Hello, my beautiful people! Happy Monday! It’s a new day and a new week and this is my time to get back into blogging. (I can do this!) I recently got back from a really great vacation to California and Vegas, worked a few days, and am now getting back into my typical adult-ing responsibilities. Today is my first day off from work, so first on the agenda- this blog post.
Doing “fitness” and still ENJOYING life is possible.
I received a comment on Instagram, a few weeks back, about how to juggle tracking macros, meal prep,and “doing fitness” while still maintaining a regular life … as well as one’s mental sanity … Honestly, i thought this was a really great question.
So that is what we are going to talk about today- How to do some of the stereotypical fitness things: go to the gym, meal prep, track macros, etc… while still maintaining your mental sanity without getting burnt out.
This post is going to be a lot of tips from my experiences that i believe yall might find helpful… so let’s jump right in.
- Get rid of the “all or nothing” mentality. You do not have to be 100% all the time with your training and diet to make progress. Just because you cannot track your macros to the T or go to the gym for as long as you would like, does not mean that you just say fu*k it to your diet and skip the gym all together. Let’s say you didn’t plan to go out to eat but all of a sudden you are. You still want to stay “on track” but you also want to enjoy yourself- what do you do? Want a burger? Get the burger but maybe get a side salad instead of french fries. Or maybe choose a lighter entree if you really want dessert. Can’t go to the gym 6 days a week? Start and aim for 3 days.
- Schedule fitness in. We all have heard the saying “If it’s important you will find a way, if not- you will find an excuse”. Cliche, yes…but still true. Plan your workout into your day just like you would an appointment with your doctor. Plan to prep your meals for the following day, at night, before you go to bed. Schedule it in and make a point to do what you say you are going to.
- Find what works for you. This kind of goes with the above point but i am just going to touch on it again real quick. It is a lot easier to make healthy habits a part of your every day life when you actually ENJOY them and they do not feel like a chore. Ask yourself what you enjoy doing in regards to fitness… do you like yoga? walking? classes? working out with a friend? crossfit? zumba? Whatever you like to do- do that. You will be so much more likely to stick to it if you aren’t forcing yourself to do something you hate. Just because Shannon enjoys lifting weights, does NOT mean that you have to lift weights too. Do you, boo boo… do you.
- Bring a friend. Make the gym something you can do with a friend. It can give you a chance to socialize and catch up with your friend, and also provide you both some extra accountability. You can use fitness as a chance to bond with your friends by doing something that is active and has a healthy twist… this could be trying a new gym class, going for a hike, riding bikes around town, etc. Fitness doesn’t have to be boring and doing it with a friend can help you both reach your goals in a more fun way.
- Allow yourself flexibility. You do not have to have exceptionally high standards to reach your goals. Be realistic and allow yourself some flexibility and leeway if need be. This could mean giving yourself a macro/calorie range instead of specific numbers to hit. +/- 10g on carbs and protein and +/- 5g on fats could be a good start. This could also mean allowing yourself free, untracked meals or refeed days. This also applies to things or events that don’t happen very often, or special occasions like vacations or trips. It is important that you are enjoying making memories with your friends and families instead of stressing over if you can workout or hitting your macros. Enjoy your time with friends and family, be MINDFUL of your eating habits, enjoy yourself, be active, and make memories. Don’t stress the little things.
- Change your daily habits. Making small changes in your daily habits can lead to long term results. Instead of drinking beverages that are high in calories, start opting for lower calorie options. Start the day by getting in a good workout, going for a walk on your lunch break or getting into the habit of meal prepping before bed. Eventually, you’ll start doing these things because they are a habit and you won’t have to rely solely on motivation to do them.
- Meal prep essentials. Meal prep can be very beneficial when it comes to eating nutrient dense foods and choosing healthier options instead of reaching for fast food options because you are starving. Personally, i like to prep my proteins in bulk (usually ground turkey and chicken) so they are easy to grab and go. Microwavable/steam fresh vegetables and carbs like rice or pasta can also be a quick and easy meal option. I personally do not like to prep and portion meals for the entire week at one time because i do not find them to stay fresh and taste as great by the time i eat them. But it is super easy for me to grab some bulk protein, throw a steamable bag in the microwave for 4 minutes, measure it out.. and go. If meal prepping all your meals, on Sunday, for the week works for you, thats great. If not, that is great too. Whatever you find works for you, do that. (*If you would like for me to do a separate blog post on Meal Prep How To’s , leave a comment below*)
- Give journaling a try. You may not see how journaling plays into juggling or creating a fit and healthy lifestyle but mental health can be just as important – and play a large roll- in your physical health as well. A healthier mind —–> a healthier life. I wrote a blog post on Journaling and all it’s benefits a while back so go check that out here.
- Set goals. Whether that be daily goals, or weekly goals, setting goals can be extremely helpful. I personally get a lot of satisfaction from making lists and when i get to cross stuff off and say “i achieved that goal” i know that feels pretty damn good.
Some examples of DAILY GOALS could be: 1) Drink 8 glasses of water a day. 2) Go for a 20 minute walk during my lunch break.
Some examples of WEEKLY GOALS could be: 1) Hit my macros at least 4 days this week. 2) Go to spin class 2x this week.
It is important to make these goals attainable and realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by knowingly setting your goals and standards too high. Set goals and crush them!
- Find YOUR balance. So many people shit on (sorry for the expression) the term balance – but i firmly believe that this is what the majority of us need.. balance. We need to find that balance that allows us to be healthy and happy and that is something that looks different for every. single. person. Don’t get caught up on what everyone else is doing.. or what everyone “says” they are doing. Your journey is not their journey. Doing fitness- for you- should be something that you enjoy and are able to maintain.. no extreme diets here. Find what works FOR YOU and do that. Your balance may be hard to find initially, but i promise you, with time and effort, you can find it.
So there you have it. My main tips on how to make fitness a part of your everyday life without going stir crazy. Now, just to reiterate, i am going to ramble a little bit… Haha, get ready– i apologize in advance if this is all over the place. When it comes to doing fitness, it’s important that you are doing it because you want to… not because your doctor is making you, your friend, your boyfriend, whoever… You may not initially love working out, or eating broccoli, but give it a try. I promise that being active and fueling your body with nutrient dense foods will increase your overall well being and help you feel so much better.
“Doing fitness” doesn’t mean that you neglect every other aspect of your life… it doesn’t mean saying “no” every time your friend wants to hangout because you can’t miss a gym session. It doesn’t mean saying “no” to ice cream on your family vacation because you feel like you have to hit your macros. It’s not realistic to say “I am never eating (insert favorite food here)” because you “do fitness now”. You don’t have to eat cake just because it’s there but you can if you want to.. and still reach your goals. It’s all about finding that balance of fitness and living life that makes you feel happy and healthy… physically and mentally.
I really hope that little ramble made sense lol, but doing fitness and simultaneously living life and being happy is something that i am really passionate about… It’s something that i feel like after a long time, i have finally achieved in myself and i want other people to achieve as well.
How do you “do fitness” and maintain a healthy lifestyle without going crazy or feeling completely unbalanced juggling your life? Leave a comment below with any tips you may have on balancing life and fitness. Has there every been a time in your life where you really struggled or excelled at juggling the two? Leave a comment and share your experience below, i would love to hear your story!
As always, thank you SO much for taking the time to read my blog… i greatly appreciate it. Please feel free to leave any ideas you may have for future blog posts and subscribe to my blog if you are not already.
Talk soon,
PBandLaurenKelly 
Hey i follow you on insta and would really like for you to do a meal prep how to!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey! I just saw this comment but that’s a really great idea for a blog post. Thanks so much.
LikeLike