New Year Thoughts

by Jo Kenny

I once read something which made so much sense to me:

“The perfect weight for you is whatever allows you to be at your healthiest and happiest”.

It’s the best damn sentence I have ever read relating to diet and exercise. Why? Because everyone is different! We all have different genes, different strengths, different weaknesses, different goals and different passions. So why are we all trying to fit into the same mould?

As someone who both loves activity and adventure (hello mountains) but also seriously loves food (hello blog) I’ve found myself experimenting along the spectrum of lifestyles; my weight fluctuating appropriately with it. The truth is, there isn’t one set place that I stick to because sometimes I love not caring and indulging my every desire and sometimes I enjoy the sense of purity that comes with very healthy eating. Ultimately it depends on what’s going on in my life as to what I want.

Well, there’s a pretty big event going on in my life soon as Q and I get married in October! So, I’m afraid to say I am very much a January cliche this year with the lifestyle change. Being immortalised in photos for future generations to see is serious motivation to make sure I’m looking and feeling fantastic in my dress.

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I’ve always been pretty lucky that I’m a confident person despite not ‘having it all’. I feel in control of my own choices and as a result I’m also successful in making improvements when I want to. So, seeing as it’s a hot topic this time of year I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on weight loss:

Do it for yourself

Setting out to improve your figure (size or ability) without a goal or a reason other than you feel you should is not going to work. Ever. If I didn’t have the aforementioned personal desire to look my best for a very important day, I’d have no motive to change a lifestyle I currently love. If it ain’t broke right? Saying that…

If you do hate it, you can change it

I admit I have little patience for people who are unhappy with their weight and lifestyle, yet do nothing to change it. Trust me, I more than most understand the inner conflict of wanting abs but also wanting that second helping of cake. But rather than torturing yourself, decide what you want and bloody commit to it. Why hold yourself back?!

Don’t compare yourself (too much)

Okay, I know this one is so hard, especially in the Instagram era. But no good feelings can come from obsessing over how long that girl’s legs are or how much smaller her waist is than yours. Oh and just look at that one’s skinny arms and look how yours are different blah blah blah. As soon as your ‘thinspiration’ manifests from inspiring to self loathing it is time to switch off and remember that we’re all different. Which leads me onto my next point…

Don’t follow the latest trend

Right now it’s all about big asses, big boobs and big lips. Not too long ago it was about the opposite, in a few years time we’ll have found someone else to idolise and mimic. I’m genuinely saddened at how so many of us are aspiring to one particular look with the same poses and pouts. Must we really all be aspiring Kardashian clones? Shouldn’t we embrace a bit of variety?

“It’s about balance”

I don’t mean this in the usual sense it’s said. Y’know, eat the treat then sweat it out on the treadmill. If I can go back to that lovely little quote, for me balance is about finding your personal place on the spectrum where you’re happy with your lifestyle and looks. No point having  the perfect body if you’re miserable trying to maintain it right? On the other hand what’s the point of ordering the takeaway if you’re going to feel depressed afterwards? Everyone’s happy place is different, find yours!

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If you’re interested, I’ll be posting some progress pics in a few weeks along with healthy recipes; switching up your diet always leads to some fun discoveries in the kitchen! For updates along the way be sure to follow me on Instagram, I promise I’m far from the mould 😉

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