Two Fit Moms

Tag: routine

  • Why I Gave Up Moderation

    Why I Gave Up Moderation

    I’ve been debating whether or not I should write an article about this topic for quite a while because it’s a bit controversial, but this morning, I finally decided that it was time. None of this may resonate with you, and that’s ok. I am posting these thoughts because they might be helpful in analyzing your own wellness journey, and they might even encourage you to change your current approach.

    As the title of this article suggests, I’m not one to tout the “everything-in-moderation” mantra. I’ve come to the realization in recent years that the concept of moderation just doesn’t work for me.Moderation

    Let me start at the end, rather than at the beginning: What I have discovered over the past few years is that a wellness journey is very specific to each individual. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. I have experimented and tweaked habits and tried various techniques to find the wellness path that works best for me, and my ultimate conclusion is that my personality just doesn’t allow for moderation. Rather than fighting this realization, I have embraced it. And I assure you that traveling along a healthy path is easiest when you are fully in tune with who you are as a person— your habits, tendencies, and overall personality.

    Let me tell you a quick story.

    The other day, I was talking to Kate (our Director of Marketing), and she told me about her former colleague who would open a small bag of pretzels each day at her desk for a mid-day snack. Rather than devouring the entire bag (that’s my style), she would eat a few, and then re-seal the bag with a clip for the next day’s snack.

    I just stared at Kate in silence. Cue the crickets. Who was this woman? She must be the poster child for moderation! Incredible! How did she eat five mini pretzels and save the rest for later? She was capable of snacking moderately and moving on with her life? How?!! I’ve run across people like this, and it baffles my mind. My own husband has a very similar personality. He can take one bite of a cookie and say, “That was delicious. I’ve had enough.” My personality would never allow for such behavior.

    Let me illustrate my own scenario in the same office setting: I would open a bag of pretzels, eat five, and close the bag with a clip in an attempt to practice moderation. Then, I would return to my work. Rather than concentrating on my work, I would sit and obsess about the remaining pretzels even if I wasn’t particularly hungry. After wasting a reasonable amount of time trying to show restraint, I would re-open the bag of pretzels and finish them all.

    Why is it that Kate’s colleague can snack on a few pretzels, and I cannot? Do I lack discipline? No, it’s not that. I have a tremendous amount of discipline. For years, I willed my body out of bed at 5 am each day to hit the gym, even if I went to bed at midnight. I’ve pulled all-nighters to study. I’ve committed myself to strict healing diets in the past to heal from inflammatory conditions. I definitely have discipline. BUT, what I see now is that practicing moderation has nothing to do with discipline!

    I am an all or nothing kind of girl. For me, it’s easier to skip the pretzels altogether or to eat them all in one sitting. It’s more of a challenge to eat a few today and then to try and eat a few each day going forward. Moderation is tortuous for me.

    I don’t buy candy and cookies and junk food for my house because I can’t just eat one cookie. It’s MUCH easier for me to not have any cookies in sight. Without cookies in my pantry, I don’t even think about them! There is no struggle. When I do want a fabulous dessert, I go to a restaurant and have one. I eat it with great enjoyment, and then I continue on with my life. There are no fabulous desserts in my pantry. All or nothing works for me. Eating junk food on a daily basis in moderation doesn’t.

    Today, take a few moments to analyze your own personality. Does your personality allow for moderation? If so, carry on. If you have more of an all-or-nothing personality, don’t fret. Work with your strengths by creating routines. I think I thrive so much on my morning routine because my personality craves the structure and discipline. I don’t leave it up to fate to decide whether I will have a bite of a doughnut for breakfast. My weekday breakfasts are non-negotiable. I plan them in advance, and that’s it! I don’t even have to make a choice to practice moderation because I’ve created habits that work for my everyday life. It works for me and keeps me happily moving down Wellness Lane. I am not sure if it will work for you. It all depends on your own personality. Either way, it’s food for thought. Thanks for reading.

     

     

  • 7 Tips for A Restful Night and a Productive Tomorrow

    7 Tips for A Restful Night and a Productive Tomorrow

    Anyone who has young children realizes the importance of a bedtime routine. My kids, in particular, require a warm bath, cozy pajamas, story time, a lullabye and a prayer. If I get lazy and skip the lullabye, my younger child will get out of bed and remind me to sing. RestfulNightThe ritual is ingrained and promotes feelings of being settled. These feelings of comfort then lead to a peaceful slumber. I’m not sure why so many adults have abandoned the idea of a bedtime routine when it’s obvious that it works so well for children! Today, I am encouraging you to bring back the bedtime routine. I am a big believer that my actions each night are essential for me to sleep well and to perform at my highest level the next day.

    So…here are my suggestions to promote a restful night of sleep and a productive day tomorrow.

    1. Lay out tomorrow’s exercise clothing. You have enough to do each morning without having the added task of selecting your exercise outfit. Besides—your brain may not be working quickly in the early morning hours, so take care of this task now. If you are packing a gym bag, fill it with everything you need, and put it by the door. If you are practicing yoga at home, roll out your mat and place your strap and blocks nearby. Setting out your clothes and yoga mat doesn’t guarantee that you will exercise, but it facilitates the possibility. By removing obstacles and by picking out your clothes, you are setting a much stronger intention to move your body than if you just make a soft commitment by saying “I will exercise tomorrow”.

    2. Plan your breakfast. Start tomorrow on the right foot by knowing exactly how you will be fueling your body when you wake up. If you leave it all to fate, you may find yourself skipping breakfast altogether or gulping down a huge bucket of coffee with a handful of cereal. A few minutes of planning at night can make all the difference in how you start your day. Start thinking. Are you going to make a smoothie? Great! Maybe you want to wash and chop the fruits and vegetables that you plan on putting into that smoothie. If you’re really ambitious, you may even want to pre-load your blender, and refrigerate it. You can prepare as little or as much as you would like. The idea is to have a plan.

    3. Count your blessings. It’s so easy to get caught up in the stress of the day and to be overwhelmed with responsibilities and thoughts of everything that went wrong. Go to bed on a positive note by setting aside a few moments to be grateful. A gratitude journal or even just a mental list of everything good in your life is a wonderful practice to begin.

    4. Remove Physical Clutter. Particularly in the kitchen! No one wants to wake up in the morning and face a sink full of dishes or a breakfast table cluttered with mail and crumbs from yesterday’s dinner. Set aside 10-15 minutes to straighten up. No, I’m not asking you to pull out the vacuum or de-grease your stovetop. I’m talking about going to bed with the dishes put away, the toys off the floor, and the table/counters clear! Physical clutter weighs on the mind and the soul. Trust me, you will sleep better knowing that your house is tidy, and you will wake up feeling motivated to prepare breakfast on uncluttered, clean counters in your kitchen.

    5. Remove Mental Clutter. The goal here is to clear your mind by setting tomorrow’s intentions on paper. Make a list of everything you want to accomplish tomorrow. If your mind is racing with all of the items on your to-do list, it will be difficult to fall asleep. Feel free to make your list as detailed or as simple as you would like. Personally, I love the feeling of satisfaction that I get from crossing completed items off of my to-do list, so I am happy to include very obvious tasks, such as “floss teeth” or “exercise”. Make sure to include all of your personal errands that need to be done the next day, as well as all of your work-related responsibilities/projects that need to be tackled.

    6. Create a short ritual that is soothing. Everyone will have a different idea of what feels soothing, so see what works for you! My personal ritual is to brew a cup of herbal tea, rub lavender oil onto my chest, listen to soft music and get into bed with a book. Your own ritual may include journaling, meditating and a warm cup of cashew milk. Think about what makes you feel at peace, and do that.

    7. Stop checking Instagram. Now you KNOW how much I love Instagram. BUT (and this is a BIG but), you can waste hours of your day and night. It’s such a wonderful escape to scroll through your feed and see beautiful photos of people you’ve never met and places you’ve never seen, but your phone and these images are stimulating. Trust me—I’ve kept myself up way past my bedtime by checking Instagram one last time. Don’t do it. It will be there tomorrow. Just go to bed. You have an empire to build in the morning.

  • Set a Daily Intention

    Set a Daily Intention

    How do you start your morning?  What is the first thing you do?  Do you groggily open your eyes, roll over in bed to reach for your phone, check your Facebook, Instagram and weather apps, stumble into the bathroom to wash up and then find yourself in the kitchen where you begin to pour yourself a large mug of caffeine?

    Window seat with cushions, book and mug; fall viewIf this is your typical morning, I am here to tell you that it can be SO much more.  You can change the frenetic pace of your day and start off feeling organized and peaceful.  Each morning does not have to be a sudden jolt out of Sleepyland into Caffeineville.

    I’m going to avoid the word “meditation”, because that word has the tendency to freak people out.  No, I’m not asking you to meditate.  I’m asking you to take 5 minutes each morning to sit quietly, breathe, give thanks, and set a daily intention.

    Start out by finding a peaceful, clean place to sit.
    I recommend setting a 5-minute timer (especially if you prefer lying down during this exercise) so you don’t drift off and miss your train to work.  You can either sit on the floor on your yoga mat, on a pillow or in a comfortable chair.  Just find a place that is away from the daily noise of your life.  No catalogs, bills, permission slips for school, chapstick, tissue boxes or other visual clutter.  I prefer sitting near a window because I love how I feel when natural light is pouring into my house.

    Express gratitude
    Next, close your eyes and say a simple prayer of gratitude.  Whether or not you believe in a higher power, it is an important exercise to acknowledge and give thanks for everything in your life.  Does it really matter if it’s a blessing from above or a matter of good circumstance?  No.  You are fortunate, and by actively recognizing that each morning, you will start the day on the right foot.

    Breathe deeply
    Once you’ve expressed gratitude, move on to an easy breathing exercise.  Here is my favorite breathing technique that I learned during my yoga teacher training:  Inhale deeply through the nose for a count of eight, hold the breath in the lungs for a count of four, and then exhale through the nose for a count of eight.  In my mind, I count like this:  Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.  Hold, 2, 3, 4.  Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.  Repeat this count over and over in your mind until you are breathing in this manner without having to count in your head at all.

    When your 5-minute timer buzzes, slowly open your eyes, and set an intention for the day.  It doesn’t have to be an elaborate plan—it can be as basic as, “Today, I will welcome each challenge as an opportunity to grow.”

    Starting each morning with peace, gratitude and a positive statement can make all the difference in the trajectory of your day.  Give it a try, and let us know how it goes.