When Things Go Wrong

October was a rough month for me, for a lot of reasons.  I got a bit off track with my fitness.  It happens and I’m not going to beat myself up about it or anything.  Instead, I’m going to share what I do when I need to get back to my healthy habits.

 

The very first step for me when I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do is to figure out how to get my cardio in.  Cardio is the thing that gives me the most, fastest.  When everything is going wrong, I need cardio’s mood boost.  I need the extra energy it gives me.  I need the cognitive help.  And, yeah, I need to burn some calories.

 

While I often suggest cardio as a first step for other people for all those reasons, I would like to point out that we are all individuals and some of us might get the most benefit from starting somewhere else.  The point here is that the first step should be the one that gives us the most traction so that we can get to the second step.  (Apply this same principle to all the steps, please!)

 

For me, that second step is about what I put in my mouth.  When I am stressed, I want ice cream, mac and cheese, and all the caffeinated soda in the universe.  Sadly, this does not match up well with the list of foods that are actually good for me.  Weaning myself off the junk food helps me sleep better, ache less, and feel less irritable.

 

Step three, once the first two steps are well along toward becoming habits again, is to add just a little something.  Some days that might be some yoga.  Other days, it might be some weights.  Nothing too big or that takes too long or that feels too overwhelming.  Just a little push.  Those little pushes add up over time.

 

If I find that I’m stressing out again, I back up.  I return to the cardio.  I step away from the freezer.  I try not to add more stress about what I’m not doing.

 

What works for you?