This morning I woke up at 5am and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I felt tired and sluggish all day.  I had planned on going to the gym after work, and my gym just started a 3-week member challenge.  So I wasn’t going to miss a workout on day 2 of the challenge… Even though I had lifted weights on Sunday AND Monday.  And even though I pushed myself to muscle failure both days, going so far as to bruising my finger trying to put a dumbbell back on its rack.

I figured I’d take it easy today and do some easy spinning or incline walk on the treadmill.  But then when I got to the gym, I saw that both squat racks were open and the gym floor was relatively open– compared to yesterday when it was swarming with members doing the challenge.  I rejoiced in the emptiness of the gym, and started planning to do my next lifting workout, which involve heavy squats, glute bridges, bench presses, and other not-for-the-faint-of-heart exercises.

Boy was I in for a surprise when I went to the locker room!  Turns out, I forgot to bring a workout top.  I had a sports bra, shoes, and pants.  But no top.  And my gym isn’t really the type where people workout in just a sports bra.

So I took the hint.  Fate must have known I wouldn’t be able to take it easy at the gym today, so it forced my hand.  Since I was already there, I decided to go to the steam room for a bit, and it was exactly what I needed.  In fact, I even thought maybe I should keep a swimsuit, cap, and goggles in my gym bag so I can go swimming sometimes.

I feel so relaxed and refreshed.  It’s sometimes hard to listen to your body when your brain had huge ambitions. Thank goodness someone was watching out for me, making sure I don’t run myself into the ground!  Perhaps tomorrow I’ll go for a swim or do yoga!

Reflections of Gratitude
I’m grateful I was able to realize what I was doing today and stop myself from sabotaging my own goals.

Happy Monday!  Today was pretty hectic for me, but I was able to hit the grocery store during my lunch break and buy food for the week. This’ll definitely make it easier to stay on track with a fridge full of fruits and veggies at work!

In any case, here’s my day for August 4:

Breakfast: 1 egg & 1/2 cup eggbeaters and veggies
Lunch: huge lunch salad and papaya
Afternoon Snack: Greek yogurt w/honey & blueberries
Exercise: Lifting (NROL-SC)
Post-workout: Protein shake
Dinner: Gardein Chik’n Scallopine & leftover veggie stir fry

Things I’m grateful for today:
1.  Fresh papaya with my lunch.  Reminds me of being on vacation in Hawaii!  Of course, it was much better there.  I guess I’ll have to go back!!
2.  Working in an environment where doing a grocery run of healthy foods for the week is the norm! Everyone at work is pretty health conscious so I’m not the only weirdo with fruits and veggies filling up the fridge!
3.  Deadlifts.  They make me feel awesome.

In keeping with the idea of accountability, my goal for this week will be to post what I’m doing each day for my meals, exercise, and a note about the day.  The note can be plans or a challenge (if I post in the morning), or reflections/ gratitude for the day’s events (if I post in the evening).  

I’m actually hoping to blog daily so I can stay on track, especially during the fall and winter. . . But I know myself well enough that if I set my goals too high, it’s too easy to fall.  Baby steps first, then I can re-assess after a week!

In any case, here’s my plan for today:

Breakfast: black bean burger w/cheese & avocado
Lunch: Gardein Chik’n Scallopine & okra, tomatoes, and onions
Snack: Greek yogurt w/honey & blueberries
Exercise: Swim 3400m
Post-Workout: protein shake
Dinner: veggie duck & stir fry veggies

Things I’m grateful for today:

1. Days off on Sundays so I can spend my time blogging and planning my week.
2. Music.  Currently learning how to play the guitar, and I’m loving it!
3. My dog Linus.  His fun and playful spirit reminds me not to take things too seriously and enjoy the day!

I do have to go in to work for a bit later this afternoon, but I’m excited to start my new blogging journey on the right foot!  If I deviate from today’s plan, I’ll edit this post tonight 🙂