I've always been
someone who has struggled immensely with my relationship with food and my body
image and it took me a long time to realise that nothing changes overnight so I
have to remain positive about these things. My first year at university was filled
with junk food, excessively amounts of alcohol and lazying around watching
stupid amounts of Netflix series', and of course this had a knock on effect on
my weight, health and now, has impacted on my self esteem. But, don't think
that this post will just be me feeling sorry for myself, oh no, this is to note
down the goals I have set myself as of today. I'm making a change for me, but
I'm hoping you'll join me on this journey!
GOALS
More water. I drink so much tea/coffee, and
the occasional energy drink/fizzy drink and it has to reduce significantly. I
can get through anything from 1 to 6-8 cups of tea/coffee everyday, so I aim to
replace this with water. I'll never be able to give up my morning cup of tea
with my breakfast but I want to keep a pint glass with me when I'm in the
house, this way I can keep sipping and refilling all day. An easy change to
make but one which will help improve my skin and keep me hydrated.
3 main meals a day
and healthier snacks. I love cooking but
make the mistake of going for convenience over consistency when it comes to
meals, mainly lunches. (I need to step away from the supernoodles) I go for the
quick option instead of planning ahead (I'll come onto that later) so I want to
start having proper meals and healthier snacks. It's an easy swap from the
likes of pizza/chocolate to pasta salad and a banana. It will keep me fuller
for longer and make me feel good on the inside too!
More exercise. I aim to complete at least 30
minutes of exercise a day, it doesn't have to be all from one activity, it can
be a combination of many. It's easy to complete exercise in my house too, via
youtube videos or even running up and down the stairs, but I want to get
outside more too. I'm hoping to go on more country walks/runs and maybe even
start going to the gym once I'm back at university and can easily access it and
pay for a membership. Hopefully I can get my family/friends and boyfriend
involved too.
More 'clean' foods. This kinda follows on from '3
meals a day and healthier snacks' but I want to stop eating all those horrible
prepacked ready meals, etc, they contain next to no nutrition and I always feel
bloated and sick after I eat them. So why I do, I have no idea!
Prep and plan meals. To stop running to the
convenience food, I need to start planning what meals I'm going to have. It
will be a little more difficult while I'm still living at home over the summer,
but once I go back to university I can really plan ahead with my shopping. When
it comes to lunches, I can easily find time in a morning to prepare something in
advance so it's easily grabbed out of the fridge ready to eat there and then or
take in a lunchbox to uni/days out or wherever I'm going.
Get up earlier. In order to fit in more
exercise/cooking, I need to get up earlier. The days of lying in bed until
midday (or sometimes all day...) watching TV and slobbing about are over! I
need to start getting up at a reasonable hour, going to bed earlier and just
getting motivated for the day.
MEAL IDEAS
Breakfast:-
- A small banana cup up topped with greek yoghurt (2 tablespoons) and a handful of granola. (could also add a teaspoon of honey drizzled over)
- Fruit with greek yoghurt. (eg. Apples, peaches, banana, strawberries, blueberries)
- Fruit smoothie.
- Green smoothie.
Lunch:-
- Chicken breast with salad (lettuce leaves, cucumber, bell peppers)
- Pasta salad – tuna/chicken/salmon & lettuce leaves and veggies.
- Meat/Fish (chicken/tuna/white fish) with rice and veggies (broccoli, peas)
- Pesto pasta (could add salami/chicken/mushrooms)
- Ham, salad wholemeal sandwich
Dinner:-
- Pasta dishes (bolognese, tomato sauce, crab pasta, chicken and lemon linguine)
- Chicken, rice/potatoes and veggies.
- Wholemeal pitta pizza
- Homemade chicken/vegetable curry
- Cottage pie
- Chilli and rice
- Homemade fish cakes
- Turkey meatballs
(Picture is linked via pinterest.) |
EXERCISE
IDEAS
At home:-
- YouTube videos
- Circuit training
- Running stairs
- Crunches and Squats
- Yoga
Outside:-
- Walk more – less relying on public transport/lifts
- Jogging
- Bike rides
- Country walks with family/friends
- Sports
SUPPORT NETWORK
I’m looking for
anyone who has similar goals with their lifestyle and wants to join me on this
and support each other. It doesn’t matter if your goals are exactly the same or
slightly different but I’d love someone with a positive attitude to chat to and
share recipes/exercise plans/tips with. It’s as much for you, as for me. Feel
free to comment on this post and we can communicate via twitter/email/whatever
method we can both agree on!
UPDATE POSTS
I want to keep my
blog updated with how I’m getting on so I intend to write blog posts at regular
intervals (perhaps every fortnight/month) to keep track of my progress. I want
to be able to look back on this when I’m feeling a little demotivated and find
inspiration and remember what I’ve achieved. This way I can share my favourite
meals, exercise routines, what I need to improve on and anything else
motivational to help me along. (quotes, etc)
I’m so happy to
finally be getting back into my healthier routine and I can’t wait to feel and
look better. It’s gonna be tough but I’m ready for this. *insert bicep emoji*
;)