Making Some Healthier Choices...

Before I went to uni I was happy with my weight, but this soon changed after a year or two of eating junk food, drinking every night of the week and doing no exercise what so ever (apart from shaking some shapes on the d-floor obvs). I knew that I had to make some big lifestyle changes, and I had to do it fast! These changes revolved around my diet and exercise.

Let me give you an example of a typical day when things were at their....er....worst!

- Wake up
- Have breakfast (usually toast or a bacon sarnie)
- Go to lectures (not without stopping at Sainsbury's to get some snacks of course... usually a packet of crisps with some fruit. Just because I had some fruit I thought it acceptable to eat the crisps too - definitely not!)
- Have lunch (whatever was available from the canteen - probably a sandwich or jacket potato)
- Go home
- Have dinner (something quick and easy - a microwave meal or maybe an omlette)
- Get ready to go out ... whilst drinking some rose wine
- Pre drinks with my friends (more wine!)
- Go out, drink the bar dry...
- Stumble home and get some junk food along the way

When I finally decided to get a grip and make a change, I tried loads of diets (e.g a low calorie diet or sugar free diet) that worked for a few days, and then I failed miserably due to these diets being unrealistic and I was simply STARVING! It's not about how much you eat, it's about WHAT you eat. If your hungry every two hours then eat every two hours, just make sure your choosing a healthy option over an unhealthy one. You should also try and have a pint of water when you feel "hungry" - a lot of the time you will find you're actually only thirsty! And remember, exercise is the key - even if your just walking 20 minutes around the block every day, that's still exercise and means that you are getting your heart rate pumping.

After loosing over a stone (with still another stone and a bit to go), here is an example of what my day involves now:

- Wake up & have breakfast. Usually pure protein as this keeps me full right up until lunch time. E.g 2 poached eggs with 3 slices of grilled bacon or ham. If I'm not feeling hungry I make sure I eat but will have something lighter like a cup of tea and some oatmeal.

Tip: Try to avoid the hollindaise sauce when having poached eggs, they still have a delicious flavour without it!

Tip: Adding a bit of fruit to your oatmeal helps to spice things up a little! 

- Start work for the day which involves me doing pretty much this (sitting on the computer not being active at all). I'm usually not hungry enough to have a morning snack due to my protein filled breakfast, but if I am then I will have either an apple or some grapes, or a pepperami and a babybel.

- Lunch time. For lunch I tend to have something that involves salad. This could be lettuce with tuna, sweetcorn and onion, or grilled chicken. If I feel like something different I will have some wholegrain pasta or rice (just a small portion) with some chicken or fish.

Change your salad regularly - even by adding/changing one ingredient it will make a nice change

- After the working day finishes I do some form of exercise, which normally means going to the gym. I do about 40-50 mins of cardio, some leg and arm weights and some sit ups. I try to go to the gym at least 4 times a week - give or take 1 or 2 days depending on how tired/busy/hungover I am!

I think its really important to mix it up a bit so you don't get bored. For example, one day go to the gym and use the machines, another day go swimming, another day go for a run... that way you get some variety and don't get bored! I also think it's great to go with a friend... having that extra bit of motivation makes such a difference!

Dinner - Either chicken or fish with some green vegetables and salad.

Don't be shy with green vegetables - they do nothing but add goodness to your healthy diet. 

Snacks - carrot sticks with humous / banana / apple / grapes / pepperami / babybel / rice cakes

Some useful tips:
- Exercise is a MUST! Even if you don't want to loose weight it is important to keep your heart pumping to stay healthy
- Choose wholegrain. Switching your pasta, bread and rice to wholegrain is a much healthier option.
- Have a fruit bowl handy, it means you can grab a piece of healthy fruit instead of raiding that junk cupboard!
- Drink lots of water. This flushes out all of the "bad" waste that is in your stomach!