All in or all out: My approach to dieting
Posted on April 24 2019
If you’re anything like me you may have eaten and drunk your way through the recent Easter Bank Holiday weekend. With the amazing sunshine and some time off work, it’s so easy to get carried away with life and then feel guilty about it afterwards.
Not sure where this came from, but the saying “you can’t miss out on 95% of your life just to weigh 5% less” sums up how I’m feeling about this perfectly.
All or nothing
If you’d asked me a few years ago about how I lived my live then I would have told you that I was an All In or All Out kinda girl.
I’m either fully on it, careful about what I eat and exercising regularly or fully not on it. When I’m not on it I allow myself to let loose and just enjoy life.
Although this seems like living to extremes, my logic was that whatever I chose to do at the time I was committing 100% and not allowing myself to feel guilty about the flip side.
In my opinion, as long as we don’t get stuck repeating the same bad patterns, I think a little bit of excess is fine. Whether that’s letting your hair down with your friends, or scoffing an entire bag of Mini Eggs (Easter weekend I’m looking at you...) we need to ditch the guilt and make healthier choices the next day.
Bringing in some balance
I made a vow that in 2019 I would focus more on the things that made me happy and were good for me and my family and cut back on the negative stuff.
Since the start of 2019 I have been learning to be much more balanced in my approach to my health and wellbeing.
However, the past few weeks have been putting my balance to the test. Things like Harper being off school over the long Easter holidays so having to juggle child care and work, fun plans and special events in the diary all mean that my best laid plans have gone out the window.
My approach in these times is just to keep moving forward. Move more, eat well and then enjoy the fun things in between.
Accept that life will get in the way sometimes and enjoy it.
Doing what’s right for you
Over on my instagram recently I explained how I have realised that doing exercise I love never feels like a chore. For me it's boxing and after a pretty crazy day at the office or prosecco filled weekend I am always ready to get back to a routine and sweat some stress out!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If the boxing has taught me anything it’s that you’ve got to find what works for you. What I enjoy, you won't necessarily like and vice versa. It’s no good me recommending everyone gets themselves into a boxing class, so do what YOU enjoy and what makes you feel good.
How to find your flow and stick to your goals
Below are my easy to follow recommendations to setting goals that stick:
Write them down
If you know anything about me you’ll know that I am a huge planner addict. I love writing everything down on bits of paper, my planners, notebooks… you name it.
Anything that I want to do gets written down. If it’s not in the diary, it’s not getting done as the saying goes. I am a firm believer in getting everything down onto paper then making a plan to get it done.
Take smaller steps
In my experience, setting too much of a challenge doesn’t necessarily get me to the result that I want.
Sure I get that a big goal is motivating, but the first time we miss a step towards our goal, then it can be a real struggle to get back up again and keep going. This is why I’m a huge fan of keeping things really simple.
Little and often always works for me. Each tick on the list or sticker in my planner gets me one step closer to where I want to be and that’s far more satisfying.
Monthly themes
Setting a monthly goal links to taking smaller steps because I hear from many people who tell me they are overwhelmed by setting huge goals for themselves. Take the beginning of the year for example - a new year starts and it’s so tempting to write down massive new years resolutions that are out of the window by February.
The Fox & Moon 1 year planners have been designed to help you focus on some key areas in your life each month and by reviewing them monthly it makes everything seem much less achievable.
I’ve written a few more blogs on the topic of how to stick to your goals, so if this has got you thinking then you may want to give these a read:
- How to create goals that stick
- The myth of perfection
- What I would tell my younger self
- Focusing on the positive.
What are your thoughts about dieting vs living a balanced lifestyle? Are you an All In or All Out kind of person or do you maintain a happy middle ground where you’ve found what works for you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts… Let me know in the comments!
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