This is Hard
And I wish I were referring to my abs. But unfortunately, I’m not.
I’m in the middle of week one of my new regiment and I’ve forgotten how difficult the first two weeks are. I’ve completely changed eating habits and started exercising. My schedule thus far:
Mon- Tae Bo with resistance bands, 45 minutes. Weight training and abs 30 minutes.
Tues- brisk walking 25 minutes.
Wed- Tae Bo with bands, 45 minutes. Ab work, 15 minutes.
Thu- I think I’m going to attempt some jogging tonight.
As far as diet is concerned, it’s amazing how easy it is to unthinkingly pop “junk” into your mouth. I took the kids swimming on Tuesday. I fed them some goldfish crackers and before I knew it, I had popped a handful into my own mouth. By the time I had eaten them, I realized my oopsie. Wow, bad habits are hard to break.
Mon- a bit of a wash, since I didn’t start the program until that night.
Tues- B: oatmeal, egg white, 2 glasses water. L: taco salad with a spoonful of salsa (no dressing), grapes, 2 glasses water. D: salmon burger on whole wheat buns (no condiments other than salt and pepper), steamed spinach, an apple, 2 glasses water. More water before bed.
Wed- oatmeal, protein powder, 2 glasses water. L: taco with lettuce, cilantro, corn. 2 glasses water. D: stir-fry chicken with red bell peppers and onions, brown rice, spinach. 2 glasses water. Snack: handful of raw almonds. 2 glasses water.
Thu- oatmeal, protein powder, raw almonds, 2 glasses water. L: chicken and brown rice, grapes, 2 glasses water. Snack: low-fat yogurt, raw almonds, 2 glasses water. D: grilled steak, zucchini, spinach with tsp. low-fat vinaigrette, 2 glasses water.
Sounds unexciting, I know. I’ve never been adverse to eating leftovers. In this case, it’s simply easier, because I have to make kids’ meals. But for most people (i.e. Matt) it’d take proper planning to create a week’s menu.
This week’s challenge has been:
1. Motivation to exercise, because I’m sore and tired. It’s easy to whine/complain and be tempted to “skip a night.” But I know the secret to life in general: consistency is key!
2. Don’t look too closely. It’s too early to scrutinize my body. Noticeable changes don’t occur for a few weeks. I only weigh myself at the beginning of the process and then check results based on how my clothing/jeans fit. But it’s hard not to obsess over the fat rolls.
2. Thinking before I eat. I’ve been trying to retrain my brain to see food as fuel, not pleasure. I’ve noticed the smells of food really hit me, especially when I’m cooking other things for my children. My best bet has been to write down my food plan the day before. It’s much easier to stick with something already in writing. As they say in Body for Life, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”
I realize this is just for me, but I feel like if I post it, I’ll somehow be held accountable. Because I absolutely loathe failure. And public failure is the worst.