It's been while since I've talked about my workouts. I did about six weeks of a program called Body Beast, which focused strictly on lifting and six weeks was more than enough for me. I just couldn't stand another moment of the program. The "bro club" was just too much for me. Plus, I think I missed cardio and just mixing up the workouts. I was getting bored with the workouts and was no longer excited. My progress with weights had slowed. I knew it was time to move on.
I'm in my fourth week of a hybrid that combines a program consisting of lifting and HIIT with a program called Barre Blend. If you've ever done a barre class, you know that it burns every muscle in your body, even though it's low impact! But I love the workouts. They are the perfect compliment to the lifting and HIIT workouts. I can especially feel it in my core, which can definitely use improvement in strength, especially since I tend to sit a lot during the day with my job. My week consists of a few days of lifting and HIIT, and a couple of days of barre.
I ordered some bigger dumbbells, along with a dumbbell rack! Happy Mother's Day to me!
In my last post, I talked about how I was getting frustrated with my progress. I started to think about past instances when I was feeling really strong and healthy and I realized that it was always when I was participating in some sort of challenge. I don't know what it is about challenges - whether it be training for a marathon, or attempting 75 Hard, or doing a 4-week gut health protocol - I seem to thrive when I've hit a consistent stride because there is a finish line at the end. Setting goals or challenges gets me excited and I'm in my happy place.
Why is that, I asked myself? I think it's having something positive to focus on and there is a sense of control. There's also a huge feeling of pride when you accomplish something that is challenging. I'm not sure if everyone feels that way, but I just know that I feel really proud of myself when I do something that required a lot of hard work and discipline.
For those that know me really well, you know that I attempted to do 75 Hard two years ago. I made it to day 43 and then quit. My body was tired and I just felt like it was too much. Although I have no regrets, part of me wonders what that 75th day would have felt like had I stuck with it.
And no, I'm not doing 75 Hard again. It's just too rigid and extreme for me. However, I've thought about doing something to help me work with consistency for an extended period of time and when a friend said she'd be interested in doing it with me, I knew that it was the perfect time to challenge myself. I'm going to challenge myself to do the following as consistently as I can for the next 75 days:
1. Meet my daily protein and calorie goal.
Although I eat healthy for the most part, I tend to slack off on the weekends with tracking my food and making sure I meet my calorie and protein goals. Weekends are just as important for meeting nutrition goals as weekdays! I don't have to be perfect, but I can make smarter choices.
2. Work out every day.
My plan is to work out 5 days a week with the program that I'm doing and then walk or do a recovery workout the other two days. I'm not going to overwork myself doing a workout every day. My body needs to rest and recover. But I also need to stretch and work on my mobility and walks are always beneficial, too.
3. Read 10 pages from a personal development book.
There's always room for personal development, both at work and at home. Sometimes I get in a rut and it's good to read something inspiring. I'm especially struggling with stress right now and I hope to read some things that will help me develop coping mechanisms. I'm also planning on reading books to help with my mental health and spirituality.
4. Meditate for at least 5 minutes.
Wow, has this one come in handy this week! Work is extremely busy and stressful right now and pausing to breathe for 5 minutes has helped so much!
5. Drink 80 oz of water.
This is actually a habit that I built when I attempted 75 Hard. I'm able to drink a lot of water most days, but if my routine changes or is disrupted, particularly on the weekends, I come up short with water. My goal is to be consistent every day.
6. Stay off of social media.
I'll probably do a completely separate post on reasons why I've decided to take a break from social media. Of all the tasks, I feel like this one will have the most impact if I can do it for 75 days.
I'm a few days into the challenge and I can already tell a difference, but I've done enough challenges in my life to know that the first few days are usually always easy. We'll see how I feel in a few weeks!
Leia has faith in her grandma that she can do it!
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