One of my goals this summer was to get into better shape. It wasn't to lose a ton of weight (I'm pretty petite to begin with) but I wanted to tone and strengthen my body, my heart, my lungs and my mind. I have been a yoga addict for a little over a year now but I was really missing the feeling you get after a good sweat session on the cardio machines.
Yoga is still my go to exercise when I'm stressed or anxious and need to clear it out of my system. I honestly haven't found anything quite like the release you get from some solid, focused time on the mat.
I try to do yoga 2-3 times a week and supplement it with an hour to hour and a half of cardio 2-3 times a week. I also do zumba once a week. That is my fun, let loose and shake it all out class.
Since I've been supplementing my yoga with more cardio, I have been able to hold and do new poses in yoga that I previously struggled with. I try to stay away from any weight lifting because I like the toning that yoga gives me using my own body weight.
However, the past two weeks I have really been struggling with motivating myself to go to the gym. I was close to my goal weight and then it was like I just gave up. I went to the gym maybe 4 times in the pat two weeks which is significantly less than I had been going. I also started eating incredibly badly which is not normal for me. It was like a week solid of eating every piece of junk (clif bars, pretzels, fruit strips, chips, dark chocolate) I could get my hands on, usually right before bed, which I definitely didn't need.
If you know me, I'm a pescatarian and I'm lactose-intolerant so I don't eat any dairy. I usually live on oatmeal, fruit, veggies, soup, hummus, bread and fish. I'm usually very aware of what I'm putting in my body and the nutritional value of it and what it does for my body (ie energy, cleansing, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, etc) but it was like I cracked and just didn't care. It didn't help that I went out of town last weekend and skipped my Saturday and Sunday morning yoga classes and my weekend walks along the water here in SoCal.
I have felt so crummy the past few weeks and just upset with myself for doing this. I have also realized that if I don't pack my gym bag in the morning and stop at the gym on my way home from work I won't go. I also have learned that if I keep any sort of treats in my house I will eat them. All of them. Usually all at once. My goal this week has been to go to the gym each day and make a conscious effort to only eat healthy food that is good for my body. So far, I've stayed on track. I've also found some healthier substitutions for my sweet tooth. For example, my treat after dinner tonight was a small piece of raw apple pie. It was delicious yet only contained raw apples, oats, dates, raisins, some spices and fruit juices. It's incredible that something so healthy and good for you could taste like a decadent desert.
My motto for this week has been "today is a new day". I'm forgetting about the last two weeks and getting back into my routine because it makes me feel better physically and mentally and that is worth the time in the gym and lack of junk food!
