Struggling to achieve the elusive idea of a balanced lifestyle, where your work, nutrition, exercise and social life all weave seamlessly together? It’s not always easy and, sometimes, you deserve to live it up as much as you endeavour to live well. Here, Irish fitness expert, author and entrepreneur Pat Divilly gives us an insight into how he makes it work.
For Pat Divilly, there’s no such thing as an ‘average’ week...
Every week is very different but generally there's quite a bit of travel involved whether it's around the country for seminars or abroad for conferences and meetings. With most of my business being online with clients all over the world I spend a lot of time in the office. Work time is either spent creating new content or providing support to existing clients. I'm also in the process of setting up another business in the health sector so that keeps me busy. Outside of work I spend time with friends and family and on the weekends I’ll catch up with friends for food or a few drinks.
And we’re guessing exercise features heavily in your routine?
Oh yeah. I try to do something physical every day whether it's swimming, hiking or time in the gym. Having grown up in the gym, the weights and cardio machinery haven't been as interesting these past few years and I've moved more toward outdoor training. The weather’s not always great in Ireland but we are blessed to have some beautiful hikes and trails on our doorstep and for me that’s become my typical weekend go-to.
We always expect a fitness expert to live and eat better than any of us, but it must be hard to consistently meet those expectations. With so much going on, how do you stay on top of things?
Eating well when I was a bit younger was probably more about how I looked whereas now being as busy as I am it comes down to having good energy throughout the day. I batch cook meals and enjoy cooking from home when I have the time but with so much travel that can be difficult. Getting to Centra when I'm on the move allows me to pick up snacks and smaller meals whilst on the move.
Right. We’re invited to dinner in the Divilly household midweek. What’s on the menu?
I'm rarely in my house! But generally I try to get a blend of proteins, vegetables and healthy fats with some carbs. So it'll be a meat or fish source, with vegetables or salad dressed with olive oil and some sweet potato or rice on the side. It's easy to do the same from restaurants when I'm on the move.
Okay, so you clearly practice what you preach. But what about letting yourself off the hook once in a while?
Generally I'll get out hiking or cycling for the day on a Saturday and love to kick back with a few beers and a pizza with sweet potato fries after.
And your most loved, indulgent comfort food?
Sweet potato and butternut squash soup!
Hmm, that sounds healthy. How important is it to be flexible and realistic when it comes to your approach to living?
It’s really important. I like the 80/20 rule for food. Try to stick with the natural food sources and good proteins, carbs and fats 80% of the time and then give yourself a break. Life’s too short to deprive yourself and you should never attach guilt to foods. It's just about being aware and conscious of how different foods make you feel and also knowing what your current goals are physically.
What’s your breakfast routine to keep you going throughout the day?
For me, with breakfast, I find sticking with proteins and fats gives me sustainable energy throughout the morning until the afternoon. I like omelettes with mixed veggies or smoothie variations.
Your ultimate advice for living well?
Do more of what you love - in your work, your health and your relationships. Too many people force feed themselves chicken and broccoli a few times a day and make themselves go to the gym to spend hours on the treadmill even though it makes them miserable. To find a form of exercise and a nutritional plan you'll stick with your need to find some enjoyment. You don't have to join a gym to get fit, there's 100s of options out there to get you moving and you don't have to base your food choices off of a very strict list of foods. It's best to take some time to learn some simple recipes that you'll enjoy. Beyond that, don’t see healthy living as something you need to start on a given date. Live more now! We can spend so much time saying 'some day' but for me I've learnt to make 'someday', today. We don't know what’s around the corner so it's key that we live a life authentic to ourselves, that we deepen our connections with our loved ones and that we live every day with passion and purpose.
In my experience of training 1000's of clients the confidence and self esteem boost that people get when they eat well is priceless. Taking the time and making the effort to eat foods that make you look and feel great is sending a message to your subconscious that YOU are important. There's an expression that says you don't put cheap petrol into a Ferrari and you should see your body the same way. YOU matter!
Fitness Expert Pat Divilly has helped launch Centra’s new brand position Live Every Day which encourages people to live in the moment and make the most of every day. For further information on Centra, visit www.centra.ie.
