Constantly Seeking Balance

I had some work to do yesterday morning and that kept me from getting to the gym. As the hours went by, I started to feel more and more anxious - the day was passing, I still hadn't got to the gym, plus I had Jiu-Jitsu training in the evening. I knew I'd feel bad if I skipped my workout, but I was worried I'd feel tired if I did go, particularly as it got closer and closer to my evening training time.

In the end, I went to the gym. I did my warm-up, strength training, and stretching and I shortened my cardio portion. Making a few changes to my normal routine helped me get in a good workout but not exhaust myself to the point of being unable to train effectively in the evening.

As someone who likes consistency and routine, I don't like it when things don't go according to plan. However, the past few years have taught me that although having a plan is important, getting thrown off track when unexpected things come up is not going to help you reach your goals. The ability to be flexible is essential. This is where having your goals down in writing can help.

So  many 'off-plan' things have happened in my life over the past 3 years. In order to get through it all, I've had to adapt. It didn't always come easy. In fact, it still doesn't come easy, but I know it's the only way I can make sure I continue to move forward and not get stuck like I used to before.

There was a point in time when any little thing would throw me completely off track and that would lead to a terrible self-destructive cycle.
One unhealthy meal = complete failure -> might as well eat anything -> if I'm eating anything, then why exercise -> weight gain -> feeling terrible -> eating to comfort myself ... ... ... I'm sure you see where this is going.

It was so silly of me to let small things derail in such a way. I think being wishy-washy about my goals was what aided in this out of control spiral of behavior.

My only goal at that point was to lose weight. However, not having a structure or proper understanding of how to lose weight meant that I was easily discouraged.

Now, I'm happy to say, things are different.

I've got my goals in place with a proper strategy. More importantly, I've got back up plans. If I don't get to the gym, I've got workouts that I can do at home. If I have a limited time at the gym, then I know what kind of exercises to focus on to ensure that I still get an effective workout in a short amount of time. If I'm in a hurry and don't have a lot of time to prep/cook, then I've got a list of very easy, healthy meals that I can quickly prepare.

The bottom line is -- there should be no excuses.

That being said, my routine is far from steady, my strategies are far from perfect.

I feel like I'm still constantly negotiating and looking for the right balance of things I want to do and need to do. At the very least, I need to make sure that whatever I do is helping me reach my overall goals. Anything else would really be a waste of time. As for the details ... well, as always, I'm workin' it out ...