Avoiding the train wreck.

Avoiding the Train Wreck

I have well engrained habits of no-breakfast-no-movement-no-water days fueled by caffeinated-whacked-out-blood-sugar-and-adrenaline. And I can tell you that I was a wreck – a train wreck actually. But, I’m happy to report that eating this elephant, one tiny bite at a time, has resulted overall in a MONUMENTAL shift in my lifestyle.

Little by little.

A shift here and there counts. Big time.

Consistency is queen.

I am both proud and grateful for being able to transform my life (that is, making a dent in my proverbial elephant).

But I am easily side tracked. Life gets busy. The phones ring. The meetings are relentless. The todo list is never ending. Life’s commitments continue to rear their ugly head trying to interfere with my healthy choices.

I’ve learned several interesting things about myself through this process.

When I don’t drink water, I crave crappy food and soda.

When I’m overly hungry, I crave more crappy food.

When I don’t move, I don’t crave water.

But, when I treat myself well, I crave more of the good stuff.

I’ve also learned that I can change my direction at any time during the day. BUT, for me, it is much harder to redirect the locomotive than it is to keep the train on the desired track.

So why not start the day with a few purposeful, mindful actions to firmly set the day’s course?

Eat breakfast. I’m a yogurt, berries, nuts, and flax seed girl. I’ve been VERY good about this for about two years, so it really doesn’t require much effort. But since it is the gateway for day’s healthy fuel choices, it must be on the list.Pack a lunch. I’m basically very busy lazy. And I’m not a sandwich girl. I either throw dinner’s leftovers into a pyrex, or I throw together spinach, pre-grated carrots, tomatoes, beans, and cucumber said pyrex dish. It sounds silly, but if I don’t pack a lunch, I forget to eat, and by 2 or 3 I’m starved and doomed. (Can you tell I love my pyrex bowls with lids? They’re in the top 5 for my key health tools.)Drink a bottle of water. Yep, water is my nemesis. I’ve tried all sorts of water drinking trickery: lemon, cucumber, cranberry juice ice cubes. But this strategy of finishing a full bottle of water before I go to work has been perfect for me! After all, I’m a third of the way done before my crazy day even begins. Brilliant!Plan for the day’s 20 minutes of movement. Will I be walking to work? Will I be sneaking in some intermittent bodyweight exercises at the office? If I’m going to the gym, when and what will I do? This sounds simple enough, but without a plan, I’m unlikely to find my resolve at 6pm.Breathe. This may sound silly, but I think I hold my breath. A lot. So I’ve been trying to be more mindful of full and complete inhales and exhales. Sometimes I breathe in the shower. Other times I breathe when doing the dishes or tidying up the house. Sometimes I turn on a song and breathe through the melody. Sometimes I do a couple of sun salutations. It doesn’t matter what the tool or prompt is, just that I engage in some action to create some awareness of the power and importance of breath.

So there you have it – my little twist as I trip down this health and wellness path.

Inspired by the words of Miz, “Set yourself up to succeed.”

And I might add, “Set yourself up to succeed… first thing in the day, before the train takes the wrong track!”

Kris is a wannabe fitness/culinary guru who can neither cook nor jog. You can find her sweet and snarky commentary at Kris M Beal | The Heart and Humor of Being Human where she learns to mince basil and do kettlebell swings while tweeting, all while trying to find some balance in this distracting world. You can also find her on twitter @krazy_kris.

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