Positive Self-Talk

I went for a run today. And I almost did a very bad thing: put myself down for not doing as well as I imagined I would.

I've re-started my 5K training program to kick-start my spring / summer running. I didn't run at all over the winter so I knew I wasn't in the right physical shape to just pick up my running schedule where I'd left off in October (I would probably pass out if I attempted to run for longer than six consecutive minutes!). So right from the beginning I went .. Only this time, instead of just running for the sake of learning to run, like my first run, I ran with a purpose: to speed train.

The intervals were simple: one minute running, 90 seconds walking. I pushed myself to the limit with every sprint I ran. At the end of every minute ran, I was desperately waiting for the little voice app lady to tell me to begin walking. I was close to throwing in the towel. But I didn't!!

At the end of the run (after I was done celebrating that the run was over!!!) I'd start to think back to last summer, and how much easier my running was back then, how it seemed so much more effortless compared to this time around, and I'd start to put myself down for not doing as well today.

Duhhhhh Mama, you're not in as great a shape as you were at the end of last summer! You're carrying on winter weight and running FASTER! Of course it won't be easy! Starting a running program never is! Stop being so hard on yourself! If a friend was in the same position, you'd be congratulating her for an amazing effort! 

But did I enjoy my run? Yup!

Was I happy with my results? Upon reflection, yup!

Did I succeed in running faster than last year? Damn straight!

Am I proud? You'd better believe it!

Am I gonna kick ass when I run next? YES!

I am so proud that I'm running again and I feel amazing. Sure, I may struggle through my runs but I feel fantastic at the end, I get that high that only working your heart will give you. I'm hot, sweaty, and smiley!

I'll remember not to ever put myself down. Maybe my runs are tough, maybe I'm slower than I'd like to be, but I'm RUNNING and that is way better than gaining weight on the couch!! :)

Runner's high!

The same thing can apply to my diet. I didn't do well this winter at all. I was pretty well the poster child for bad eating. I'm not proud of the choices I made (in fact, I try my best not to feel regret over anything in my life because everything happens for a reason, but .. I really do regret how I ate this winter!). Especially wanting to be a dietician - I felt hypocritical for wanting to teach about healthy living but not doing it every day myself. Sure I ate healthy - but it certainly wasn't balanced. There were a lot of unhealthy choices made.

I started to really get down on myself today about those choices. I mean, gaining 32lbs over seven months?! That's bad living! (Please don't judge - I'm hard enough on myself as it is for gaining so much!)

But instead of being mad about it and putting myself down, I'm using the regret I feel over my bad choices as fuel for my motivation to keep going. We stumble, we fall, but we take what we learn, get back up, brush ourselves off and keep on going. And that's what I'm doing :) Learning to live a healthy lifestyle doesn't happen overnight, and neither does changing bad habits. Patience and understanding in yourself is so important. Don't be mad when you slip up - it'll happen! Just learn from it, smile and move right along.

This past week and a half, hubs and I have been detoxing our bodies of all the junk we fed into them over the winter. We've been eating healthy homemade meals and lots of fresh produce and lean meats. We all feel great! (And tmi warning: we've all never been so regular, in the #2 sense!). I feel 200% better than I did two weeks ago when I wasn't eating well.

Some of the amazing meals we've been cooking up!

Each bump in the road is a lesson learned, and though I may regret my eating choices this winter, I'm grateful for the lessons I learned.

Healthy living has never felt so good! :)

Positive self talk is key in keeping on track with anything you are pursuing in your lives. My eighth grade teacher wrote this quote in my yearbook: "if you think you can, you will!". And it's so true.

Don't put yourself down. You've GOT this! I've GOT this!!

I had to throw these in here - my first pair of REAL running shoes!! Aren't they perdy!?