Baby Steps to Fitness 
3 Comments Failing Miserably
As you might have read in my previous post, I started a fitness challenge on the 15th, and it turns out that I have to hit the reset button and start over.
I REALLY hate to fail, so I’m looking at this as a brief hiccup in the ultimate plan.
Why have I hit a speed bump? Well . . . it’s my own fault. Here’s where I screwed up . . .
Failure to plan. Dre’s going to say “I told you so.” She warned me that I would need to plan my meals for the on days. She wasn’t kidding. I know that I’m a haphazard moody eater, and I’m also an infrequent eater by nature, and am accustomed to eating only once or twice a day. Six is a bit much, although it can be done. However, in order for me to eat every three hours, there has to be a mechanism in place that supports it. And by that, I mean that the meals need to be prepared and ready to grab. While I love to cook, cooking 6 tiny meals each day is not a good plan. Or a realistic one. I need to set myself up for success.
Soreness. I’ve been good about the exercise portion (relatively). Dre’s classes combined with my in-home routine have made me extremely sore. I used to absolutely LOVE that feeling of soreness after a good workout, and now it’s an annoying impediment which is making it difficult for me to forge ahead (or walk). I realize that it’s important to continue exercise to work out the lactic acid, but with the way my thighs feel, I have no motivation to do squats. Not a one. Of course this is just me being whiney, but I’m going to have find a solution. Or perhaps it will just go away over time.
Love of wine. At risk of sounding like a wino, I always find myself in social situations where having “a glass of wine” seems to be the focal point. I’ve managed to slip up on my on-days, but the good news is that I’ve been able to nurse one glass of wine throughout the entire event on those days. Probably not a tragedy in the grand scheme of things, but definitely not the best way to allocate calories.
These aren’t insurmountable problems. I just need to do better. WAY better.
Onward and upward!
It’s not so much a reset as it is an adjustment – there are likely to be several along the way. Examples:
1. I’ve learned that to be successful, I have to plan ahead. That means preparing on Sunday my meals for the week – chopping up ALL my veggies for my salads to make it easy to grab a fistful and drop it on top of my arugula or baby spinach. In non-summer, I prepare steel-cut oatmeal (that I top with a ton of fruit) or an egg-white fritatta. I’m NOT going to be cooking or prepping everyday, so I cook enough to last.
2. I learned that if I don’t do this on SUNDAY, it WILL NOT happen.
3. I learned that shopping on Sunday wasn’t good enough because I don’t feel like doing anything else after working out, shopping and unloading groceries. I now shop on Saturday and prep on Sunday.
4. I’ve learned to cook extra and freeze it in single serving portions before I have a chance to get sick of it. These frozen foods come in handy for Friday meals or if something derails me from my Sunday prep/cook schedule.
5. I’ve learned to (at least temporarily) keep it simple by focusing on nutrition instead of trying to be innovative and gourmet. Sometimes I’ll fix something interesting, but for the most part, it’s easier for me to NOT.
6. I’ve learned, when eating out, to look at the menu online and make a healthy choice in advance and focus on the company instead of the meal
7. I’ve learned to focus on how good I’ll feel after working out instead of focusing on how much I want to stay in bed.
8. I’ve learned to use my “failures” to progress and make adjustments, instead of feeling defeated.
Best of success on your journey!
Si se puede!
Stephanie, those are great lessons, and I hope to be good enough to implement them someday. I’m starting back again in two days, and these will help my next attempt at success!