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Finding your healthy balance

I don’t drink coffee, and I don’t smoke. I rarely drink alcohol, energy drinks or fizzy drinks; I don’t eat lollies, and I’m not big on meat.

Fresh vegetables are important components of a...

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That said, I’m a fiend for sugar in most other forms (baked goods and anything chocolate), carbs and many fried foods. And I’ll confess to a weakness for Yum Yum shrimp-flavoured noodles.

I walk to and from work every day (20 minutes each way). I usually run twice a week (anywhere from one to 15km at a time) although this month I’ve been replacing one run with Zumba – one of my good friends is teaching free classes at Rocket Park in Mt Albert every Wednesday from 6.30pm if you’re keen.

As with most things in life, I could do more. I could exercise every day. I could give up meat entirely or go vegan. (In theory. I love cheese and yoghurt too much to seriously contemplate the latter.)

But I’m happy.

What’s right for me and my body may not be right for anybody else.

I’m one of those hateful thin people who can eat whatever she wants, so weight loss has never been a tangible motivator for me. (Apparently it’s okay for people to yell backhanded compliments at me while I’m out pounding the pavement.) I’m still yet to achieve my goal of giving blood because of my weight. So it’s got to be all me, all internally driven.

I run to tone up and because somewhere along the way, I realised that between the panting, air-sucking and burning in my lungs, sweating it out physically felt good. I’m not saying it’s easy. But it’s worth it.

Maybe I’m not a serious runner in some eyes because I can wear $20 Warehouse trainers and get away with it, and sometimes I only head out for a 15-minute jog. I’m okay with that – with admitting I really have no motivation to get my sweat on more often.

I eat dessert almost every single day. And I usually have home-baked something or other for a snack at work. I still, more often than not, fail to make 5+ a day. I don’t like very many fruits and I prefer my vegetables cooked – and I need my carbs in order to keep my ridiculously fast metabolism up so I’m not scrounging around for more food every half hour. I’ve learned to like greens about 1000 times more than I did two years ago, but plant matter alone inevitably leaves me feeling hollow before long.

Right now, this is my life. This is what my balance looks like.

11 thoughts on “Finding your healthy balance

  • Reply addvodka February 15, 2012 at 17:15

    I’m pretty jealous of your balance. I have none – I throw all my energies into one project, cause, or thing, and end up being consumed by it until I get bored or hit a roadblock. Boo!

  • Reply untemplater February 15, 2012 at 20:35

    I can relate to a lot of what you said in this post! I have a lot of the same eating habits along with a high metabolism. I think I crave carbs more than sugary sweets though! I don’t know what I’d do if I ever had to give up pasta lol. My friends hate it that I can eat a lot of carbs. -Sydney

  • Reply Two Degrees February 16, 2012 at 06:23

    Zumba is fun! I’ve only been once and would like to get back into it. I’ll be off to a small town for the next four months. Perhaps I’ll make it my goal when I come back to Toronto.

    We’re also a family of shrews – small and thin tiny women who are always eating!! Since dating my BF, I’ve really cut back on the sugar. Unfortunately, being at home means that I have direct access to cookies and chocolates that Gramma always has on hand. I tend to turn down desserts now.

  • Reply simpleislandliving February 16, 2012 at 13:11

    I like this post. I’m pretty down today, been curled up in bed most of the day…and this has inspired me to try to rebalance my life. Thanks!

  • Reply krantcents February 16, 2012 at 14:12

    You are not as unique as you think. Under normal conditions, I can eat whatever I want because I exercise enough to burn the calories. I do not walk to work, but I stay active by standing and moving 5 hours a day. I exercise every weekend bicycling and weight lifting.

    • Reply eemusings February 16, 2012 at 14:49

      I spent years not exercising and still didn’t gain anything. I’ve been the same weight, more or less, since my early teens.

  • Reply SP February 16, 2012 at 18:00

    Yes, I don’t really gain weight easily either. I do eat more when I exercise, because I’m hungrier. But my weight has never been much of a motivator.

    I love running. I try to get more veggies. But I just don’t stress too much about it.

  • Reply Ms Life February 16, 2012 at 22:48

    I have no problem with my weight either and eat anything I want when I want. I take after my mother’s side. Funny enough, people usually assume that I am fit, but they could not be further from the truth. I thank my genes!

    • Reply eemusings February 17, 2012 at 09:15

      So true – small/skinny does not always equal fit.

  • Reply Elna@YoNature September 28, 2020 at 19:24

    This is so me, people always ask me if I’m trying to disappear whenever they catch me running or exercising, the thing is we are happy when we have a balanced lifestyle. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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