Life Logging?

Before I get to today's post - I have to mention that yesterday, I received my new Eat Smart Digital Scales.  I won them from the Power of One Challenge - and I was so excited to receive them.  Apart from the fact that the batteries that came with the scales wouldn't work - I love my new scales. 

OK, now down to business.

Today is my final installment of Smack in the Face Week.  I know, technically, it hasn't been a full week - but I'm working on some new ideas for posts - and I'm going to be super busy this weekend.

I've covered a lot about the importance of food logging over the past couple of days - but today I want to shift gears just a little and discuss Life Logging.

What the heck is life logging, you ask?  Well, a common excuse reason that I hear that a lot of people fail when trying to lose weight is because of time constraints.  I have written several posts related to not having enough time in the day - but do people real feel able to walk away dealing with their dilemma any better?  I don't know - so I figured I'd have another crack at it.

There are not many people I know that have no worries about time.  Unless you work in a gym, it's sometimes very hard to fit in enough time to work out. It's often hard to come home after a long day of work to cook a healthy meal.  Kids, school, work....they all come first in most people's lives and "me" time is something that has to be placed on the back burner.

Changes need to be made. 

Most of you know my story.  I am a mom to 3 kids - kids that have counseling appointments, science clubs, after school activities.  I am a student teacher - a teacher that has after school meetings, lesson plans to write, papers to grade.  I am a full time student - a student that has homework, projects, resume portfolios to prepare for job searching.  I am also a person that is trying to lose weight.  That means working out, planning meals, cooking the meals.  I know what you're thinking - how the heck do I do it?

Well, I'm doing something that I like to call: Life Logging.

Most people would probably call it a schedule - and it is, in a way.  I keep a planner - it's my lifeline.  I have to know what days my kids have activities planned, I have to know what days I have meetings...and I have to make sure that each day I am able to commit to my fitness/ health goals.

One thing that has become a main thing I have had to remind myself during my life logging is that my "me" time is just as important as everything else on my schedule.  My kids and job can't always come first.  As much as we don't want to put our own priorities before those things, sometimes we must.  It may sound a little selfish - but if I didn't do it, then I wouldn't be able to do any of the things I need to do in order to reach my goals....unless I just never slept.

Every single day, I plan on giving myself an hour of work-out time...be it in the gym or running.  I plan to go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and then run on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.  I'm getting in to a routine that I do my gym and running time right after work during the weekdays so I'm still in "go" mode- and I'm flexible on the weekends....basically, I go when I feel like it...but I go.

If the kids have an activity, I know that I may have to alter my schedule.  Sometimes I don't run for as long, or I skip the gym and do a quick run instead.  If I get the "hey mom, is it OK if I stay after school for a while to do *blank*" and it interferes with my work-out time...then I might just have to say "no" once in a while.  That's something that's been hard for me to do - but I have to realize that I don't have to drop everything and rearrange my entire schedule just because I want to be the mother that allows my kids to do everything they want.  Hearing the word "no" isn't going to kill them. 

If I have a meeting, I just do my work-out after.  I make arrangements for Hubby to pick up Jelly from daycare - that won't kill him one or two days a week.  Is it inconvenient for him? Sure.  But it's also inconvenient for me to miss out on what I need to do. 

Most mothers and/or wives feel like it's their duty to put themselves last on the totem pole.  The family's needs comes before their own.  It is normal to sacrifice time for the sake of others.  It doesn't matter how much they have on their plate - they will continue to pile it on...because that's just what we're programmed to do. 

It's time for re-programming!!

Now, I'm not going to stand on my soapbox and say that I never falter on my plans or allow things to sometimes mess up my schedule.  This week, for example, has been crazy.  Monday, I went to the gym.  Tuesday I worked late, didn't make arrangements for Hubby to pick up Jelly - so I had to miss out on working out.  Wednesday, I had a staff meeting that went a lot later than I had anticipated and had told Peanut she could go to church which caused me to miss out on working out once again.  Yesterday, I had to rush off after class to go and register for graduation, pick up my cap and gown, and then go shopping for gifts for my class (it's my last day in second grade today).  That meant yet another day with no gym.  Stuff happens. 

Up until a few weeks ago, I looked for any excuse I could to get out of working out.  Then I realized that I had to stop.  I would NEVER lose the weight.  I would NEVER reach my goals.  I would NEVER completely commit myself.   It just took a little planning, some juggling, growing some cahones to actually tell my darling children that Mommy's health is important and they'd have to deal with it, informing Hubby that I need him to take on some extra responsibilities regardless of how tired he is (I'm tired too!!), and realizing that I have a right to put some of my priorities first.  It's still a work in progress - but it's working.

So, I leave you today hoping that you'll consider thinking about taking the leap into figuring out a way of making it work.  Time doesn't have to be an excuse.  You can make it work.  Unless you work from 5am to 10pm, I'm pretty sure there's a few gaps that will allow you for some "you" time....use that time to it's fullest potential.

Till next time. ;)

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