Finding my balance in the fitness world

The Battle with Dieting

Diets! These days from a young age we are constantly bombarded with images of stick thin models or ultra fit fitness models in marketing, advertising and social media. There is a constant pressure to look thin or fit or be a certain weight so naturally we are all trying the next fad diet or quick fix to get those desired results. I too have faced these issues but I have also managed to overcome them so let me share this with you. I was originally a professional dancer in an academy of performing arts and in order to stand out at auditions you not only had to have the talent but you also had to look the part. I was constantly battling with food and exercise extremes in order to be as slim and petite as possible to have a better chance of being booked for a show. After years of yoyo dieting and hardly even eating my passion changed to fitness and in time I took my love for fitness and after a year of training in the gym I decided to do my first fitness contest.

The Fitness Extreme

After winning my first show I continued to compete without a break until I won my IFBB Pro Card in March of 2011. In this time I was very fit, I trained hard and ate very “clean” foods so in my mind I thought I was the epitome of health. Looking back now with the knowledge I have today I can see the flaws in my extreme lifestyle. The pressure to always look good as I was becoming well known in the fitness industry was HUGE. My diet was super strict where I was not aloud to have foods that were not on my plan except for a weekly cheat meal. This really made me develop a bad relationship with food as I viewed certain foods a “bad” or “unclean” and when I would consume these on my cheat days I would have an incredible feeling of guilt afterwards. The next day would usually follow with extra cardio just to make me feel better about binging on certain foods the day before. I know we have all had those guilty days in the gym after a big weekend or overindulging in a dinner the night before. However things turned to an extreme when in the lead up to a show I was working full time, doing 2 hours of cardio a day plus a weight training session each day with one rest day a week. Now i may have looked great on the outside but this was not something that was going to be sustainable for a long period of time without some consequences. 

The Wake Up Call

After winning my Pro Card I definitely got a reality check. I had a very bad hip for the previous 2-3 years and turned out I had tendonitis and bursitis in the same joint. After further testing I was also diagnosed with PCOS (which i later found out was hypothalamic dysfunction), adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism. Clearly this type of lifestyle was not sustainable without my health suffering so after taking some time off from competing in order to focus on healing my body I had to find an alternative training and nutrition method. I love fitness and I love competing and nothing was going to stop me from doing what I love. BUT, and a BIG but, I needed to find a way that was healthy and sustainable. I now this is something that many people also struggle with.

Post contest rebound and after reverse dieting and becoming leaner in a healthy way

The Flexible Dieting Approach

When I found the flexible dieting approach I can honestly say that it has changed my life for the better. This is an approach to food that not only athletes benefit from but that anyone can do to lead a fit, healthy, balanced lifestyle. So I know you are all wondering… what is Flexible dieting? Well its just that, a Flexible Diet, but let me elaborate further. Flexible Dieting is where you track your daily food intake in an app (On your computer, tablet or smartphone) like My Fitness Pal, and hit your food quota for the day. Yes it is that simple. You can either track your overall calorie consumption or break it down into a protein, carbohydrate and fat quota. I love this approach for so many reasons. Firstly no foods are off limits if you can fit them in to your overall target for the day. This really helps you find a balance in your diet. When you track your food you become more aware the amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats that are contained the foods you eat every day which helps you make better food choices overall but eliminates any guilt when you choose to indulge. For example if you want to eat a cupcake then you may choose to only have one cupcake instead of two or three like you normally would because only one fits into your daily food target. My absolute favourite breakfast is pumpkin pancakes topped with maple syrups and organic ice-cream which I have almost every day. So YES now you can have a balanced diet with your favourite foods without feeling guilty about having them whilst still reaching your health and fitness goals. Just give it a try and remember, like anything, it takes the time to get hang of but once you do it will be life changing.

My favourite breakfast! Pumpkin Pancakes!

Watch this space for more tips on flexible dieting!

In the mean time try a Quick Cardio HIIT

If your goal is to burn fat without spending hours in the gym then intervals are your best friend in your training regime. The magic of HIIT (High intensity interval training) is that it allows your body to continue burning fat long after your workout is complete.

Try this: Pick any machine or form of cardio (hill sprints, cross trainer, spin bike, cybex, stepper etc)

Warm up: 5mins

Interval 1: Sprint 20seconds (As hard as you can physically go and I mean HARD)

Rest: 1minute 40seconds (Go easy or slow but keep moving)

Repeat another 5-7 times

Cool Down: 5minutes

This is great to do on your off days from doing any weights or resistance style training. I love to finish off with some abs afterwards.