Junk Status
Some of you may think that I’m about to share some insight on the current economic status of South Africa and perhaps some tips on the latest investment trends, but I’ll leave that to my friend Moe Knows, he is the expert in that field - you should check out his Blog & Podcasts if that’s your cup of tea. Rather, I’m here to confess to something that all mums and dads, well actually almost everyone truth be told, is guilty off… Eating too much junk food!
So why is this confession so much more important for mums? Probably because our bodies never fully recover from pregnancy. Perhaps, it’s because it has to be a reminder to our offspring of the toll it has placed on us. And my second confession is that I can never seem to get a healthy lifestyle balance right for a prolonged period.
When I exercise, I treat myself to more junk food than I would when I don’t exercise. If I eat a healthy lunch, I want a greasy supper and I’ve found myself on more occasions than I’m proud to admit scrolling through the Mr Delivery app during my free time, thinking this is normal. It is not.
Pre-pandemic I was mostly living the corporate life, back-to-back meetings most of the day, grabbing a light health sandwich and a fruit and not craving for anything else (except on Friday’s when everyone in my team usually decided to buy Chicken Licken - those cravings spoke loudly). I also managed to get in some decent steps daily which helped with keeping healthy and maintaining myself. Post-birth & being under lock-down brought on a new version of me… Eating everything, all the time. Yes, I am still living the corporate life but in a smallish room, where I have stored all my essentials - water, snacks and more snacks. Luckily for the mute button during meetings, because chewing softly is not my finest quality, my husband will attest to this. I also probably don’t get more than 500 steps in per day during working hours (yes, how ridiculous is that?!) unless I’m working out.
So how does a mum find balance in this new-normal world we live in? How do you manage to exercise, eat clean and still enjoy the finer things in life, while having to sit in semi-isolation behind a laptop screen for the better part of a third of your day? Well, I don’t know… but I’m trying to figure it out. Q’s Dad wrote a blog not too long ago - you can read it here if you haven’t already, on what seems to work for him, but that’s just it, it works for him. There were some great pointers, but each person’s circumstance & the point they find themselves in their journey is different. I think the most important thing to remember is balance. It is eating ice cream when you feel for it and getting in all your greens as well (and no! I do not mean eating peppermint ice cream, although Yum! Some would go down right about now). Q’s Dad has always maintained that when he has a cheat meal or day that he’s going to enjoy real junk food & enjoy it properly. I guess it’s all about satisfying the craving without going overboard.
So what is your junk status?
- Moody Rating: when a drive-through at McDonald’s can take away the daily stress of motherhood and help zen your mood.
- Investment Grade: investment in a junk drawer allowing you to reap the rewards later, when I say later I mean quietly thought out the day.
- Mid-Term Budget: When you run out of snacks mid-month & require a budget adjustment.
- Downgrade: Having a salad when you’re out with the girls, but having your deep-fried fish & chips ready for you at home.
- Volatile Market: Ice cream for breakfast is the norm. The cavities are just your mouth reminding you of how much fun you’re having.
All jokes aside, what I am saying is that we are all on some level of “junk status” and some of us may be guilty of more than one of the above. We should all be mindful of leading a healthier lifestyle as it’s beneficial to not only ourselves but our kids too, after all, they learn from example. Balance is key & remaining body positive is also really important. I made mention that my body has changed since becoming Q’s Mum and while I may have moments of self-doubt about my physical appearance, I would not trade it in for being a mum. I’d like to write about body positivity at a later stage as it’s something I think is very important.
Tell me about your guilty pleasures in the comments below and don’t forget to watch our latest IG reels here. There are a few coming up that take a light-hearted jab at the struggles of finding a healthy-mum-balanced lifestyle.
Q’s Mum