Beyond Fitness PT

Adulting sucks at times 😂

Opening the fridge night after night saying.. ‘What can I eat tonight?’

Decision fatigue is real!

So, I wrote a blog with some ideas to hopefully help make life a bit easier.

Read more here ➡️ https://beyondfitness.substack.com/p/easy-quick-meal-ideas-for-midlife

Ps I’m going to miss breakfasts in the garden. I don’t want summer to end 😭

What does no more dieting even mean?

Social media is loud, it’s back to skinnytok v no more dieting. And I absolutely hold my hands up, I”m guilty of saying exactly the same thing.

No more diets. No more rules. No more fads. Nothing off limits.

And whilst thats partly true, you’re reading this and thinking.. ‘this is amazing. I can lose weight and do what I’m already doing’.

So are we now mis-selling something in the fitness industry? Another false promise?

Let’s look at the definition of a diet ‘this is temporary or controlled reduction in food intake to lose weight’.

You don’t need me to tell you that, you’ve been on and off more diets that you can count.

So thats what we do when we want to ‘diet’ we ask ourselves how little can we survive on each day to get our results. If I skip breakfast will that save me some calories today? If I cut out carbs, chocolate, cake etc that’ll mean Im being good.

But one biscuit later and we’re annoyed that we’ve ruined yet another diet. So whats the point, I’ll try again when I can manage it or try harder.

That’s not a diet, thats a countdown to failure.

So when I say, no more diets, what do I actually mean?

That doesn’t mean no structure. It means swapping restriction, unsustainable, temporary, eat as little as possible for a framework you can actually live in forever.

Just like I have managed for the last 26 years.

Your nutrition isn’t just a ‘diet’ you do for x weeks until you have got to your goal weight. It’s something you need to do to maintain your weight. Build muscle. Live your life day in and day out.

The word diet will mean something different to us all. Some of us think eating salads and veggies means we’re on a diet, whereas thats eating what our body needs, nutritiously.

I’m not here to say you're not allowed to lose weight, I'm saying that shouldn't be the only outcome we care about. Strength matters. Nourishing our bodies so we have enough energy to get out of bed each day matters, our relationship with food matters.

What does diet mean to you?

My free energy check will help you find out where you could improve your energy. Comment ENERGY and I'll send you the link.

Save this for your next trip to the Peak District.

Making the most of the end of summer.. it was a balmy 9 deg when we woke up in the van on Sunday morning (the heating actually went on!)

I stayed here when I was doing my DofE work in June, and I wanted to come back as there were a few things on my list.

We did..

📍 Dovedale - absolutely beautiful but so busy! We queued about 10 mins just to get across the stepping stones
📍 Thors Cave - I was so impressed, but if you’re going in and out be careful as it’s like polished marble in there and so slippy
📍 Manifold Trail - and beautiful path running through the Manifold Valley, there’s a couple of tea rooms on the route. I didn’t do it all as I did a loop back to the campsite!

Please shout if you want any places to stay / where to park etc.

I’ve spent the weekend exploring some new places.. I never know whether to share my adventures on here 🤷🏼‍♀️

Would you love to see them or should I keep them separate?

LOVE this post if you would like to see more ❤️

I’m absolutely rubbish at making decisions 😂 (especially when you’ve been staring at something for so long)..

But which one do you prefer? Image 1,2 or 3

I forgot to mention this is for a logo design..

I will explain the meaning behind them when I’ve chosen, but I’d love to know which captures you more?

Ps sorry for the rubbish image screenshot

This was my lunch yesterday.

I used to find nutrition so complicated and fearful, until I stripped it back and started thinking about the basics.

I was skipping meals, and left walking round like a zombie because I had zero energy.

Now I chuck it all together, usually with leftovers or a fridge raid (I hate food shopping) 😂

This has everything that’s going to keep that energy going all afternoon, so you’re not going to walk through the door at 5:30pm raiding the cupboards because hanger hit!

The best part? This could easily be made ahead, packed up for lunch on the go and reheated, or simplified by swapping the egg for a boiled egg if that is what works that day.

It is not about getting every meal perfect. It is about having something that will actually keep you going through the afternoon, rather than leaving you hunting for coffee, snacks or anything sweet by 3pm.

When you start fuelling yourself better, you can feel the difference in what you have left for the rest of your day: more energy, a clearer head, and more confidence to do the things you keep putting off.

If you are eating healthy but still feel flat, hungry, or unsure what to eat, I have made a free 2-minute check-in to help you spot what may be missing.

Is your plate supporting your energy?

Take the Nourished Plate Builder here 👇🏻

https://energypate-pkmzyiky.manus.space

I don't think there's anything worse than feeling unfit, like when walking upstairs leaves you out of breath and everything feels a bit slower.

I had to give up running back in January after a herniated disc diagnosis.

Here's how I've actually been rebuilding my fitness since.. the structure I'm using, why 12 weeks isn't a deadline.

Read full blog here 👇🏻

https://open.substack.com/pub/beyondfitness/p/how-do-i-get-fit-again?r=21twh9&utm_medium=ios

Nothing will ever beat that feeling of the outdoors!

That immediate switch off.

The brain stops whirring for a few hours. There’s no signal on your phone. There’s no overthinking!

It’s just us and nature.

The birds chirping. The heather blooming. The water trickling.

The absolute calm from every day!

James loves waterfalls, so we headed for a new one for both of us (and only an hour or so from Shrewsbury)..

📍 Rhiwagor Waterfall

It's easy to lose motivation when you're injured.

That's why I started setting myself small goals.

These don't have to be big or life changing, just something to give me focus and purpose.

I wanted to improve my cardio fitness. I'd lost a lot of fitness after having to stop running in January, and I hated that feeling of being unfit.

So I set myself two small goals:

1. 1-2 Wattbike sessions a week, following a structured programme so I could see progress rather than just sitting on the bike. Once a week is the minimum, but if I can get two sessions in, even better.

2. Walk up and down Earls Hill twice. This is something I used to do running when I was training for Tour du Mont Blanc (I used to do 3–4 summits), so I've adapted it to where I am now.

It's also become a good excuse to catch up with friends, so if you ever want to join me, I usually share on Instagram when I'm going.

There's also been my strength training, which is adapted at the moment.

You still need a plan to make progress... that hasn't changed. But a good plan bends when life doesn't.

You don't need a race on the calendar to have a goal worth working towards. You just need structure that can move with you.. around injury, around busy weeks, and whatever life throws at you.

That's what these goals are for me right now.

That's what these goals are for me right now, to give me some purpose without losing my mind in this injury.

Also how cool is it listening to all the birds 😍

I wrote something today that feels like the most honest thing I’ve shared in a long time

https://open.substack.com/pub/beyondfitness/p/what-i-actually-believe?r=21twh9&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web