Follow-Through Makes a Positive Difference

Sleep
I've been sleeping very deeply this week, and I've been having lots of dreams. I think I"m making up for last week's lack of sleep. I'm 4 out of 5 this week.

Water
I'd say this week I've been drinking a variety of beverages, rather than just water. Some juice, soda, beer, wine, extra coffee, etc. It does all count as hydration, however, water is the best. I'm 4 out of 4 so far this week.

Eating
I haven't planned out my dinners for the week for the past few weeks. I really eat better if I do. My schedule is going to change next week, and I'll be working through dinner M-Th. Because of that, I'm going to start cooking Fri-Sun and not worry about dinner at all the other days of the week, which is a little strange. Sure, I'll buy some quick cooks like frozen meals, pasta and jarred sauce, etc. and I'll make sure to cook enough to have leftovers when I do cook. But it's strange to think that I won't be cooking or even home for dinner all week! I'll also have to remember to eat dinner early, before I leave for work! This week I'm 3 out of 4 for eating.

Exercise
I've gotten into a routine of going to the gym with my friend who just joined on M,W, F mornings, which is great! I do 30 min. cardio and some abs and stretching on those days, and she does 45-60 min. cardio. Today, because I hadn't done any toning exercises all week, I did my quick and dirty toning workout after my 30 min. cardio. I was pleasantly surprised that I finished most of it before she finished her 15 extra minutes of cardio. Then, we did some abs together. When I got home, my daughters were still asleep, so I was able to finish the last 10 minutes of my toning and stretching. I'm supposed to be doing my quick and dirty toning workout on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at home, but it's hard to get up so early every day. This week, I'm only 3 out of 5 for exercise, which is why I did my double workout today. Tomorrow, I have a personal training appointment at the club, so I'll run over there and get another cardio workout in for the week. I might do some toning on Sunday so that I'll get in 2 toning workouts. They really make a big difference. So many people are only concerned with doing cardio, but it's the toning that made a big difference for me. First, more muscle = higher metabolism = I can eat more! Second, I really thinned down and could see the muscles under my skin. Yes, eat more and thinned down!

Tranquility
Yesterday, my girls did not nap, which meant I got no tranquility. :-( By the time dinner was over, I really needed some time away from my girls, after 13-14 hours straight with them. Surprisingly, after her bath, Maya wanted to come in and be with me, instead of with her father who'd been at work all day . I don't understand that: aren't my kids tired of me too? Why don't they want to spend some time with their fun father whom they'd hardly seen all day? Today, Maya isn't napping, but she's watching a movie so that I can get a few things done while Zoe naps. I'm 4 out of 5 for this week.

How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, so far, I've had a S_ _ ET Life; I'll have to see how well I follow through on the Water and Eating the rest of the day. For the rest of this week, it's:
S = 4/5
W = 4/5
E = 3/5
E = 3/5
T = 4/5
I feel pretty good today, which is saying a lot on a Friday! However, Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, I felt quite foggy-headed. I couldn't think clearly, and I felt like I couldn't see straight. Whenever I'm not feeling my best, I think about the SWEET Life and what I might be missing. Am I sleep-deprived? Am I dehydrated? Am I eating too much junk or not enough nutritious food? Am I being sedentary? Am I stressed out? All those things lower people's energy-levels and clarity. For me, it could have been a little bit of all those things: making up for last week's lack of sleep, drinking beverages that were not necessarily water, not eating enough nutritious food, not exercising daily, and not having enough time to complete everything I need to. Thank goodness the weekend is almost here!