Day 2694 - The Wellness Wednesday weekly check in #wellnesswednesday

How's your health and fitness this week?

As you know I'm back on the health and fitness wagon. Why? Because I ain't getting any younger and the longer I wait, the harder it will be to get back to being the best that I can be.

One thing I've noticed as I age, the body is far less forgiving that it used to be. When it comes to general fitness it really is true that you've got to "use it, or lose it".

Wellness Wednesday is the place where I share my journey back to being fit and fabulous and invite you to think about your own health and fitness in the process.



The facts as they stand right now: I'm 6.5 kg heavier than I was this time last year, I'm very squidgy around the edges, I don't have the same energy as I had previously, my mood has dipped and my food choices are often making me feel unwell and headachey.

Bottom line:  I need to take control of my wellness.

Here's a look at the week that was.

Fitness:

The dawn wardrobe as I walk around the lake

Weekly Goals (Monday - Sunday):  

• 20km of walking, 
• 100 situps, 
• 60 leg raises, 
• 40 pushups 
• dips. 

Weekly achievements:  

• 23km of walking
• 80 situps 
• 120 leg raises
• 20 pushups
• 0 dips

Weekly challenges:

• Feeling stiffness in my arms and shoulders which causes flow on fibro pain and headaches.

Weekly reflection:

• More stretching and flexibility exercises needed to loosen up the limbs.

Food:

Ditching the bread at lunch time and having salads for lunch instead.

Weekly goals (Monday - Sunday):

• Less heavy carbs (eg bread, pasta, pastries, potatoes)
• More clean green meals
• Only 3 chai lattes a week (the rest is green tea)
• Smaller portions
• A more mindful approach to what I'm eating
• Planning the weekly menu ahead of time

Weekly achievements:

• Salads for my "at home" lunches
• Switching out bread rolls for wraps
• Eating less than my husband (including cutting my steak in half and saving for my steak salad lunch the next day)
• Thinking about the food I'm about to put into my body
• Creating thoughtful and healthy menus for Monday - Friday (husband cooks on weekends)

Weekly challenges:

• An all expenses paid trip to Melbourne where we were wined and dined in a corporate sports box which included way too much champagne and way too much food laden with heavy carbs. 
• Trying to remember to order green tea when "out for coffee" instead of the usual chai. 
• Eating indulgent ice-creams like Maxibon, Cornettos and Magnums 4 nights in a row. 

Weekly reflection:

• Approach trips with a wellness mindset (instead of the "yipee it's free, let's eat everything in sight" point of view).

Fabulous Mindset:

Tapping into my self talk and trying to be a cheerleader for myself

Weekly goals (Monday - Sunday):

• Create daily to-do lists across all projects and roles to create positive forward movement
• Affirmations
• Positive self talk
• Belief in myself and my ability to take back control
• Mindfullness 
• Tolerance 
• Good mood

Weekly achievements:

• Detailed to-do lists with ticks all over the page achieving results in all areas
• Getting a handle on my self talk and my renewed can-do attitude towards exercise and food
• Getting back to thinking about the fuel I give my body instead of simply going through the motions in a reactive way.

Weekly challenges:

• My tolerance levels are lower than usual and my mood has been dipping with anxieties starting to creep in. Depressive tendencies. 

Weekly reflection:

• I've allowed some negativity back into my life through what I watch on TV, how I feel about the world and how I feel about myself.  This is impacting on my mood and the people around me.

Intentions for next week:

• Continue with 20+ kms of walking a week
• Continue with the toning exercises I set myself
• Start on a flexibility/stretching program
• Add a daily does of dancing around the lounge room
• Continue with creating healthy menus
• Ditch the heavy breads completely
• Drink more water (aim for 1.5 litres a day)
• Only one ice cream a week
• Negative media ban
• Create my wellness affirmations

Wellness Wednesday is a chance for us all to reflect on the choices we make in our lives.  Ageing positively is a choice.  We can either let life happen to us or we can create our lives through targetted and mindful choices.

I've tried both ways and I can safely say that actively creating my day works best for me in mind, body and spirit. 

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

How was your week?

What went well for you?

Any challenges? 

If you'd like to become part of the Wellness Wednesday support network, then request membership to our Facebook group and comment below so we know to expect you.  

If you're a blogger and would like to document your own health and fitness journey, feel free to use the Wellness Wednesday prompts (would love a link back for providing the inspiration).