Balancing 'Dieting' and 'Health'

Myself and Sinead have come down to Uluwatu to be productive and feel our best. We live in Canggu in Bali, which is my favourite place but there are so many distractions, like long training sessions, margaritas and people to chat to in every cafe.

That's not necessarily a bad thing but we're both not feeling like our 'higher selves' after going out at the weekend.

My first thought on Monday morning was 'I need to lose some body fat' but even looking back now, on Thursday, I can see I thought that would help me feel healthier after a weekend of drinking and eating not-so-nutritious food.

By Monday evening, I was tired and cranky and 4 protein bars deep. 

Is that healthy?

It depends on your definition of health.

So many women tell me in their questionnaires that they eat 'healthy' during the week but then go mad at the weekend.

Straight away I suspect what is happening.

They are eating, what they deem to be, 'healthy meals' with protein, veg etc, but they are too small. Or they are training too much.

I look back on timehop at the "meals" I used to have when trying to lose weight and I don't know how I kept it up.

Eating too little calories for your energy expenditure causes stress on the body. It can also lead to malnourishment, because you are clearly getting in less vitamins, minerals, fibre etc than if you ate the same foods at higher quantities.

So, dieting *can* be unhealthy. Especially if it is affecting your mental health. (Do you blame yourself for eating a lot in the evenings/weekends, when you could just be hungry? Are you eating so little that all you can think about is your next meal?)

While in Ulu, I am trying to eat for health first (physically and mentally), rather than lower calorie - so I am choosing juices with meals, healthy fats and fibrous and root veg.

It's not a dichotomy though - you can do both, with enough knowledge and if you take the time to make mindful decisions.

And this is why I empower women to make their own decisions.

It is possible to lose body fat in a healthy way. Not all diets are unhealthy. It's just a fine balance that takes some time if you want long term results.

I've helped so many women find that balance and I'm excited to help more this year.

Thanks for reading,

Siobhan "guess who learnt the word dichotomy recently" O'Hagan