So, in a conversation I had the other day (with a husband who will remain nameless), we talked about what constitutes a treat, how many calories are in certain things, how much a serving really is, etc. I wanted to explain something about this Challenge. I realize that it's not perfect. There are ways to really "beat the system." You can aim low and do the minimum and you'll make it. You can rationalize that a muffin is breakfast and not a treat even though it's made from a cake mix. You can eyeball a cup of raspberries and call it a serving until you actually get a measuring cup out and realize that it's about half as much as you thought it was. However, if you rationalize and try to cut corners, you aren't going to see many changes in your body. If you want to see change, then you need to change.
I know a flaw in this challenge is the fact that if you have an awesome week, it will be really hard to maintain that pace in the weeks to come.
"I'm home, I don't have much going on, I can exercise, eat healthy, and have plenty of time to plan meals and keep a food log."
But you know that it won't be like that every week, so you hold back. Avoid holding back. The key to seeing change is trying your best even if it's not easy. It's not easy to eat salads when you're at Disneyland. Believe me, I've gone twice in the past two weeks, but did you know that they actually have really good salads there???? Seriously, I loved it. Also, did you know that even though walking around Disneyland all day may not count as exercise in my book, but if you get up a little early, you can work out for 45 minutes before you go? I LOVE having challenges like this to push myself into making better choices. I've never regretted making those choices. I didn't miss the sleep and I know that I felt better because of them. In fact, I'm excited to see some of the changes I know are bound to happen if I keep this up for five more weeks. Those choices are getting easier to make and I can keep pushing myself each week to do just a little bit better.
You know, I also love that Saturday and Sunday are the last days of the Challenge week. Oftentimes we will slack off on the weekends, but when you know you need a certain amount of points to make it, you will make better choices on those days. I didn't eat treats, I planned my meals, and I went to bed early. Since my three "alarm clocks" don't know how to sleep in on the weekends, I appreciate the extra sleep.
Moral of my story: Don't hold back. Do the best you can and keep trying. I promise you that you won't regret exercising often and eating the most vegetables you can handle. You will feel so much better going to bed early and drinking more water. And you know what, you might even learn to like smoothies, because I have! I now have one every day. Ryan's probably sad because now he has to share his Vitamix with me, but at least I stock the fridge with awesome frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, and salad. Whatever works!
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