Ok – so I’ve had the shittest week ever when it came to food and exercise. Being away for 10 days in Canberra and Sydney I had the best intention of doing some home work outs and making good heathy food choices but it started off bad and I couldn’t get back on the band wagon.
Meeting up with so many people meant cheese and wine most days and take away options for lunches. Ok – I’ll admit I could’ve chosen better options – like a salad instead of a burger…or just had a water instead of a wine – but once I started I thought oh well.
Now – don’t get me wrong – if we were on a family holiday – sure – I’d indulge but this wasn’t a holiday per se – Chris’s mum was here from the UK and we were showing her a bit of the country and introducing her to my family and friends. We have actual holidays coming up and Christmas – which lets bet honest – is always full of fabulous food and wine – so I really should’ve made better choices.
I can hear some of you saying – ah well – live a little. The problem – I now feel mentally drained, down, lethargic and physically unfit. My postpartum progress has halted because of it – and personally I am not where I want to be – so overindulging at times like this has really set me back. Sometimes you don’t realise the impact of bad food choices, and not being active until it’s too late and there are no happy endorphins being released. This for some people can be a downward spiral – and if this is you – you’re not alone. It’s so easy to go – “oh well – I’ve stuffed it now – I might as well keep going”, and then you continue to reach for bad food because it’s yummy – and you think it’ll make you feel better – when really it’s just going to add fuel to the fire that is making you feel like shit. I definitely had this thought process halfway through the trip. I’d already started so hey – I might as well keep going. Even though I knew then I was already feeling down. What I have now is a huge sense of guilt, poor self image, self criticism, negative self talk and this in turn doesn’t make for a happy Danni. Poor Harper and Chris.
SO – today – yup my first day back – it started. I made a decision to pick myself up and make good choices and get active again. I am back home so have no excuses. For me – I find it really important to have goals – short term goals that drive you towards your long term goal. For me – my short term goal is to feel confident in my bikini for when we are in Bali in January. That might sound superficial for some – but confidence I how I look fuels my mental state. It’s not about losing weight either – it’s about building muscle and feeding my body good nutrients so my skin is better, my visceral fat levels are lower, having a strong body – and smile on my face. I also would love to fit into some of my beautiful summer dresses I haven’t been able to wear.
What’s your goal? It doesn’t have to be a big one. Make them small and achievable. My advice as well – don’t kook at the scales. They lie. For me – the more I train and build muscle the less the scales change – this can really lower peoples confidence – so aim for a different result. Maybe it’s lifting more at the gym, or walking an extra km – or even choosing the healthier option at dinners out. The thing about achieving goals though – they won’t happen overnight. Persistence and resilience are 2 qualities I admire most and will get you where you want to be. You may not see results straight away – that’s ok – keep going. It took 9 months to make a baby, it takes 12 months to build a house, it takes years to grow your hair – I know random things – but my point is – stick to it. You’ll feel better every day because of it – and then when you hit those small goals – you’ll be more empowered to reach the next one and the next.
For me – I’m sticking to this now – no more bad choices – or excuses for that matter. (ok maybe until Christmas) It’s my body and I have control over it – and only you have control over yours too
Love and life
The figure