You’d think with February being the shortest month of the year, it’d be the easiest to handle with weight loss. Instead of rocking life, this is the time of year that is killer at work. February is after the holidays where things are insanely busy and time flies. When we come back in January, all of the spring mandates come barreling down like boulders off a cliff. Racing through February to meet these deadlines is full of swervy roads and dangerous curves ahead. This hustle and bustle tends to add to my own personal curves. This year, I really tried to stay focused. With a few setbacks, I did manage to lose 0.5 pounds this month, totaling 6.1 since January 1. If this were any other year, this is where I’d throw in the towel and be upset about 0.5 pounds. I’d say it’s so frustrating and not worth it. But I swore I’d stick to this, and even with setbacks, I am forgiving myself. Sure, I didn’t lose as much as I wanted, but I also didn’t gain. Let’s take a look at what I can change and some successes.
Competition dance season also started for us in February so our plates have been extra busy. This is both good and bad. It’s good because I’m too busy to eat at competitions, but it quickly becomes bad because when we do finally get a chance to grab a bite, it’s not the healthiest choice. These busy weekends are also testing my systems of grocery pick up. I blink and the week is starting again. It’s taking all I have to keep life together in general (but that’ll be my next blog). Since I’m not always keeping up with grocery orders and pick up, our meal plans can fall apart during the week, which also results in eating bad foods. Without intentionally scheduling all meals, it becomes extremely easy to eat all of my points by noon. In order to fix this, I will be ordering groceries on Friday night for Sunday pickup. This will not interfere with our Saturday competitions then. I will also be better at packing lunch and/or dinner if we’ll be at the competition all day. This will prevent us from eating fast food.
When I am intentional with my breakfast and lunch at work, it works really well for me. By eating minimal points during the day, I have plenty of points for dinner. I shared my favorite snacks in my last blog, and they still continue to be working great for me. During the evenings, I’ve really been enjoying hot tea with milk. I highly recommend our friend’s business, The Skirted Soldier. She has amazing flavors and 10% of her proceeds go to female veteran organizations! Sipping hot tea is zero points, but I add the milk or honey which accounts for a few extras.
With the weather getting warmer, I am now back to walking with my mom before work. Having an accountability partner matters 100%. I told myself during the freezing months that I’d get up and work out myself, but when no one is waiting at the treadmill for you, the warm blankets just seem to keep you a prisoner to sleep. Knowing my mom is at the track and woke up before the crack of dawn just to meet me, it’s impossible to stay in bed! She also gives me grace when I am just too exhausted and need that extra hour of sleep. Her understanding helps me reset in the middle of the week. It’s ok to need that sometimes. If your body is too exhausted, sleep is just as healthy as a workout.
Half a pound isn’t earth shattering, but it’s something. I’m keeping a positive attitude and am going to do better in March. Fresh, spring air and sunshine are right around the corner. I absolutely cannot wait to get outside more and enjoy the outdoors. This will definitely help improve my mood, which ultimately improves my eating. Until then, I’ll continue to track my points, workout in the morning, and get my meal planning in order. As you navigate the road to weight loss, watch out for dangerous curves!
