Let's go

Happy Labor Day! This is the fourth time I've attempted to write this, so let's hope it works before I lose my mind!

My ninety-day challenge officially kicked off yesterday, and I know it’s only day one, but I'm feeling great. I’m very excited to progress and grow in the next three months, and hopefully develop some life-long healthy habits. 

Also, I’m actually going to be posting every Monday, because as it turns out, there is just way too much content to try to squeeze into one blog post. I don’t want these to be novel-length and unpleasant to read, so there’ll be a new post every Monday (or that’s the plan, at least). One post will be dedicated to my physical goals, and the other will be mental. At the bottom, I've got a copy of my weekly meal plan, my monthly workout calendar, and my weekly grocery list for those who are interested.

So let’s jump right in.

Okay, so an important thing to know is that I'm not following any kind of diet, because I think diets are bullshit. Sure, deprivation can lead to results--however temporary--but it's also miserable. I'm trying to make lifestyle changes, and deciding I can no longer eat the things I enjoy because "carbs are bad" or whatever is no way to do it.  I'm definitely going to be more conscious of what I put into my body and try to make smarter choices, but I'm also not ever going to turn down a slice of cake because cake is amazing. Life's about balance, and my worth is not determined by my appearance. To start eliminating all of my favorite things in a bid to look a certain way would completely defeat the purpose of this entire journey.

Each week, I cook one meal each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and stretch it out for the work week. This is just what works for me. Is it the healthiest way to eat? Probably not. Does it get very boring? Absolutely. I try to eliminate the amount of food waste in my life, and I'm not exactly flush with cash, so instead of fifteen different meals each work week, I have three.

I grocery shop every Saturday, because no matter how hard I try, I end up at the grocery store at least once a week for something, so I’ve stopped trying to shop every two weeks. This also allows me some room to be flexible in case a meal I’ve planned a month ahead a time no longer sounds appealing by the time I’m actually prepping and eating it. I meal prep on Sundays, and I can usually get everything cooked and prepped in two to three hours, assuming I don't get distracted, which I usually do.

I hit the gym on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, while doing home exercises the other days of the week. This month, I’m working through the Couch to 5K schedule at the gym (while adding a 30 minute circuit on Sundays), Blogilates’ beginner calendar on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Yoga with Adriene videos on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m not deluding myself into thinking I’m going to hit everything on every day, because inevitably I’ll leave my gym bag at home, or I’ll have a migraine, or my body will demand I rest. Still, I want to push myself, and I view yoga sessions on the weekends as rest days, so we’ll see how it goes.

Yesterday I tried the 30 minute circuit at Planet Fitness for the first time (despite having a membership for at least four years now), and it kicked my ass a little. It was a lot harder than I was expecting, though part of that might have to do with the fact I did this right after doing 30 minutes of cardio. It was a hard workout and even my forearms are sore today, but I'm already looking forward to next week to see if I can't lift a little heavier or get a few more reps during the cardio portions. I have literally NEVER looked forward to exercise before, and it's too early to make sweeping statements like "I can already feel myself changing," but I do think it's a little significant that I'm not dreading this whole experience.

I use the free couch to 5K app for cardio, and I always run at the gym because I don't hate myself enough to run outside during a Texas summer. Plus, covering up the timer on the treadmill and reading a book while I run is almost enough to distract me from the fact that I hate running and feel like I'm dying. Being weak and out of shape with poor lungs is a real fun combination.

That’s it for this week! I'm feeling really optimistic about this whole journey, but I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. I know this'll be hard and that some days will be bad days. As long as I'm working hard and trying my best, that's really all I care about. This is a lifestyle change, after all.

I got the printables for my meal plan, workout calendar, and grocery list from Blogilates.