My intention was not to be at my computer at 5:30a.m. I went to bed last night excited for my alarm to go off in the 4a.m. hour so I could get training in this morning. My movement experimenting has been so enjoyable and every day I am anxious to get into the gym and move.
But my kids came back home last night from their dad’s and as per usual the youngest crawled into my bed at the wee hours. I didn’t have the energy to put him back in his bed in the middle of the night. My gym is on the wall where my bed is and I can hear most everything (bars dropping, music playing, door opening) while in bed. I didn’t want to wake him up with my loud ass lifting, especially when I know he needs the sleep.
So here I am.
Working.
Coffee in hand.
Controlling my habits. Habits that, in the end, get me to my goals.
I could have slept in. I could still be snuggled up warm in my covers, while my bulldog snores and my baby boy rolls over and clobbers me in the face with his little hand.
But here I am.
Waking up at the same time every day, regardless of whether or not I work out, is important. I keep myself in the habit. Tomorrow morning when I am training well before dawn, the struggle won’t be nearly as much as struggle as if I’d allowed myself to ‘give up’ today and sleep in.
Most weeks I will plan my ‘sleep ins’ or days off based on kids and work schedules and how I feel. Am I more tired than usual? Is my body feeling lethargic? But sometimes the inevitable non scheduled day happens.
I used to stress out of these days. Now, I take them as they come and don’t let them upset me.
I continue the habits I have as able. If I can’t train, I still wake up. I keep my routine consistent even when my routine isn’t feasable.
I control the controllables:
💧 I’ll drink my 2/3-1gallon of water
☕️ As usual
🥩 Stay within my macros…no I won’t cut my food intake because of one day…This aids in recovery and I’ll kill my session tomorrow because of it. My protein intake will be the same or slightly higher to further aid in muscle repair and ward off unwanted cravings.
A note on cravings: sometimes, when taking a rest day, I find myself aimlessly craving foods I don’t typically eat or desire. Training and cardio can leave some people hungrier and others less hungry. I’m a less hungry kinda gal after training. Without training, I tend to graze and have been known to binge eat. That could be a physiological or psychological issue – I’ll save that for another post.
Now, I eat a little extra protein and stick to the same meals as I would eat on a day that I train. It helps keep my mind in the right place, takes out the guesswork of hitting my macros and I feel satisfied. Business per usual.
Days like today I will:
🤸🏼 move as much as possible. Nothing strenuous, if I can help it, but
definitely won’t sit all day. Lots of computer/desk breaks to walk
around or stretch.
✌🏼 not stress over a missed workout. Stress effects physiology 😉 And no
one needs added stress anyways these days.
When we start to see results that we’re after it’s hard not to get a little more neurotic about it. But after doing this for a few years (2000 wasn’t that long ago, was it?) I’m learning it’s actually really important to stay chill. When you start feeling that neurosis kick in, take a day off. Keep your ability to take a day off and not skip the next three or binge so you punish yourself and ‘work it off’ with two-a-days over the next week. If you purposely fit life into your plan, your goals will be far more sustainable and your progress won’t take a hit every time you take a day off, expected or not.
In the end, these unexpected days are just hiccup. Small, not ideal, but not detrimental in the big picture.
Learning to handle the hiccups is extremely valuable.