Fit by 40, Week 5
Have you ever gotten busy and fallen back into old routines? That’s what happened to me in Fit by 40, Week 5! We had a really busy weekend and I fell back into some of my old, less than healthy routines. This made me realize that my new habits are not fully formed yet. It also reinforced that when I plan for healthier choices ahead of time they are much more likely to happen. I learned that when I know a very busy day or weekend is coming up, a little pre-planning will go a long way in terms of sticking with my new habits.
What Went Well, Week 5:
1. Exercise: This was something that went well in Week 4, and I was able to improve again in this area in Week 5. I made exercise a priority this week. I got up a little early and exercised before bringing the kids to school. While it was a little challenging, especially with a three year old hanging on my leg, it was worth it. I exercised more this week than I have since starting this challenge. I finally realized that planning to exercise first thing is the morning is when I am usually most successful.
2. Preparing Fresh Fruit: I cut up a bunch of fresh fruits and put them in containers in the refrigerator. That way when I was hungry it was convenient and available. There was literally no excuse to eat anything else! This made it easy to add fresh fruit to meals or to eat as a snack.Â
3. Drinking More Water: This has been the habit I am most consistent with. I used to mistake thirst for hunger. Now that I am drinking more water, I am getting better at differentiating between the two. This week, when I felt like I was hungry, I took a moment to really listen to my body. Most often, I was actually thirsty.
Related Post: Fit by 40, Week 6
Areas That Need Work, Week 5:
1. Eating Sweets: I did really well here for the most part…and then I had to bake some cookies for my husband’s work. I was in a rush and accidentally made the wrong recipe, which I didn’t even realize until I was putting in the last ingredient! So then I made the correct recipe and there were left overs, which led to me sampling lots of cookies. We also had a party at our house this weekend and I made a mistake with one of the cakes, so we ended up with two cakes (one not servable, though it was definitely edible) and a bunch of cupcakes. I am definitely planning to bake less next week!
2. Meditation: Â This week I started meditating a few times and only successfully meditated once. The other times I was interrupted and never went back to it. I need more discipline here.
3. More Variety with Exercise: I did the same exercise routine all week. It is one I really like and I am going to keep using it, though I feel that I should switch it up a little bit. I think adding some variety will help in two areas: it will prevent me from getting bored and it will provide a more well rounded approach to fitness. I would like to add more weight bearing exercises so that I gain more tone and some muscle mass.
Though I had a bit of a setback with some decision making this weekend, I noticed that I am feeling stronger than I did at the beginning of this challenge. I think it’s important to acknowledge that I made a few mistakes, move on and celebrate what’s going well. My celebrations include the fact that my clothes are fitting better and I have a little more energy than before. I am also making better choices overall.
What are you celebrating?
I love reading posts like this to keep me inspired with healthy eating and exercise. Encouragement is so needed to help us make good choices! Best wishes on your fitness journey!
Thank you Kristin! Encouragement is very helpful!!!
This is an awesome plan! I turn 40 soon too and I have some similar goals!
Thank you Jaclyn!
Congrats to you for sticking through to meet your goals! I know not eating sweets can be really hard. I have days where I crave chocolate and some of those days I give in to the craving.
Thank you Diana! I give in to the cravings too, just not as frequently now. 🙂