I'm sat here on a sunny Sunday afternoon watching the guys play football and I feel as though this is the closest I am to being fit at the moment. My relationship with food and exercise has been a rocky one. I have gone from being a competetive athlete, to someone who became obsessed, banned from a gym and suffering from an eating disorder. There have also been many in-betweens. I am now at a stage where I had finally become comfortable with my body and the right level of exercising, but have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This means that I have excessive levels of pain and tiredness in my body and have to take things extremely easy. Not good for someone who likes to work hard.
On days where I am able to (painwise), I walk 30-40 minutes a day. Not necessarily at a fast pace but so that I am still active. On days where I am in a lot of pain, as long as I am not bed bound, I still try to take a short walk, say for 10 minutes, even if it is only to pick Megan up from school. I do not want to get to the point where my muscles seize up. I aam hoping to build this up to swimming, cycling and starting pilates again. For me, exercise is not only about being physically well, but also about my emotional wellbeing. Running was my way of dealing with stress, so I have had to find another way of relaxing and clearing my mind. I know try to find time to meditate every day. Only for a short time, possibly in the morning but usually before bed. It is important for me to try and stay well balanced so that I can deal with all the challenges I can face with Megan (who has Autistic Spectrum Disorder) during the day.
During my recovery from anorexia, it was important for me to learn how food fuelled the body and helped it to grow. I decided to take a higher diploma in Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy. I was shortly after diagnosed with Coeliac Disease so it became even more important for me to know what was in my food. I have become a big advocate of clean eating. Making all my meals from scratch and not eating processed foods or anything artificial. I am a huge fan of James Duigan's Clean and Lean Cookbook which is a great start and reference for creating clean, delicious and healthy meals without even looking at calories. Of course, I like to have a treat and I never feel as though I restrict myself. I eat 80% clean and 20% treat throughout the week. It is not about dieting for me, I don't restrict my portions, just try to put the best possible foods into my body so that I get the best out of it for years to come.
During my recovery from anorexia, it was important for me to learn how food fuelled the body and helped it to grow. I decided to take a higher diploma in Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy. I was shortly after diagnosed with Coeliac Disease so it became even more important for me to know what was in my food. I have become a big advocate of clean eating. Making all my meals from scratch and not eating processed foods or anything artificial. I am a huge fan of James Duigan's Clean and Lean Cookbook which is a great start and reference for creating clean, delicious and healthy meals without even looking at calories. Of course, I like to have a treat and I never feel as though I restrict myself. I eat 80% clean and 20% treat throughout the week. It is not about dieting for me, I don't restrict my portions, just try to put the best possible foods into my body so that I get the best out of it for years to come.
I'm looking forward to reading all of your fit and healthy tips.
Amy-Louise
xx
Really great post, I've only read a few today and I love how honest everyone is being about their lifestyles. Like yourself we cut out all processed food too and all meals eaten in the house are made from scratch so no jars or packets and it definitely makes a difference.
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