Hello all! So, it's the end of week 1, and I thought it would be great to reflect on the week, re-evaluate, and set goals for this week. Like most week's there were ups and downs, but there were a few things this week that were (for me) especially tough. There were many times this week when I asked myself, why in the world did I chose this week to get serious.
The first trial came on Monday when I had to make cookies for my daughter's preschool class. I love to bake, and I love cookie dough. I often eat more cookie dough than I actually use to make cookies. However, I did well and only had a small nibble to taste test the dough (as any good chef or baker does). I was also challenged by all the goodies and sweets at my daughter's preschool Valentine's Day party, but I managed to pass on all the sugary sweets. When it was time to leave, there were leftover cookies too. Instead of bring them home where they would tempt me endlessly, I left them with the staff who was more than happy to take them off my hands.
The second trial came on Tuesday, Valentine's Day! Typically, my husband and I do not observe this holiday, mostly because we just don't see the need, when we show each other we love one another all the time. However, our life has been very stressful lately and he thought he would be sweet and surprise me with some chocolate and a flower. Chocolate is my biggest weakness, I will usually sit down at night and eat an entire XL chocolate bar in one evening. Though I did enjoy some of this chocolate, I shared it and only at a few pieces throughout the week.
The next trial came on Wednesday, when I made brownies for my daughter to take to preschool for her birthday. Just like cookies, brownies are another big love of mine. Again, I did well, only taste tested to make sure the batter was correct.
Friday went smoothly, but Saturday...Saturday was the day that I let loose. It was my daughter's 4th birthday party. There was pizza and, of course, cake. I did allow myself to indulge but not as much as I normally would have. I refrained from eating chips, candy, and soda (I substituted flavored seltzer water instead). I also kept the pizza and cake to reasonable serving sizes.
Sunday, I faced another small challenge (compared to the rest of the week). I took my daughter out for a mommy daughter date. We went out to lunch, but I just ate from the salad bar (I probably could have gone a bit lighter on the salad dressing and bacon). Then we hit the movie theater, I'm not big on popcorn so I got some for my little squish some, and refrained from buying any sweets (though I was really tempted).
But what about my workouts?! As I stated in my last post, I got a membership for Beachbody on Demand and after previewing some of their programs I decided to start with Country Heat. The first week's calendar involves two different routines for six out of the seven days. I did manage to do all six days, however I had to switch my rest day from Sunday to Saturday only because I had too much going on with my daughter's party.
I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this program is! I was concerned about the music but it turns out that I like country music more than I remembered and the steps are fun to do. Each routine, has a breakdown video, that breaks down the moves. I highly recommend, that if you do this program, that you take the time watch and do breakdown videos for each routine. You can jump right in if you want to, the instructor demonstrates each step sequence before you do it, but it really helps to see and do them a bit slower first.
The only minor issue I had, was that the areas in my home I can workout in are carpeted. The friction between my sneakers and the carpet made some of the steps difficult. I often found myself loosing count and tripping over my own feet. I know they make socks for this particular reason, so I will probably invest in those soon.
At the beginning of last week, I set three goals that I wanted to focus on this past week. I find focusing on small changes and making them a habit is the best way to make the changes a true part of my lifestyle.
Goal #1 - Stay Active
Following the workout schedule made this very easy to accomplish. Not to mention that my busy schedule kept me on the run. I use my FitBit to monitor my activity, and have not yet increased my target steps, miles, calorie burn, active minutes, etc. On a couple of days I saw four green circles on my dashboard, which is not something I've ever seen before. That means, it's probably time to up those targets.Goal #2 - Caloric Intake
Being a very sporadic eater I aimed for no less than a 1,000 calories and no more than 1,200 calories. I expected this to be extremely difficult, but it wasn't as terrible as I had anticipated. I did fail to accomplish this two out of the seven days. On Monday, I fell short with 989 calories and on Saturday I went significantly over with 1,812 calories (I should have had one less slice of pizza).
Goal #3 - Hydration
This for me is a real struggle. For the last several years I have lived on coffee. It was the only source of liquid I would ingest besides an occasional soda or adult beverage. My target for the week was to drink 75 fl. oz. of water a day. I am sad to say, I only accomplished this one day. However, I did drink some water each day, and more than I have consistently in a long time.
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| Screen shot of FitBit dashboard of water consumption 2/13 - 2/19 |
I am a very self critical person, I usually judge myself harsher than anyone else I judge. So, I am trying to look at myself as if I am a complete stranger. This is not an easy thing to do but if I am to make any long lasting changes I need to be a bit more forgiving of myself. There are several things that I focused on and I did well, such as eating more uniformly (if you don't include Saturday), I ate more fruits and vegetables than I normally do. I didn't binge eat sweats (though I really wanted to), and even though I didn't meet the targeted water intake I wanted, I hydrated more than I usually do. I also, stuck to and enjoyed the workouts, even though my schedule was busier than normal. So, all in all, I declare this a victorious week.
I did not do full measurements for this week or pictures, I decided it might be a hindrance to my positive outlook. I will report those when I complete the 30 days of Country Heat. I did, however, track my weight throughout the week, mostly because it is easy to do and because I've never taken my weight seriously. (As I said in my previous post, fitness for me is about feeling healthy.)
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| Screenshot of Fitbit dashboard 2/13 - 2/19 |
On Monday, I weighed in at 150 lbs and by Saturday morning I saw a low of 146.2 lbs. I account this to water weight, based on past experiences. This morning I weighed in at 148 lbs. Again, not all that bad, a lose of 2 lbs, that most likely would have been more if I hadn't indulged over the weekend.
The real question is how do I feel? I feel...WONDERFUL! I am sleeping better, I have more energy, I'm feeling physically less bloated, and my kids are having a hard time keeping up with me (which is a huge bonus). My muscles ache in all the right places, and for once I know why, so it makes the ache worth it. I've also had less cravings than I normally do to. I am loving how I feel and know that it's only going to get better from here.
I am going to continue with Country Heat, and will still be focusing on my caloric intake but my three primary focuses this week will be:
- Averaging 75 fl. oz. a day, hydration is so important to so many parts of the body. Though I did well this past week, I really want to make this a true habit, that is why I'm making it a primary focus for the week.
- Staying away from unnecessary carbs and processed sugars. These are a big weakness for me and from past experiences they are the reason I have a hard time achieving results.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables. I did really well this past week eating more fruits than I have in months, and eating more vegetables than I typically do, but I want to make it more of a focus.
I faced many personal challenges this past week, but I feel I managed them well. I accomplished things I was feeling discouraged about, and I am feeling wonderful. I have already done my workout for today (Monday) and can't wait to do some conditioning tomorrow. I hope you find my journey inspiring, and if you are this journey with me I hope you find your success. See you soon.
Just Me,
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