Looking Backwards and Forwards

Let's take a moment and contemplate this past week… yep, uh huh. I (H) can definitely say it was not my proudest week, but it wasn't too shabby either. Last week started off pretty crazy for us with school registration and our bake sale. We went non-stop for 2 whole days and that included me (H) starting Bootcamp. Then we decided to throw a wrench into things and add a No Junk Food Challenge. Let me just say, that probably wasn't the smartest time. It was kind of unexpected and unplanned (at least for me, H). I was so stressed and confused from starting Bootcamp (waking up at 4:30 in the am) and having a busy week, that I was destined to fail before I even started. That's the thing. If you want to be successful in good diet and exercise, then you have to make a plan. You might not like planning, or you just don't want to take the time, but believe me it is so easy to get off track when you just do it spontaneously. I probably broke the rules 20 times during this first week, all due to the fact that I wasn't prepared and I was too strict. Something else you don't want to do is totally restrict yourself from everything right away. If you are used to eating a ton of stuff, then you aren't going to handle quitting all together. Start by lowering the intake and work from there.  It's like smoking. Almost nobody is able to quit cold turkey. Another thing that is super important is having a good support system and actually reaching out to them. It's one thing to have support, but it's a whole other thing to utilize it. (I probably would have done a little better if I had someone here at my house with me going through the same things, but the truth is we aren't always going to have the perfect conditions every time we do a challenge.) 

Now that we've gone over a few of my many mistakes this past week, let's move on to this week. This morning at Bootcamp I was talking to my instructor about dietary/food advice. (She knows a lot about health and fitness and it's helpful to know someone like that to ask them questions and learn from them.) She basically told me to eat what I want. WOW…really?!? Not entirely. She said to eat what you want as long as it is IN MODERATION. If your body is craving something (pretty much all of the time for me) then go ahead and eat it. If you keep pushing those cravings back, pretty soon it will become too hard to withstand and you will end up binging. (And that's what we really don't want!) So go ahead and satisfy your cravings. If you really want sugar, then have like a handful of m&ms, half of a candy bar (and put the rest away), or if you really are pushing yourself try chewing gum. You can also try eating different fruits or vegetables. It might not work all the time, but most of the time it will. And if you do those things and you're still craving more and more, try picturing a nice juicy steak to see if you're simply hungry. Sometimes, just drinking water does the trick, because you're actually thirsty. (You can also try working out, but you might not have that option available.) The key is to not deprive your body of what it needs/wants. It is to satisfy yourself and enjoy life in a healthy way. So go ahead and have fun at holidays and on the weekends. Just remember: MODERATION, MODERATION, MODERATION! 

Something else we need to remember is that it's better to have a plan, because you are less likely to deviate from/fail your challenge, etc. if you have it all written out. You aren't going to want to stray too far from the plan if you can physically see what you want/are trying to do. I know there are lots more tips I could give you or advice that I could've put in this post, but frankly I'm a little worn out after today and I've at least given a starting point. Maybe B and I will add little tidbits every now and then, and I will definitely get back to you on what my instructor says. Here's one last idea: write out everything you eat and the times you eat them at. Keep a food log/journal. It will help you stay accountable and it may help you to eat less because you are required to think and do something whenever you eat. You can also write down why you're eating or how you feel when you are eating so that you can better understand your habits. 

I'm still excited for Bootcamp and now B and I are training for a mud run. Try and find fun things you can do where you live to spice up your workout. They are fun and easy and if you do it with a friend it makes the whole experience better. 

                                          Sincerely H

Here is this weeks body photo.