Eating right and being healthy has always been a tricky concept for me to grasp. In my younger teenage years I was obsessive and ended up suffering with an ED. After recovering and going to uni- I went a bit far the other way, eating and drinking what I liked, when I liked. Since then my mindset swings between 'must watch what I eat and exercise more' and 'f**k it, you only live once'.
Now I'm determined to find a healthy balance between the two. I used to be terrified of food, now I love it and I want to enjoy it.... just in a more healthy way. My first step to helping me eat right was to download the 'My Fitness Pal' App* which is great for seeing exactly how many calories your Starbucks hot-chocolate has, and how much of it is saturated fat! It also tracks your exercise which is helpful.
My main issue has always been eating out- I love going out for dinner and can struggle with not ordering bread, pasta and chocolate every time! I've found however that lots of restaurants now offer light versions which has become a life saver, (Prezzo is especially good for this), or at least tell you the calorie content of their menus. Snacking-wise I am addicted to
Graze boxes- fantastic healthy options delivered to your door. On top of this I am a big believer in the 'Cheat Meal' method, having one meal a week where you can eat whatever you want (I usually opt for takeaway pizza and chocolate!) this keeps your metabolism guessing and stops you from cheating the rest of the time as you know where your next treat is coming from.
My eating has improved but my big issue is exercise! I commute to London every day for work which sees me waking up at 6AM and getting home at 7:30 in the evening. Suffice to say, I never want to exercise after work. My weekends are usually spent with my boyfriend relaxing so I'm rarely motivated then either! I am going to start going to the gym with him when he goes at the weekend, but would love to fit something else in during the week.
What do you guys do to keep healthy? Any tips or motivators?
(*I would not recommend this App for ED sufferers, or those who have recently recovered- it can be a touch addictive and may set off a relapse)