Interrupt the Cycle
Interrupt the Cycle
Wait, the reunion is when!? We have all had times in our lives where we were cruising along minding our own business when suddenly there is an upcoming event that makes us stop and look at ourselves a little more closely. We realize we need to interrupt the cycle that makes up our current day to day routines to make room for change.
Perhaps our five day a week workout schedule has been more like two days or the “Slow Carb” diet with one cheat day a week is more like a Medium Carb “diet” with three cheat days a week! On top of that, we have an upcoming event that puts us in the spotlight, real or imagined, that inspires us to get back on track and lose 5-10 pounds.
Doing this for ourselves is wonderful as it not only puts us back on a healthier track but it boosts our confidence, allows us to be more at ease during the event and move from worrying about what everyone is thinking to truly being ourselves and enjoying the company of others.
Well guess what? I have found myself embarking on just this type of challenge. After finishing the P.F. Chang’s Half Marathon on January 18th, I was in the best shape I have been in for many years. After all the training and hard work it was actually recommended that I take a couple of weeks off.
Unfortunately, after the couple of weeks off I just never got back into the same routine and though I was eating okay I simply was not as focused as I had been before the event. Fast forward six weeks and I have put on about six unwanted pounds and my body composition has changed in a direction I do not care for. On top of that, I am attending a workshop in two and a half weeks!
I want to be confident and comfortable at the event! I need to interrupt the cycle that has become less than active and focused on health and create a new normal. We need to do this many times a year in every aspect of our lives!
Follow me over the next two and a half weeks as I use the tools that are readily available to most of you to get back on track. Here are the basics in order of impact on body composition:
- Slow Carb/South Beach way of eating and lots of water
- Walk/run or yoga at least 30 minutes a day
- Plenty of rest
- Track numbers for guidance and motivation (MyFitnessPal for calories, Fitbit for steps, weekly weigh-in and body measurements)
- Meditation
Any of you who know me know that I want to put meditation on top but we will stick to the mainstream understanding for now when it comes to how we change our bodies the most effectively.
Look for progress posts throughout the week. I weighed in this morning at 194.5 lbs. and 30.4% body fat. Although my scale is not 100% accurate, I know that I will get a directionally correct view of my progress as long as I take the measurements around the same time of day. My goal is to get as close to 185 lbs. as I possibly can by April 29th, the start of the workshop.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to interrupt your own cycle that is not serving you to your fullest.
