Maintaining an Exercise Regime.

I've been thinking about writing this post for a while now because this is a topic lots of people always ask me about and if I'm entirely honest, exercise was the biggest reason that I not only lost weight, but that I kept that weight off. I've been in a solid exercise regime for 12 months now, which I'm extremely proud of because this is the longest period of time that I have ever maintained, and actually genuinely enjoyed, exercising. These days, I do quite a lot of running and people often see me either heading off (looking fresh as all heck) or coming back (looking not so fresh/slightly dying/very sweaty) and because people are lovely, they often encourage/compliment me and that truly feels fantastic, but it has taken a long time for me to reach the point I am at now. I thought I'd share a few tips that I learnt along the way because, if you do it right, exercising is actually a whole heap of fun, and, if you do things the right way, can be very easy and enjoyable to maintain.

1. You have to do something/find something that you genuinely enjoy doing.

I'd say that the fact there are thousands of people in the world trying to do exercise they hate and expecting it will work/they'll go the distance is surprising, but it isn't, because for a long time I tried (and failed) maintaining an exercise regime because I was forcing myself to do things that I hated. It's so funny telling people that this is my number one piece of advice because they either laugh, claim they don't have a favourite because it all sucks, or look at you like you're a moron because who in the world would ever actually enjoy running... Big confession here - I hate the gym. I cannot stand working out in gyms. So, I don;t go to the gym. Simple as that. Instead, I much rather to be outdoors, whether that be running by the lake, bike riding, or sometimes I go swimming. There's no doubt in my mind that if I forced myself into a gym to get my exercise, I would not be sitting here a year later telling you that I was still exercising. Find something you get enjoyment from doing and avoid forcing yourself into activities that society tells you are 'fun' or 'healthy' or 'good for you' because the reality is that if you don't enjoy what you do, there's a strong chance that you won't stick with it or you'll resent exercise and activity.

2. Variety is the spice of the exercising life.

This one kind of works hand in hand with point number 1 in that more often than not, if you do something every single day/every couple of days, etc and it is the same every single time, you will get bored. When you get bored, you'll find yourself not wanting to get up and get active and then next minute, you'll realise you've been binge watching Netflix for 3 weeks straight and haven't left your house aside from a trip to the supermarket to get some ice-cream. Whoops. I've been there my friends, and I have done that, and then I have dealt with that horrible guilty feeling you get afterwards. I don't think there are few many people in the world who can say they genuinely enjoy going for the same walk/run/ride at the same time, on the same days, week in, week out. That is why variety is fun and changing your routine is a good thing. 

My parents actually won this bike (who is called Gertrude the Green Bike). Shout out to them and their winning raffle ticket. Love ya!

3. Get Outside and Enjoy Some Fresh Air.

Following on from my gym hatred, I do not like exercising indoors. Now, it is quite possible that I am alone in that strong dislike and that's fine, but have you been outside lately?! Nature is so nice man! My friends used to laugh at me so hard when I would go all crazy about how cool and amazing and wow nature is (and by used to laugh, I mean they still do laugh) but I am just genuinely so amazed and I actually get so excited about being outside and being able to watch the sun rise or the leaves change colour in autumn or the weird duck-like bird things by the lake try and run away quickly when they cannot run very fast at all. I also like people watching, and being outdoors in new environments is a very good way to have a solid stalk. I have also worked out the schedule for the local mens rowing team. And when the good-looking boys run around the lake. Perks of being outside ladies. 

Here is a picture of me looking out over my kingdom deciding where I would like to build by dog palace.

4. Get your Friends in on the Act too.

If you're the only person you know that exercises, one of two things will happen. Number one, you might realise that you are amazing and become filled with your own self-importance and feelings of utter success, or, two, you will simply give up because if no one else is out and about exercising away, then why should you? Sadly, the second option seems to be the one that most people fall for, and the easiest way to stop that from happening is to get your friends up and exercising too. Go for a walk together, ride your bikes on a sunny afternoon, etc and have a good chat while you do it, catch up and enjoy the company of other people. Bonus here is that they'll likely thank you for getting them exercising too because exercise realises happy endorphins and usually after you've been active they'll be all happy and full of warm and fuzzy feelings that will make you feel good too!

5. Dogs are love. Dogs are life.

I am 150% a dog person. Just ask anyone I've ever spent more than five minutes with and I bet you they'll be able to tell you all about how in love I am with the doggie that lives down the street. if you don't love dogs, then please re-evaluate your life because you're doing something wrong. I love running with my dog for two reasons; one, I just like doing anything with a dog involved and two, she makes me run faster and that's always a good thing to have a bit of a challenge. Sadly, when I am at uni I don't have any dogs, but I have devised a genius plan to overcome this; I cleverly ask my friends who do happen to have dogs if they would like to go walking with me because basically what this means is that I am asking their dog on a date and then requesting that they third-wheel. It's a win-win situation because I get to see a dog and also catch up with my friends and also do some exercise because at the end of the day, the dog has to have a walk! 

This is my best buddy, Red the Dog who is very, very cute and my favourite running friend.

6. Don't Burn Yourself Out.

Maybe about 6 months after I started regularly exercising I fell into a trap that seems to catch quite a few unsuspecting people - I got stuck in the mentality that if I didn't go every day, then the world would end. Obviously the world is not going to end, but it did take me a while to realise that some days you simply have to give yourself a break. You shouldn't feel guilty about taking a day off activity, which took me a while to get used to. Running every single day, every week of the year is just not a sustainable option. I have at least one day off a week where I literally do nothing. Sometimes I don't even get out of my pyjamas or leave the house. It's fantastic. But it also means that the day after rest-day, I have more energy and I get more out of the activity I do that day. Very few weeks I have a couple of rest-days all bunched together, otherwise referred to as a Netflix-week. Those weeks are so fantastic I tell you. Give yourself a break every now and then and always be careful that you don't do too much, too soon, too often.

Apple, Almond and Peanut Butter Granola Bars.

I have an obsession with oats. It's probably not very normal to have such an obsession, but it is what it is, so I'm just going to call a spade a spade, admit my obsession and run with it. There are a few reasons why I love oats so much which I'm going to share and you never know - next week you may also find yourself in the beginning stages of an oat-session.

Oats are cheap.
This is a very important point to note because I, like many people in the world, do not own a money tree. I am also a university student and in theory the money I have should be spent on uni things like textbooks and pens and what not. Now, in practice this doesn't exactly eventuate because I like clothes and shopping, and less so textbooks. I also like food (wow I know, shocking revelation!) and therefore often find myself in a supermarket, buying oats. Because oats are cheap, I can buy lots of them and therefore I can eat them often - win win.

Oats are insanely versatile.
Did you wake up one day and feel the sudden and inexplicable urge to put some oats and some almond milk in a bowl and see what you'd get? Well, if you did, I'm pleased to say you'll end up with some delicious overnight oats. Did you wake up the next day and feel the need to put some oats and some coconut oil on a baking tray and put it in the oven and see what you'd get? Good! You've just made granola. Alternatively you may have been griped by the need to put some oats on top of your smoothie, or...maybe even in the smoothie?! Wow. Versatility is king. Oats are king.

Oats are nutritionally fantastic.
Now, I'm no scientist but according to people much more scientifically gifted, oats are nutritionally very good for you. Oats contain more fiber than any other grain which is good for the digestive system, helping you to feel fuller for longer and getting the need to rampage the fridge less often. Oats are also good for lowering cholesterol and they're full of plant protein which has been proven to be of equal value to animal protein (WHO). Personally, I have interpreted these fun facts as reason to consume even more oats than before, further fuelling my oat love.

Finally, oats are delicious. They go with basically everything and if you hadn't worked it out yet, I love oats. I took this love and I decided to add a few more of my favourite things and I ended up with some delightfully sticky and insanely delicious granola bars which have a very short lifespan because yes, I am eating one right now (and have been munching on them all morning....whoops!).

YUMMMMMMMMMM.

Ingredients;
(makes 8 bars)

1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup diced dried apple (or other dried fruit of your liking)
10 medjool dates (pitted)
2 tbsp pure-state peanut butter
3 tbsp rice malt syrup
1 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp pure apple sauce
1/2 cup almonds

2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1. Blend the pitted dates and tbsp hot water for about 1 minute, or until a dough like consistency forms. There should still be small chunks of date, but when rolled, the mixture should form and hold a ball shape.
2. In a bowl, mix the date 'dough' with the peanut butter, rice malt and apple sauce until well combined. To the bowl, add in the oats, dried apple and almonds and stir well. The mixture should be quite thick, although everything should be well coated and when pressed together, stick and hold.
3. Take a slice tin and line with baking paper/parchment. Spoon the mixture into the tin and press down really well, especially in the corners and edges. Place in the fridge for an hour or so to firm up.
4. While the bars are in the fridge, take a small bowl and add the coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao. Place the bowl in a ledger bowl that has some boiling water in it to prevent the coconut oil from solidifying again. Stir this really well to make a raw chocolate drizzle.
5. Remove the bars from the fridge and use a sharp knife to slice them into 8 equal-sized bars. Take the cacao sauce and drizzle it generously over the top of the bars.
6. Test your willpower out by seeing how long these last in the fridge in an airtight container. I'm going to bet it isn't very long at all if you're anything like me!

(n.b. If serving to children, I would recommend using some baking paper/parchment and twine to make some cute little packing as I have done in the pictures because these bars are quite sticky and nobody likes sticky messy little fingers making sticky little messes all over everything!)