Often in fitness you hear about trainers telling their clients to find their “why?”.
This means, find the reason why you started/wanted to get fitter because this will be what powers you through those last few difficult reps or will be what motivates you to get out of bed in the morning and do a workout even when you don’t want to.

I think this is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard and I wanted to turn it to food as well and share my whys with people in the hope that it inspires others to choose a homemade, more nutritious option over the easier, heavily processed version.

My whys
Firstly, let me explain that my biggest why is because when I don’t eat well I feel like crap and tend to suffer for it due to digestive and stomach issues. I’d also like to get stronger and put on some muscle which leads most people to believe that as long as I’m getting the calories to do so, that I should just eat whatever I want, however I don’t do this because:
1-Skin
I want lovely skin. I’ve had very bad skin in the past and still struggle with it quite frequently, I’m just more spot prone that most (woohoo…) and one of the things I noticed when I started learning about proper food and nutrition was that my skin got better. It’s also one of the first signs that shows up whenever I’ve had a few overly indulgent days. So in order for me to feel good in my skin I try my best to get good sources of vitamin A and E which are great for the skin. Some of my favourite sources are things like almonds, avocados, carrots, squash and kale crisps.

2-Energy/focus
I want decent energy levels each day to allow me to focus on what I need to get done rather than constantly fighting to keep my eyes open. I want to ensure that my body is getting what it needs to function properly so that I can do my best in life regardless of what that may be. If you’re feeling rubbish then you can’t give 100% of your effort to whatever you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a work presentation or looking after the kids or even creating something new, if you’re suffering then so is the task you’re attempting.

3-Immunity
I haaaate getting ill. A few years ago, every 3 months without fail I would catch whatever bug or cold was doing the rounds and I hated it! Since nourishing myself more, I’ve noticed a massive change in my immunity and hardly ever have a cold anymore and even if I do get ill, I know now how best to help my body recover faster which is a bonus.

4-Healthy future
I hope to avoid any major complications later in life that would stop me from enjoying life to the full. I feel this could be a big motivator for a lot of people, for example, if you’ve a history of heart issues in your family then focusing on heart health so that you can be around to walk your daughter down the aisle or see your son graduate is a huge incentive and hopefully gives you the willpower to get out that pan and cook homemade meals most nights of the week rather than ordering takeout.

I hope this has helped shed some light on why myself and others may choose to not have that cupcake or go out of our way to make food rather than ordering out, and remember, it is ok to have a few indulgences in life otherwise it’s going to be a miserable one, just try to choose well the rest of the time to balance it out.

Let me know what your why is and how it’s helped you stay on track or keeps you motivated.
xo