Six weeks into 2020 and my training schedule is feeling good. I feel my strength increasing gradually and the schedule hasn't been too hard to stick to (I've only missed a few planned workouts). What I've haven't been sticking to is my diet.
I've noticed it in how I feel when I wake up, to how I feel during my workouts, and how I feel the rest of the day. I could point to a number of things that are the cause for not sticking to what I wanted to do, but that would just be making excuses. If I had to choose between sticking to my training schedule or my diet, I think I made the right choice so far.
Now that I have my training dialed in, it's time for me to focus on getting my diet in line with where I want it to be (something easier said that done with two kiddos and hubby running around and not on the same "diet"). I know that it's easier if we are all eating the same things, but while I figure out what works and what doesn't work it'll be easier to experiment myself first.
First step is to plan my meals for the week and then get the proper food in the house. That means going to the store with a list each week - pretty much all whole foods. I've started this process before, and it is amazing how much better I felt just cutting out processed foods.
Next is to do as much prep work as I can at the beginning of the week. I inevitably run out of time every night for what I plan to do (thank you kiddos for your constant curve balls). This involves basically having meals mostly cooked on Sunday's so I can pop things in the microwave during the week. Having some variety is also key. I've found when I have the same meal for basically every night, I get bored and start looking for other things to eat.
Finally, I also need to track all of this. I know this sounds cumbersome (after all I track all my workouts as well). But without tracking stuff, I find that I can't remember which food maybe made me feel bloated/sluggish after and then I fail to adjust my diet accordingly. I've found that taking just a quick few minutes to track my meal right after I eat is easiest.
I also want to do something that is sustainable. I am a big believer that you shouldn't deny yourself things in moderation. Nothing is worse that than being somewhere where they claim to have the best _____ (fill in with your favorite sweet), but then feeling like you can't have it. It's all about planning out an entire week and making adjustments as necessary. As they say most things in moderation are fine.
I'm hoping now my training has become a habit/routine at this point, so I can focus on this part of my overall lifestyle.
Happy training!
- Working Mother Triathlete
#triathlontraining #swimbikerun #workingmothertriathlete #womenfortri #workingmom #trilikeamother #worklifebalance
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