Day One and Two

One of the things that makes such a big change so hard is that we all place unrealistic expectations on how we will do, when we will see change and just how much change we will see in a very short period of time. I bring this up because day one of my change to a healthier life did not go as planned. I didn’t eat as well as I wanted to and I also ate more than I should have. Still, I am not looking at day one as anything but a success. I tracked everything that I put into my body in complete honesty and worked out hard knowing I didn’t eat as well as I had planned. This was my step one towards a healthier more active life and any step in the right direction is a success.

Making small goals to focus on throughout your journey helps too. If I think about overall weight (which I never solely focus on) I have about 30 pounds I would like to lose to meet my goal. If I look at the fact that I haven’t lost thirty pounds yet when I am weighing in and taking my measurements than I will get discouraged and potentially lose that awesome momentum I am in the process of building up. Instead I make the goal of eating right and working out today. I make the goal of celebrating after I lose the first 4 pounds. And finally, I make the goal that I am going to give it everything I can this week and celebrate at the end of it when I am successful.

When it comes to eating better, I like to track what fuel I am putting into my body. Not only am I able to better see where I need to make adjustments nutritionally, but it helps me personally to eat in moderation. I know that if I measure how much rice and stir fry veggies I am putting on my plate I will be completely satisfied once I have finished my meal. If I am not tracking just how much I am eating I tend to put more on my plate and eat it all because it is sitting in front of me. How many of you have this issue too? Tracking doesn’t work for everyone, but I have found that the awareness that it brings to me helps me to make better choices each and every day.

I had so much energy last night after I worked out. I decided to do a speed walk on my treadmill at the highest incline possible for approximately 40 minutes, then walked for about 10 minutes more to cool down. I never understood how people would say that they had more energy when working out. I thought that it was impossible because you would use so much energy throughout your workout, there was no way you would have more when you were done. However, last night I was pumped and flew through packing my lunch for work.

Although I don’t think anyone should rely on the people in their lives to say the things they need to hear in order to keep going, I am thankful for the people I have in my life. My darling boyfriend has told me countless times how beautiful I am and that I don’t need to lose anything, but he has also made it clear that no matter what I decide to do he will support me through my journey. My sister is a fantastic cheerleader and is always telling me I am doing a great job at life, even when I feel like I have been a bump on a log. She celebrates even when I don’t feel like I deserve a celebration. I also have wonderful friends who have joined me in my personal challenge to become a healthier more active me and I couldn’t be happier to share in this journey with all of these amazing people.

Along the lines of tracking meals, planning your day in advance helps too. Last night before I got ready for bed I made up my breakfast (I work very early and end up eating breakfast part way through my day at work), my lunch and snacks for the next day. As I think back on day one not going exactly as I planned it I simply smile. I think about how much drive that gave me to make day two amazing. After making and tracking all of my meals and snacks for the day in advance, I was able to stay on track with what I ate. I even increased the amount of water I was drinking and I feel amazing about day two! It’s not over yet but I have plans to workout hard on my treadmill and then check out one of the workout apps I downloaded to try.

I want to feel like this every day, I want to have energy to burn; I want to be excited about the changes I am making and share my successes. I want to celebrate every milestone and feel that I am constantly moving forward. My challenge is merely beginning yet I feel like it has already changed my life. I am so excited to see the changes in the coming weeks and months! So it’s back to it, and I leave you so I can get to my workout for day two!