Routines.

i wanted to take some time and share some things that i have changed in my life to help keep me on track with eating healthy and exercising.

i think sometimes as mothers we start to put ourselves on the back burner. we put our children and husbands front and center. which i think is instinct. part of being a woman. our job is to care for our family. meet their needs. give them love. care. and direction. however, while taking care of everyone, i forgot to take care of myself. taking care of myself takes time. one change i made my was to start making time for me. to take care of myself.

finding the time to exercise, plan meals/shop, and sleep became very important to me over the summer. every sunday, i spent Nolan's nap time planning the week ahead in my wellness log.

i wrote out my workout plans. in my mind, i had to stick with the exercise plan i wrote for the whole week. I would use Nolan's nap time to do my workouts during the week. landon would have his quiet time playing in the basement while i did my exercise. i did this throughout the whole summer. i prepped and made breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. i also was in bed by 10:00 and up around 7:00. it was the best amount of sleep. i spent my days eating healthy, exercising, and resting. but then something happened... august 20th.

reality hit. i was no longer home anymore. it was time to go back to work. the sunday before august 20th, i sat and planned out my exercise and meals. i tried to squeeze my workouts in first thing in the morning around 5 AM. i tried for a few weeks, but it was terrible. i felt miserable. i didn't put my "all" into my workouts. i would stop early. and then i would be EXHAUSTED by 2 in the afternoon. sometimes i would even end up with a headache at work. i decided that exercising in the morning was not for me especially when i had to work the whole day afterwards.

i had to figure out what to do. i knew i didn't want to do my workouts after work. i already have such little time with my kids being a working mom that i didn't want to use that small chunk of time. so, i decided to exercise at night. after the kids are in bed. i usually get on the treadmill or pop in a Jillian Michaels DVD around 8:00. some days it is hard to get myself going. but since it is written in my wellness journal, i know i have to do it so i can check it off. i'm usually done by 9 and in the shower and cozy in pjs by 9:30. i relax with a sparkle water and a book until 10:00 and then to bed i go. this has been my routine since the middle of september. that has been one change. making and sticking to a routine. making it a habit. i've had a couple rest days here and there, but i can always feel myself ready to get back into my night routine. another change i made was to take time to fill in my wellness log. taking the time to fill it out and following through has been really motivating to me.

i'm sure any calendar would work to keep track of your health, but i got my journal here! i love erin condren and all her products...this journal was worth the twelve bucks! :)