Are you familiar with the term “take a Mulligan?” It basically means to have a do-over. Well, I need one. I need to get off the “Going Down” elevator and go UP in the world. I began a Goodbye Muffin Top Campaign back in October. Boy did I have an epic fail on that one. Somehow, I have gained nearly 10 pounds since Halloween. That damned candy! It always sets me up for sugar addiction. Then I find myself coming up with excuses to get back to my healthy habits …
- I’ll start Monday
- I’ll start next week
- Come on, I can enjoy the holidays
- I deserve a few Christmas cookies
- I’ll start in the New Year
Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. Now that it’s nearly March, I took a good look in the mirror, gave myself a good smack in the face and said.
I suppose I have two semi-valid excuses. First, we got a new puppy right after Halloween. The first 8 weeks can be rather stressful as I felt rather stuck in the two rooms we allowed the puppy to live (family room and kitchen). I should have realized that these two rooms were going to set me up for failure. Constant access to food and TV… really? What was I thinking? The second excuse is that I have been dealing with some challenging education issues for my daughter. I applied to a number of private schools. Applications, school visits, waiting for responses has me VERY stressed.
We finally know that my daughter has been accepted to a school for her learning challenges. The puppy is also more manageable for the most part. So, I am out of excuses! Today, I am getting back on track. How am I going to do this? I’m taking small steps so I don’t get too overwhelmed:
Drink more water
I need to get back to drinking more water. I get so caught up in my day that I forget to drink. I recent blogging campaign helped me kick this habit back into gear. I have a large green water tumbler that I need to carry around with me as a reminder.
Start a Fitness Program
I’ve started The Firm Express program. It’s 20 minute workouts 3x a week. I even did a workout today with the dog in the room. Doing any exercises on the floor was a bit of a challenge. She kept trying to tackle and lick me.
Reduce Sugar
I am backing off the sugar. This is truly an addiction for me so I need to take it slow to take the extra sugar out of my diet. My typical breakfast is tea with sugar and milk, whole wheat waffles with syrup and fresh fruit. Too much sugar! I’ll be switching to more protein and less simple carbs. Egg white omelettes will be my new best friend.
Prep meals in advance.
I am typically really bad at this. My family is very a la carte in their eating habits. I need to plan what I eat even if they want to figure things out last minute. My friend Wendy had a great idea to make salad in advance in mason jars. I am totally doing this! I love salads, but I often hate making them. If they are all made for the week, I’ll have no excuse not to eat them.
Photo courtesy of http://www.bvweddings.com/
Stop Mindless Snacking
The worst habit is that I eat while I’m waiting for other food to cook. I’ll grab a few chips or pretzels while I wait for my main dish to cook. Those calories and salt really add up. I’m going to flip through a magazine instead.
Practice Mindful Eating
I need to concentrate more on how food makes me feel. Sugar and treats give me a quick euphoria, but typically make me feel pretty crappy, especially the day after. When I eat healthy, my brain feels more clear, I have more energy, and it typically lifts my mood as well. I need to remind myself that this is so much better than a few minutes of euphoria from sugar.
Supplements
I’m back to taking my multi-vitamins, probiotics, and a magnesium/calcium blend. My body has been out of whack and these are helping me feel more in balance.
So, there is my 6-step plan to start. With a beach vacation in April, I’d love to see at least 5 of those pounds GONE! With Fitbloggin in June, the other 5 should be gone by then too. Wish me luck!
Are there changes you have been wanting to make? Have you put a plan in place to get you there? Come join me!
You did not fail and you are more than a number on a scale!
I think this winter in the northeast has been hard on everyone. I’m sure I gained a few pounds over the winter and it’s because with the bitter cold and snow I wind up being inside more than I am the rest of the year. I still workout but the smaller activities just aren’t there and they do add up over time.
I agree with every step of your approach. The fitness program is the hardest for me.
I am totally with you. Forget the new year resolutions. We can start over every day, every week, every month. Whenever we want. I started in the middle of January with a new healthy eating plan. It was just a random Monday and I dove in – so grateful I did. – Katy
Water has been a big key in my success, and in cutting out ALL sugar beverages, I’ve noticed my cravings for sugary items have decreased. some sweets I used to eat daily are now too much of an indulgence once a month! Good luck!
I totally need to get my butt in gear and get outside more
Good for you taking charge of your health and trying to get back on track! It takes a lot to kick your own butt into gear sometimes but what helps me is thinking that it only takes 28 days to for a habit so you just gotta stick with it for 28 days and hopefully it’ll be easier after that 🙂
I’m with you on the drink more water, cut out sugar, and stop mindless snacking! Sugar is truly my worst addiction and I’m trying to cut most processed sugars out.
I am with you girlfriend – I love the Mason jar salad – these have great things in them – I want to start doing those
First off – you haven’t failed, you’ve taken a detour on your journey, maybe backtracked a bit, but you haven’t failed. As you have done before, you are certainly capable of catching up and making your comeback! Thank you for your transparency and I’m excited to follow your journey!
Awww, thanks Janice. I suppose I went with “epic fail” because it’s kind of a catch phrase these days. I agree that a comeback is in order and totally within my reach. I am on the up elevator for sure. Thanks for inspiring with your post too.