That’s all I want in life, to eat extra fries, everyday. Oh, and for it to be as healthy for me as eating a carrot. Hey I can dream, right? Let’s be real, if fries were healthy for me like carrots, I would not eat them because that greasy yummy-ness would be gone. Since I can’t have all the fries I want, I think I’ll just take this tank top in remembrance of my french fry love.
Dramatic much? I don’t think so because this is how I feel today. I can’t deny my feelings because that just gets me in trouble and I’ll end up in the Chick-fil-A drive thru. Haha! I’ve been working on eating whole foods and eating less “fun” food to fuel my workouts and brain so that I can go the extra mile at work. I have been feeling better, more energetic and it makes getting through my workouts easier. It doesn’t hurt less to workout but I don’t run out of gas in the middle.
For the next nine days I’m going to be leveling up my nutrition which means focusing on fueling my body with only whole food and way less “fun” foods. Part of me thinks “Yay this will be awesome!” and the other part of me is dying inside! I love my carbs- french fries, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes…my heart hurts. I have been half-halfheartedly cutting these foods since January but I know that I need to just stop the dramatics and get more serious about cleaning up the foods that I consume because I don’t want all of my hard work in the gym to be for nothing. If my nutrition isn’t supporting my goals, then that means I’m choosing to self-sabotage my results. Which doesn’t make any sense at all. So for the next nine days I’m going to share my day-to-day progress and any tips that I’ve found helpful for me. Since I’ve started this process I’m learning that transforming mindsets is no easy task, and we can all use any help that we can get.
Day 1 Tip:
Plan, plan, plan then pray, pray, pray.
Thank God, for Google calendar because it tells me exactly where I should be and what I should be doing. I created a special calendar just to plan my workouts and meals and at the start of my week I plan out everything. I plan what time I’m leaving work to drive to the gym. I plan what time I’m making my lunch shake and when I’m taking my vitamins with my afternoon carrot snack. If I’m going out to eat I even plan what I’m going to order and how I’m going to eat well leading up to that “fun” meal. When everything is planned, its easier to just listen to my calendar (since it’s synced to my phone) and do it. Important note: You need to be flexible and proactive with your calendar, sometimes things come up mid-week, so you have to make it a point to re-visit your calendar and adjust for the change.
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,”
With that said, the real challenge comes with trying to stick to the plan in spite of what you are feeling that particular day. This is where the praying comes in. Haha! Seriously though, I find myself praying a lot more for focus and the strength to make choices that support my goals instead of choices that feed my most current emotions. Our feelings are fleeting. Think about it, one minute you’re super happy, the world is beautiful, and then that jerk cuts you off, and you’re furious with how no one EVER uses their blinker and then you get to work and you’re back to ” Good Morning World” let’s tackle this day with a smile. Ok maybe that’s more like one of my days but honestly you know your feelings vary through out the day too and it can change in an instant based on anything. Such as your energy level, lack of caffeine, workload, personal life issues…you know what can press your buttons, the point is our feelings are not a good foundation to stand on since they change so much. So when I pray, I pray to remember only truth and to drown out the feelings that want me to just mac & cheese for lunch. My truth is remembering the goals that I set for myself and the reason that I want to be healthy. Right now I’m trying to change habits that have been in place for years, so for now this is going to be a major struggle for me and I do have to pray a lot for my will power to grow so that I can achieve change. But I know that I’m at a pivotal point in my life where I want change in my life more than anything else.
“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”
So I won’t be having extra fries as much anymore but I’ll always have a special place in my heart for my precious fries, mac & cheese, oh and pizza, I love my pizza too.
Exactly, always in my heart.
It's time to Shine 