If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen my post-workout #Fitin2016 selfies all through January. Bottom line, this is the year I get back to fit. Now that I’ve stuck with it daily for one whole month, I’m ready to share it here.
This January, I embarked on a journey of much healthier eating habits, tracking my food intake religiously on MyFitnessPal, aiming for 10K steps a day with FitBit and working out more days than not (at 5 am on weekdays). I conquered the rigorous #21dayfix workout program and started the Couch to 5K running program. I did 22 heart-pumping, super sweaty workouts in January. I even took my workout DVD and sneakers along on our cozy cabin getaway in Hocking Hills, moved furniture and worked out in front of a crackling fire! In January, I lost 4.4 lbs, which is a start, but much more important to me is how I feel.
I FEEL AMAZING. I seriously feel years younger already. As the weight comes off, I know that these good feelings will increase. I am sleeping like a dream, dropping into bed at night absolutely exhausted (by like 9 pm!). During the day, I have far more energy, I’m more productive and I feel mentally sharper. I’m not all groggy and fogged up from filling my body with junk like I had been.
There are no magic bullets or products involved. There are handy tools (namely my friends mentioned above – MFP, FitBit and a 5 am daily alarm). But mostly it’s about discipline, hard work, sweat, mindfulness and changing my focus from food (what’s yummiest to eat and when can I get something even yummier to cram in my mouth) to fitness (how can I get more steps in, when can I fit in an extra walk or workout, and how can I fuel myself for even better and harder workouts). It gets less painful and more fun the longer I continue. I don’t ever want to go back to how I felt before I started.
I am just one wee month in. I have so very far to go. But I feel like things are off to a good start! I wish I had started this a year ago – and I wish I had stuck to it every time I’ve started it before. But this time I’m seeing it through. And thanks to all of you who have posted about your own fitness, health and weightless journeys, because you have inspired me so much. It took me a long time (far too long) to get myself psyched up to do this thing, and now it’s begun. It won’t be perfect and I’ll have bumps in the road, but I’m glad to be back on my way to better fitness and health.
Thanks for reading. Sharing this is another way of keeping myself accountable. I’d love to hear about your fitness and health journeys, too!
