Morning Workout Mishaps

I love working out in the mornings. I usually have the gym all to myself, or at the very least, there are only a handful of people around. I like the 'me' time before I get thrown into my day. I liked the idea of getting my workout over and done with just in case something else comes up during the day or I start to feel lazy. It's all good stuff.

The empty gym at 6:45 a.m. 

A few things that I need to work on:

1. Have my gym bag, work clothes, and work bag plus post-workout food ready the night before. I've been good at having most of my stuff ready. However, most just doesn't cut it. I don't like being frantic and rushed before leaving the house. I really need to have it all prepared beforehand to avoid the morning chaos.

My morning prep 

Yes, it bugs me that my gym bag is not a shade of green to go with the gym outfit. 

2. When it comes to work clothes, I need to make sure I have all the necessary components to my outfit, because if I've forgotten something, I'm outta luck. A couple examples of things that happened to me this week:
- the pair of shoes I chose for my outfit matched perfectly -- but somehow were too big on my feet! I was slipping and sliding in them and ended up stuffing Kleenex in the toes to help me stay in place.
- the early morning haze turned into stormy clouds and I got caught in a downpour of rain while wearing a silk dress and sandals! Had I been home, I would have definitely opted for warmer clothing and my Hunter boots!

Tuesday's shoes -- love them, though after 6 hours of being on my feet - following 'leg day' at the gym, I was more than ready to kick them off! 

I may keep a spare more comfortable pair in my office at work. 

3. Since I'm not having dairy or processed foods during the WLC, my post-workout meal hasn't been the easiest to decide. I want something easy to carry, easy to eat, and filling. So far I've either been having my eggs and avocado mix or chicken with mixed vegetables. I eat half of it while I'm in the locker room and the other half after my class. The food would taste better warm, but right now I'm just eating it cold. It's all I have the time/facilities for. I'd like to think of something a little more enjoyable. For right now though, 'food is fuel' is my mantra.

Standing and Eating - A terrible habit of mine, but one I've been engaging in a lot lately.

4. I need to have my routine set. Since my time is limited, I really don't have the luxury of coming up with an impromptu workout plan. I think this will be better from next week. This week was all about testing out my timing and my energy. I now know what time I need to end my workouts by in order to have enough time to shower, change, eat, and drive to work in time for my office hours/class. I also feel a lot better since I've incorporated my sprint/HIIT training with the C25K program. I also think I'm doing alright for my weights -- I'll know more after my doctor's appointment on Saturday (wish me luck).

All in all, this first week of getting back to my gym routine followed by heading to work has been good. I definitely feel energetic after my morning workout, though I also feel really hungry throughout the day. I need to be careful of exactly how much I'm eating and make sure that I really am using food for fuel and not consuming unnecessary calories.