Once again I need to play a bit of catch up with my workout recap, oops! For the sake of accountability I’m trekking all the way back to April…
Week of 4/19: took 2 cycling classes, off the rest of the week.
Week of 4/26:
4/26 - off
4/27 - 45 minute Peloton cycling class
4/28 - 45 minute SoulCycle class
4/29 - off
4/30 - 45 minute SoulCycle class
5/1 - off
5/2 - 25 minutes treadmill intervals, 25 minutes strength training
Week of 5/3: went for a 40 minute jog on Monday, off the rest of the week
As you can see, I’ve been doing a bit of pendulum swinging in the exercise department, ha. The week of 4/19 was tough mostly because there was just a lot going with with work/She Is Free, but last week I honestly just needed a break…mostly mentally.
I wish I could say I was one of those people that likes to work out when I’m feeling stressed/overwhelmed - and sometimes that is the case - but most of the time feeling like I need to squeeze exercise into what is already a busy time just makes things worse. I’m learning more and more than *for me* making sure I don’t let myself get mentally/emotionally drained is more important than exercise when it comes to being healthy.
With that being said, the week off was great (and totally served its purpose), so I’m excited to get back into some sweat sessions this week!
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As far as my eats go, I’m keeping up with Flexible Dieting (AKA IIFYM) and loving it. I’m definitely still in the experimental phase and trying to get over the clean eating/Paleo mentality that I somehow adopted over the past year. Some of my meals have looked like:
(sushi, Juice Press, burrito bowl, steak, Arctic Zero)
Clearly I haven’t been starving 😉 I’ll be honest - my macros haven’t been entirely on point. I’m getting there slowly but surely. But from the start I had decided I didn’t want to be super strict. I do think that my goals will eventually tighten up, but right now I’m focusing on (re)learning how to eat healthy and balanced without feeling like sugar and *gasp* gluten are going to kill me in my sleep.
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What are your fitness/health goals right now? Do you prefer to exercise or rest when you’re feeling stressed?
all the eats look so good! & i’m not one of those people who really likes to fit in workouts when i’m stressed. sometimes the time it takes to get to the gym + back makes me more stressed with everything on my plate. so i either do a quick workout <30min or i just skip it until the next week when life isn't so crazy. taking a few days off never killed anyone!
Exactly! Every once in a while a good workout helps *relieve* stress, but I think it’s important to decide on a case by case basis
Gluten will only kill you if you have celiac disease.
haha exactly. although I know some people have a sensitivity to it - I thankfully don’t think I’m one of those people
New(ish) reader! Just want to say that I think it’s awesome that you recognize that being healthy also means taking care of yourself mentally. And workouts do cause stress on our bodies, so sometimes, it’s best not to add that extra in when life itself is stressful enough! I’m totally in the same boat. But it’s taken me YEARS to get here. Now, I listen to both my mind and body…lately, long walks have been my form of movement, and it’s been so restorative
Thanks for that, Jenny!
That’s awesome that you’ve gotten to a good point of listening to your body- it’s so important !
I’m JUST starting to get it all figured out to start my flexible dieting this week. I’m so so excited, and hoping it will be the perfect fit for me. I can totally relate about having to get over a mentality. Weird isn’t it? How something that is so good for us can end up causing those negative thoughts! It depends on my stress…but I usually end up resting! I think the stress sometimes come from trying to do it all, and giving myself the mental break from the gym can definitely help.
Keep up the great work! I love these weekly recaps!
xoxo Nikki
http://www.nikkishaven.com/blog
The point of the Paleo diet is, and I feel some people forget this, to not only diet, but to eat delicious foods at the same time. It’s the only diet I’ve come across that cuts out food groups, yet still focusses on everyone’s need to eat great food.
I’m a real foodie, and would not survive on any other diet, but Paleo has been very good for me. I’ve written about one of my favourite cookbooks: http://cookbook-reviews.net/review-the-paleo-recipe-book/
Can I just say that you’ve looked absolutely radiant in all of your recent instagram pictures? Seriously. You look so happy! Whatever you’re doing is working (and having worked with Brittany myself, I kiiiind of know what you’re doing and it helped me so much too!).
I finally got my hands on the Salted Caramel Arctic Zero yesterday…so good!
Ah, thank you for that! <3 I am indeed very happy
We should start a Brittany fan club, lol!
Gracie, I would love it if you could talk more about getting over the Paleo mentality because I, too, succumbed to that after completing a Whole30! Without even realizing it, I suddenly began to view sugar and gluten as the devil. I am definitely trying to get over that mindset too and it was really freeing to read that others are as well. Food is just that- food- and I want to view it the way God intended rather than the way our culture imposes. Anyway, thank you for your honesty!
Hey Melissa!
That’s kind of what happened to me too. I don’t regret doing the Whole30 at all because it really was a great experience, and I did feel amazing on it, but I agree that it left me feeling like sugar and gluten were the devil afterward, ha (and dairy too, which I never had a second thought about previously!). I can’t say I have a definitive answer (yet) for getting over that, except that practice makes perfect. Any time I think I “shouldn’t” eat something because it has gluten/sugar/dairy…I almost force myself to eat it anyway. Not overdoing it - still in moderation
And each time I realize that it’s not actually going to kill me or cause me to gain weight, it gets easier and easier.
I hope that helps! Maybe down the line I’ll do a full blog post on that topic
In the mean time I’ll keep sharing parts of my flexible dieting experience - will have another post coming this week! xoxo