signs that i'm back on track

Yay! Good things are happening. They're tiny, but tiny is where it starts.

i know i'm doing it right when ...

» I headed to the gym for the third morning in a row. Third day's the charm. Not to mention I've been getting to sleep around 9 p.m. each night. My gym alarm is set for 4:40, and by the time it goes off I've actually gotten enough rest to spring out of bed.

The physical benefit of the sleep is one thing; and another is that when I get to bed later, I fall asleep with a sense of dread that I won't feel fully rested by the time that early alarm goes off. I think I absolutely do carry that negativity through my sleep and into the next morning, when often I'll opt to turn off the alarm and go back to bed.

» fruit dessert! When I can be happy and satiated by a bowl of cut up bananas, hazelnut butter, honey and a sprinkle of granola, I know I'm doing pretty well. No lingering emotional dissatisfaction with a "dumb healthy dessert," no giving in to compulsion. Bonus: an extra serving of fruit, a dash of protein and whole grains.

» water water water water water. And more water. I've said it before, but drinking my daily allotment of water can feel like work. When I start craving the next bottle of water, though, I'm in a good place. It's a place where my healthy decisions feel less burdensome, and where I put more value in them then I do in what would be easier.

some things I'm not doing yet

Some of my healthy habits haven't kicked in yet, but I'm not worried. I've returned to a frame of mind that says I should slowly add things as they feel right, and up to the point I still feel excited and positive about them. In the meantime, I'm not:

» pushing super hard at the gym. I'm pushing somewhat, and I'm doing new things (namely I've picked up regular weight training, but I've traded in my rigorous elliptical workouts for more slow-paced walks around our indoor track).

» tracking my numbers. I know! I'm so into numbers! You'd think it's the first thing I'd want to get back into. But I'd prefer to focus on the actual work behind those numbers, first. I have this nagging suspicion that -- while my tracking is ultimately good and will be a great tool for me in the future -- sometimes that tracking can lay a thin film of burden/judgment over everything I try to accomplish in a day. I think I may have become disheartened by some of my numbers, and I allowed that to affect my efforts.

I'll work on establishing a solid routine with food and exercise before I slowly return to collecting data.

fin!