Monday Thoughts

This is my first full week not counting calories or counting points. This past weekend I contemplated returning to point counting. I started to get concerned about this week because I will have school on Tuesday and Thursday nights, so I will miss out on 2 hours of exercise I usually do on Tuesday nights and 1 1/2 hours of exercise I usually do on Thursday nights at fitness classes. My classes for school are 3 hours and it doesn't leave much time for exercise. I started to think that due to having less exercise I should start watching points better and cut back to make up for the lower activity. But, then I started to think back to how I felt a couple semesters ago, and even a little bit of last semester, in regards to strict exercise regimens. I wasn't flexible with my routine at all...even when very tired or hungry. I don't really want to go back to that strictness and those horrible feelings of guilt when I missed exercise. Or not wanting to go on vacations, family dinners, other events if I would break my exercise routine. Or scrambling to find ways to make up that exercise time. It just isn't worth it to me. So I decided to continue with intuitive eating practices this week.

I've gradually been easing up on exercise, while still trying to keep active daily. I'm just not putting myself through a strict routine anymore. Tomorrow I do have school in the evening, but I can work out in the morning and that's enough. And if sometimes I miss a workout due to needing more sleep or something else comes up, that's ok too. I'm slowly learning that I can be flexible with my schedule and I need to learn that I can't do it all. I'm tired of negative self-talk over exercise and constantly telling myself I'm not good enough. I just want to exercise to feel good these days.

 Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, I'm trying to focus on some positive, healthy choices I make each day.
Here are some positive things from today:
1) I drank a lot of water today
2) I started my day with positive daily affirmations (trying to make this a daily practice).
3) Had balanced meals without counting points or calories
4) Ran 3 miles without worrying about my pace and just let myself enjoy running without any worry.
5) When I felt the urge to make my meals smaller in anticipation of a more sedentary day tomorrow, I talked myself out of the thoughts and stuck to just listening to my hunger cues.