Happy Monday!
Another week is starting and I have high hopes for it. Not only is this the beginning of a new week, it is also a new beginning for me. I am restarting my fitness journey! I’ve posted before about getting back on the workout bandwagon and I’m said to say that it didn’t last very long. I worked out a few days and fell back into old habits. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
Confession: I have not felt the best about my body lately. I have totally fallen off track with my healthy lifestyle. I used to be in a really good routine of working out several days a week and eating clean 80% of the time. Well… life happened. We moved across the country and I was uprooted from my routine. Then a few months later we found out about Chris’ IgA Nephropathy diagnosis. That really turned my world upside down. I don’t deal with stress well and I stopped working out and watching my eating habits. Carbs are my comfort food and let me tell you, I have had a lot of them over the last year. I also started a new medication in the last few months that has caused me to gain weight. Don’t you love it when that’s a side effect?
Now that things are stabilizing with Chris, I have been taking a few good looks in the mirror and I am just not happy with what I see. I have known for awhile that I need to make some changes but I just didn’t have the motivation. Probably because a big part of me is so disappointed that I “let myself go” over the last year after I had worked really hard to tone up and feel good about my body. To now have that all-too-familiar “I hate my body” feeling is disappointing and frustrating.
But I can either wallow in self pity or make the changes I need to — so I am going to make changes. I have been getting into a workout routine over the last two weeks and I decided to blog about it today to hold myself accountable. It’s definitely not fun sharing these feelings publicly, but I’ve learned that I can’t be on a “secret” fitness journey. I need the accountability and support that only sharing can bring.
I have tried all kinds of fitness routines over the years from crossfit to going to the gym to running, etc. The only time I was successful long term was after I found Beachbody two years ago. I did two rounds of 21 Day Fix and then branched out to other Beachbody programs. It was a true lifestyle change. It made me enjoy working out and taught me healthy eating habits. The connections and support from other people doing the programs definitely helped too!
So to get back on track with my fitness journey, I have decided to go back to Beachbody basics and follow the routine that worked for me in the past. Working out regularly and eating clean 80% of the time. It sounds simple and it is, but it’s not always easy to stay on track.
The most important thing I learned from my previous health journey is that preparation is key. If I don’t have a plan and food prepared in advance, I will eat things that I shouldn’t be eating. I have to set myself up for success for the week, which means meal planning. Even though it’s “old school”, I prefer to physically write down my meal plan. It feels more concrete to me I think when I write it down.
I’m a creature of habit so my breakfast, lunch, and snacks are the same throughout the week. But I did switch up dinner every night.
It’s not enough to plan out my food for the week, I also have to prep it in order to be successful. So I did just that on Sunday. I prepped everything I could for the week.
Breakfast
Shakeology is a Beachbody health shake and it’s full of all kinds of vitamins and nutrients. I’ll admit, it’s pricey so I canceled my shakes for awhile but truth be told, I really missed them. I recently decided to renew my subscription and Shakeology will be my breakfast for the week. I got a great idea from a blog I read, Peanut Butter Fingers, to add frozen cauliflower in my shakes. It’s an awesome way to sneak in an extra serving of vegetables and you honestly can’t taste it. Win!
Morning Snack
My shake will keep me full for a few hours, but I always tend to be hungrier in the morning so I planned a decent sized snack for the mid-morning. Yogurt with granola and strawberries. It took 5 minutes to prepare my portions for the week and it will be easy to grab in the morning on my way out out the door.
Lunch
I found the recipe for this Cold Quinoa Salad on Peanut Butter Fingers too. Can you tell I love that blog? She has so many great ideas for healthy eating. I switched this recipe up a tad by omitting the pineapple and adding cucumbers, tomatoes, and chicken. It’s delicious! I tasted a little bit when I prepped it Sunday.
Afternoon Snack
I plan to have nuts and various fruit for my afternoon snack. I bought bananas and grapes at the grocery store, so I will alternate those throughout the week.
Dinner
As you can see in the picture of my dinner plan for the week, I plan to cook a different meal every night this week. And it’s also Blue Apron week, which always gets me excited! Luckily the meals I selected are healthy and will fit right into my meal plan. If you missed my Blue Apron recap a few weeks ago, check it out HERE!
Although I have set myself up for success with my eating plan for the week, there is one more component to my fitness journey. I do have to work out regularly and I plan to use my Beachbody on Demand subscription to do that. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s basically the Netflix of fitness. You can stream all of Beachbody’s workout programs which makes it super easy to work out on a regular basis. For example, Sunday I did a PIYO workout called Strength Intervals.
I love the flexibility of doing different workouts and keeping myself interested in working out. I am definitely someone that has to work out or I will not see results. Watching what I eat is not enough.
I am excited about my fitness journey heading into this week and I feel really good and positive! This is not going to turn into a fitness blog, but it is a lifestyle blog where I post about my life. And feeling good about myself is a pretty important part of my life if you ask me. so I do plan to post regularly about my fitness journey to hold myself accountable.
Wish me luck heading into this week! I will keep you guys posted on how my journey is going!
[…] quick update on my post from Monday: I am rocking my return to fitness so far this week. I’ve worked out every day, which is a big […]