Hey hey, Barrebabes!
I hope this finds everyone well & thriving on this gray winter Wednesday. Today I have for you a fresh playlist, and some musings on resetting/balance/real resolutions.
Dig my tunes? You can always follow me on Spotify @annieforeal or check out my latest mélange here
resolve refresh reset
I'm digging this new year/fresh/creative energy, helped along considerably by the Resolution Reset. For those who don't know, I'm leading a group of rad babes through a month of clean eating, food journaling, and healthy habit-making, and I have to say it is SO much easier to tackle change with a good crew to cheer you on!
Chilling on the booze definitely helps, too. It's energizing for the body when the liver has less toxins to process on the daily, which in turn helps motivation stay high. While the real magic of the Reset is in the encouraging, supportive online community we create, there's a few techniques that we use that are effective, just challenging enough, and worth thinking about in the annual season of goal-setting & deprivation (usually over well before Valentine's Day):
mindfulness, not obsessive micro-managing
- Mindful eating need not absorb much of your actual thoughts.
- While it's important to be aware of what you're eating and how it works with your body, in this age of convenience and choices the question of what to eat can become complicated and at times, all-consuming. I personally don't need any more sources of anxiety and don't want to spend all my free thoughts trying to figure out what to eat and if it's "OK."
- During the Reset, we stick to some broad healthful guidelines and make note of everything we eat and drink so we don't have to keep it in our thoughts. Keeping track helps you automatically adjust your eating habits towards what you want them to be, and you don't have to obsess because it's all already written down.
What's measured is managed
-Quantify your changes and successes by counting up food groups each week. I think this is what makes the Reset unique and uniquely effective, plus, you get to decide what and how to count, so you don't spend time fretting over stuff that isn't a priority for you at this time.
- It's encouraging to see how your little changes really do add up to the lifestyle you want. For instance, in the past 23 days, I'm eating almost twice the vegetables I was before, haven't eaten any wheat (and haven't missed it) and have had about 8 drinks all month ( I usually have double that in a week). And aside from a few moments here and there, it's really not that hard. I feel good, and what's better, it feels sustainable.
willpower/won'tpower
- It's normal to love and crave sugary, greasy, or carb-y things. Your brain is wired for it because all these foods contain high amounts of readily available energy, which your body tends to want whether it needs it or not.
- It's not wrong to like eating cupcakes, or pasta, or fried rice. And sometimes these foods are the best and totally worth eating, like your birthday cake, the spaghetti limone at my favorite Italian spot, or even that drunken slice of pizza. It doesn't make you a weak-willed person to indulge in these things at times - just vivacious, fun and more importantly HUMAN.
- I view January as a time to be a little bit strict after indulgent holidays with an eye towards setting habits that work for you in the long run, which is different than declaring you'll never eat sugar again and will lose 30 pounds eating only chicken and broccoli.
- Part of the Reset is to break the habit of dieting itself and learn to make small daily changes that allow for the occasional fiesta, no guilt allowed.Just write it down and go about your day.
everything in moderation, including moderation
- I like to party as much as the next girl, but I'm really not an excessive drinker. In fact, I haven't had a hangover in about 4 years, maybe longer. I am, however, persistent, and tend to have a couple few glasses of wine more often than not.
- I enjoy wine-drinking and find it relaxing and even healthful, but when I noticed that I could take down a bottle of white and not feel particularly crazy, I felt it was time to reassess.
- Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with daily drinking - or that I'm even the person to tell you so, it's more that moderation can catch up with us easily and become a thoughtless habit.
- What I've found is that I enjoy a glass more when I know there's not 7 more coming after it, and also that my body appreciates the break from constantly processing one more mild poison.
- To me, the trick is to 1) skip having 17 margaritas on February 1st and 2) stick to the new normal and be satisfied with less.
- Defining what your sweet spot of moderation is is unique to you and can change over time. Being mindful and keeping track of where you've been helps you know where you're going (and that may or may not be a quote from "Moana.")
Anyway babes, I love hearing from you, so feel free to hit me back with any questions, comments, desires, etc., and come see me soon for all your Pilates, Barre & Dance needs!
With love & planks,
Annie
