Saturday, January 11, 2014

Oh yeah, that happened!

Over the summer I participated in my first 5k. For most people this would probably be something that they are really proud of, but for me it was just a total disappointment. The trail was great and the support around me was great, but I was not. Alas, I had not put in the required effort to get to a decent shape prior to doing this 5k and while some people are in good enough shape to wing it, I was not.

While I was really embarrassed at how hard even finishing this 5k was for me, I've fueled that into a determination to be better. One of my goals for 2014  is to redo the 5k and kick a lot more butt this time.


Planning ahead to stay on track

They say that  you get the best dieting advice from someone who struggles with their weight, and I definitely agree! Over the years I've tried a couple different dieting styles, workout approaches and have a pretty good grasp of what works for me (and a lot of other people too!).

The issue is, of course, sticking with what works for you so that you hit your goals and live a happier, healthier and thinner life. This is the part that I've struggled with the most over the years.I know what I have to do and I know how to do it, I just fall into doing things the easiest way and that happens to be the least healthy way.

It always starts out with a lofty goal in mind and a 'recommitment' to starting healthy habits. The issue is that I know what I want to do but I don't give myself the tools that I need to be successful. I KNOW that I'm busy in the mornings and don't have time to pack a lunch or make an extensive breakfast but for so long I refused to adjust my habits and would always 'have' to stop for fast food for breakfast.

The biggest thing that I'm doing differently right now is planning ahead and packing ahead. I make a grocery list every Saturday that includes our dinners for the next week as well as what I need for breakfast and lunch. I head to the store on Sunday and then do as much prepping as I can. I've found that washing and chopping all of my veggies and getting them into ziplock containers that are easy to grab is a key to success for me.

Every weeknight before I go to bed I put together my breakfast and lunch for the next day in a super cute lunch bag that I store in the fridge until I'm heading out the door. Breakfast right now is simple, an Atkins Advantage Protein Shake, a string cheese and yogurt. Some celery and cucumber slices with lemon for a mid-morning snack and then a protein bar and a yummy salad for lunch. I'm doing pretty standard dinners that my whole family will enjoy and just adjusting to make them as low carb/healthy as possible for myself.

I'm sure that in the coming weeks I will need to adjust to add some variety to this pattern, but for now it is working really well and I know that if I continue to plan ahead and I can plan on being successful.