So, its 11pm and you are lying in your bed. Thinking and planning everything you want to do in the morning. You close your eyes and drift off ready for what tomorrow brings. Then poof! Just like that its 7 am and you wake up with a major headache, sore throat and barely breathing. Yep. That was me today. Highly unmotivated to try to be human like the rest of the world.
Well with a little bit, really over an hour, of self-talk, I did kick off the sheets and drag myself to the bathroom for a hot, steamy shower. It warmed me up enough to head out to the kitchen and start with the new year’s resolutions, three for today. New Year’s Eve falling on Friday is something I can get used to. Half a day of work leading in and two full days of rest before the work week starts. It’s a good mental start for the year.
If you are like me, your resolutions include 1. diet and 2. exercise. Or maybe at least eat better and possibly throw in a workout or two. The last months have been nothing but temptations, treats on the shelves, holiday parties, candy canes. Its easy to grab that bag of cookies and a blanket and hibernate on the couch. After all, you deserve a break, right? I am a strong believer in balance when it comes to dieting and exercise as well as knowing what works for you. Strict diets and workouts that bring you to tears are not for me. What works best for me is adjusting how and what I eat and choosing the gym class over the latest episode of the Witcher (sorry Henry Cavill).
I always begin with meal prep. Knowing you have a meal ready helps to keep the McDonald’s nugget runs to a minimum. LOL. Using as few dishes as possible is huge for me so I love using a crock pot. I saw the recipe I currently have going on Instagram. It’s a great place to find people with similar food tastes or follow someone who has dietary restrictions you may have like Keto recipes. This one is Chicken Pot Pie. This most likely wouldn’t fall on any dietician’s meal plans but it sounded good to me. I tweaked it a bit to use low sodium cream of chicken soup and broth as well as light cream cheese. Once it has been completely cooked and the chicken is shredded, I can portion it out for multiple meals.
Tonight’s will be served over biscuits but going into my lunches I try to lower the unnecessary carbs. I will opt for multigrain crackers and the bell peppers/cucumber that I sliced up. I also have other healthy snacks portioned out. Raspberries and nuts and Tillamook cheddar cheese cubes. I am a chip junky so the first week of switching out the Doritos for pita or veggie chips is tough. That is when I have to remind myself that what I want it to feel better and processed chips really can’t help.
Not being able to breathe doesn’t exactly help when it comes down to a workout, so needless to say I haven’t broken a sweat yet this year. I did however make sure to get outside for a walk around the block in the fresh cold air. Here in Vegas its in the 40’s, about as fresh as it gets for us. I enjoyed the deep breathes and moving in the sunshine. You have to start somewhere. And when I am feeling better those spin classes or body pump classes will really get me going. I don’t have to be a body builder but man if I can kick butt in kickboxing, I feel like I can take on the world.
I am not new and exciting when it comes to resolutions. The first 2 are on everybody’s list and this one I would wager is on at least half of the populations. Third one is to read more. In the last few years, I have really jumped on the reading train. Self-help topics clutter my bookshelf which is no great surprise. Journaling is often a suggestion which is really why this blog is something I am working on. Your mind is just as important if not more important than your health, because how you think defines your life. So yesterday of course, I went to Barnes & Noble. I grabbed a copy of Hannah Browns God Bless This Mess. A contestant on The Bachelor/Bachelorette she shares her experience on getting thru life’s messes. I am two chapters in but as I go, I will share what stands out or what I learn and how it applies. I am reading it at the same time as my friend so we can compare out take aways.
I encourage you to find someone that will help you with your new years resolutions or someone you can share a journey with. I don’t want to fall behind reading the book so I can talk with my friend. I am completing with my sister for the number of workouts I do in a week. My boss, who is also a health journey, will help keep me out of the cookie jar, so to speak, when coworkers bring in tempting snacks. Don’t tell them your exact plans, give them enough info to keep you accountable and on your side. We have to find the strength to hit these goals. I can root for you if your root for me!! Good luck now on to day 3!!
The Distracted Damsel 