Lifestyle Changes for Overall Well-Being

Good morning!

Today I thought I’d write a blog post on the I’ve changes I have made to my lifestyle on a daily basis which have improved my overall well-being from last year to now!

From graduating University last year (July 2017) my lifestyle has completely changed. This was due to having a lot more spare time to focus on myself. I no longer had stresses of assignments and dissertation deadlines looming over me. The world was literally in my hands.

Being a University student, especially in the North East of England, the party culture is rife! Going out on the lash sometimes 4 times a week, binge drinking heavy, no interest in eating anything remotely healthy (I would happily eat hungover pizza for breakfast), and the only physical activity I had was working my part time job. Once graduating I was at a bit of  a loose end. You can only party for so long with no responsibilities until you realise that there is actually more to life than the smoking area of a nightclub.

I had always enjoyed going to the gym, but I was never fully committed, and would only drag myself there if I was going on holiday few weeks later, which required me fitting into a bikini. This would never work well, as soon as I landed, I would be filled with endless amounts of tapas and wine. With only going to the gym a few weeks prior and probably panic starving, the weight that I had managed to shift would be straight back, with revenge.

This is when I decided I needed to fully commit to a healthy and active lifestyle so I could stop the cycle of going to the gym for a few weeks, then thinking fuck it and going in the complete opposite direction. With a holiday booked to Ibiza in September I knew I wanted to look and feel my best! I started going to the gym 4-5 times a week, and working 5 days a week part-time which required me to constantly be on my feet (usually running around like a headless chicken). With being consciously more active, I was inclined to eating healthy foods (no point in going to the gym, then eating my body weight in snickers right?). I ranked up my protein intake with choc protein shakes WHICH I LOVE and overall felt amazing. I felt so much stronger and no longer craved bad foods when I started to see such positive changes in my body.

Of course I’d still go out on weekends and enjoy all the cocktails and food, but I found that looking after myself from the inside out was so important and rewarding! ‘All in moderation’.

Now I’m working a 9-5 office job. Obviously it is a lot harder to stay active throughout the day. However, I’m making sure I walk places, rather than take the car. I still gym about 3-4 times a week, drink around 4l of water a day, and prep my meals throughout the week. This helps me stay on track with my diet and routine, whether its having my daily banana and greek yogurt with choc protein powder for breakfast, or taking a packed lunch to work, filled with spicy tuna, brown rice and broccoli.

Do whatever you need to do to make yourself happy! It is always a conscious decision to live a more healthy and active lifestyle. To some it will come more naturally than to others, and comes with a lot of trial and error. Always remember to take time for yourself, whether it is going to the gym , reading a book, and a cuppa while watching Netflix. It takes time and effort but it is so worth it!

 

Bethany

xx

 

New Year New Me?

Okay… so this is the first blog post of 2018!!

Just like everyone else I’m going to have a little reminisce of 2017. 2017 was amazing to say the very least! It started a little rocky so I’m going to say that my year began around march.

It was definitely a year I will look back on and be proud of myself for  being selfish with my time and working on myself from the inside out. It really does work! I focused a lot on the gym and not only for physical benefits, but mentally I feel on top of the world. To be able to exercise discipline of the mind and body has been something I’ve completely fallen in love with.

I was able to holiday with my parents not once, but twice! (thank you I am forever grateful). I graduated with a 2:1, went to Ibiza, and met the most amazing people ever and life long friends! Finally to top the year off, I got myself a big girl job, working 9-5 as a digital marketer. I was able to spend Christmas with my family and friends away from the retail industry. YESSSSSSSS!!!

The space in between Christmas and New Year, which I like to call the ‘festive limbo’, is always something I’ve never been able to participate in with working in retail but this time I took full advantage of it. Partied most nights, ate around 7 Christmas dinners and drank myself into wine comas. According to this I believe my Christmas was a success. Dancing around the kitchen to Abba “Alexa play Abba!”  with my Gran, while bobbing about with Santa hats on , a glass of bubbly in hand.

So to start on a  fresh page of 2018 I have not made any crazy New Year resolutions, so it will most definitely not be a ‘New Year New Me’ scenario. However, I have pledged to (attempt) Dry January as all the festivities have took their tole after consuming my body weight on a daily basis in red wine, prosecco and of course, all the left over turkey which was happily stuffed into sandwiches. Oh and not forgetting the Baileys coffee which will forever be my favorite caffeinated pick-me-up.

Just like many of us, the January blues are already kicking in hard and its a time to recharge, focus,  and try to rid some of that Christmas bulge. While regretting all the money spent on booze with nothing to show for it other than the beer belly and blurry memories. But hey, at least we are all in the same boat!

I have also discovered that techno is ruining my life and I need to go back to listening to R&B. Now it starts with going out for “sophisticated cocktails” and ending up at The Boilershop on Laing’s shoulders with gimp mask on. <—- Was the best night though!

Will I be able to leave techno behind? Absolutely not, I plan on Ibiza adventures again this year. ITS GUNNA GO OFF!

I can’t wait to see what can be achieved and explored in 2018, if it follows on from last year, the only way is up!