Hey, hey, hey! I hope y’all are doing well and surviving this crazy post-election apocalypse our country is experiencing right now. Holy COW.
Things have been nuts.
I will withhold my opinions (and I have many, ha ha!), but will just say that I’m nervous, curious and optimistic about our country and our new President-elect all at the same time. It will be interesting to see how things play out. I’ll definitely be praying a lot. 😉
Moving on…
Welp, I’m really loving where I am health-wise right now! If you read my blog, you know that I went on a “mostly no sugar challenge” that was supposed to last until Thanksgiving, but I decided to end it early a couple weeks ago. All in all, it lasted 7 weeks and I actually feel very good about my efforts AND totally fine about ending it early.
Here are my thoughts…..I absolutely LOVE setting goals, creating “healthy challenges” for myself and pushing myself to accomplish the things I set out to do. I think it’s fun. Sometimes I crash and burn and sometimes I kick some serious tail, but either way I’m ALWAYS glad I did it. I’m always glad when I identify something in my life that I’d like to change or improve on…..and I make a plan of action!
I always learn so much about myself. I develop stronger self-discipline, create good habits, get rid of bad habits, strengthen my will power and become healthier and happier in the process! Even if I suck at reaching my goals and totally crash and burn, I always learn a ton! I usually learn which things tempt me, cause me to stray from my goals and which habits decrease my quality of life. It usually gives me just the motivation I need to get back up and try again!
It may sound cheesy, but I really don’t think there is “failure” when it comes to healthy living….as long as we don’t give up! It doesn’t matter how many healthy diets, workout plans, New Years goals, challenges we’ve started and tried; the KEY is to be proud of yourself for trying to improve your life and health in the first place….and just keep trying!
The other KEY is to create a long-term sustainable healthy lifestyle for yourself! I think one of the best ways to create that lifestyle and find out what works or doesn’t work for you is to try out lots of things! Experiment with various healthy recipes and “diet plans.” Try different forms of exercise until you find something you enjoy, that will give you results and something you will stick with! Check out motivational healthy living books from the library to learn more and gain motivation. Pick the brains of people you know who are successful at living a healthy lifestyle.
Just keep learning, experimenting, trying and working your butt off and eventually you’ll find a nice healthy, happy lifestyle and will love where you’re at. It will almost become easy. That’s kind of how I feel right now.
Soooo, the main reason I decided to quit my healthy challenge early is because I got a little off track on our trip to San Fransisco and I broke my “no sugary treats” streak. I’m totally okay with it and don’t regret it at all. However, I quickly realized that I just didn’t feel motivated to go back to “100% sugary treat free” again.
BUT, the good news is that during my challenge I learned to control my sugar cravings, be more mindful about the foods I’m eating and have actually been able to keep my sugar consumption in check for the most part. I’m very happy ’bout that. I’m obviously a BIG believer in healthy living, but too often I justify too many indulgences in the name of fun, sentimental stuff, family time, parties, celebrations, late night snacks, stress relief….you name it!
My challenge really opened my eyes and helped me to realize that all of those small choices (for better or worse) really DO add up. They DO make a difference!
- When I resist that donut.
- When I choose to make a healthy homemade dinner instead of getting take-out or fast food.
- When I choose to deny my cravings for late-night snacking.
- When I purposefully fill my body with nutrient dense food and am mindful about the amount of protein, carbs and fat I consume.
- When I decide to just have a small portion of a dessert and enjoy every bite instead of eating as much as my heart desires.
- When I get right back to healthy eating after enjoying a not-so-healthy meal or treat.
- When I make sure to get my workout in even when I’m tired, unmotivated, busy, etc.
- When I make an effort to get enough sleep knowing that I will be more productive, healthy, happy and vibrant because of it.
Yes, ALL of these seemingly small choices ADD up! The key is to decide that you WANT to live a healthy lifestyle every single day….knowing that a healthy lifestyle does not mean a “perfect” lifestyle. It just means that you make good, mindful, deliberate good choices MOST of the time and enjoy the not-so-good choices occasionally too!
Sorry, I’m kind of long-winded tonight! 😉
Anyway, after I ended my challenge, I had some deep thoughts. I realized that too often I’m so focused on seein’ results, losing weight, toning up, leaning out, goal setting, etc. etc. etc. I tend to overlook the results I’ve already seen, the goals I’ve already accomplished, the habits I’ve adopted and the healthy lifestyle I’ve created!
It was a weird eye opener for me.
I realized that I should be proud of where I am right now and I told myself, “Girlfriend, you already ARE killin’ it!” Really, in the last couple months I have made some great progress and I really am quite happy with where I am RIGHT NOW. I’ve gained some muscle, lost some fat, my clothes all fit me great and I’m happy with it! Yes, I’d still love to lean out a little more, BUT I’m not going to worry about it!
I’m just going to focus on consistently making good choices for the most part and let my body do what it does! I accept myself where I am right now. Yay. It actually feels really good.
AND the coolest thing ever is I’m in a nice happy spot with my treat and crappy food consumption! I really feel a great balance right now. I enjoy a little somethin’ somethin’ on the weekends and maybe a few small indulgences during the week, but overall I’m very much in control and just keep doin’ it day after day. I really love it.
I hope I’m even making sense. I have so many thoughts goin’ on in my head and sometimes I struggle to put them on paper!!! One of these days I want to do vlogs! I seem to be able to verbalize my thoughts better than I can write them sometimes.
Anyway, the funny thing is that I didn’t even intend to go on and on and on about all of this tonight! Too often, I hop on my blog knowing exactly what I’m going to write about and when I start writing…something completely different comes out! Ha.
Today, I planned to just share a bunch of random stuff with y’all. Soooo, here ya go!
I bought these dang cute water bottles recently and I love them!
Aren’t they so pretty??? We were in major need of water bottles ’round here, so when I found these for like $7 at TJ Maxx, I scooped them up! I love them, although if I don’t get the lid screwed on just right, they tend to leak a bit. I still love them though. They are made by Nathan, btw.
********************
I’ve been loving steel cut oats with apples lately. YUM!
It takes me a little longer to make than regular oats (about 10 minutes instead of 2), but I don’t mind. I love to make a big pot for Kev and the kids too. Some of my kids love it, some hate it. I love it. It tastes great and fills me up forever!
Oh, and for my kids I just add a little brown sugar and cinnamon. For me, I add 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder, a little flax and cinnamon. Sometimes peanut butter too. So yummy!
********************
Kev bought a little home blood pressure/heart rate checker thingy on Amazon. His doc actually recommended he buy it because his blood pressure was up a bit. He’s supposed to check it regularly and let his doc know how it goes. Well, I’ve enjoyed checking mine from time to time too!
I’ve yet to take mine right when I wake up, before I get out of bed (I keep forgetting), but I usually take it shortly after I get up. It’s been very rewarding to consistently have low blood pressure and a low resting heart rate!
Ya know, most of the time I look for results in the mirror, on the scale or in how my clothes fit. It’s so nice to be reminded that the inside of my body loves my healthy choices too!
I found this info online about what a healthy resting heart rate is…
“According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate: for children 10 years and older, and adults (including seniors) is 60 – 100 beats per minute. for well-trained athletes is 40 – 60 beats per minute.”
That made me happy! 🙂
****************
I’ve been enjoying this post-workout supplement lately….
I did some research and wanted to find a quality, effective post-workout that didn’t contain a bunch of crap. This brand, Old School, is the highest rated brand on Amazon and I was super impressed with the company as a whole, so I decided to give it a try!
I’ve really liked it, although it’s a little bit expensive ($40 for this “30 day supply.”) You’re supposed to take it twice a day, but I’m a cheapskate, so I’ve only been taking it once a day…right after my workout. So, my “30 day supply” just became a “60 day supply.” Ha ha. I hope it still works well that way! I like to tell myself that it does.
Check out why I like this stuff…
They have other products that I’d love to try too, but again, I’m a cheapskate, so I don’t know when I’ll buy it. I’ll of course let you know when I do!
***********************
I bought this new sports bra recently and I love, love, love it!!!!!!
It’s made by Handful and it’s my new favorite sports bra. I have two of the original Handful bras that I wear ALL THE TIME! I did a post on them several years ago…you can click here to read it if you so desire.
Anyway, this bra is called the Y-Back bra and I love it even more than the original ones. All of their bras are comfortable, fit well and are flattering (they provide shaping and coverage and just look good.) BUT, this Y-Back bra offers more support than the original bras.
I like to wear the original Handful bras under a more supportive tank top or when I do low-impact exercise like weight lifting. I like to wear this Y-Back one anytime; hardcore cardio, HIIT training, running or weight lifting. It’s expensive though (~$50), but I think it’s worth it since it’s the bra I’m always fishing out of the laundry room to wear!
**************
I’ve been learning how to make kefir the past week or two. It’s kind of fun and I just hope I’m doing it right.
It’s actually extremely easy to make and I think it’s hard to mess up. I just feel like I’m making a science experiment on my counter….that I drink! It’s a little freaky. I’ll talk more about it as I figure out more about it!!! For now, I’ll just say that I’ve heard soooooo many good things about it and have wanted to experiment with it for years!!
There are claims out there that it pretty much solves every health woe out there. Ha ha! For those of you that don’t know what kefir is, it’s basically mega yogurt on steroids. It’s full of a TON of amazing probiotics.
I’ll have to do an entire post all about it another time. For now I still feel like a “kefir newb,” so I’m not going to pretend to be an authority. Hee hee!
Well I think that’s all the random stuff I have to share today! Geesh, this was a long, rambly post!!! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!
I love the weekend so dang much. XOXO
I think healthy living is a journey. And we can learn something all the time. Its not about being 100% perfect; I think its about making small tweaks or changes, and they eventually add up to some very big change. And everything in moderation usually works for me… which includes sweets 🙂 Hang in there !
Thanks so much Karen. I agree with everything you said! I’m slowly, but surely learning that “everything in moderation” is a great way to live too!
I love this post. It describes the healthy lifestyle with balance and moderation that I want to achieve. I’ve found when I go too extreme with my eating, exercising, or both, other areas of my life suffer (family, spirituality). I “feel” better when my life is more in balance, and that is what I really want. Self discipline really applies to every aspect of life, and it’s a struggle.
Thank you so much Aubrey!! <3 <3 I've done so many extreme things too (too strict of a diet, cutting out things that I love, pushing myself too hard, etc.) and although I always learn a lot, it's just not a great lifestyle to live! I'm really so happy to have finally found a balance in my life! I'm hopeful that I'll be able to stick with it for the long haul. 🙂
I love your positive attitude about healthy living! I 100% agree, healthy living is a never-ending journey… you’ve got to keep working at it, and you’re not going to be perfect. But it’s important to celebrate our triumphs and efforts! We get down on ourselves too much…. and ah yes, this crazy election. I’m glad that you’re feeling optimistic, because I’m lacking in that feeling over the past week, haha. I’ve been battling feeling very sad and overwhelmed about it all!
Thanks so much Nicole! I’m so happy to finally be at a great place in my life health-wise. I’m lovin’ it.
I think this election was rough on everyone!!! I’m just glad that it’s over and am hopeful good changes will happen. <3
YASS I love this approach. Your comment about there being no fails in healthy living is so on point.
Thanks so much Britt! Heck, I’ve failed at healthy living so many times…I figure I never fail unless I stop trying, right?? 🙂
I am so glad you are at a great spot with balance.
More then perfection, balance is what I crave.
(I will admit I am struggling with too many sweets right now.)
I’m so so so grateful too! I love sweets so much, but it feels good to finally have a good, balanced relationship with them!
I bet those steel cut oats and apples cooking make your house smell UHHHHMAZZZZING!!!
Yes they do! I love to make them especially in the fall. <3
You know those blood pressure machines in grocery stores? My husband and i “compete” to see whose is the lowest. I always win, even though he tries to cheat while I’m having mine measured. He’ll do things like look off in the distance and yell (yes, actually YELL, in the STORE) “Boys! Put down that crossbow!” or say things like “Stay still, while I flick this spider off your shoulder.”
I still win. And then I punch him in the arm.
We have a good marriage.
Oh my gosh, that is hilarious!!! You guys seem like you have an awesome marriage, lol!!