Not alone

So now I have a Labrador I consider myself part of the Secret Labrador Society. We all give each other that special wave and that head nod when we pass on our walks and we share tips on how to stop our pups from eating our shoes. We almost seek each other out and take comfort in having a similar interest.

Much the same can be said for my current sugar free self. I spend my evenings online looking at other blogs and Facebook pages that promote a sugar free lifestyle, desperately reassuring myself that my current headache and lethargy is worth it.

I have a rotten cold which I am convinced is half due to Perth’s arctic conditions and the other half due to the fact I can’t snuggle up in bed with a cheesecake to keep warm. Regardless of what’s causing it I remain determined to see this through. The fact alone that I can feel this way simply from cutting something from my diet is reason enough to prove it was never good for me in the first place.

Aside from the above the main struggle for me so far is a lack of variety and fruit. It’s so easy to whip up a nutritious smoothie or fresh juice or make a huge salad with a dash of lemon juice with pieces of mango in. Homemade raw balls call for dates and I’d do some questionable things for a banana pancake right now. But the last thing I want to do is replace my current sugar addiction with an overkill of fruit so I stand true to my word of no sugar at all for the 6 weeks.

And I believe this will pay off for me in the long run and my taste buds will thank me for it. A whole new appreciation for things such as fruit or raw honey are not too far away and I anticipate the processed stuff is not going to have quite the same ring to it anymore…

But above all I am looking forward to being proud of myself for doing this and excited to show people that anyone can do it. You can rid yourself of sugar’s hold and putting in the hard miles, just for a little bit, is truly worth it.

I read an interesting quote the other day that said “If you’re interested, you’ll do what’s convenient. If you’re committed, you’ll do whatever it takes.”

These words couldn’t be closer to the message I hope to give to people. I don’t want to talk about healthy whole-food dishes only to eat a magnum at the weekend. And I don’t want to discuss the importance of making time for yourself only to be going 100 miles an hour myself. I appreciate I can never be perfect but I can strive to be better.

I want to live and breath what I say to others and be about it, not just talk about it.

There’s a reason you go to a hairdresser for your haircut or a riding school for your horse riding lesson. These people ARE THEIR PASSION and I inspire to be my own and in doing so, perhaps inspire you a little bit too…

Let Go, Guilt Free, Kick Start

I hate things not going to plan to the point where it makes me feel anxious. Since moving to Australia I’ve found great comfort in planning for things and seeing them through, it’s been a security blanket in a way.

It makes me feel strong when I set my mind to something and achieve it like rolling out of my onesie an hour earlier to go for a run or opting for one of my homemade cacao balls instead of the easier processed option. I am all for doing things my way, going against the grain, as long as I’m not hurting myself or anyone else and even if it means putting in a little more effort.

But if we never alter from a plan then how do we learn to adapt to situations and create a solution? How is it healthy for us if things always go the way we expect them to?

I left Perth for Bali on Friday for a girl’s holiday or to be more specific, as a date for one of my pregnant best friends for her friend’s wedding and I already had a plan of action set out in my busy little mind. I was going to research massages and relaxation methods, sample healthy local cuisine and create new smoothie recipes using Indonesian inspiration. And I was super excited! I wanted to show people that going on holiday isn’t simply about eating more than normal and forgetting to exercise.

But then I thought you know what? It actually is and I spent 5 luxurious days eating all manner of Indonesian delights from coconut pancakes to greens with peanuts and satay sauce and passionfruit cocktails with a side of chocolate wedding cake. I practically lived in a bottle of red wine one night and I slept in till 10am daily. And I genuinely think I’m a better person for it.

What is life if it is not without balance? Why do I take care of myself 11 months of the year, fuelling my body with the foods it needs for optimal energy and pushing myself beyond my limits at the gym if there is no end release? No prize if you will at the end of it? There needs to be something we strive for in order to keep pushing, something in our minds eye that we reward ourselves with so we feel like it’s all worth it.

Being the best version of ourselves requires some effort; in fact it probably requires a lot more effort than we care to think so there comes a point where you just want to say “Sod it!” I don’t want to think about what I’m eating today and I don’t want to do 50 burpees. I want to wake up at 11am, throw on my bikini and sunbathe with a mojito in one hand and a croissant in the other. I want to celebrate being careless and free in this rare moment for no other reason than because I can!

My Bali blog post change of plan was a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to think about other topics which hadn’t arisen in my mind until this moment in time, topics that were important and relevant to not just me but I imagine to all of us.

It showed me that in order to be successful in our journey that first we need to we need to let go, just for a little bit. Let go of our routine and our pressures and lifestyle timetable and simply kick back. Eat that ice cream – eat 5! Do as you please and do it well.

But remember that in order to do it well we also need to be guilt free. It can be hard to enjoy foods you try to keep off limits or to laze around when you pride yourself on your gym attendance – I know this and it’s something that I have to constantly work on. But letting the guilt melt away is what leaves you with that amazing care free feeling and its music to your soul. It’s what lifts you after everyday life has worn you down a little bit, without you even realising.

And finally kick start your next life chapter after time spent recharging. Throw yourself back into your life with even more focus and determination than before and set new goals, make new plans. You’ve had time to think back on what you have achieved so far and can now look forward to what’s to come.

And when something doesn’t quite go to plan don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead relish in the fact that you stared change in the face and adapted to the situation and with grace at that. You didn’t run and hide or go and spoon your pillow. No, you offered change a Cosmopolitan and a space next to you on your sun lounger…

The Fear of Change

Nobody likes change. Familiarity is the security blanket that so many of us wrap ourselves up in and whilst routine can be good, sometimes it can hinder us.

We tend to not question what we know or what we have been told because more often than not, what we are already doing works for us. We think our diet is ok because we haven’t had that heart attack yet and we ignore the glaringly obvious benefits of a healthier lifestyle because right now we’re are getting away with it. We believe there is no problem because there are no symptoms and therefore, why would there be the need for change?

How scary would it be to go against the grain and make a change in your life simply because?

When I left England I wasn’t running from anything. I hadn’t had a bad experience and I wasn’t unhappy. I have a Mum who’s more like a best friend, a family that could give the Brady Bunch a run for their money and friends I’d walk through fire for. So why leave?

All I can say is I had this feeling that there was more out there, that in order to be the best version of myself I needed to experience so much more and get out of my bubble. I had to take a risk and get comfortable with doing the uncomfortable and be at my most vulnerable which is when I think a person is their very most truthful self. I took a leap of faith, I took the rough with the smooth and after a good 6 months of questioning whether I had made the right decision or not, I eventually I made a whole new life for myself. And as I sit here typing this I honestly couldn’t tell you what I’ll doing be in the next five years or even where I’ll be. But I can say I’m glad I didn’t wait for there to be a problem before I did something about it. I’m glad I didn’t wait until I was 40 and settled down with a family and not able to do something so life alteringly difficult such as move to the other side of the world. I’m glad I made one of the biggest decisions of my life to date based on the smallest of feeling.

If you can apply this your own life every day then you will see how being brave can get you closer to the person you want to be. Don’t wait for there to be a problem before you make a change – make a change to do something great! Don’t conform to a way of living just because you don’t know any different and yet don’t be afraid to be different.

Just because your best friend runs 5 miles every day and eats protein only, it doesn’t mean you have to. Just because your boyfriend thinks a raw diet is “extreme” it doesn’t mean you can’t adopt a new lifestyle that you’re excited about and believe in. And just because you’re “ok” with how things are in your life right now doesn’t mean you have to settle for just ok and there isn’t something more out there for you.

And remember than an exciting life isn’t one that necessarily comes from leaving home and travelling the world. The excitement comes from within, digging deep and doing what you know to be right for you! It’s about accepting that change is an inevitable part of the journey you take when you stop trying to be like everybody else and start to be you.

You have the right to have a very special life that is unique to you and you only but it won’t simply fall in your lap….you have to be brave, make a change and start living it 🙂