It’s a Balancing Act!
The key to a healthy and happy life lies in finding balance! Balance in everything we do, from food, to fitness, to fun. Do not deny yourself of life’s basic pleasures like comfort food and TV. Instead balance things out with exercise and healthier food choices, so when you do indulge… you don’t do it with Guilt!
Let me ask a question: How many of your parents told you as a kid “if you work for it (whatever work for it meant) you could HAVE ______.” (fill in the blank) Probably all of us! I definitely remember my mother telling me I had to work for it. Well guess what people it’s still true today. You can have it but you’ve got to work for it.
Beware – Don’t fall into the trap many people do with Food Indulgence and Fitness. You can’t let yourself have something nice and comforting after every workout session, otherwise you’ll cancel out all of your hard work. It really comes down to using a simple formula correctly.
If your body is getting the extra food = energy to burn in, it has no reason to dig into your reserves. So it’s not a good idea to have chocolate after each run unless you have run over 10K and will have a calorific deficit. You can, however, make your “payment” in installments over several workouts. For example three full workouts earn you a meal of your choosing or a treat and it doesn’t mean you can have a bucket of ice-cream, or a pint.
Food indulgences coincide with keeping your spirit strong. If you have something to look forward to, it’ll be easier to put up with your training regime and you’ll feel happier instead of deprived all the time.
Wait a minute, I did say balance in food, fitness and fun… Yes I did! So that includes watching TV & playing Video games. Listen, it’s not that TV or games are a problem, its the constant sitting down and idleness that is. Most of us spend a lot of time sitting down all day so we need a lot of extra activity to compensate for that already. Our bodies are designed to move and are their happiest when they have been exercised. Ever hear of “use it or lose it”.
For those of us with kids to influence we can get fit in the process with them and still indulge in viewing and playing. Of course there are exercise video games we can indulge in on the Wii and Xbox etc. However have you ever thought about making a price list for yourself consisting of basic moves or workouts that you have to perform before you get to have your “fun”. Try 1 episode of your favorite show = 20 burpees or playing a game = 40 squats. That’s right make yourself accountable for sitting down and everything you do.
Eventually you get used to daily exercise and won’t even think about it twice. Movement, staying fit, healthy, sensible eating should become just as much part of your life as fastening your seat belt and as normal as brushing your teeth. Earn your play time, earn your treat and you’ll never feel guilty about it ever again.
Just another part of Balanced Living!
