My change from last week –

Change in weight (1/27/20 – 2/2/20): -1.2 LBS

This week came with some ups and downs. There were a couple days where I was feeling great, hitting my step counts, and feeling good about what I ate. There were also some days where weakness got the best of me at work. Unfortunately, I did not pack enough breakfast for myself a couple days and found myself with an angry stomach mid-morning. Now, instead of pushing through until lunch or getting a piece of fruit, I ended up getting a muffin. I am a sucker for muffins. I like blueberry, cranberry, any berry, pumpkin, corn, and pretty much anything you put in front of me as long as it doesn’t have nuts in it. So this happened. I also experienced a couple days where I did not track as closely as I should. I have been slipping when it comes to the little things, whether it is the picking while I cook dinner or the getting home from work snacks, I was not 100% with logging my intake.

With that said, I did had some wins this week. I did a Peloton ride 3 days, I did a strength training class another, we got outside for a couple walks (see here), and I have started to get back into stretching. I have historically been horrible about stretching. I know it is super important, I know that it aids in athletic performance, but I have always been bad at it. My hamstrings may be strong, but they are short. They have been neglected for years when it comes to stretching. As part of my weekly goals, I will be shooting to do a stretch after every workout and 3 independent stretch sessions per week.

Overall I am very happy. I was pretty bummed last week after gaining back a little weight and I am very pleased that I am moving back on track. What I am reinforcing to myself is that I can still succeed even with setbacks. I still can hit goals even with struggles and that is really great for my self esteem. The fact that I can hit goals even with mess ups does not open the door to allow these, but it tells me that I am strong enough to overcome them if they happen Since December 1 I am down 17.8 pounds. I am feeling great, my clothes fit better, I do not feel that this has changed my daily life, and I feel I can continue this. That is an awesome place to be on a wellness journey.

How do others respond ups and downs in their wellness journey? Does it motivate you or do you find backsliding to really hinder your progress?

Date	Change in Weight
12/1*	–
12/2*	-5.4 lbs
12/9	-5.4 lbs
12/16	-3.4 lbs
12/23	+2.8 lbs
12/29	-1.2 lbs
1/6	-1.4 lbs
1/13	-1.6 lbs
1/20	-1.4 lbs
1/27	+0.4 lbs
2/3	-1.2 lbs

-Ben