It’s the middle of the month. Are you halfway to your monthly goal? I’m not. Last week, I was unmotivated, with other priorities. At this point (Oct. 13) I still have ~3 more weeks of October; that’s still time to make a difference, an improvement. I’m re-energized! Why? I took a weekend, anniversary trip with my husband and no kids! Wonderful!
However, most people can’t say the same, so how do they re-energize themselves?
Well, revisit your goal: Is it achievable within a month? Is it specific and measurable? Is it relevant? If your goal is too general, like “lose 10 lb.,” it will be difficult to achieve because you don’t know if you are losing fat, muscle or water. If you do it through exercise, you are probably gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat and can cause the scale to tip higher. If you do it through dieting, you might be sending your body into “starvation” mode, lowering your metabolism to adjust to the lack of caloric intake. Perhaps your goal needs to be modified to something like, lose 1% body fat (if you can measure that) or for your clothes to fit better, a much more relevant goal than what the scale says.
Do you have specific steps to take, everyday, to achieve your goal? Make sure your steps are small enough to complete every day. Modify steps, if needed, to be more specific and relevant. “eat less” is too general; “only one serving” especially if you are used to eating 2, is more specific and relevant.
There’s still time; there’s always time, to make adjustments and improvements in your health and lifestyle. Find something that works, so that everyday you can answer the question, “What did you do today?” healthfully.
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Working out with a friend
I saw my friend Lee at the gym the other morning. We used to work out together early in the mornings, but we stopped months ago. She said that nowadays, early morning is the only time she has to do it, so she’d be going to the gym in the mornings, lately. I jumped on the chance to go with her, encouraging me to get the workouts over with before the day started. For months I’d tried to workout first thing in the morning, and even in the early morning daylight of summer, I just couldn’t get myself up unless I had to. So why, now that it’s dark in the early mornings, was I suddenly so eager to go with Lee? Well, I think it’s the motivation of going WITH someone that got me excited. If I know I’m meeting someone, I can’t talk myself out of it, like I can do SO easily to myself.
This week, I have Personal Training clients four early mornings, so I will be at the gym, but not working out, myself. And yes, the motivation of meeting someone will get me there, along with coffee.
It was nice, back when, to shower and get my day going at the usual time, knowing I had already worked out before my family woke up. Nowadays, a little extra sleep always sounds better. But if I had someone to work out with, maybe I’d do it.
This week, I have Personal Training clients four early mornings, so I will be at the gym, but not working out, myself. And yes, the motivation of meeting someone will get me there, along with coffee.
It was nice, back when, to shower and get my day going at the usual time, knowing I had already worked out before my family woke up. Nowadays, a little extra sleep always sounds better. But if I had someone to work out with, maybe I’d do it.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
"Recovery"
I'm trying to accomplish more, so I'd planned out the day in detail, especially what I'd do, alone, during the 4 hr. I'd have a babysitter. But my babysitter didn't show up. I called after 15 min., to no avail. This was the stumble, the question was: Was I going to recover or fall to pieces? Could I go through with my plans for the day with kids in tow? Uh . . . I guess so. That's the "recovery." It's psychological: I had my plan, which included 4 hr of "alone time." Without the babysitter, then what? It's the same when someone gets sick: Do you throw all plans out the window or "recover," modify plans as needed, and continue with the day?
The same is true of living the SWEET Life: If you stumble, you need to recover, not fall. If I miss Sleep too many days, I need to decide to either take a nap or drink some caffeine to wake up, rather than slogging through the day unproductively. If I Eat junk food for lunch one day, I need to eat a healthy dinner, rather than thinking my eating plan is ruined and continuing to eat crap the rest of the day. If I don't Exercise, I need to plan ahead to exercise the next day, rather than dwelling on what I didn't do. In short, I need to "recover," not give up, and not fall to pieces.
The same is true of living the SWEET Life: If you stumble, you need to recover, not fall. If I miss Sleep too many days, I need to decide to either take a nap or drink some caffeine to wake up, rather than slogging through the day unproductively. If I Eat junk food for lunch one day, I need to eat a healthy dinner, rather than thinking my eating plan is ruined and continuing to eat crap the rest of the day. If I don't Exercise, I need to plan ahead to exercise the next day, rather than dwelling on what I didn't do. In short, I need to "recover," not give up, and not fall to pieces.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Getting Organized
Sleep
These days it seems I don't get enough sleep Sunday - Thursday nights, but I do on the weekends. By Thursday or so, I'm ready for a nap! Over the course of a week, that doesn't add up to enough sleep. :-(
Water
With this hot weather, I'm really trying to stay hydrated, and the heat makes me thirsty, so it's pretty easy.
Eating
I was taking an exercise class yesterday and realized I'm kinda bulky. It's muscle, but I'm bigger than I want to look, and the #1 key to bulking up is to eat more than you burn off. For that reason, I need to eat less, so I'm taking advantage of the lack of appetite brought on by the heatwave and trying to really cut down. I eat balanced, healthy meals, but I just need to trim the serving sizes.
Exercise
I was going to exercise first thing, at 6:30 a.m., but I didn't sleep well, so I was going to take an exercise class at 9:00, but I had a hard time getting up after not sleeping well, so I was running late and didn't make it. Then, I was going to exercise by riding my bike to pick up Zoe, but I needed to get her quickly, so I drove. Then, I was thinking of going to the gym after dinner, but I had to help get the girls to bed and it was too late. How many times have we told ourselves the same story? I suppose most people don't have as many opportunities to exercise in one day as I have. It's pitiful when the end of the day comes and I haven't exercised and I have no good reason why not.
Tranquility
Today was a backyard pool day. I filled both of our inflatable pools, a 6'x10' rectangle and a 5' circle. I started them just 1/3 full of water, which heated quite nicely during the hot mid-day. In the afternoon, I filled them up to 2/3 full, mixing the heated water with cool, refreshing water. That's a lot of water! I also stuck our little play structure slide into a pool. Then, we had at it! First it was just me and Maya; later, a couple of her friends came over with their moms. We ate popsicles, drank mint lemonade with coconut rum and ate strawberries and little cookies. It was wonderful! I look forward to playing in the pools all this hot week.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a _WE_T Life.
I feel good (except for the lack of sleep and exercise) ever since I finally sorted out my desk mountain of papers. I did that last weekend and have felt better ever since. I feel less overwhelmed, mostly because, in merely sorting the papers, I realized there wasn't much that required immediate attention. The biggest sorted piles I ended up with were trash, magazines, filing, and mail to open. Most of the mail was stuff to file. There was very little To Do in that huge mountain. I recycled the trash, stacked the magazines in a magazine rack, and told myself I was going to spend 15 min/day filing papers. Now, 2 days later, my filing stack is very small; I should finish tomorrow. In addition to filing, I'm spending 15 min/day tidying up my house, and I'm making sure to wash one load of laundry and spend some time completing things in my To Do file. I just feel more clear-headed and in control. :-)
These days it seems I don't get enough sleep Sunday - Thursday nights, but I do on the weekends. By Thursday or so, I'm ready for a nap! Over the course of a week, that doesn't add up to enough sleep. :-(
Water
With this hot weather, I'm really trying to stay hydrated, and the heat makes me thirsty, so it's pretty easy.
Eating
I was taking an exercise class yesterday and realized I'm kinda bulky. It's muscle, but I'm bigger than I want to look, and the #1 key to bulking up is to eat more than you burn off. For that reason, I need to eat less, so I'm taking advantage of the lack of appetite brought on by the heatwave and trying to really cut down. I eat balanced, healthy meals, but I just need to trim the serving sizes.
Exercise
I was going to exercise first thing, at 6:30 a.m., but I didn't sleep well, so I was going to take an exercise class at 9:00, but I had a hard time getting up after not sleeping well, so I was running late and didn't make it. Then, I was going to exercise by riding my bike to pick up Zoe, but I needed to get her quickly, so I drove. Then, I was thinking of going to the gym after dinner, but I had to help get the girls to bed and it was too late. How many times have we told ourselves the same story? I suppose most people don't have as many opportunities to exercise in one day as I have. It's pitiful when the end of the day comes and I haven't exercised and I have no good reason why not.
Tranquility
Today was a backyard pool day. I filled both of our inflatable pools, a 6'x10' rectangle and a 5' circle. I started them just 1/3 full of water, which heated quite nicely during the hot mid-day. In the afternoon, I filled them up to 2/3 full, mixing the heated water with cool, refreshing water. That's a lot of water! I also stuck our little play structure slide into a pool. Then, we had at it! First it was just me and Maya; later, a couple of her friends came over with their moms. We ate popsicles, drank mint lemonade with coconut rum and ate strawberries and little cookies. It was wonderful! I look forward to playing in the pools all this hot week.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a _WE_T Life.
I feel good (except for the lack of sleep and exercise) ever since I finally sorted out my desk mountain of papers. I did that last weekend and have felt better ever since. I feel less overwhelmed, mostly because, in merely sorting the papers, I realized there wasn't much that required immediate attention. The biggest sorted piles I ended up with were trash, magazines, filing, and mail to open. Most of the mail was stuff to file. There was very little To Do in that huge mountain. I recycled the trash, stacked the magazines in a magazine rack, and told myself I was going to spend 15 min/day filing papers. Now, 2 days later, my filing stack is very small; I should finish tomorrow. In addition to filing, I'm spending 15 min/day tidying up my house, and I'm making sure to wash one load of laundry and spend some time completing things in my To Do file. I just feel more clear-headed and in control. :-)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Determination
I'm determined to live the SWEET Life today. I've been keeping track, all day, on my SWEET Life Plan and will see every letter highlighted on my SWEET Life Cycle. Why the big push today? First, I went camping last weekend where two things happened: We ate a lot! Everyone brought so much food to share with everyone (there were 22 of us), and we were snacking all the time. Also, the shorts I brought in anticipation of the hot weather were uncomfortably tight in the waist, which they didn't use to be! Tight shorts on a hot day is a bad combination! In addition, it's the last week of the month and I'm not near my goal, which was the same goal as last month, which I didn't achieve either. I need to stop the negative cycle, now! I have to focus and live the SWEET Life fully and consistently to see the results I want to see. It's that simple.
Sleep: Despite a midnight interruption and two kids coming in to join us, I slept well. It was nice to be in my own bed again after two nights in a tent.
Water: I've been keeping track of each beverage I've drunk on my SWEET Life Plan, and I've drunk plenty.
Eating: After three days of camp food (i.e., too much and of varying nutritional value), I was ready to eat healthy and make sure I was eating balanced nutrition, marking off each portion on my SWEET Life Plan.
Exercise: I laid in bed this morning, awakened by my "exercise" alarm, asking myself if I needed more sleep. Eventually, I realized I was wasting my time laying in bed, awake! Either sleep, or get up! So I got up and exercised, using my new adjust-a-weight dumbbells. I'm now trying to do toning exercises on Mondays & Wednesdays and cardio on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Tranquility: There was a surprise knock on the door at 8:30 a.m. It was our babysitter! I'd forgotten that I was starting to use her every Monday morning. What a pleasant surprise! That meant I got some Tranquility this morning, not doing anything in particular, just getting organized post-camping.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I lived the SWEET Life.
Sleep: Despite a midnight interruption and two kids coming in to join us, I slept well. It was nice to be in my own bed again after two nights in a tent.
Water: I've been keeping track of each beverage I've drunk on my SWEET Life Plan, and I've drunk plenty.
Eating: After three days of camp food (i.e., too much and of varying nutritional value), I was ready to eat healthy and make sure I was eating balanced nutrition, marking off each portion on my SWEET Life Plan.
Exercise: I laid in bed this morning, awakened by my "exercise" alarm, asking myself if I needed more sleep. Eventually, I realized I was wasting my time laying in bed, awake! Either sleep, or get up! So I got up and exercised, using my new adjust-a-weight dumbbells. I'm now trying to do toning exercises on Mondays & Wednesdays and cardio on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Tranquility: There was a surprise knock on the door at 8:30 a.m. It was our babysitter! I'd forgotten that I was starting to use her every Monday morning. What a pleasant surprise! That meant I got some Tranquility this morning, not doing anything in particular, just getting organized post-camping.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I lived the SWEET Life.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
End of Cycle Recap
The past, 4-week, SWEET Life Cycle ended Sunday. My goal was to "Be Able To see that I lived the SWEET Life 5-6 days every week." Well, I did a pretty good job of it. I did keep track every day, no days with question marks. My one weakness was that I only exercised 4 days a week instead of 5. I also wrote a few notes on it, explaining why I didn't do some things, like "chocolate, coffee" one day when I didn't eat well.
So let's see how things went today:
Sleep: I did sleep 7 hr, in Maya's bed, which was otherwise empty. However, that didn't really make up for the little sleep I'd gotten the night before.
Water: I did make sure to drink 8 cups of water today, 4 tall glasses-worth.
Eating: I cleared off the front of my freezer and prominently displayed my SWEET Life Plan so that I would remember to keep track of and check off the amounts of each food group. Yesterday, I ate no vegetables (!) so I made sure to focus on those today. I need to buy some easy to eat veggies, like baby carrots. Looking at the food groups on my Plan actually helped give me ideas for what to eat.
Exercise: I got up early and did my toning exercises at home.
Tranquility: That's right now because I didn't have tranquility all day. I set up a Skype account and want to use it to call my mom so that she can see her granddaughters and vice versa. It's too late at night to call anyone, so I'll have to try my first web cam/internet call tomorrow.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a SWEET Life!
It's unfortunate that I'm up so late (11:30 p.m.) because I want to get up at 6:15 to exercise, which would not give me enough exercise.
I feel motivated because I've set a new goal and really put some thought into how to achieve it. But more about that the next time. . .
So let's see how things went today:
Sleep: I did sleep 7 hr, in Maya's bed, which was otherwise empty. However, that didn't really make up for the little sleep I'd gotten the night before.
Water: I did make sure to drink 8 cups of water today, 4 tall glasses-worth.
Eating: I cleared off the front of my freezer and prominently displayed my SWEET Life Plan so that I would remember to keep track of and check off the amounts of each food group. Yesterday, I ate no vegetables (!) so I made sure to focus on those today. I need to buy some easy to eat veggies, like baby carrots. Looking at the food groups on my Plan actually helped give me ideas for what to eat.
Exercise: I got up early and did my toning exercises at home.
Tranquility: That's right now because I didn't have tranquility all day. I set up a Skype account and want to use it to call my mom so that she can see her granddaughters and vice versa. It's too late at night to call anyone, so I'll have to try my first web cam/internet call tomorrow.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Today, I had a SWEET Life!
It's unfortunate that I'm up so late (11:30 p.m.) because I want to get up at 6:15 to exercise, which would not give me enough exercise.
I feel motivated because I've set a new goal and really put some thought into how to achieve it. But more about that the next time. . .
Monday, March 31, 2008
Renewed Motivation
I'm renewing my motivation for living the SWEET Life. Having Spring Break last week helped encourage me because I had more free time to focus on it. Last week also started my latest 4-week goal cycle. My 4-week goal is simply to consciously live the SWEET Life, which I had become increasingly worse about doing over the previous 6 weeks.
We went to Lake Tahoe for 4 days with another family, which was great fun. I took my SWEET Life tools, with copies for the other adults on the trip. It was a lot easier to live the SWEET Life while on vacation because I recruited the others to live it with me for those 4 days.
Sleep
Last night I slept horribly! I went to bed late because I was trying to get some stuff done, and Zoe cried out for me, then squirmed around in my bed the rest of the night. Horrible!
Water
I drank enough beverages yesterday, although they weren't all water.
Eating
I ate well, but surprisingly, I didn't eat a lot of grains.
Exercise
I went running on the beach yesterday.
Tranquility
I got a lot of stuff done while my girls were napping, so, yes, I had tranquility.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a _WEET Life.
We went to Lake Tahoe for 4 days with another family, which was great fun. I took my SWEET Life tools, with copies for the other adults on the trip. It was a lot easier to live the SWEET Life while on vacation because I recruited the others to live it with me for those 4 days.
Sleep
Last night I slept horribly! I went to bed late because I was trying to get some stuff done, and Zoe cried out for me, then squirmed around in my bed the rest of the night. Horrible!
Water
I drank enough beverages yesterday, although they weren't all water.
Eating
I ate well, but surprisingly, I didn't eat a lot of grains.
Exercise
I went running on the beach yesterday.
Tranquility
I got a lot of stuff done while my girls were napping, so, yes, I had tranquility.
How did I do, and how do I feel?
Yesterday, I had a _WEET Life.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Obligation vs. Desire
Sleep
I slept enough even though Zoe interrupted my sleep a lot. She kept Nick on the edge of the bed and I kept pulling her back towards me to give him more space. Stupid me, if she were in his way, he could have moved her out of it! Turns out, he didn't even know that he'd been obligated to sleep on the edge of the bed because of her desire to snuggle up with him!
Water
Today was a perfect example of how dehydration affects the body. I was out and about most of the day, doing various things, and I came home knowing I was dehydrated. But I felt more than thirsty; I felt sleepy, lacking in energy, short-tempered, and had parched lips. All because I didn't drink enough while I was out and about!
Eating
I certainly ate a lot of delicious, healthy food, but whether I fulfilled all my body's nutritional obligations, I don't know. I didn't keep track. Generally, I just try to think about what % of my eating was junk food, and if the % is low (10%) then I figure I ate well. I should probably keep better track of filling in my food circles on my SWEET Life Plan, if only I had the desire.
Exercise
Isn't it interesting that after a week of barely dragging myself out of bed to do my early morning exercises and after another week of coninually hitting "snooze" and not getting up to do my early morning exercises, once I decide to cancel the alarm and not exercise in the early morning, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. ready to exercise! It's amazing how desire is so much more motivating than obligation.
Tranquility
I got some tranquility but not enough. Maya slept well after our long day out and about, but it was cut short by the obligation to go pick up Zoe from daycare. Both Maya and I desired 1-2 hours more tranquility time before getting Zoe.
How do I feel?
I had a really fun day with Maya. We did this, that and the other, and she's just at a fun, capable age now (3 1/2). I don't need a diaper bag with her; we can do things rather quickly; she can run, obey and follow directions, etc. She's interested in knowing about the world and how it works in daily life, which means I can take her to fulfill some of my obligations and she has the desire to be there, learn about it, and help me in any way she can. It was great!
I slept enough even though Zoe interrupted my sleep a lot. She kept Nick on the edge of the bed and I kept pulling her back towards me to give him more space. Stupid me, if she were in his way, he could have moved her out of it! Turns out, he didn't even know that he'd been obligated to sleep on the edge of the bed because of her desire to snuggle up with him!
Water
Today was a perfect example of how dehydration affects the body. I was out and about most of the day, doing various things, and I came home knowing I was dehydrated. But I felt more than thirsty; I felt sleepy, lacking in energy, short-tempered, and had parched lips. All because I didn't drink enough while I was out and about!
Eating
I certainly ate a lot of delicious, healthy food, but whether I fulfilled all my body's nutritional obligations, I don't know. I didn't keep track. Generally, I just try to think about what % of my eating was junk food, and if the % is low (10%) then I figure I ate well. I should probably keep better track of filling in my food circles on my SWEET Life Plan, if only I had the desire.
Exercise
Isn't it interesting that after a week of barely dragging myself out of bed to do my early morning exercises and after another week of coninually hitting "snooze" and not getting up to do my early morning exercises, once I decide to cancel the alarm and not exercise in the early morning, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. ready to exercise! It's amazing how desire is so much more motivating than obligation.
Tranquility
I got some tranquility but not enough. Maya slept well after our long day out and about, but it was cut short by the obligation to go pick up Zoe from daycare. Both Maya and I desired 1-2 hours more tranquility time before getting Zoe.
How do I feel?
I had a really fun day with Maya. We did this, that and the other, and she's just at a fun, capable age now (3 1/2). I don't need a diaper bag with her; we can do things rather quickly; she can run, obey and follow directions, etc. She's interested in knowing about the world and how it works in daily life, which means I can take her to fulfill some of my obligations and she has the desire to be there, learn about it, and help me in any way she can. It was great!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
An unSWEETened Life
I have not been very good at living the SWEET Life this week. I've been a little sick, which has been gradually building throughout the week. Usually, I try to focus more on the SWEET Life when I start to feel under the weather, and that will prevent me from getting very sick, but this week it just hasn't happened.
Sleep
I have had such a hard time waking up all week. I just haven't been able to drag myself out of bed to exercise. Have I been staying up too late? I think I need to pay more attention to when I go to bed. I've been so tired in the mornings, but not necessarily the rest of the day/evening. The morning fatigue is making me rethink my morning exercise routine. I think I need to change the time of day that I exercise, rather than fight myself trying to get out of bed in the mornings. It's easier to get up if I'm meeting someone to exercise, but I generally don't.
Water
I haven't been paying much attention to my water intake, although I'm trying to drink enough. Since I'm feeling a bit sick, staying hydrated is especially important. I think I need to try harder or remember to fill my pitcher of water to drink throughout the day.
Eating
I haven't been paying much attention to what I've been eating lately either. However, it helps that I stocked up on groceries this week because having healthy food around is the first step toward eating healthy foods.
Exercise
Every night this week I set out my workout clothes so I could just crawl out of bed and they would be waiting for me, but this week I just haven't been able to go out and exercise at 6:30 a.m. I actually got dressed to workout on Tuesday, but then realized I had a sore throat. I got undressed and went back to bed. The one day I did exercise was Wednesday, when I was meeting a friend. I took an athletic walk this morning to make up for missing so many workouts during the week, and I'll try to do some toning exercises when the girls nap today. After a week with minimal exercise, I'm starting to feel like a blob, like the lack of exercise is starting to have a negative effect on my body. I've worked hard for this body; I don't want to give it up to laziness!
Tranquility
I certainly haven't gotten my fill of tranquility this week. For example, yesterday, the girls did tag-team napping, which means that one kid is always awake, and I never get a break from being Mommy. Tuesday was such a busy day that poor Maya only had the opportunity to nap for 1/2 hr., which means that's all the free time I had, too. Wednesday the girls both napped and I had free time to relax, do my own thing and be tranquil, but I need that every day, not only once a week.
How do I feel?
Well, I haven't had a very SWEET Life this week. I've been personally unproductive, with a growing pile on my desk. At the same time, I've been trying really hard to keep my house tidy, dishes washed, and laundry folded and put away. By last night, after a terrible day, I was too tired to tidy up the house before bed, so this morning, I woke up to a few dishes in the sink, a few toys around the house, a few shoes and jackets here and there, etc. It made me realize that it's worth the 15 minutes it takes to tidy up the night before to wake up to a tidy house the next morning.
Sleep
I have had such a hard time waking up all week. I just haven't been able to drag myself out of bed to exercise. Have I been staying up too late? I think I need to pay more attention to when I go to bed. I've been so tired in the mornings, but not necessarily the rest of the day/evening. The morning fatigue is making me rethink my morning exercise routine. I think I need to change the time of day that I exercise, rather than fight myself trying to get out of bed in the mornings. It's easier to get up if I'm meeting someone to exercise, but I generally don't.
Water
I haven't been paying much attention to my water intake, although I'm trying to drink enough. Since I'm feeling a bit sick, staying hydrated is especially important. I think I need to try harder or remember to fill my pitcher of water to drink throughout the day.
Eating
I haven't been paying much attention to what I've been eating lately either. However, it helps that I stocked up on groceries this week because having healthy food around is the first step toward eating healthy foods.
Exercise
Every night this week I set out my workout clothes so I could just crawl out of bed and they would be waiting for me, but this week I just haven't been able to go out and exercise at 6:30 a.m. I actually got dressed to workout on Tuesday, but then realized I had a sore throat. I got undressed and went back to bed. The one day I did exercise was Wednesday, when I was meeting a friend. I took an athletic walk this morning to make up for missing so many workouts during the week, and I'll try to do some toning exercises when the girls nap today. After a week with minimal exercise, I'm starting to feel like a blob, like the lack of exercise is starting to have a negative effect on my body. I've worked hard for this body; I don't want to give it up to laziness!
Tranquility
I certainly haven't gotten my fill of tranquility this week. For example, yesterday, the girls did tag-team napping, which means that one kid is always awake, and I never get a break from being Mommy. Tuesday was such a busy day that poor Maya only had the opportunity to nap for 1/2 hr., which means that's all the free time I had, too. Wednesday the girls both napped and I had free time to relax, do my own thing and be tranquil, but I need that every day, not only once a week.
How do I feel?
Well, I haven't had a very SWEET Life this week. I've been personally unproductive, with a growing pile on my desk. At the same time, I've been trying really hard to keep my house tidy, dishes washed, and laundry folded and put away. By last night, after a terrible day, I was too tired to tidy up the house before bed, so this morning, I woke up to a few dishes in the sink, a few toys around the house, a few shoes and jackets here and there, etc. It made me realize that it's worth the 15 minutes it takes to tidy up the night before to wake up to a tidy house the next morning.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Exercise Burn-Out
Sleep
I'm a bit fuzzy on how much sleep I got last night. I just remember feeling very sleepy last night after coming home from work at 9:30 and having a beer with my late dinner. Because of that I think I went to bed early, but I don't remember the time. Zoe, as usual, woke up screaming her pretty little head off in the middle of the night because she was cold. I brought her into my bed and she kicked around for a bit before falling asleep. This morning, I was too tired to get up and exercise (same thing yesterday), and we all slept in until about 7:30. It seems to me I must have gotten 7-8 hr sleep out of all that.
Water
I tried harder today to pay attention to how much water I drank. I hadn't been very good about keeping track for the past few days.
Eating
I'm also paying more attention and using the SWEET Life Plan to track my food intake these days because I hadn't been very consistent about doing that.
Exercise
Once again I was both too tired to get up and exercise, and I'm feeling a bit burned out on my workout. Both yesterday and today I found time during my girls' naps to exercise, fortunately. But that won't be a consistent, stable situation. If I'm burned out, then maybe I should change my workouts. It's getting really hard to get up in the cold, dark mornings. Last winter I had a couple friends whom I worked out with, so we motivated each other to get up. The winter before, I was pregnant and on bed rest. The winter before that I had a very portable baby who took a lot of jogs and walks with me during the daytime. Hmm, I'll have to think more about what will get me out of a nice, warm bed on a cold, dark morning to exercise. . .
Tranquility
I'm very motivated to get my website (livingthesweetlife.net) up and running. I spent 2 hours of my "free time" transferring info from documents to a website creator. It felt good to get 6 pages done, at least in rough draft form.
How do I feel?
I have a lot of little things to do to keep up with life, but I also need some time to think about how to revise my exercise plan so that I'll keep doing it.
I'm a bit fuzzy on how much sleep I got last night. I just remember feeling very sleepy last night after coming home from work at 9:30 and having a beer with my late dinner. Because of that I think I went to bed early, but I don't remember the time. Zoe, as usual, woke up screaming her pretty little head off in the middle of the night because she was cold. I brought her into my bed and she kicked around for a bit before falling asleep. This morning, I was too tired to get up and exercise (same thing yesterday), and we all slept in until about 7:30. It seems to me I must have gotten 7-8 hr sleep out of all that.
Water
I tried harder today to pay attention to how much water I drank. I hadn't been very good about keeping track for the past few days.
Eating
I'm also paying more attention and using the SWEET Life Plan to track my food intake these days because I hadn't been very consistent about doing that.
Exercise
Once again I was both too tired to get up and exercise, and I'm feeling a bit burned out on my workout. Both yesterday and today I found time during my girls' naps to exercise, fortunately. But that won't be a consistent, stable situation. If I'm burned out, then maybe I should change my workouts. It's getting really hard to get up in the cold, dark mornings. Last winter I had a couple friends whom I worked out with, so we motivated each other to get up. The winter before, I was pregnant and on bed rest. The winter before that I had a very portable baby who took a lot of jogs and walks with me during the daytime. Hmm, I'll have to think more about what will get me out of a nice, warm bed on a cold, dark morning to exercise. . .
Tranquility
I'm very motivated to get my website (livingthesweetlife.net) up and running. I spent 2 hours of my "free time" transferring info from documents to a website creator. It felt good to get 6 pages done, at least in rough draft form.
How do I feel?
I have a lot of little things to do to keep up with life, but I also need some time to think about how to revise my exercise plan so that I'll keep doing it.
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