I know January is usually when people take the time to eat better, workout more, and do all the “good for you” things, but I like to wait until February. Because I’m lazy.
And I want my comfort foods and stretchy pants when it’s cold outside.
So, this week is going to be a wellness week on the blog while I attempt get my life back in order!
When I’ve asked y’all on instagram you seem to want more wellness related posts.
Today I’m talking about a 30 Day Challenge, but this week I’ll also be talking about
quick + easy + healthy meals
Obé Fitness + at home workouts
my prenatal + postpartum fitness
intermittent fasting
the Peloton Bike
my favorite self care practices
So, for today’s post: The 30 Day Challenge!
I have done a 30 Day Challenge a few times in the past, and usually I don’t start it until February. It’s probably because I’m a procrastinator in all aspects of my life, but I think it’s also because I need some time to transition from going to straight from Holiday season to full on “Health” mode. We also had visitors and trips in January so I knew that it would be a less than healthy month and that was fine by me. I want to enjoy my cocktails and french fries and sweets when I am away and cook unhealthy food when people are visiting me, ya know what I mean?
Here are some posts from 2017 and 2018 when I did something similar.
// 2017 30 Day Challenge Update // 2018 30 Day Challenge //
2019: hospitalized bedrest for a month….. that was my 30 Day Challenge….. and I SUCCEEDED!
To me, a 30 Day Challenge can focus on ONE thing (drink x ounces of water a day, have a serving of veggies at every meal, go to bed earlier, etc.) or a few things. My brain is always all over the map so I try to just add more of the good and less of the bad things that don’t make me feel as great. (There is no such thing as a “bad” food or a “bad” day in terms of working out or eating and sometimes a lazy day on the couch with a bowl of mac and cheese is what your mind and body need).
It’s called BALANCE.
for example…. as I write this I’m polishing off some leftover brownies with ice cream.
But I had a huge spinach salad for lunch. BALANCE.
It can even be a 30 Day Challenge related to organizing or purging – like take X minutes a day to clean a space in the house. (This is REALLY what my 30 Day Challenge should be….. ya know, make good on those new years intentions….. but um….. as I said…. I’m lazy and procrastinate with things I don’t like to do….)
The main thing for the next 30 Days for me is 20+ minutes of movement a day, but I’m hoping to add back in some other things I never do anymore that I know I should (foam rolling, more REAL food) and some easy things I’ve been to lazy to do (dry brush before I get into the shower).
I do love to workout and I worked out less than half the days I usually do the past month, so I’m ready to get back into my usual routine.
OH and for anyone that just finished a Dry January or is debating a Dry 30 Day period,
there will be none of that in this post.
spoiler alert: I did Dry January last year while pregnant with twins. Along with a Dry EVERY month that I was pregnant. That will be my only Dry January.
Wine = Good. Wine = Happiness.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
and disclaimer – I know NOTHING about NOTHING.
Except maybe Bravo…..
I’m just sharing what has helped me get a little bit healthier and happier
and some tips that help me meet my wellness goals.
(I’ll talk more postpartum specific later this week!)
:: Motivation ::
My whole outlook on working out changed years ago when I combined it with my favorite activity in the whole wide world…….
If you’ve followed me for even a hot minute I’m sure you know what that is….
WATCHING TELEVISION.
I started working out while I watch TV probably ….. 8 years ago? longer? I had a very old treadmill in my apartment (no, I don’t run, never have, never will) and I would watch one of my shows while I walked on it at 4 mph for an hour. That was truly where my love of fitness began. Haha. And yes, walking is fitness. I was doing something I loved and getting a workout in without even realizing it. The endorphins were flowing as much from the exercise as they were from my episode of whatever garbage gold was on Bravo. I could do it whenever I wanted, easily, with minimal effort. (This is also where working out in pajamas probably started, and back then I was flat and perky so didn’t even need to throw on a sports bra….. now that I’m postpartum…. sadly I’m flat again but NOT so perky so the sports bra is more of a necessity these days…. but I digress….) . Then I started doing workout videos on my laptop while I watched shows on television and that has stuck with me for years.
My other motivation that has kept me working out and loving it for so long is my MENTAL HEALTH. I am a lunatic when I go too long without working out. When I workout, wether it’s a light workout like a walk, my current routine of 10-30 minutes working out at home, or the days when I used to be able to go to a studio for an hour long class, I am happier, calmer, and have a better overall mindset. I have never worked out and thought afterwards “I wish I hadn’t just taken that time for myself.”
Especially now that my days are devoted entirely to the babies,
it is the part of my day that is truly for ME. I make it a priority.
:: Schedule it ::
I don’t necessarily “schedule” my current workouts since I workout at home, but I workout at the same time every day. Their morning nap is at 9 AM, so I start working out sometime between 9-9:30. If you have something in your schedule you’re more likely to do it. If you wait for the time to come, it probably won’t. If I wait until their nap later in the day, it never happens – I’m tired then, I want to eat lunch/blog/clean/watch a show/whatever!
:: Start Small ::
I didn’t start working out 5+ days a week out of nowhere. I didn’t start eating healthier at home out of nowhere. When you try to do too much at once, it’s overwhelming, and you fail. Well…at least I FAIL. A podcast I listened to recently (Ed Mylett on Skinny Confidential I think?) talked about how when you set all these crazy goals and don’t meet them you are teaching yourself that you fail, so you don’t even believe yourself when you tell yourself you’re going to do something.
Start with small, attainable goals – only one at a time if it needs to be. Drink (x) amount of water. Add greens to every meal. Eat a healthy breakfast. Go to bed 10 minutes earlier. ANYTHING. For me, I started to feel better when I made small changes, and I slowly added in more changes.
:: Know thyself ::
I will not be waking up before the babies to workout. It is never going to happen. It will never be my thing. Mornings will never be my happy or productive time. (I tried becoming a morning person so many times in the past, and now I just accept that it’s fine that I’m not.)
Know yourself well enough to what you are and are not willing to do. I know that if something doesn’t ADD to my day and make me happier, why on earth would I do it?! I workout during the girls morning nap, after I have had a cup of coffee and have already been up for 2 hours. Then I’m happy and feel like I’ve accomplished something and I’m ready for the rest of the day.
:: Movement ::
For me, I’m aiming for some kind of movement every day the next 30 days. This can be just 10 minutes of abs or a short walk, but something. My goal is for 20+ minutes a day (when I do a 10 minute obé class I almost always realize I have time for at least one more, so I know from past experience that 20 minutes is just as easy for me as 10.) Some days, that’s it though. Others I’ll do a full 28 minute workout or a 30 minute ride on the peloton (all while watching my TV shows).
full post on my obsession with Obé planned for tomorrow!
I think the main thing with working out is doing what you LIKE. I hate to run, so even if someone told me it would get me into the best shape of my life, I don’t care. I don’t like it, so I’m not going to stick with it.
Find something that you ENJOY doing. Walking, pilates, barre, yoga, HIIT, boot camp classes, Tabata, spinning, Zumba, swimming, dance cardio, interval training, whatever! There are a ZILLION different ways to move your body – at home or in a group class – so sign up for ClassPass to try new classes or go online for free workout classes on YouTube or PopSugar Fitness and see what you like! Start with a 10-30 minute free online class or take a first class free at a studio and see what you enjoy. If you don’t like it, don’t keep doing it. We’re all different.
:: MORE, not less ::
I think the best mentality is to think of adding things in versus taking things away. Don’t even take anything away, just add in MORE of something good for you first, and you’ll probably want less of the other things. I’ve been eating more processed foods lately due to time + laziness so I want to get back to adding more greens, more fresh foods, and more fiber into my meals. (Adding fiber used to be so easy for me with GG Crackers but I’ve read some awful news related to pesticides with them, so I threw them all away and completely removed them from my meals).
The 30 Day Challenge can also be completely related to more self care related things. I saw my face in the magnifying mirror at the hotel this weekend and need to remember to do MORE dermaplaning – aka face shaving – because WOWOWOWOWOW did I have some chin fuzz.
I also want to take more baths (epsom salt baths help with my sore muscles so much), do more foam rolling (ugh it hurts so good but helps so much), more time reading before bed (currently 75% done with The Mother in Law) etc. I would *LOVE* to get back into having celery juice every morning but I just don’t have the time for that right now (I really only liked it if it was freshly made and then drank that very day – plus the Medical Medium says thats how you get the true benefits of it.) .
I talked about celery juice here but I really, really did love it and hopefully one day will get back to it!
It’s just a mindset shift. Switch from “don’t” to “do” and instead of thinking “less” think “more”.
:: Nothing is off limits ::
If you have something you love – don’t immediately go to not having it at all. If you’re the type that can cut something cold turkey – slow clap for you. If you told me I couldn’t have my coffee in the morning I’d chop your arm off…..and I never had coffee in my life until 10 months ago. But for me, if I need to stop something it needs to be a slowwwwww reduction, not a “no more of this” or else i want it ALL.
(PS. I am not cutting my 2 cups of coffee AT ALL…..
I shouldn’t even use this as an example….. damn I ramble a lot when I type…)
I guess a better example for me would be sugar. I never had a crazy sweet tooth in the past, but since having the girls I am a little bit addicted to sugar. I never even understood how people were hooked on sugar but I get it now. It’s a literal chemical reaction in your brain and it is tough to kick. Is it something I should reduce? Yes. If I tell myself I’m not going to have any sugar, am I going to eat every ounce of dessert in the house? YES! So I keep in mind I’m a grown ass woman and I’m able to do whatever I want.
I guess a much easier way of saying this without rambling on would be something like following the 80/20 rule – healthy decisions 80% of the time, treat yo self 20% of the time.
But you know me…. I like to ramble and use my dot dot dot sentence structure…..
:: If it isn’t in the house, you won’t eat it ::
This has been the biggest game changer for me over the years. I do not have very much self control. That is why I stock the house with *MOSTLY* healthy options and keep the garbage to a minimum. I have dessert every day, but I try to make it these low sugar baklavas that I eat every night. I try not to buy bags of processed desserts and snacks because otherwise I am going to eat them. But if they aren’t in the house, it’s not an option.
Speaking of cravings and the sugar addiction, it takes time for your taste buds to change. When your body gets used to not having the fast food or the processed sugar, your cravings will go away and your body craves the good stuff. That’s why I now crave sugar – because I eat it every day. When I didn’t use to eat processed sugar I never craved it.
But in short: Life is short, eat dessert.
Just maybe not an entire pan of brownies in one sitting every night.
:: Real Food ::
Something you will never catch me doing is a juice cleanse. (Catch me doing again – I did a 3 day cleanse once about 6 years ago.) For a zillion reasons. They don’t taste good. There is no fiber or fat or any of the good things I want to consume in them. And I want to eat food and enjoy it. Also, I remember reading about how every fruit or veggie isn’t organic, you are putting pounds and pounds of pesiticides into a drink and chugging it. Woof. And that’s just the short list – but I know people like to do them as a jumpstart to things, so again, do what works for you. I don’t see the point of feeling deprived for 3 or 5 days and drinking gross drinks to only lose water weight. If you eat real food – yes with fat and carbs – you will naturally detox and feel a hell of a lot better during it, you won’t feel deprived, and you won’t be in the fast food drive through at the end of it because you’re hungry and ready for something delicious to eat.
Our bodies naturally know how to detoxify and they can do it perfectly well with LOTS of food as long as it is REAL FOOD. My go to lunch is a huge garbage salad packed with spinach for greens and avocado for fat, chickpeas and veggie burgers for carbs, etc.
My taste buds changed a lot when I was pregnant and postpartum. Many things I used to love I just can’t eat anymore (maybe I’ll come back around on them soon?!) Smoothies being the main one. I had a smoothie for breakfast every day for years and LOVED starting the day that way. I love the Body Love by Kelly LeVeque book for anyone interested in learning more about nutrition. I really learned the importance of Fat and Fiber from her book and how to make meals to keep you FULL. It focuses on the Fab 4: Fat Fiber Protein and Greens and it’s a great thing to keep in mind when making meals.
I talk more about Body Love and the Fav 4 in this Wellness Post.
she also now has another book out called Body Love Every Day that I want to pick up!
ANYWAYS. I have been mixing in A LOT of processed foods (that are “healthy” in quotes but I know are chock full of things your body doesn’t tolerate well) so I’m hoping to get back into more real food with my meals.
:: You’re already enough ::
I like to do 30 Day Challenges or set small intentions to make things better, not to add stress or focus on something that needs to change. Just remember that no matter what, you’re already amazing and kicking ass. We are always our own worst critic. The negative thoughts we think about ourselves wether it’s related to relationships, work, parenting or our bodies — quieting all of that and learning to be our own biggest cheerleader is the healthiest thing to do of all.
……and to end….. my disclaimer again :
Basically I’m just a girl who wants to have a cheeseburger and fries and some Prosecco while also having the glow of someone who eats healthy foods and is in shape and feel good in my clothes and be a healthy example for my babies.
And watch Bravo while I do all of it.
So hopefully none of this sounds preachy because trust me
I’m on that hamster wheel just as much as the next person.
CHEERS.
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In the header for the blog I have a wellness tab with lots and lots of posts related to food/self care/workouts/etc so you can find more posts like this there if you are interested!
Things coming up this week:
quick + easy + healthy meals
Obé Fitness + at home workouts
postpartum fitness
intermittent fasting
the Peloton Bike
favorite self care practices
and feel free to message me with anything else you want me to talk about on instagram or in the comments below.