Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Kiss My Rut Goodbye

I've been in a rut lately. I don't really know why because I should be super happy. My life is great, I just got a promotion at work and I have a wonderful family. But for some reason I've just been feeling BLAH, especially when it comes to working out. I guess you've already figured out by the lack of P90X posts that I did not complete my 90 days as desired. Part of me feels like a failure for not sticking with it but another part of me understands that it is okay. It isn't the end of the world and I still own the videos so I can just start again.

Yesterday I kissed my exercise rut goodbye. Perhaps I underestimated the affect that running has on me and how I may need it to stabilize my moods. My new plan is to alternate running with the P90X workouts. The main benefit of the P90X workouts is that if you follow the plan your muscles stay "confused" and therefore get more out of the workouts. Adding in runs and spacing out the workouts won't affect this aspect of the program and it will help me maintain a better attitude.

I also realized that I eat horribly. I know I'm not the worst but my eating habits are pretty terrible. If I ever want to achieve that fat loss that I claim to want then I am really going to have to do a better job of sticking with a healthy eating lifestyle. Not a diet, I need to change my mentality and just improve the way I eat overall. Damn those delicious, unhealthy foods that always tempt me.

I went for a run yesterday and while it wasn't as long or as fast as I would have liked it felt great. I shortened it because about a mile and a half into it a crazy downpour started and I was soaked to the bone so I decided to turn back before I got struck by lightening or a tree branch fell on my head. Even though the rain cut my run short, I felt like it was cleansing for my soul. My desire to do and be better is renewed and now I'll work even harder to achieve my goals.

3 comments:

Dena said...

Tamara - If it helps, I've been doing a lot of reading lately about the CRAP that is in almost all food we eat, whether at restaurants or the pre-packaged stuff in stores. Nothing but sugar, fat, and salt. But what I'm reading says due to the combination of these "bad" things, it's almost impossible for people to put food down once they start eating it. Chemical stuff happens and your brain keeps saying, "more, more..." The upshot is that it's not so much a lack of self-control as that the food really IS controlling us. The way around it, of course, is to not pick up the bad food in the first place, and instead use fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, etc. Even though it says it's a "diet" book, The Engine 2 Diet really does have some great recipes and can help, I think, anyone get on track with a healthier lifestyle of eating.

Bailey said...

"My desire to do and be better is renewed and now I'll work even harder to achieve my goals. "

@Tam: I can relate to your entire post. I've had times when I hit an exercise & healthy eating rut and wasn't sure why. I think an important part of getting past the rut is first recognizing it. Good for you! The sentence I quoted above is inspirational to me.

Like we discussed on one of TMCY's post, healthy eating isn't always easy or convenient to do but having the desire to do so is step one. So, you're way ahead of the game.

Thanks for sharing.

BTW...Congratulations on your promotion! That's great.

@Dena: What are some of the books you've been reading? I recently read Skinny B*tch and picked up Fast Food Nation. Any book recommendations you make are appreciated. Thanks!

Tam said...

@Dena: I'm going to go my B&N today and check out that book. I told myself a while back that I wasn't buying anymore "diet" books but this one sounds like it is worth it.

@Shawnta: Thank you! It is hard to stay motivated in the face of all the unhealthy temptations around but we just have to keep trying.