I’m not perfect. I readily admit that. I’ve got flaws – quite a few of them.
But I really think that this time is different.
What I mean is, that like every other American who vows to lose 20 lbs/workout more/eat better at the start of a new year, I’m really feeling that this year is finally the year. I will not just be someone who sticks with it for the first 3 weeks and then falls back into old patterns and routines.
A lot of healthy living bloggers talk about their healthy tipping point and I’m beginning to realize that hubs joining the National Guard, may have been mine.
My Tipping Point?
Let’s be honest, though I ran 4 marathons, I didn’t train nearly as hard as I could have. We weren’t active people. I tried my hardest to be but we love good food, good wine and good teevee. The problem with so many other people in our sedentary, overweight leaning country.
But I thought about the past few weeks. Talking to hubs every day we each talk about our workouts, how we’re feeling, what we’re eating. I track my food – fairly regularly as of the past few weeks (though less religiously on the weekends, I give myself a break then) and my workouts.
We’re planning trips for the summer like hiking out in the Shenandoahs again, as well as hiking up in White Mountains and in Vermont. Camping on the Eastern Shore and hopefully running hubs’s first Half Marathon this fall. We both really want to be more active. Hubs wants me to get him into CrossFit (huzzah!), and wants to run races with me. It’s super inspiring and I’m pretty sure unlike previous years when we both made this vow, now that he has to do it for the military, it’s going to stick but not just for him, but for both of us.
The most exciting part about this new lifestyle is that we’re both excited about it and we’re excited to do it all together.
It’s kind of bizarre that I function slightly better on my own. We very much fell into old routines when he was home for two weeks over exodus, but it was a different circumstance considering FIVE of those days we were traveling.
But this week for instance? I’ve worked out 4 out of 5 days. I’ve tracked my food all five days this week and most of last week when I got back on the food tracking wagon. I’m hoping that this is really the start of me sticking with everything. Not just for my sake, but because I want hubs to be proud of me and I want to look good on his handsome arm – I mean yeah, I want to be healthy but let’s be honest there’s a slightly vain part in it when your husband drops 30+ lbs.
Borderline obsessive?
It’s weird though, because I was talking to my pal today about how I’ve been tracking and she commented that she couldn’t use her iPhone to track her food, she’d be too obsessive about it. I could see where she was coming from and when I got home, I definitely wondered where the line is. When does tracking become obsessive?
I mean, plenty of healthy living bloggers track their food/habits using their blogs. Many of them attribute blogging to how they reached their goal and tracking their food kept themselves accountable.
Now whether you take pictures of your food obsessively and blog about it, or whether you use a program like MyFitnessPal or LoseIt, there is a line. I’m pretty sure I’m toeing that line, but because I feel that I need to until I make sure I’m not going to slip back into my lazy, sedentary, boozehounding ways. I mean, it’s working. At least for now and if I have to be a little borderline obsessive about my tracking (obviously while still making sure I eat enough) that’s my own ish. Right?
Now do I think there are bloggers out there who are obsessive? Well. Yes. I’ve stopped reading them because while I love recipes, and being inspired and sharing ideas for workouts and meals, I don’t want to see you shove a spoonful of froyo in your mouth to prove to the world that you’re eating. I don’t need to see that you ate oatmeal AGAIN for breakfast. I just..don’t care nor do I find that helpful or healthy. If you feel that you need to take pictures of yourself eating the food you’re blogging about, you probably have a slue of other issues right? Right. But then that’s why I don’t read those blogs anymore. As much as it is their right to blog about that it’s my right to not read it.
{Note: This is why I have never understood trolls – if you don’t like a blog? Don’t read it. There’s no reason to be a jerk.}
I’m not a food blogger though, not even close. I share recipes once in a blue moon, but I’m not a cook really, so my recipes are usually found on other blogs anyhow. I’m just a gal trying to be healthy and share my struggles with a healthy balance. That’s what healthy living is after all, it’s all balance.
I digress, this is the year that I finally stick to my resolutions and accomplish all of my goals.
Related Reading
Resolution Survival Guide (via SparkPeople)
8 apps to make your resolutions stick (via Mashable)
Three Steps to Resolution Success (via LifeHacker)
