My Struggles...

Well, like everyone, I'm human and my life isn't always perfect. Some times I have good days, and sometimes not so good. I don't like to refer to them as bad, because ultimately my day was still good, but had a minor slip up in some fashion. Usually, I indulge in a food that I didn't need to, or skipped a workout. Which is why my main struggle is staying consistent.

I've always heard that the best way to maintain making progress is to follow the 80/20 rule. This is where you maintain your strictness 80% of the week, and indulge 20%. However, I find that this may not always be the best for my life. In an ideal world, I would be consistent 100% of the time. But, too much restriction can cause you to binge later or fall off the wagon.

So, how to I make sure I'm continuing to be the best me? I've broken down my biggest issues and come up with some action steps.

The issues:

• Weekend get togethers with family

• Getting snacks at work

• Baking cookies or other sweets

I want to state that getting together with family is not a problem. I love spending time with my them! But often times, I'm there the whole day and tend to snack and eat more than I would if I was at home. Being aware of this is the first step in making progress. I can continue to enjoy social time without binging or indulging too much.

This also applies to getting snacks at work. I bring more than enough food to work. But often times, my coworkers and I will go for a walk during our lunch break to get some steps in and also so they can grab something to eat. I enjoy going with them so we can talk and socialize. However, that usually leads me to grab something from the store as well. I've noticed when I pack the same things for snacks too many days in a row, I get bored and want something else to munch on. My plan is to switch up my snacks frequently and bring more than enough so that I have choices to keep my happy. But also, finding my self control and not bring my wallet on our walks so I'm not tempted to buy anything if we go to the store.

As for my baked goods, simply not having the ingredients in the house makes that easier. I usually bake things out of love because it's something I enjoy doing and find it relaxing. But there are other ways to relax. I also plan on bringing excess goods to my workplace if I do bake so that way I'm not tempted to eat them when I'm home.

Staying consistent doesn't mean I have to give up everything in my life that brings me happiness. But rather, it's about finding the balance between what I want to do and what I need to do. And this is just another learning process on my journey.