Hello World!  The purpose of this blog is mostly to add another layer of motivation for myself through this process - this is mainly for me to re-read when I'm in a low spot or to reflect on my journey after a milestone or accomplishment.  It may only be a month-long challenge, but getting into the groove of everything all together is the toughest part in my mind; I'm hoping this challenge will kickstart me into a regular routine!  Working full time and being in school (plus 3 animals, a house, bf, friends and family) leaves me with very little motivation for being 'healthy' these days.  My terms of 'healthy' include exercising 3-4 days a week and eating lean meals (but still allowing a small treat every now and then to avoid the sugar monster that lives in my soul).  I currently have a love-hate relationship with running; in the past it was my go-to cardio, whether it be on the tredmill or track at they gym or my favourite 5km loop around the neighbourhood... sadly I haven't been keeping up with it for the last 2 years and now I feel like my lungs are bleeding after 30 minutes at a half-jog pace.  My meals have also suffered recently and all together the last 2 years have chewed me up and spit me out as a out-of-shape and un-toned late-20s chick.

For The Love Of Food!  Do I have a food addiction?  Honestly, I think so.  The last few years I've noticed that I have no self control when it comes to anything sweet.  My work is the toughest place to be when I'm on a diet as there are always sweet treats brought in and I have absolutely no will power to eat the little cup of unsweetened applesauce I brought in over a beautifully sprinkled chocolate donut.  What I've found is that I am really good and disciplined when it comes to meal planning and prep - I typically prep all my meals for the week on Sunday - but when I get to work, if there's any extra treats sitting around, my healthy snacks go out the window.  One of my coworkers suggested I read The Metabolism Boosting Diet (what I will call MBD) book as a guide for getting rid of my persistent sweet-tooth and discovering healthier ways to balance my meals - so I did.  The book is truly one of the best methods for curbing my sugar cravings and planning out snacks and meals better.  I went through the book and flagged pages with delicious sounding recipes, alternative protein options and healthy snack choices.  The best thing about this book was that it enlightened me on the pro-tip that having some source of protein in each meal/snack and keeping up with water intake is vital in getting through the day without extra snacking.  4 days ago I re-started the Balance Phase (cutting out carbs and sugars mostly) to cut down my cravings - learning how to say "NO" to those glazed chocolate donuts again is literally the worst.  I plan to keep it up for another 6 days so that by the beginning of this challenge I will be getting into the Boost phase and ready for some consistent exercising!

Sweat, Smile and Repeat!  As I said before, I have a love-hate relationship with running.  It used to be my biggest stress reliever, but now I get stressed out thinking about going for a run.  I think the biggest challenge I face nowadays is that I go into it thinking "heck, I used to run 5km in 27 minutes, I'm pretty sure that's still do-able"!  What I don't clue in to is that I should be easing myself back into running, and so by the end of my run, I'm a hurting unit and feel disappointed in myself.  Not good.  Over the next 4 weeks, I plan to find and follow a 1-month beginners guide to running so that by the end of the challenge I can potentially be getting back to where I was 2 years ago.  I have also started riding my bike to work (which is about a 40 minute ride over 12km), so I will dedicate myself to ride into work at least 3 times a week.  Lastly, I want to attend a Hot Pilates class every Friday evening to add in a different form of exercise.

Goals Committments and Expectations For Myself!

  • PUT THAT DONUT DOWN - reduce my sugar intake and find the power to resist the sweet treats.  Drink lots of water and follow the sugar craving substitutes in MBD!
  • Bike to work - try at least 4 days a week on long weeks and 3 days a week on short weeks
  • Attempt some form of exercise daily - start a 1-month Beginners Guide to Running to ease back into 5km runs, Hot Pilates on Fridays and/or at the very least do the Fitbit 7 Minute Workout!
  • Stick to the diet plan, consisting of low-carb/high-protein meals - plan to start the day with 1 cup warm lemon water, then breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and then green tea in the evenings!
  • DON'T GET DISCOURAGED, stick with it and try your best!

Bring on Monday!

Danielle