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The last email this week in relation to mental health is around body image...

How do you see yourself??? Do you stand in the mirror each morning focusing on all the things you don't like? Maybe you judge yourself by the number that flashes up on the scales each day!

I would urge you to stop if this is the case.......flip it around and this morning when you look in the mirror say 3 things to yourself that you LIKE about your body and the person inside......

Your body has done amazing things and the fact that we are here and healthy should be celebrated but all the time I hear women hating themselves...beating themselves up for eating a biscuit!!!

I am all about eating healthily 80% of the time, moving your body and being active, feeding it lots of water so we are hydrated......taking time to look after ourselves as we only get one shot at this..

I would love to hear your body image stories........have you got more confident and accepting as you get older or maybe not?

So for today lets focus on all the good bits about ourselves.......we should always strive to be the best version of ourselves we can be NOW not 20 years ago!!!!!

Let me know what you think xxxxx

​This week we are covering different areas around mental health as part of mental health awareness week..


Today its self care.....

We are all running around working, looking after families, trying to be a great Mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, colleague that sometimes we get put to the back of the queue....

Anyone agree???

So how about taking a bit of "me time" do you worry that that is selfish?

I am a big fan of taking time out...I am sooooo busy that I would go mad if I didn't ..

So for me it is ....... going to my book club, reading in general, cup of tea in the garden on my own, getting a massage once a month, going to the gym, spa day, meeting a friend for coffee, breakfast with my Mom, mooching round the shops on my own....

Just little things but so important to me..

What do you do in a month that is just for you???

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and I am going to be basing my blogs and videos around how I think our mental health can be affected by what we put in our body, how we move it, how we treat it and how we view it...its a big subject and I think its great that more of us are talking about this......all the views I am going to give are just my thoughts reflecting on how I feel from time to time and what my clients are telling me on a daily basis (and I come into contact with a lot of women!)
 
The first one today is looking at food...
 
Lets start by looking at our body like a car.......your car needs fuel and that needs to be the correct fuel in order for it to run smoothly with no glitches and do the job that it needs to do..
 
Our body is the same.....if you are not putting enough fuel in or the wrong type how can we expect our bodies to function properly, effectively and without glitches...
 
I know from my own personal experiences along with all the women that I speak to that if I drink a lot of alcohol, eat takeaways all week, pump myself with sugar that I feel CRAP....(excuse the language)
 
Yes we all needs treats and life needs to be a balance but when I have days where I drink loads of water...eat veggies and proper food....I FEEL so much better!
 
So I am not talking about weight loss here necessarily I am talking about how I FEEL..........
 
Eating junk and drinking a lot will affect your mental health 100%...I have had the pleasure of interviewing people for my radio show and coaching people who have mental health issues and they all say that when they consciously think about their food and making it as healthy as possible there symptoms are more manageable....
 
So to tie it all up...yes I have a glass of wine and a takeaway sometimes and so do my clients......but I try to have more days that I go booze free and keep my meals healthy not just to keep my weight in check but so that I feel good in my mind..........
 
I would love to hear your thoughts on this...do you have experiences of your diet or maybe your caffeine or alcohol intake affecting your mental health....I will be doing a live video on this on my Facebook page and my Instagram account today..
 
Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com
 
PS: Catch me on Switch Radio 12-2pm today where we are covering mental health topics all week

Yes for me on Sundays!!!
 
I decided to give up something a little different for lent....I decided to try out no Social Media Sundays!
 
This week was my first one....
 
I really missed it.......that just shows how addicted to it I have become...but I did it and I think it is a really healthy move for me...
 
I use social media a lot for my work and I do actually really enjoy it...BUT
 
I dread to think how many hours I spend on it!!!
 
So lets see how I get on......maybe I will keep it up after Lent!!!??
 
Are you a social media addict or do you avoid it?
 
Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

An apple, pear, hourglass or strawberry????
 
Watch my video to find out what those shapes are and how we need to accept the frame that we were given!!!!
 
Click HERE to watch the video....
 
Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

Someone said this to me yesterday in the context of work life.....but I think this relates to diet and exercise too...
 
If you are currently following an eating plan that is restricting you......
 
Maybe you are cutting out whole food groups
Living off meal replacements
Going hungry
Declining nights out because you can't fit it in to your "diet"
 
OR
 
If you are doing exercise that you DREAD
 
STOP !!!!!
 
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!!!
 
You should be following an eating plan that leaves you feeling great...not hungry...enjoying cooking and eating delicious food......making good choices when you go out and still enjoying life
 
AND
 
You should be doing exercise that you ENJOY...that leaves you energised and wanting more....
 
Hit reply and let me know whether you are ENJOYING or ENDURING your eating plan and exercise at the moment????
 
Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

​I would love to hear some views on this...its a hot topic right now...
 
I asked for some thoughts on it in my Private Facebook group and they were very mixed...
 
Some people saying they would never consider it...they love their meat and dairy too much..
 
I had some saying they really wanted to do it for ethical/environmental reasons but find it hard to get their protein in...plus how restrictive it is when you eat out
 
Comments were made around wanting to try a plant based diet to see how it impacted peoples health...but one lady said it had actually made her snack more and gain weight..
 
I also had some who want to do it but as they cook for their family they find it really difficult...
 
I would love to know what you think? Perhaps you are vegan and have been for a while? Maybe you are a new vegan? Do you worry about protein? Has it helped you lose weight?
 
I would really like to see how I feel on a plant based diet...I don't feel personally that I could go fully vegan so I am thinking about trying a few days a week to see how I get on...
 
I would love to hear your thoughts..
 
Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com

The nights are dark......
 
The weather is cold......
 
The lure of the sofa is there...snuggling and not bothering to go out and do your exercise.....
 
BUT
 
Do you know that it only takes 2 weeks for your fitness levels to start to reverse.....
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​​​​​​​How about the fact that exercise is excellent for your mental health so sitting on the sofa is not going to get you that endorphin buzz
 
Or the big one.......your bum being on the sofa is going to spread!!!!!! 
 
SO 
 
​​​​​​​My message is DONT GIVE UP......KEEP GOING FOR YOUR RUNS OR BIKE RIDES OR OUT TO YOUR CLASSES
 
It is so important.....for so many reasons!
 
Kelly x
www.keepfitwithkelly.com
 
PS: Do you find it harder to find motivation in the winter????

 
I am not......because it makes me miserable !!!!
 
I totally get the health benefits and think it is great if you want to do it and can do it..
 
BUT
 
For me I just like to moderate in January....so I cut right back to just a Friday and a Saturday...whereas over Christmas you just don't even know what the day is do you???!!!
 
I think about what I am drinking so try to substitute beer and wine for a G & T.....more water when I am having a drink etc
 
But I have found that when I say I cant have something AT ALL it makes me miserable and I just want it more!!!
 
How about you?? I would love to know if you are doing dry Jan and what your reasons are?? Maybe you do it every year???
 
My one piece of advice if you are doing it....DONT BINGE DRINK IN FEB!!! I find lots of people try and make up for it afterwards and that just undoes all the good you have done your body...
 
Kelly xx
www.keepfitwithkelly.com
 
PS: The reason I don't do dry January is my husband cant stand to live with me if I cant have my G & T on a Friday night....Im a bit moody!!!!!