MY PLAN TO END 2020 IN THE BEST SHAPE OF MY LIFE
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Way back in January, I decided that 2020 was the year that I was going to get in the best shape of my life. After transitioning from a very active job as a Phys Ed teacher, to a very inactive job as a work-at-home mom, blogger, and business mentor, my health - more specifically, my weight - took a major hit.
Over my first year working from home, I slowly noticed my weight start to creep up, No, it wasn’t incredibly noticeable to many people, but I noticed…
And, honestly, my self-esteem took a major hit.
I no longer fit in my skinny jeans, I was choosing bigger shirts to hide my stomach, and got nervous wearing tank tops because my arms were no longer the lean, muscular version they used to be.
So, I made a commitment to get my health + hormones back in order.
And then, just a few short months into that commitment, I started seeing noticeable progress!
But then, COVID happened and my family was home with my 24/7 (y’all, I still have not had a night away from my children in almost 10 months now…)
While, I wouldn’t say I’ve gained weight or my health has taken a major hit, I will say that I had a bit of a setback, but recently have had a major shift in my mindset that has led me to make some new changes that I wanted to share.
>> I decided to give myself a goal that would push me out of my comfort zone
I’m a task-oriented person, so I want to get things done - especially when it comes to goals. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this good about my fitness level (maybe since I was in my 20s…). I’ve been consistently working out (thanks to the Sweat PWR At-Home workouts) and I’ve definitely fallen back in love with running since I had no pressure to do anything other than go out and get some miles in.
But, I felt READY for a little push. I wanted to some sort of goal to work toward, but I wanted to be intentional about it. I wanted it to be something that was going to make me get out of my comfort zone, but also wasn’t going to make me dread getting up in the morning.
After talking to my Life Coach, I decided that training for a half marathon sounded like a tough yet achievable goal to work toward. I’ve been training as a competitive runner for as long as I can remember, but I really just DO NOT like racing. I hate the anxiety I get and I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. I’ve even gone to the point where if I know I’m not going to win or PR, I don’t want to race.
So, instead of pushing myself to get FASTER again, I decided that I wanted to do a distance challenge. I know I’m not quite ready for a marathon, so a half felt like the perfect fit!
And I haven’t been this excited to train in a really long time. Am I nervous to run more than 5 miles at a time? YUP. Am I excited to start doing some speed workouts again? NOPE. But, I’m excited to be pushing myself again to do something that will challenge me both physically + mentally!
>> I got off of birth control
OK, I’ve gotta admit that talking about birth control, sex, periods, etc. makes me SUPER uncomfortable. I am extremely self-conscious, but I also believe in being open and honest with people about what I’m going through to be a guide to others.
I’ve NEVER had issues with birth control. Like seriously, never. I didn’t go on it until I was 22 because I didn’t have a reason to (I had no hormone issues and I wasn’t doing anything that made me need to prevent a pregnancy, if you get my drift). And even going off of birth control to get pregnant the first time, we had ZERO issues. I went off in November of 2010, and by February 2011, I was pregnant.
After both babies, I had an IUD for birth control, and while I LOVED it because hello, no periods, I also knew that we were done having babies and I was ready to understand how my body actually felt during a normal cycle.
I had my IUD removed in May and my periods have come like clockwork. Do I enjoy having them again every month? NOPE. But, I am also starting to notice patterns in my cycle that I can work with. If you want to learn more about Cycle Syncing (which I plan on diving into even more now in the next few months), I highly recommend Alissa Viti’s book Woman Code!
>> I started limiting the amount of alcohol I consume
I will say that one of the biggest changes I’ve made over the past 10 months is that I limit the amount of alcohol I have. I used to drink about a beer each night, or split one with my husband, but I was drinking AND eating dessert. Every. Single. Night. Y’all, those calories add up QUICKLY, and alcohol has ZERO nutritional value.
I was also starting to crave a drink every night, and I knew if I felt that way, I was going to be headed down a slippery slope.
Now, I drink ONLY on the weekends. Some nights it might be 2 beers, others (like this past weekend) ½ a beer. Do I still drink during the week? Occasionally, but usually it’s because of a special occasion, like my birthday last week, or if we’re on vacation.
But, I’ve noticed it’s been a lot easier for me to limit how much I drink, and I truly feel that has had the biggest impact on how well I fit into my jeans.
I know I’m not anywhere NEAR the end of this wellness journey - I still have a ways to go, but I’m feeling really good about where I’m headed, especially with a new goal to work toward!
Things that I’m going to start doing to help me finish 2020 off feeling my best…
>> Start tracking my macros a few days per week again. This was one of my intentions back at the beginning of the year, but it was a lot harder when EVERYONE was home with me all the time. I use the Chronometer app as my tracking tool, and use the macros Emily Field RD set for me last December.
>> Start adding in supplements. I started doing this a little this year and it’s helped me out a lot! I’m adding in a daily probiotic (I am NOT regular and I’ve already noticed how much a daily probiotic has helped) and collagen to my nutrition plan.
>> Being more intentional about staying hydrated. I get frequent UTIs (y’all, whew, this is a LOT of vulnerability for me on one single post) and it is from lack of hydration. My body has a VERY clear signal when I haven’t drank enough water and if I don’t do something about it, I end up in A LOT of pain. I truly believe that half your body weight in water (if you weigh 150 pounds, you need ~75 ounces of water) is a good goal, but honestly, I believe we ALL need at least 3 liters of water per day. I’m putting this here because I NEED the accountability!
(BONUS: I add my collagen and energy supplement to my water to make it easier to get down - I try to drink a whole 32 ounces while I’m sitting in the car at school pickup.)
So, there you have it. Again, this is definitely a marathon and not a sprint, and it certainly hasn’t been a linear journey AT ALL, but I’m happy with the progress I’m making and am looking forward to finish 2020 in the best health I’ve ever been in!