#90dayblogilateschallenge

[90dayenfjslay]

Day 2 - Moving Differently

Today went alright, breakfast was eggs and toast, lunch was leftovers from last night. I noticed a significant positive increase in my overall mood this morning and throughout the day. Granted, it’s a Tuesday, and Monday’s are usually rough, so it will be interesting to see if the trend continues. 

I also started my gratitude journal last night (aiming to document 10 things I’m grateful for each day) and I feel really good about it.

My job just moved to a new office, which has a gym in the basement. I’ve been foam-rolling and stretching the past two days when I’m struggling to focus, and it seems to be helping a lot. Plus I’m being reminded of the way my body positively responds to being pampered and cared for. There is an essence of gratitude in each slow movement.

Moving Differently

When I told Juan that I’d been feeling down, he actually suggested we go ice skating. I actually love skating so much, I took lessons a few years ago--but I was training for long-distance running, and the pressure on my knees made it hard to do both.

Anyway, I loved it, as usual. Even though the Zamboni hadn’t come through in hours and the ice was a bit bumpy, the way gliding quickly on the ice makes me feel in the cold air does bring me joy like few other things do.

Even though my heart is heavier than usual, I’m grateful that I’m able to do the things I love, and be free. Embracing the process feels good. I don’t need to feel better by a specific date, but, still, I’m trying to embrace the good moments as they come along with the rough ones.  

#90 day challenge #90dayblogilateschallenge #blogilates #fitness #health #healthyliving #leadwithyourheart

[90dayenfjslay]

Day 1 - There Were Easy & Hard Parts

Started my 90 day challenge TODAY! I would like to say it started with a bang, but I would say it was more of a fade in. My foggy-headed self with some kind of nasty sinus virus has been struggling to wake up in the mornings. And on top of it I’ve been feeling SAD. Seasonally sad. Sunlight is limited this time of year, but it seems to have been particularly minimal as of late.

Morning

I woke up and cooked breakfast, two eggs and a piece of wheat toast. Not really following the Blogilates diet to a t--I kept the yolks in the eggs for the health and energy benefits (egg yolks have b-vitamins galore). I usually feel energetic and much less ravenous when I have a hearty breakfast. Breakfast was easy. Journaling was hard.

Getting myself to sit down and meditate in the rush of the morning is proving to be the most challenging part so far. I did manage to read a few pages of a book as I ate breakfast.

I find that the most difficult thing with eating for me is frequency. Between breakfast and lunch I had a sugar free  Keto+ Hawaiian Protein Cookie (see here https://cookieplusprotein.com/products/keto-hawaiian).

Lunch/Workout

For lunch I had a yummy Miso Kale Salad from sweetgreen, loaded with root veggies (pictured below). 

My Workout (1 HR)

30 minutes of jogging 10 minutes walking 15 minutes of ab strength training exercises 5 minutes stretching. 

For abs I did three sets of-- 20 Regular crunches 20 Raised-leg crunches 10 Reverse crunches 20 toe-touches. I always struggle most with core workouts because they engage the entire body, which is of course why they are awesome prep muscle exercises for any sport.

Dinner

Eating healthy can be hard, but I cheat in small ways to make it more bearable. Today for dinner Juan and I had chopped chicken stir-fry with broccoli and carrots with a few tablespoons of Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce. PRO-TIP. Soyaki sauce is amazing. 

I think true exercise buffs would probably say no-no (it’s basically sugar and salt), but a little goes a long way and adds a lot of flavor and interest to otherwise bland chicken and veggies. But hey, sustainability is key!

Last thing on my list is my gratitude journal which I plan to start tonight! And more water, I definitely need to drink more water.

The exercise and the food are challenging but not the hardest part for me--it’s the inner work that requires the strength and habit-building for me, so if I can do better at that AND feel better overall I will definitely consider this 90 days a success.

#day1 #90 day challenge #90dayfitness #90dayblogilateschallenge #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthyeating #healthyeatingtips