit you’re after with much less sugar. It may not be AS delicious, but the less sugar you eat, the less you crave. Fact.

-Over-exercising can cause stress Studies show that once you have burnt glycogen stores, cortisol levels increase. This is not to say don’t exercise a lot if it makes you feel good- but keep in mind, if you have not eaten enough and put yourself through 60 minute workouts daily, you are likely to feel worse. Short, intense workouts a few times a week are often very effective. Taking breaks will keep your body from injury and your cells from depletion.

- If you feel like something, eat it! Sometimes your body will be craving something. Don’t ignore it. Whether its meat, fish or a big bowl of pasta, get it down! Your body tells you what you need-listen to it.

So the moral of the story is- have a well-balanced diet. Enjoy some junk from time to time, have that glass of wine, finish eating early and love your body for all that it is! Unless you have been told by a specialist, you don’t need supplements, protein shakes or any other ‘detoxifying’ substances (the key word being ‘need’! If you want them, go for it- no judgement here.) Try different types of exercise, do some yoga and most importantly, be kind to yourself!