I hit a wall April-May. I let myself get too busy, which led to too little sleep. My fatigue from Oct 2021 got worse in April-May & for the first time in 5 years, I did t hit my walking goals. I got about 55% of normal.

I began to have thoughts I haven’t had for over 6-1/4 years: “I’m too tired to walk” “there are too many other things I want to do than walk every day & track my food” “walking that much makes me tired the rest of the day” etc

So, slowly, I think I’ve clawed my way back…to a good place.

I figured out a new way to track my food that seems easier. I have listed the foods I eat frequently down a page with columns next to them. At the top of column I wrote the time of my eating that meal or snack & write the ant in the appro spot. I keep this paper where in prepare my food in kitchen.(this insures I gram all)

I’m very proud of my prepping vegetable containers each morning for the day. If I want to eat & am not hungry, I grab one! Cool, crunchy, and refreshing!

Re exercise..
I began walking first thing in the morning & I “pushed” my walking & was not tired or sore. In fact, I slept better & felt better!

5/29 10.2K
5/30 8.8K
5/31 17.9K (two walks)
I was upset by something work related & decided a walk, a long walk, would be the thing to make myself feel better & it did. Gained calm and perspective.
6/1 9.85K but will
I’ll be over 10K by bed

I’m No longer feeling the leg & muscle pains in my legs

I am Letting myself relax. I’ve been watching some Movies & working on some pleasant improvisational stitching.

Sleep Is improving

For me, it appears my 10K step habit is the key to My success. I will be doing that daily & complete June with at least 300,000 steps. 27.9 done so far june 1-2.

I also am proud that Have been eating high quality healthy foods, keeping protein fiber sat fat & sodium where they should be

I weighed the same this morning as I did May 1.

I’m also proud that I weighed myself daily & reflected you the data.

Thank you @themedalist for carrying this group solo as I was AWOL and now focusing on getting back on track. 💞💞💞

Report:

June 1 cardio - walk🚶‍♀️Strength 💪yoga 🧘‍♀️ Sleep 👎 food ☹️

@LazyBlondeChef
Welcome back!
Your plan sounds solid
We’re glad you are here.

Do you have trigger events for any of the behaviors you want to do? Ditto rewards. (I use verbal.)

For example: After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will get dressed & go on my walk.

After my walk, I’ll think of three things I saw on it & loved. “Without my walk, i never would have seen the baby bunny, never would have noticed the ladybugs, and would not have been charmed by the puffy white clouds against a perfectly blue sky!”

As I brew my coffee & make my breakfast, I will wash & cut 15 oz of vegetables & pop them in the refrigerator as I smile & say “Way to insure your veggie habit!!”

After my afternoon coffee & 30 minutes with a good book, I will unpack/organize for a timed 60 minutes. When I’m done, I’ll look at what I’ve accomplished, smile, and say “Good Job!” outloud

I was pleased with how May went. For the first month, I didn’t overwhelm myself with too many new habits. This month I will focus on doing my mindfulness practice every morning after my first cup of tea.

Prompt: first cup of tea is done
Do: 4 minutes mindfulness (increase by one minute each week)
Reward: smile and tell myself how much better I feel when I suspend the “busyness“ for just those few minutes.

I do my mindfulness every day and it is especially helpful to me when I am in the car and get stuck in traffic. Fear not — I keep my eyes open and focus on my breath and acknowledge their interruption and cause the critical thoughts to pass by. This has really been helping me. It will continue, but starting the day out with this wellness practice is something I am looking forward to doing for myself.

I JUST learned about this group tonight from the Ultimate Accountability Challenge group, and am SO excited to join. I have been doing a lot of what is discussed on this group on my own[i[ for years and think it is great to have a place to share the process with others! I’ve been a journal writer for decades and have many small habits as a part of that morning routine including focusing on new habits (for example, there are certain things I log in journal before beginning to write—-bank balances, my weight, etc.). I could go on and on on the topic of Habits, but for now I’ll share my June habit goals:

• Log food everyday and check in with Ultimate Accountability Challenge group (the 20 minutes of exercise daily they suggest is not too difficult, but food logging I have never continued for more than a week or so)
• Incorporate mental body scans into my day to see if I’m holding tension, have bad posture or am shallow breathing
• Continue practicing home order routines (ex. I’ve been trying to do a minimum of 15 minute “pick ups” around the house daily. I’ve also tried to schedule two days a week when I am home alone to do laundry and prep food (I have some extended family with me so it helps to schedule those times when I know the schedule allows for me to be home alone).
• Continue practicing thinking of my home office as the “Command Center” for all left brain reminders for home and art business. If I know that everything I really need to remember is posted in that room, it can allow me to relax moving on in my day
• Start a weight training plan ON MY OWN beginning next week! Big deal for me because in the past, I’ve experienced some stretches of success with a trainer, but really, really want to tackle this on my own (saves money AND can give me pride in having own self-discipline.
• Want to create a “Menu of Exercise Options” so that I have flexibility and variety in my days and weeks (ex. Micro workouts mentioned on another thread. Also, I like idea of having categories of “Exercises I can do at Home”, “Exercises I can do Outdoors”, “Exercises Classes”, “Weights at Gym or Modified at Home”.
  
  
  We’ve lived in our current house for one year, so we are also in the middle of finally organizing garage and completing furnishing in basement rec room. We are also checking off our list things we noticed need help around the house, BUT there is a limit to this frenzied nesting because it distracts me from the habits I MOST want to practice. Along with the refreshed focused on body care mentioned above? EVERYTHING I do is motivated by the desire to have best created “space” for creative work (I am an artist and am also increasing commitment to writing).
  
  I know this post is long, BUT very excited and looking forward to sharing in all of your journeys as well!
  

CindyFabFFG wrote: »

I JUST learned about this group tonight from the Ultimate Accountability Challenge group, and am SO excited to join. I have been doing a lot of what is discussed on this group on my own[i[ for years and think it is great to have a place to share the process with others! I’ve been a journal writer for decades and have many small habits as a part of that morning routine including focusing on new habits (for example, there are certain things I log in journal before beginning to write—-bank balances, my weight, etc.). I could go on and on on the topic of Habits, but for now I’ll share my June habit goals:

• Log food everyday and check in with Ultimate Accountability Challenge group (the 20 minutes of exercise daily they suggest is not too difficult, but food logging I have never continued for more than a week or so)
• Incorporate mental body scans into my day to see if I’m holding tension, have bad posture or am shallow breathing
• Continue practicing home order routines (ex. I’ve been trying to do a minimum of 15 minute “pick ups” around the house daily. I’ve also tried to schedule two days a week when I am home alone to do laundry and prep food (I have some extended family with me so it helps to schedule those times when I know the schedule allows for me to be home alone).
• Continue practicing thinking of my home office as the “Command Center” for all left brain reminders for home and art business. If I know that everything I really need to remember is posted in that room, it can allow me to relax moving on in my day
• Start a weight training plan ON MY OWN beginning next week! Big deal for me because in the past, I’ve experienced some stretches of success with a trainer, but really, really want to tackle this on my own (saves money AND can give me pride in having own self-discipline.
• Want to create a “Menu of Exercise Options” so that I have flexibility and variety in my days and weeks (ex. Micro workouts mentioned on another thread. Also, I like idea of having categories of “Exercises I can do at Home”, “Exercises I can do Outdoors”, “Exercises Classes”, “Weights at Gym or Modified at Home”.
  
  
  We’ve lived in our current house for one year, so we are also in the middle of finally organizing garage and completing furnishing in basement rec room. We are also checking off our list things we noticed need help around the house, BUT there is a limit to this frenzied nesting because it distracts me from the habits I MOST want to practice. Along with the refreshed focused on body care mentioned above? EVERYTHING I do is motivated by the desire to have best created “space” for creative work (I am an artist and am also increasing commitment to writing).
  
  I know this post is long, BUT very excited and looking forward to sharing in all of your journeys as well!
  

@CindyFabFFG Welcome to the group!!
Just one thought…creating an weight training program on your own …might well be ambitious on its own for June.
If it’s not, ignore my comment!

As folks join this group, many take on many habits… then the next month they tend to trim down the goals & find their rhythm.

You did say you’ve had many of these for a long time, so you’ll know what is achievable!!

🌸Maddie