Eat For You Dietitian

A lot of talk this first month of the year is to go to the gym to lose weight and then you know what it all changes as soon as 1st February hits. Why? Why can’t we enjoy exercise? When I did kickboxing in Cardiff I absolutely loved it, one hard hour a week, sometimes 2 was amazing. Unfortunately London classes are too expensive for me and the one I did try out had a different layout and just didn’t feel the same. Last year I did try the gym but it wasn’t really working for me. So why continue to pay for something you dislike. Then Fiit kept popping up, so I gave it a go and I haven’t looked back. People think that because it’s based on you being able to exercise from anywhere that you need a big space. I live a studio flat – there are no excuses, all you need is a mat, water, towel and your set!

Possibly one of the only ways I jumped on the ‘new year, new me’ was by starting the new Fiit 30-day training plan and to follow it week by week. One my main goals for January 2019 which I finished this week with 2 back-to-back high intensity 40 minute workouts. For me this was a key achievement as I have never been the type of person to stick to a training plan, even one of the 6 week training plans that Fiit do I gave a go but after week 3 I couldn’t up with it.

The last 30-days however have been really fun. Different trainers and types of workouts and the best competition sometimes is yourself as on the Fiit app you want to push yourself to see if you could beat her previous score or number of reps. It’s not about losing weight anymore, it’s about feeling well and energised, seeing results in my strength and speed. The human body is capable of more and it’s up to us to how we challenge ourselves.

Even alongside another one of my monthly goals of 4 mile morning runs twice a week before work which Adrienne Herbert is right about from the Power Hour podcast. Making my first hour productive makes that day better from the get go because no matter how your day goes you have already achieved something positive for yourself. My weekends runs are my favourite as it involves community – Parkrun and Ldn Brunch Club which make long runs funner than they’ve ever been. Especially last Sunday when I was so close to bailing but I after I did the first step of getting out of bed I knew I could run and the best thing is I did this long run whilst chatting the whole way.

These past few days haven’t been great due to icy/snowy pavements in terms of my running mileage but I did complete my Fiit classes so there’s one triumph. I don’t have easy access to a treadmill so instead I have been focusing on recovery and rest before my first race event this weekend. Yoga and stretching have never been such a key part of my training before. If you are still someone who doesn’t stretch after exercising, trust me it works!

Reshaping my goal for February is:

• Continue to aim for 2 x 4 mile runs before work – even this means trying out Pay As You Gym to get the miles done on a treadmill
• Also included in this goal is to achieve 800m in 3.30mins followed by 400m recovery. Aiming for 10 rounds but I’d settle for achieving this once – using the athletics track near work ideally
• Aiming for my Power Hour every morning before work – whether it’s walking my 3 pups or do yoga
• Continue to remember that walking every day is still movement for the day and my pups won’t let me get away with that anyways

Big event this month

Race swap this month has gone major, from my first half marathon of the year to go from London all the way to Barcelona!! I am lucky enough to have won a free spot for Barcelona Half Marathon next weekend. So my first attempt at achieve over 10 miles this year will be part of an official race. There is no turning back now.

In terms of my mental health I am continuing to try to have at least 2 days a week away from my desk and computer during my lunch break and reading books one after the other. I am super close to almost finishing the full collection by Jodi Picoult and I am about to start the online course by the London Centre of Intuitive Eating alongside my other 2nd book this month.

I love this title – Just Eat it. You don’t have to allow yourself, it’s not bad if you eat what you’re not supposed to and it does not undo anything. This point of view is something I have only recently adopted and I look forward to learning the research and background behind this to bring into my dietetic practice. We are surrounded by diet culture and I frequently have to tell individuals I see in clinic that I am not going to prescribe a diet or diet plan, it is a whole healthy and balanced lifestyle. This isn’t only weight management patients I see but especially individuals experiencing exacerbated IBS symptoms. Diet is only one of many components to consider – others include stress, movement, sleep but I find that when I mention these other factors they are regularly disregarded. Most of the time we are looking for the super food or supplement that will make it better. I have learnt over many years that this isn’t the case. Let’s keep our nutrition simple and listen to what our bodies need.