
I feel like the theme of last week should be "Lost: Motivation & Good Habits. If found, please return to owner."
Anyone out there with me?
It felt like I was kiboshed at every turn. And where did all this catering, cookies, & birthday cake come from? I've had temptations waved in my face more times than any mere mortal can turn down. And so I caved. A lot. You'll notice I'm only showing you the "before pictures" of these cookie jars & not the "after" in which they are down by half.
In my defense, I DID ride 60 miles on my bike that day! NOT in my defense, I used that excuse all week. And into today when I had a huge-ass waffle for breakfast. I'm pretty sure I've eaten back the calories I expended on that ride and then some (and then some more). Just sayin'. I can now safely return to my normally scheduled eating program.
This seems to be the point in my journey where I throw in the towel. Where I let my current circumstances dictate my future. Where I let one bad day turn into two. Then three. Then a week. Then two weeks. And after two weeks, well...that's practically an eternity...and I'm right back where I started.
Well...at least that's how I handled weeks like this UP UNTIL NOW.
It's amazing how powerful a little shift in language can be. Rather than writing my story with an opening line of "Yep...I knew I'd quit this challenge just like I quit everything else when it gets, well, CHALLENGING" I've decided to write a different opening line. Feel free to borrow it until you have your own version of "up until now."
Here goes nothing...
Anyone out there with me?
It felt like I was kiboshed at every turn. And where did all this catering, cookies, & birthday cake come from? I've had temptations waved in my face more times than any mere mortal can turn down. And so I caved. A lot. You'll notice I'm only showing you the "before pictures" of these cookie jars & not the "after" in which they are down by half.
In my defense, I DID ride 60 miles on my bike that day! NOT in my defense, I used that excuse all week. And into today when I had a huge-ass waffle for breakfast. I'm pretty sure I've eaten back the calories I expended on that ride and then some (and then some more). Just sayin'. I can now safely return to my normally scheduled eating program.
This seems to be the point in my journey where I throw in the towel. Where I let my current circumstances dictate my future. Where I let one bad day turn into two. Then three. Then a week. Then two weeks. And after two weeks, well...that's practically an eternity...and I'm right back where I started.
Well...at least that's how I handled weeks like this UP UNTIL NOW.
It's amazing how powerful a little shift in language can be. Rather than writing my story with an opening line of "Yep...I knew I'd quit this challenge just like I quit everything else when it gets, well, CHALLENGING" I've decided to write a different opening line. Feel free to borrow it until you have your own version of "up until now."
Here goes nothing...
Up until now I've quit when things got hard. ESPECIALLY in relation to diet & exercise. I didn't quit on challenges or diets or programs. I quit on ME. But NOW...well, now I know that I am worth it. "IT" being life. MY life. The life I always wanted. And in reality, the life I am living most weeks. Except this week, apparently. But that's ok. Everyone gets a vacation now & then...even "healthy me." But she dropped me a line from Cookieville. Turns out she's really excited to get home & sleep in her own bed. And wake up to protein pancakes, a house full of veggies, & 90-minute long runs at sunrise. Yep, up until now I've quit. But I'm learning not to do that any more. And this choice to recommit feels different than all the others... so I'm gonna go with it!
Is it the perfect answer? Well, no. That answer sailed ship when I double fisted stacks of cookies because "hey...I rode my bike a long way today!"
Is it the right answer? Uh...not sure. Is there ever really a "right" answer to this kind of stuff? A manual that's worked for every living soul who's ever fallen off the proverbial wagon & wanted to get back on but was embarrassed about falling in the first place & couldn't stop thinking about those freakin' cookies that tempted her off to begin with?! I'm thinking not.
But you know what it is? It's MY answer.
Up until now that was never enough. But I'm learning that MY answer is actually the best one. For me. In this moment. So I'm gonna try it out & see how it goes.
What's YOUR answer?!
For a look at where this idea started...check out how inspiration struck me as I swam laps in the "Motivation Minute" below:
Is it the right answer? Uh...not sure. Is there ever really a "right" answer to this kind of stuff? A manual that's worked for every living soul who's ever fallen off the proverbial wagon & wanted to get back on but was embarrassed about falling in the first place & couldn't stop thinking about those freakin' cookies that tempted her off to begin with?! I'm thinking not.
But you know what it is? It's MY answer.
Up until now that was never enough. But I'm learning that MY answer is actually the best one. For me. In this moment. So I'm gonna try it out & see how it goes.
What's YOUR answer?!
For a look at where this idea started...check out how inspiration struck me as I swam laps in the "Motivation Minute" below: