A few days I posted this on my Instagram that I felt worth repeating, “it’s crazy, working on yourself never ends. You get better and then boom, now it’s new s*** you gotta work on. You just be unlocking endless levels of growth.” Why share it again? Because it’s so true. Regardless of what you’ve overcome and how far you’ve come in life, there’s always something to improve upon.
So whether it’s getting “toned”, being promoted at work, and/or even starting your own business, I’m going to state the obvious… it is possible. You just have to sometimes take a step back in your life, figure out what you can do better, and go in with a why not mentality everyday… to do everything you know you need to.
While it will take time and patience, it’s so worth it. I know because I’ve been there several times… and here I am there again.
That’s right… Here I am again.
So let me explain, if you’ve been following my blog, there’s quite a bit in my life I’ve overcome. From a ten year struggle with anorexia to living in an abusive situation to more… life’s been quite interesting to say the least. It’s been “fun.” For awhile my health suffered, and in order to get back on track, I had to focus more on healing my body than going hardcore into fitness that I loved. But now that my health is in check, I’m ready to go back into lifting and back to improving upon myself.
And that’s just my point,
No matter who you are or what you’ve overcome, there are countless of ways that we all can improve. Life isn’t just a matter of getting to one spot and being done. If you go in with that kind of thinking, it will be easy to get discouraged in life.
Key point: Don’t focus on perfection, focus on improvement and I promise you that you will find a life you love!
On that note, I figured I’d share a few of my “goals” for the next few months in case you want to join in for accountability and fun.
Here’s What I’m Working On & Why!
1.) Drinking More Water
While it’s something that’s so EASY for many of us, it’s hard paying attention to how much we drink. And let’s be real here… sometimes it’s confusing to figure out how much we SHOULD be drinking as the guidelines change quite frequently. In my research for this article, I’ve seen many recommendations which varied according to year and according to source. There are so many different recommendations no matter where you look, and it’s difficult to determine where to start.
*Note: This is based on Total Water Consumption. Includes the amount that you consume through foods such as cucumber, watermelon, etc.
So How Did I Decide on How Much To Drink?
Because I’m petite (5 foot nada! 😏) I decided that utilizing my weight would be the best. Instead of focusing on drinking 8-9 cups per day, I’m drinking about 0.5 oz to an oz per pound of bodyweight (as suggested here) and adding an additional 1.5 to 2.5 cups for exercise. (Source 3).
How Am I Staying Consistent?
While I know it’s a lot of water, I’m going to stay consistent by filling a few of these 32 oz healthy human life cups every single day and making tic marks (ON MY LIST BELOW!) for every 32 oz consumed.
Will it all be PLAIN water?
Of course not. I intend to use some of the tricks and tips that I’ve shared a while back: https://www.michelechristineweinstein.com/stay-hydrated/. From infused water to Splendid Spoon smoothies, I’ll definitely be keeping my hydration on check!
2.) Reverse Dieting with a Focus on Lifting
That’s right. I’m aiming to INCREASE my calories in a systematic manner where I increase strength training days and decrease the amount of cardio I do daily. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, I’ll be adding in another blog sometime soon (YAY!), but for now, here’s a great piece by bodybuilding.com about it! It’s pretty amazing as with each reverse diet, you are able to increase muscle which allows you to increase the amount of calories that you can eat daily. The whole process is pretty amazing, though it also can be difficult.
To stay consistent. I’ll be using the template below! (Subscribe here for the PDF printable option)!
3.) Trying New Workouts
I feel like sometimes in life, we need to change our routines up and challenge ourselves. And of course, I’ll be doing this in my workouts as well. From lifting to some HIIT workouts, I will be changing up my routine a bit. (Tell me what you think below!)
And yes… in case you are wondering, I’ll definitely be treating myself with new workout clothes as the ones I’ve been wearing ALL the time are getting old! I love the fit of these so much!
4.) Trying New Foods/Recipes
While I’ve been continuously doing this throughout my time on this page, I figured it would be fun to venture out and try more. As I find ones that I enjoy or concoct my one renditions, I will be sharing with you here. And I’ll also be trying to share easy ways to adapt them for your needs and macros. (Like this one!). As I mentioned, I do this for all of my friends for fun…such a nutrition nerd!
You May Want to Check Out This Piece: 6 Items I Buy At Costco
5.) Stop Wasting Time!
While I have my hand in quite a bit… from running Not a Standard to running my Instagram page to learning how to become a better motivational speaker to writing for magazines, I know I can do better with time. Oftentimes I find myself so overwhelmed with everything that I don’t know where to start. AKA Lots of lost time.
So rather than wasting time, I’ll be time blocking (where you designate a block of time to a certain task) and using the calendar below. Since I like eating 5-6 meals, I also included the blank so that you can utilize that as well!
(Click here for the FREE PDF printable option)!
6.) Relax More, Stress Less
With that being said, I also need to relax more (Who doesn’t?). For me, that means taking short breaks to walk my dog, listening to music while I work, and/or pampering myself with a fresh mani/pedi (here’s one of my favorite polishes that I use ALL the time). It also means that turning off my phone at night, taking out my Pranamat (Click here to get 10% off your order!) and taking out a book (currently reading Harry Potter!).
AKA not working at 10-11 pm as I used to do… guilty as charged.
So maybe this is silly, but as always, just being raw & real with you. Here’s just a few things that I’m currently working on in my life. And while you may have other things that you want to work on, I’d love for you to join in. Whether it’s eating more veggies, drinking more water, being more time-saavy, trying new workouts…please join me in trying to self-improve. Tag me on @afitandfabulousmichele as I’d LOVE to support you!