Happy Thursday!
In exactly ONE DAY I’m moving into a new apartment that’s WAY closer to work. I. Cannot. Wait. This also means that in 4 days, I’ll be starting the Achieve program. Before I start, I thought I’d lay out some challenges that I’ve faced in the past with other programs and brainstorm ideas on how to avoid those again.
1) Food Prep
This has ALWAYS been one of my biggest personal health and fitness struggles. If I have food prepped and ready to go for the week (mainly breakfasts/lunches), I do alright...most of the time. However, there are times that laziness or the food-lover in me kicks into over-drive. For example, the laziness comes out when I don't "feel" like actually going to the grocery and taking a few hours to cook food for the week or next few days. The food-lover comes out when I already have stuff prepped, but then I decide it's not what I want, so I buy something less healthy for lunch instead. I also tend to run a bit on the late side in the mornings (Any NON-morning people out there?!), so when I don't have my breakfast and/or lunch already packed, I may be in too much of a hurry to pack it before I leave or I may just think "forget it, I can't be late, I'll get something at work", even if it won't be healthy.
Things I Can Do:
-Make more easy, freeze-able meals
-Plan more (but how, exactly?)
-Get up earlier and/or pack lunches on work nights
I honestly am not sure what exactly I can do. Suggestions would be appreciated! I guess I'm not 100% sure how to MAKE myself be motivated to take several hours out of my day off to prep food or how to convince myself to take a few extra minutes at night to pack a lunch when I'm already exhausted.
2) Not Having "Enough" Success
I feel like this can be a big hindrance for me. Logically, I know that these things take time and you don't always see results right away. Especially if I'm going to be getting in shape and building muscle, the scale might not necessarily always be the best judge of success. However, mentally/psychologically, it's hard for me to continue with enthusiasm if I see little to no success within the first week or two of a change.
Things I Can Do:
-Stay active on the Achieve social media site
-Continue going to meetings
-Enlist accountability partners to encourage me.
Suggestions would be appreciated here too! I think I'll start with a small goal. Starting Monday, every time I find myself disappointed in my success (or lack thereof), I'll try to write down one thing I'm proud of from the previous week or day.
3) Making time for working out
Honestly, I think this might change for me, but historically, it's been a struggle. Since I'm moving closer to my work on April 1st (no, that's not an April Fool's joke), I'll only be driving 10 minutes one-way instead of almost an hour! WOO HOO! Spending 2 hours of my day in my car is exhausting, even though it's just sitting. If I'm going to work out when I come home, I have to be REALLY motivated. Consequently, the number of workouts per week I've done lately has dwindled.
Things I Can Do:
-Bring workout clothes with me to work
-Have a workout area ready to go at home
-Plan ahead, schedule out my day, and DON'T COMPROMISE
By bringing clothes to work, I can go straight to the gym or to the walking trail or wherever it is I need to go without first sitting on the couch and realizing I missed last night's episode of Scandal. Another thing I tend to do a lot is make excuses and compromise. For example, if I plan to workout at 3:45pm after work on Tuesday, and then everyone decides to go to happy hour after work, I need to prioritize and just go do my workout instead of making excuses like, "I'll work out tomorrow."
4) Prioritizing
I'm sure I'm not the only one, but there are so many times when I do what I WANT to do rather than what I SHOULD do. It's a constant battle. This kind of ties in to all of the previous 3 challenges that I've dealt with. I might get a wrap from the cafeteria at work instead of bringing and eating one of the lunches I prepared for the week. I might go to happy hour with coworkers or friends instead of going home to work out or do food prep. I might get caught up in a TV show that I missed and decide the couch is way more appealing than a workout session or cooking a healthy dinner. You get the gist.
What I can do:
-Make a list and put it somewhere obvious
-Start making my health a priority
Hopefully in time I'll be able to bring updates on what actually works for me and be able to share strategies I've discovered. :)
What are some of your challenges and goals??
How do you stay motivated and prioritize to help you stay on track??
You can do this ! Set your mind to it each morning! I have fallen many times before the Achieve started---Find your why and/or whys you want this. Rhonda B. was saying how are taste buds are more sensitive now that she can really taste the different flavors instead of just eating. 3 people in my class have lowered the amount of meds they take for diabetes in addition to weight loss. I will share some suggestions that have helped me later. Keep telling yourself, that you've got this.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Momma. Loooooove you! :)
DeleteThere is no doubt in my mind that you can do this! If you can get through the Pharmacy program at Butler, this will be a piece of cake, but not without work! Planning is key.....It has taken me 13 weeks to lose 24 pounds-slow off stays off. The Oh Yeah Bars are great for a quick breakfast, and I love the Kroger Carbmaster yogurts. The P3 Portable Protein Packs with a Carbmaster smoothie is a quick lunch too. I'm going to have to add exercise into my weekly regimen to lose my last 25 pounds, and we all know I LOATHE exercise, BUT now that the weather is warming up, I'm hoping to walk and or bike more :) Wishing you much success. Choose you WHY wisely-It will keep you motivated! Love you-XOXO
ReplyDeleteThank you! :) Love you tons!
DeleteI struggle with food prep mainly because of my work schedule (60+ hours per week) and also...I hate eating leftovers. I find that not changing or trying new recipes can actually help in this case because if I stick to stuff I really know I like I'm more likely to eat it.
ReplyDeleteMy current favorites that keep well are veggie dumplings. I could eat those things all day and they're surprisingly low calorie. Add some cottage cheese on the side or some hard boiled eggs and I get some good protein too. Basically, I'm only a picky eater with leftovers and it gets in the way of my weight loss!
I'm TERRIBLE at eating leftovers. If it's just like one serving, I will usually take it for lunch, but after that, I might as well throw it out. That's kinda why I said I should do more freeze-able meals. That way I can have it in a couple weeks or something when I'm not tired of it already.
DeleteYou know those after work happy hours are fun and not going can leave you feeling left out. Consider planning one a week and working around it with a plan for how you will eat and drink when you go. Maybe that can be a later workout or a workout free day?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea--
DeleteOne of the main reasons I like to go is to be with the people. The food and drink are secondary so it's easy to make adjustments and still be a part.
Make your WHY bigger than your WHY NOT!
ReplyDeleteIf I don't want a junk day then even when I eat out, I have been able to choose fairly healthy. I carry my own salad dressing with me in my purse and get a salad with some chicken on it for example. I know I won't do this forever so it's fine for awhile. I discovered McDonalds has good salads and really now that's my favorite thing from there because the other stuff makes me sick to my stomach. LOL
I get tired of food prep, too. What helps me sometimes is to have a meal replacement bar handy or when I am cooking dinner I make extra. I especially like to make extra chicken strips to put on salad or to make fajitas later.
I would suggest starting out as strong as you can. Get that first few pounds off and/or inches and you will want to continue.
One last thing for now.....
CELEBRATE the small stuff. I celebrated the fact the I bypassed the free samples of pinwheels in Krogers today. :)