My attempts to cut way back on refined sugar in June are off to a rocky start, given I forgot Friday was the first day of June. Between forgetting to make my smoothie on Thursday night and therefore grabbing a quick sugar-laden breakfast (lower-sugar instant oatmeal) and then opting for a grape cream soda while for Friday socializing with co-workers. But set backs will happen, so starting off with one? Should be par for the course!
So here is my plan:
1. Plan ahead
It means stocking up on appropriate desk-side treats to keep me from running to the cafeteria at 3:00 for a sugar-y fix (in my defense, the cafeteria on campus makes everything from scratch - even their peanut butter - using fresh, simple ingredients in socially responsible ways)
2. Make ahead
It means finding recipes for some of my favourite treats that have sugar alternatives, such as my oatmeal to go bars.
3. Think ahead
It means not getting stuck on days when I just have to have that cookie, or need the ketchup on my burger.
So what constitutes sugar in my "no sugar" plan?
1. Granulated white and brown sugar
2. Processed food products that contain large amounts of refined sugars (cookies, ketchup, barbecue sauce)
3. Artificially created sweeteners such as Splenda, Aspartame, etc.
What is allowed?
1. Honey
2. Naturally occurring sugars found in fresh foods like apples, bananas and carrots
3. Moderated amounts of sugar products at special occasions and while being a guest in someone else's home
What are my goals?
1. Reduce my dependance on sugar
2. Get into the habit of avoiding processed foods
3. Increase my daily intake of fruits and vegetables
Hopefully, over the month, I'll be able to stop in from time to time to post some of the great recipes I'll be trying!
Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts
Spoiling myself (the healthy way)
I've jumped into fitness again. Something about the nice spring weather always makes me a fitness fanatic. Oh, and the fact it's free? That's the biggest selling point. And the more interested in fitness I get, the more I'm concerned about the food that I'm eating. And the more that I am concerned about the food I'm eating, the more I want to just screw it all up by having a milkshake every night.
That is, until I made this smoothie. Words cannot express my love for this smoothie. It puts Booster Juice to shame.
Ingredients
1 handful of ice cubes
1 single serve container of yogurt (peach works best)
1 mango
Blend up ice cubes (a big of water apparently helps). Add yogurt and mango (cubed, or butcher or however you can get the fruit off the stone and the skin). Blend.
And now for the most important part - consume slowly while sitting on a deck.
That is, until I made this smoothie. Words cannot express my love for this smoothie. It puts Booster Juice to shame.
Ingredients
1 handful of ice cubes
1 single serve container of yogurt (peach works best)
1 mango
Easing In
I woke up Sunday morning with a headache. Again. Every morning for a month, I wake up with a headache. It goes away as soon as I eat.On what I believed was an unrelated note, I was browsing around Self.Com learning about... was it Cross-fit? I don't quite remember, but I saw "Five on Five with Eva Longoria - find out what she gave up eating!"
Since I was at a loss as to what to eat for breakfast (running low on yogurt... cottage cheese... butter... we may have failed at planning our grocery list last week), I decided to see what she gave up, and in turn, what she ate. It ended up she gave up sugar and all foods that turn into sugar. She said it got rid of the little pooch in her belly.
Somewhere between "ya right, like she had any belly fat" and "I want to get rid of any belly fat," my headache worsened. And then it clicked - maybe it wasn't just food in general that cures my headache. Scott has a headache until he drinks coffee and I call it an addiction. My morning headache often has me reaching for fast and easy foods - like instant oatmeal, or worse yet - pre-packaged oatmeal breakfast bars. Maybe I have an addiction to sugar!
I'm not going off sugar cold turkey. And I'm not going off sugar 100%. Between road trips, weddings and family events, I almost feel like I'd be setting myself for failure. In a nutshell, I'm working to consciously reduce my intake of refined sugar products. Here is my plan:
1. Find home-made versions of processed products (instant oatmeal / breakfast bars)
2. Modify favourite recipes to eliminate or replace refined sugar with more natural alternatives (pizza dough)
3. Eliminate chemical sweeteners (while not entirely linked to my sugar addiction, it's still a good step)
4. Slowly replace sugar-laden products with no-sugar-added varieties (peanut butter, tomato sauce)
5. Consciously opt for less sugar-loaded foods when eating away from home
6. Avoid juices and soft drinks
My hope is that I can slowly make adjustments through the month of May, and be at full speed at the beginning of June. I'll try to check in at the beginning of the month, and then again at the end of that month to let you know how it's going.
Meal Makeover
I've really noticed in the last 6 months that which our mothers warned us would happen - the point where I can't just eat anything, exercise sporadically, and look and feel as great as I did when I was a teenager (all right, I was about 15 pounds heavier 10 years ago, but that was because I worked in a chocolate shop and regular sampling was a requirement of the job, I swear). As a result, I carefully plan my meals 5 days a week (and exercise *some* caution on the weekends). In my planning, I have noticed we've been eating a LOT of fat. There were some easy changes we could make - switching to low-fat mayo for our homemade dip, and reducing the amount of sausage-based meals. However, there were some changes where we had to get creative, namely, ground beef.
We would eat ground beef every day if we could, but it's probably not the best food to be eating that often, even if you buy lean varieties. However, we also realized many of our ground beef recipes don't involve actually tasting the meat - such as tacos.
As a result, I created a vegetarian alternative - without sacrificing too much protein. Introducing:
We would eat ground beef every day if we could, but it's probably not the best food to be eating that often, even if you buy lean varieties. However, we also realized many of our ground beef recipes don't involve actually tasting the meat - such as tacos.
As a result, I created a vegetarian alternative - without sacrificing too much protein. Introducing:
Quinoa Tacos
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 recipe taco seasoning
taco shells
taco fixings (we had tomatos, lettuce, green pepper, and cheddar cheese)
Instructions
1. Rinse quinoa, if required (ours requires a 3 minute rinse)
2. Add quinoa and water to a pot and bring to boil
3. Stir in taco seasoning, cover and simmer for time specified by manufacturer (ours recommends 15-20 minutes)
4. While it is simmering, prepare taco fixings.
5. Fluff quinoa with fork and spoon into shells
6. Top as desired. Remember - vegetables are good for you, so use lots! (Or, if you're like me, make a taco salad!)
Tastes almost exactly the same, but has 16 grams less fat! (Alas, only a quarter of the protein, but it does have all the important amino acids)
Don't have a taco seasoning recipe that you like? Check out ours here!
A Comment on Comments
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| Source: crafterminds.com via Cara on Pinterest |
There are generally four types of comments.
1) Positive reinforcement
2) Constructive criticism
3) Generic self-promoters
4) Trollers and haters
The more I thought about comments, the less they seemed to be in categories, and the more they seemed to blend together.
I started to wonder about the value of the comments I was leaving. The majority of my comments are: "Great dress!" or references to tangential remarks unrelated the body of the post. Was it worth the effort to those receiving the comment? Was I really participating in the discourse? If I wasn't, was I really any better than the "generic self-promoters" that I despise ("Great post! Visit my blog!").
It seemed my next option would be to provide constructive criticism. It seemed to be a good idea in theory - throw in a sandwich comment ("I love that colour on you, but I think tucking in the shirt would help the line of the silhouette with that full skirt AND it will highlight your thin waist!"), and be a worthwhile participant of this community.
But then I realized how quickly it could blend into being perceived as a hater - just because my aesthetic dictates the emphasis of a nicely nipped in waist over a long torso doesn't mean that everyone does. And what gives me the right to tell someone that? What authority do I have?
So the more I thought about the comments I would leave, the less sure I was about writing them. Suddenly, thoughts like: "They never comment on my blog, so why comment on theirs?" and "Will they think I don't like them if I don't comment?" run through my brain. Even when people left comment-stress-reducing ending questions, I couldn't help but think: "Will they think I'm self absorbed if I leave my thoughts?"
The irony is that despite my neurosis on leaving comments (or rather, on what people think of the comments I leave), 99% of the time, I'm grateful people stop by to comment!
Do you have any preference about the type of comments you'd like to receive? What kind of comments do you leave?
Good time for feeling good
"Scott, I'm so happy that I think I'm going to burst!"
That sentence alone could summarize last week for me. It boggles my mind how finding the right job makes all the difference in the world. Primarily, it means coming home in a good mood, which in turn, filters through the rest of my evening, and the rest of my life.
That sentence alone could summarize last week for me. It boggles my mind how finding the right job makes all the difference in the world. Primarily, it means coming home in a good mood, which in turn, filters through the rest of my evening, and the rest of my life.
- I am cleaning up after myself.
I used to walk in the door, drop everything on the floor, and burst into tears. There my dirty lunch dishes, my mitts, my bag would sit until I needed them again. Every movement seemed to fight a gravity so strong, my body would collapse onto the couch and not move. Now, I bounce through the door, immediately bring my lunch kit to the kitchen, hang up my coat, and even some days, I put my shoes away! (Some days, habits are tough to break) - I am getting exercise
As I said, I bounce through the door. Scott gets a little overwhelmed by this uncharacteristic energy, so my solution has been to change out of my work clothes into my work out clothes, and get a bit of a workout done before supper. - I am eating well
First of all, I'm starving. All day. And that's a good thing, because I'm craving fruits and vegetables, not cookies and chocolate. Sure, it means having to remember to pack lots of healthy snacks, but in the grand scheme of things, eating more healthy options is better than eating any little amount of gross foods! - I am getting out
Friday, I was invited out for drinks. I was pretty pumped to have plans, but was a bit weary about being so tired (see #1). Instead, when I arrived home, I wasn't ready to call it a night. After months of being unable to find a suitable time to meet with friends, we discovered last minute texts paid off. Not only did we get together that night, we were invited out the next, as well
With what we've got
Of Scott and I, I am certainly the more financially minded of the two of us. While he likes to spend his spare time gaming, I spend mine researching. With having some significant liberty over the last couple weeks, I spent a good deal of time researching the cost of being adults. Sure, I've legally been considered an adult for 10 years, but with both of us embarking on careers in the next 6 months, we're finally starting to feel like adults, or at least feeling the weight of the responsibilities that come with adulthood.
We've been playing: "it'll get better" for a long time. We saved aggressively for Scott's tuition. We slammed the bank account doors shut when I quit my job. For years, it feels like we've been doing with out, saying now, and just biding our time until "it gets better." While we are now starting to breathe a sigh of relief financially with me being in a steady, secure, and supportive job, a new reality is hitting us.
Financial security doesn't mean financial freedom.
Our parents appear to be financially comfortable. Both sets have relatively comparatively large houses (4 bedrooms, attached garages, air conditioning), with new (and planned) upgrades from granite counter tops to bamboo flooring. They travel as much as they would like. Their cars are in good condition, even if they aren't exactly new. For much of our life, we have enjoyed freeloading off of their financial fortune, and have always expected we would have a life much the same... once it got started.
And now, being at the precipice of "adulthood," we are realizing a very important lesson. It takes time and effort to get to that financial situation. What we don't remember are the years our parents worked to save money for down payments on homes; when they crossed their fingers, stuck out their tongue, and held their breath, hoping their car would still start; when they sacrificed trips to Europe, fancy dinners out and designer clothing in order to provide us with food and shelter.
With two incomes looming on the future, we could be in the position to take exotic trips, buy fancy clothes (or comic books), and go out every weekend. Or, we could be in the position to purchase a house, trade in our two rust buckets for one reliable, practical car, and start saving for our children's future. But unless we start buying (and winning) lottery tickets, we can't have it all.
While we feel like we've been depriving ourselves for these last few years, we took a moment to look around this last weekend. For so long, we've been focusing on what we've been missing out on, what we feel we deserve. But it was obvious - we have a lot for which we should be thankful. We spent our Saturday traipsing across the city, donating our excess goods to charity, purchasing our new patio set with the last of our wedding money, and eating out at our favourite restaurant before spending the evening playing with our niece. Sure, weekends like these are few and far between (well not the free babysitting part), but we have no reason to complain.
The big house? The car that doesn't squeak at every stop sign, corner or crack in the road? The trip across the big ocean? Those things will come. And when we've had to work hard to get them, we'll appreciate them all the more. For now, we're going to be happy with what we've got, because when it comes down to it, we do have a lot.
We've been playing: "it'll get better" for a long time. We saved aggressively for Scott's tuition. We slammed the bank account doors shut when I quit my job. For years, it feels like we've been doing with out, saying now, and just biding our time until "it gets better." While we are now starting to breathe a sigh of relief financially with me being in a steady, secure, and supportive job, a new reality is hitting us.
Financial security doesn't mean financial freedom.
Our parents appear to be financially comfortable. Both sets have relatively comparatively large houses (4 bedrooms, attached garages, air conditioning), with new (and planned) upgrades from granite counter tops to bamboo flooring. They travel as much as they would like. Their cars are in good condition, even if they aren't exactly new. For much of our life, we have enjoyed freeloading off of their financial fortune, and have always expected we would have a life much the same... once it got started.
And now, being at the precipice of "adulthood," we are realizing a very important lesson. It takes time and effort to get to that financial situation. What we don't remember are the years our parents worked to save money for down payments on homes; when they crossed their fingers, stuck out their tongue, and held their breath, hoping their car would still start; when they sacrificed trips to Europe, fancy dinners out and designer clothing in order to provide us with food and shelter.
With two incomes looming on the future, we could be in the position to take exotic trips, buy fancy clothes (or comic books), and go out every weekend. Or, we could be in the position to purchase a house, trade in our two rust buckets for one reliable, practical car, and start saving for our children's future. But unless we start buying (and winning) lottery tickets, we can't have it all.
While we feel like we've been depriving ourselves for these last few years, we took a moment to look around this last weekend. For so long, we've been focusing on what we've been missing out on, what we feel we deserve. But it was obvious - we have a lot for which we should be thankful. We spent our Saturday traipsing across the city, donating our excess goods to charity, purchasing our new patio set with the last of our wedding money, and eating out at our favourite restaurant before spending the evening playing with our niece. Sure, weekends like these are few and far between (well not the free babysitting part), but we have no reason to complain.
The big house? The car that doesn't squeak at every stop sign, corner or crack in the road? The trip across the big ocean? Those things will come. And when we've had to work hard to get them, we'll appreciate them all the more. For now, we're going to be happy with what we've got, because when it comes down to it, we do have a lot.
Write it out
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| Image from Hubpages.com |
It should make sense to me - I used to write fervently, so of course, I would surround myself with writers. At one time, I wrote so much, I could even crack out of a screen play in one Christmas break (it was titled "Twitterpated" and still makes me laugh to this day). Despite having undergone Literary studies at 3 different universities, there has never been such a concentration of English majors who are creative writers as in Regina. That should have been inspiring, but it was intimidating to say the least. After all, these are people who actively seek out public reading opportunities, and submit their work for publication (a huge congratulations to Cassidy of Riddlehoard for her upcoming writing appearance in The Fiddlehead).
My last serious bout of writing (it is a disease, a compulsion, an addiction) was in December of 2008, almost 4 years ago. It was an amazing experience - I took a favourite Christmas CD, and wrote a musical, using each song as it appeared in the track list. Copyright issues would naturally be an issue from day one, but I never intended it to be seen by anyone except the professor for whose class I was writing it. One day he stopped me in the hallway and suggested I adapt it for radio, and he would help me get it produced on air. After floating on cloud nine for two days, I forgot all about it.
I haven't written creatively since.
In the last couple days, I've been feeling an urge to write. No, urge is not the right word - a need to write, as though I will explode if my mind isn't given the liberty to put thought to paper. It usually happens at the oddest times - like Monday morning as I was hoping to stop in at the apparently closed library, without having my laptop, or even a paper and pen. Attempting to assuage this need by visiting a bookstore to get resources for the whole "research" thing serious writers apparently do made the need stronger, and more insistent. But a problem cropped up immediately.
What do I have to say?
I used to be brimming with ideas, and it seemed the more I wrote, the more ideas I had. I know I just to start, anywhere, and the ideas will start as well. I know starting is the hardest, but I just need to write it out.
Ready Ready Ready, Ready to Run
I used to be an avid gym go-er, back when I had the funds. Now that life is turning around a bit, I'm thinking about going back. However, I still find myself wondering if I'll get enough out of the gym to make it worth while.
While I loved the perceived efficiency of using an elliptical, I know that so many people - myself included - don't use it correctly, and get minimal benefit from its use. Even when you're "running" like a bat out of hell on it, without the appropriate amount of resistance, you're just letting momentum to a lot of the work. Sure, it may get your heart racing a bit more, but unless you're fighting against the resistance of the machine, few other muscles are really getting worked. As adding resistance to my elliptical work out made me despise it just as much as the stair climber or the treadmill, I only really used it for warm ups and cool downs.
On my cardio days, I would hit the treadmill. I would always hit the maximum time (30 minutes), and feel like I had an excellent work out. But throw me onto an asphalt track, and I could barely make it 10 minutes without gasping for air. With the potential to be returning to the gym life soon, I started wondering if it was worth it.
I searched online to find the reasons, and they are all logical
- Treadmills help pull the legs along, rather than having us have to propel ourselves forward.
- They provide cushioning not available when running outdoors
- The gym has a structured environment - the treadmill is level, there is no wind, and the temperature is usually ideal for working out.
But the most important reason I think I found for why I do so much better on a treadmill - it sets a continuous pace, so you don't burn yourself out by going too fast too early.
I think I'll hold off on the gym for another month or two and see how I am doing on my own outside, but I certainly will be looking forward to my return to the treadmill in a number of months once the snow flies again.
Do you like to run outside or on a treadmill?
While I loved the perceived efficiency of using an elliptical, I know that so many people - myself included - don't use it correctly, and get minimal benefit from its use. Even when you're "running" like a bat out of hell on it, without the appropriate amount of resistance, you're just letting momentum to a lot of the work. Sure, it may get your heart racing a bit more, but unless you're fighting against the resistance of the machine, few other muscles are really getting worked. As adding resistance to my elliptical work out made me despise it just as much as the stair climber or the treadmill, I only really used it for warm ups and cool downs.
On my cardio days, I would hit the treadmill. I would always hit the maximum time (30 minutes), and feel like I had an excellent work out. But throw me onto an asphalt track, and I could barely make it 10 minutes without gasping for air. With the potential to be returning to the gym life soon, I started wondering if it was worth it.
I searched online to find the reasons, and they are all logical
- Treadmills help pull the legs along, rather than having us have to propel ourselves forward.
- They provide cushioning not available when running outdoors
- The gym has a structured environment - the treadmill is level, there is no wind, and the temperature is usually ideal for working out.
But the most important reason I think I found for why I do so much better on a treadmill - it sets a continuous pace, so you don't burn yourself out by going too fast too early.
I think I'll hold off on the gym for another month or two and see how I am doing on my own outside, but I certainly will be looking forward to my return to the treadmill in a number of months once the snow flies again.
Do you like to run outside or on a treadmill?
When I try to be healthy...
Every once and a while, I go through a fitness kick and start worrying about whether I'm eating properly. It turns out, worrying is the worst thing I can do! You see, I'll track what I eat on a random day, compare it to what I should eat. I compare two metrics: how I compare to my daily "allotted" calories, and where those calories come from (protein, fats, carbs). Sometimes, I track as I eat. Sometimes, I decide to track what I ate the previous day, to ensure there is no consulting the computer to decide whether I should have that second third fourth piece of bacon. Most of the time, I do pretty well. Here are my results for last week:
However, there is a major downfall to this system. Sure, I know I'm not tracking major nutrients (and I know things like calcium and iron are likely lacking from my diet). The main problem is that it proves my average day-to-day eating isn't that far off from where it should be (at least based on these two metrics). As a result, for the nexttwo three four days, I start to get cocky. I not longer question that piece of bacon. And of course I deserve two afternoon snacks. And that Tim Hortons' latte totally doesn't count because it's liquid.
It works the same when I've done a good work out. It lets me justify spoiling myself.
Does anyone else find this happens to them, that your attempts to be healthy usually result in going overboard in the opposite direction?
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| Graphic from Sparkpeople.com |
However, there is a major downfall to this system. Sure, I know I'm not tracking major nutrients (and I know things like calcium and iron are likely lacking from my diet). The main problem is that it proves my average day-to-day eating isn't that far off from where it should be (at least based on these two metrics). As a result, for the next
It works the same when I've done a good work out. It lets me justify spoiling myself.
Does anyone else find this happens to them, that your attempts to be healthy usually result in going overboard in the opposite direction?
So you think you're in shape
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| from the NHS website |
Monday morning, full of vim and vigour, I loaded up a new podcast from the National Health Service (from UK). It's designed to take you from the couch to running 5K in 9 weeks. I thought, as I pulled on my knee braces and running shoes, "this will be so easy. I'm not a couch potato, I'm a lapsed athlete".
Nope, no, definitely a couch potato. Week 1 is exactly the right amount of challenge for me to realize that I'm out of shape, without defeating me! The best part of this podcast is it combines both music (timed appropriate for whether you're running or walking) and encouragement as you go through each interval. And it's only 30 minutes (including a warm up and cool down).
It's available for free on iTunes or the NHS website, so you can try it out too! Let me know how you find it!
Dear Self
* I've been struggling to rebuild some self-esteem I've lost over the last number of weeks. I'm continually astonished at the fact that even if 5 people are telling you that you did a great job, one person saying that you didn't always echoes so much louder. That voice even begins to transfer over into other areas of your life, and soon you find yourself huddled under blankets, unable to do anything, believing you will already fail.
I tell you, it's been fun times in the life of Cara.
To counteract the voice (which may have started out as someone else's but soon became my own), I've forced myself to reflect every morning on one thing that I did well the previous day, or one positive trait about myself.
Saturday: I completed a difficult part of the knitting pattern for the gift I am giving Scott's cousin's baby. Not only was I capable of persevering, but I am also glad I have the skills to create something from nothing, as money is tight. Hopefully, the gift will be cherished both because it'll be friggin' adorable and because time, energy and love went into it.
Sunday: I ate my vegetables. No, really, it's worthy of praise. I resisted the urge to say: "we don't need veggies" when Scott asked me to help with supper. I didn't even pull my usual "but I'm working on my thesis" when really I'm just figuring out what to wear to my thesis defense. I got my lazy butt off the couch, peeled the carrots, washed the celery, mixed up some dip, and ate the whole bowl ravenously.
Monday: I may have had a slow start to my day, having difficulties making myself get motivated, but I did eventually accomplish what I had set out to do. And even though I didn't believe it was quality work, I believed enough in myself to not immediately delete it and start again. And sure enough, the next morning I re-read it and it was exactly what I wanted it to say.
Tuesday: I interviewed very confidently for a job. I decided it didn't matter if I didn't think I was aptly qualified, they asked me to come in and interview, and I would do the best I could. I felt at ease and comfortable sharing the experience I have, and was honest about my shortcomings.
What do you do to build your self-esteem when it starts to get a little low?
*Alas, this photo was "uploaded by user" so I don't know if she was the creator or if she found it elsewhere. If you know the original source of this photo, please let me know, as I do wish to give credit where credit is due!
Partial Victory
We went through an internal audit of our workplace a month or two back, and one of the questions was: "how you do measure success". While it was an interesting exercise to compare answers as a workplace about our business practices, I think I got more out of it examining it at a personal level. I think success is always being able to distinguish a need from a want, and always being able to supply the first, and practice wise judgement on the second. I believe success is achieving goals, celebrating them, and setting the next goal. I believe success is being surrounded by family - both in the literal and figurative sense. I believe success is knowing what brings you enjoyment in your life, and taking the time to appreciate it.
But my thoughts on success are very philosophical. It's hard to always tell if you're succeeding in real life. On the one hand, I'm being very successful in my Lenten goal of abolishing the snooze button. I am getting out of bed within a couple minutes of the alarm going off (sometimes you just need a quick morning snuggle), I'm having time for breakfast and I'm even getting in a bit of exercise. From that angle, my goal seems to be a success!
On the other hand, my brain still seems to have found a magical loop hole in this whole Lenten challenge. I'm not allowed to lazily doze for half an hour AFTER my alarm goes off, so my body decides to wake up half an hour earlier to lazily doze for that same period of time. I can't seem to avoid that 30 minutes of lying in bed, dreading the day, festering over problems that are likely not to happen, but seem inevitable in the hazy grey of morning.
I'd start getting out of bed that half an hour earlier, if I didn't fear that my brain would awake half an hour before that, and the trend of lazing and loathing would continue on. Instead, I'll reason it's only been a week, and maybe, with time, my body will learn to sleep fully until it is time to wake up. It's best to celebrate the partial victories than to focus on the partial failures.
How you do measure success?
But my thoughts on success are very philosophical. It's hard to always tell if you're succeeding in real life. On the one hand, I'm being very successful in my Lenten goal of abolishing the snooze button. I am getting out of bed within a couple minutes of the alarm going off (sometimes you just need a quick morning snuggle), I'm having time for breakfast and I'm even getting in a bit of exercise. From that angle, my goal seems to be a success!
On the other hand, my brain still seems to have found a magical loop hole in this whole Lenten challenge. I'm not allowed to lazily doze for half an hour AFTER my alarm goes off, so my body decides to wake up half an hour earlier to lazily doze for that same period of time. I can't seem to avoid that 30 minutes of lying in bed, dreading the day, festering over problems that are likely not to happen, but seem inevitable in the hazy grey of morning.
I'd start getting out of bed that half an hour earlier, if I didn't fear that my brain would awake half an hour before that, and the trend of lazing and loathing would continue on. Instead, I'll reason it's only been a week, and maybe, with time, my body will learn to sleep fully until it is time to wake up. It's best to celebrate the partial victories than to focus on the partial failures.
How you do measure success?
Motivation fail.
I haven't done anything even remotely exercise related in a long time. I'm so out of shape, I'm pretty sure I pulled a muscle holding my friend's newborn baby over the weekend.
I've stopped buying snacky foods, but find myself making cookie dough in "single serving" sizes, just to eat it raw (1 part butter, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts flour, a smattering of chocolate chips - doesn't bake up well, but so little effort, and tastes great raw. Shhh... don't tell Healthy Cara I told you the recipe!)
I've made Tim Hortons a fairly regular stop while I wait between buses.
These weekly "Wednesday Wellness" blog posts should have been decent enough motivation, but we all know how non-exercise related they have been as of late. Accountability? What's that? (Did anyone else get some Blink 182 stuck in their head just now? No? Just me who is stuck in 1999?)
I've even gone so far as to buy a pair of pants that SHOULD fit me, but are a smidgen too tight. Even knowing 8 glasses of water and a dozen or so squats a day will get me into these pants in less than a month is failing to motivate me.
Instead, I'm resorting to religious tradition. Today marks the first day of Lent. As penance for my lazy and slothful ways, I have decided that I'm going to use these 40 days as an opportunity to begin healthier, productive habits. Specifically, I am giving up my snooze button. Waking up and getting out of bed a full 30 minutes earlier (ok, 27. My snooze button only provides a 9 minute reprieve) should not only give me enough time to, say, get in a glass of water and maybe a dozen or so squats, it should also give me plenty of time to eat a balanced breakfast.
What do you do when even the best of intentions falls short?
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| Pants as limp as my intentions |
I've made Tim Hortons a fairly regular stop while I wait between buses.
These weekly "Wednesday Wellness" blog posts should have been decent enough motivation, but we all know how non-exercise related they have been as of late. Accountability? What's that? (Did anyone else get some Blink 182 stuck in their head just now? No? Just me who is stuck in 1999?)
I've even gone so far as to buy a pair of pants that SHOULD fit me, but are a smidgen too tight. Even knowing 8 glasses of water and a dozen or so squats a day will get me into these pants in less than a month is failing to motivate me.
Instead, I'm resorting to religious tradition. Today marks the first day of Lent. As penance for my lazy and slothful ways, I have decided that I'm going to use these 40 days as an opportunity to begin healthier, productive habits. Specifically, I am giving up my snooze button. Waking up and getting out of bed a full 30 minutes earlier (ok, 27. My snooze button only provides a 9 minute reprieve) should not only give me enough time to, say, get in a glass of water and maybe a dozen or so squats, it should also give me plenty of time to eat a balanced breakfast.
What do you do when even the best of intentions falls short?