Day 100 update

I have never been here before - 100 days!
So what have I learned along the way....
Nutrition continues to be my biggest challenge to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So progress, not perfection, is the name of the game. I have improved the number of days in a week that I stay within my calorie range. That is progress. I strive to not have two bad days in a row. It's a good week when I get 3 or more good days in a row :) The calorie range is not the only thing I watch - I have a carb limit, a fat limit and a protein goal so tracking daily has really helped me keep an eye on these three that will impact my overall health goals. I am doing a lot better with the nighttime noshing, down to 1 - 2 times per week (so proud of me for this). What helped was improving the quality of my 3 pm snack (well portioned high fibre carb + high quality protein). It made me feel less hungry at dinner time and more satisfied after dinner, with fewer urges to snack. I have SP Premium to thank for help with tweaking my diet to find what works.

Fitness is going great. Still working on my fitness mindset but sometimes I wonder: does it really matter how I feel about it, so long as I get it done? I want to get up and look forward to it. Not there yet, but...I tried a week of exercising every other day and I actually felt miserable on my enforced rest days. Part of it was a mix of guilt and anxiety that I am not "maxing out" my available time. So what I am on now is a MWF cardio, TTh strength + cardio all aiming for at least 45 min. On weekends, I get my fitness in with housecleaning, chores and yardwork. I am proud of my exercise record for the 100 days and I can see functional fitness gains too: I used my now stronger triceps to raise my body and sit on a ledge (it felt great!!!)

Motivation is where I have most improved! No matter how poorly I did, I have never lost my enthusiasm for my "1 year for me" campaign. Once I didn't want to lift my head much less put my body through a workout and the thought that 365 days are not over yet was enough to get me going again. I have never been this resilient before :)
SP community has been a phenomenal source of support and inspiration, encouragement. I am in the 5% challenge this fall and I must acknowledge my Cloverleaf tribe ; it really does help to have fellow travelers despite the uniqueness of our journeys. I know the majority of the journey is still ahead of me, but I'm feeling pretty good at 100 days in. I learned this from a SP member: "Just win the day!" My version is actually more like: "Just show up today!" :D

So what is my treasure:
I lost 12 lb and 6 inches overall since I started. Yay! That's enough encouragement to keep me going for another 100 days at least. I have less knee pain climbing stairs, better sleep and just a little more room in my clothes. Plus compliments from DH!!
I have more purpose and structure to my days and I'm forced to plan my days better because I have to fit in workouts, cooking and working from home. Better planning = less anxiety. So I have gained far more than I've lost
So what lies ahead?
I'm in uncharted territory, having never been consistent for this long before :) Just showing up today.
I have added health goals; apart from losing weight, I need to bring down my FBS and cholesterol. The plan: cut out ALL sugary drinks and stay in my carb and fat limits. Stock up on the "healthy fats" foods. No baked goods (sigh). Lots of vegies Yay!
Fitness: Experimenting until I get the mix I want to do when I get up :) But showing up, like it or not.
Actively stoking the fire of my motivation here on SP but also in my offline life :) Maintaining the right headspace through quiet time, reading quotes, journalling (and yes the occasional blog) all fuel my fire.
To the person reading, thank you! Here's to you and your journey: Just show up today!