I need a kick up the bum, so I am taking action. I have been eating my feelings for a few weeks now. I have been unable to exercise properly for a little while too. I am still doing fairly well in terms of my weight (well – considering) and how I feel in my clothes but I know that if I don’t get back on top of things, these things will happen:
- My weight will creep back up and my clothes won’t fit which will be really really annoying and will make me feel disheartened.
- The lower back fat I worked so hard on losing will return. I won’t feel so toned anymore.
- I will start to feel sluggish from eating badly.
- My mental health will suffer.
- The urge to give up will become stronger.
So, I’ve declared this month #NoExcusesVember – clever huh? Bit bummed to discover I am not the only one who thought of that hashtag but the other two guys on Twitter seem to be using it for fitness purposes so I guess we can share haha.
Nothing’s going to be 100% perfect, but my aim for the month is to be really disciplined and to force myself to walk away from bad choices (literally – GET OUT OF THE POTATO CHIP AISLE KEZ) and run towards really good ones. While I don’t believe in temporary or drastic diets/exercise plans – I believe our health should be an every day lifestyle thing full of balance – I do believe in a kick up the bum when needed. I have no intention of giving up after a month, but I think I need to work a lot harder at remembering the habits that are better for me.
I feel like by telling myself that it’s just 30 or so days of the mentally hard stuff, it will seem easier by the time December rolls around. I have had fairly good habits through the year (compared to the past Kez) but I just need to slot myself back into that groove. I don’t think making excuses to eat my feelings or letting myself have lots of time off is working. I’m not getting the results I want so I need to get back to putting in the work. It’s not really only a month long challenge I’ve set myself, but more of a rehab of sorts.
There will be exceptions. Times when I don’t have many healthy food options or when I want the Little Mister to see me sharing a little birthday cake with him. But I will be making those moments as few and far between as possible. I want to do everything I can to avoid my old excuses (trust me – they’re getting old).
This is not about being mean to myself. It’s about being kind. I won’t be shaming myself. I won’t be doing this so I can suffer. I won’t be doing this because I don’t like myself. I will be doing this because I love myself enough to.
So here are the specific things I will be doing (and it’s scary to write it down and make myself accountable but I think we all know I need to):
- I will plan my lunches (they are my weakness sometimes) so that they are healthy and of a good portion size. I will exercise much more discipline than I have been.
- I will eat less dinner – using a smaller plate. I truly do not need to eat as much at night as I do at the moment.
- I will not impulsively buy snacks that are not conducive to my efforts. I will walk RIGHT PAST that stuff at the shops.
- I will work out wherever/whenever possible. If I cannot get on the treadmill, I can do a quick weights work out or a hip hop cardio work out while in the same room as the Little Mister. Daily would be good, but definitely 3-5 days a week minimum.
- If I feel really hungry emotionally and/or physically I will have some lean protein to get me through until the next meal time (that is what seems to work for me).
- If I am in a take away food/eating out situation, I will order the healthiest choice available and/or have the smallest portion available.
- If I should slip up at any point, I will NOT GIVE UP or slack off. I will do better at the very next opportunity I have.
Basically, I am going to force myself to do the right things. It sounds funny, but I’m going to treat this as a physical thing. My mind might try to make bad decisions, but I can tell my legs to walk on by!! Once I’ve walked away or shut my mouth (haha), I’m going to do a lot better! I can journal out my emotions, use my support networks and give myself non food related rewards after that haha.
Those are just my own goals and what I think will work for me. What works for somebody else might look a bit different.
I know that once I see the good results – my mental health, my weight, how I feel in my clothes, how energised I am – I won’t want to stop after November. I can’t wait.
Are you going to join me in my #NoExcusesVember efforts – what will your NoExcusesVember look like? What are your goals? Are you an emotional eater too?
