LOVE LIFE BY EATING RIGHT

For as long as I can remember, I have had a complicated relationship with food. I have always loved food but often used it as a method of healing, when sad or upset my first move was to open the fridge. A few years ago I wasn’t eating particularly healthily, combined with the university lifestyle of a few too many drinks a week. Long gone were the days of children’s exercise clubs on an evening, replaced with studying endlessly in front of a screen. Soon, I found that I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror.

I’ve always had my fair share of body image issues, but I didn’t think that at the start of my twenties I would become so unhealthy. I had little interest in the gym, and less so when I was overweight. My meals were not helping to nourish me, and I didn’t sleep well. Although I had tried fad diets for a week at a time, nothing made much difference.

One evening I managed to persuade my Mum into joining Slimming World with me, and since then I have not looked back. GP Nutrition is a positive addition to this if you want help with a new, nutritional lifestyle. When I started Slimming World, I quickly realised that through their method it is possible to love food and love your body. The sessions retaught me how to take care of myself, by eating meals that taste good and that also feed my body. I started to cook and bake again, and it gave me a healthier relationship with food.

I never thought I could become slimmer, love healthier eating or be the type of girl to rush to the gym. It took a while, but as my energy levels rose, it trained me to view food for what it is, fuel for your body and its many incredible functions. My meal sizes became bigger, and so I never found myself hungry. This was always a sore spot with healthy eating in the past – I can’t stand being hungry!

As the weight came off, I had stopped drinking alcohol almost entirely, just to speed up the process. Time went by, and I found my mental and physical health was so much better without drinking. I had more time of the weekend without hangovers and enjoyed nights out just the same. Looking back, I’m not sure if the only reason I drank before was that everyone else did – I much prefer a large glass of diet coke! I still get funny looks, questions, and drink pushing friends; some people cannot understand why I wouldn’t want to drink. I haven’t had an alcoholic drink now for about three years; I can’t say I’ve missed it and it must have saved me a lot of money!

The impact of these changes was substantial, and I began to love life by eating right. The difference in my energy, mood, complexion and personality all brightened. Learning which foods worked for me was essential for discovering the best fuel for my body. Being vegetarian my diet became more interesting, varied and with much more flavour – my spice rack is now overflowing.

Fueling myself with the right foods gave me the energy and fuel to want to move my body. I started with the couch to 5k app, shuffling around an empty field, hoping no one saw me. In the beginning, I couldn’t run at all and had to have a break halfway through the easiest level. Its taken a few years, going from gasping after a minute of running to where I am today – looking hot and bothered on the treadmill, running a 5k a couple of days a week.

The change in my relationship to food for me was a release. I stopped letting my poor diet lifestyle from holding me back and allowed me to start doing whatever I desired and be my best self, loving life again by eating right.