I've never been able to stick to a diet & exercise regime for more than 6 weeks back at home, yet here I'm finding that my willpower is holding out without too much of a struggle. Sure, I'll get my nose down into the pan if there are meatballs or bacon fritters bubbling away on the stove, and I feel a small twinge of jealousy if someone's eating cheese while I'm stuck with fruit or plain crisps - but then I remember why I'm doing this and it passes.
So, after 50+ days of being vegetarian, 4 straight weeks of being vegan (6 weeks in total - I had that terrible 10 day cheat period after the first 2 weeks), 6 weeks of constant cycling and 3 weeks of gym membership, why am I finding everything much easier than usual?
1) I'm not just doing it to lose weight. That's definitely a part of it, but the reason I even thought about going vegan in the first place was down to the unethical practices involved in factory farming. It's far easier to throw in the towel if you're on a diet purely for weight loss i.e. personal reasons, but I'm also doing this for the animals which is making me much more determined to stick it out
2) I live really close to some gorgeous beaches and a beautiful esplanade. Why wouldn't I want to be outside as much as possible cycling, walking or even just soaking up my daily dose of Vitamin D? The weather is generally always beautiful, whereas back home I would use the rain or cold as an excuse to stay in and watch TV
3) The gym is just a 10 minute cycle away. Sure, I get swooped up to 4 times on the way there (bloody magpies) but it's a small price to pay for having the gym within an easy cycling distance. If it was much further away I'm not sure I would go as much as I do. I also really love the yoga classes so am keen to get to those as often as possible
4) I haven't got a car; the only way of getting places is to walk or cycle. Or get the bus, but that hasn't really crossed my mind until now. I'm actually enjoying cycling places for the first time in my life. Will be really sad to give my bike back at the end of my time here!
5) The closest McDonald's/KFC is a half an hour cycle away. I'm not surrounded by easy junk food options like I was in Melbourne and there's not a Domino's down the road like at home; the only temptation is a bakery a few minutes down the road, but I haven't even thought about a spinach and feta pastry in weeks!
6) After months of travelling and mostly eating meals out (often cheap crappy junk food), it's nice to actually have a kitchen and be able to spend time preparing my own meals. Plus there are only 3 of us living here compared to being one of 7 people sharing a kitchen in Melbourne, which makes cooking and mealtimes much easier. I'm enjoying learning new recipes and branching out in terms of what I eat :)
7) I'm seeing a difference. It's taking time, and like everyone on a fairly new diet & exercise regime I wish the changes would happen faster, but they are definitely happening. The scales have spoken (quietly), plus my stomach is noticeably flatter than before. I'm also fitter than when I started; I can cycle faster, run 10k in under 55 minutes and am even finding the balance & flexibility aspects of yoga much easier after just 3 weeks
8) I live with a health-conscious family. Okay, not so much in terms of smoking, drinking and exercising, but definitely when it comes to food! The mum always cooks things from scratch and serves up healthy meals (I've stolen a couple of recipes) and so it's become natural for me to do the same. I'd feel guilty/ashamed scoffing a pizza or a ready meal in front of them, partially because they'd point out how unhealthy it is but also because it's just not how things are done in this house - which is a good thing! The girls on the boat bring super healthy food and snacks to work and I've made a new friend (yay) who works at the gym (ex PT and army) so is also into health and fitness. Being surrounded by people who make health a priority is definitely helping me to do the same
9) I'm happy. I enjoy my job, have lots of time off and am enjoying a very relaxed way of life. This is how life SHOULD be; stress-free and just easy. Sometimes after a long or tough day at work I'll crave junk or a sugary tea, but most of the time everything's pretty much perfect...so no need to eat my feelings or zap a ready meal for dinner because there isn't time to cook.
Having said that, there are a LOT of very overweight people living in Hervey Bay! Just like the UK, Australia is going through an obesity crisis so it seems even beautiful weather and beaches aren't enough to get people outside and active. Maybe because the sun, sea and sand lifestyle is totally new for me I'm making the most of it, but I guess you can get used to anything...
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