Planning Pt III: Scheduling Workouts

Hey Fit Followers!

The past year has been a testament for me to the necessity of planning when exactly I will work out each week, and what time each day. With so much going on, a pump is just not going to happen unless time is specifically set aside for that. Before I started working on a schedule there were so many days where I had every intention of working out and just never got to it. Now, rather than just having it on my list of things to do, (because let's be real, none of us finish an entire, "to do" list in the amount of time we expect to) I know when and where my workout will happen, and I stick to the plan.

I begin by creating a visual map of my week on a whiteboard. I block off each day with what I have to do. It looks like this:

As you can see, I include my workout schedule in the plan. Typically I don't write the, "when" or "where" on the board, but I do take the time to give it some thought. Like I'm sure you are, I am very busy during the week. My goal is to get in some physical activity every single day, even if that simply means walking to and from my errands rather than driving or taking public transit. When I write down what workout I'll be doing, I'm mindful of the other tasks I have to complete that day including work, school, meetings, and social activities. Beyond my visual of the week, I hang a monthly calendar so I can be aware of what's on the horizon. That way, if the next week looks packed, I can get some minor errands or cleaning tasks out of the way this week.

Also, and very importantly: before I go to bed each night, I run down the following day in my head making a mental note of the free time I'll have. I think, "Okay, session 8-9am, session 9-10am, session 10-11am, supervision 2-2:30pm, and babysit 3-6pm." Then, I think about what my evening will consist of... "I have to run an errand on my way home, and publish my blog post." On this particular example day, I know I am scheduled to get a "HIIT" workout in which will only take 20-30 minutes. So, I'd opt to squeeze it in before evening rolls around... otherwise I'll have to do it kind of late, and
there's a chance I'll bail or I'll do it and then be too amp'd to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. I'll think, "Looks like I'm getting my pump in between 11:30am and 1pm. For me, a small window is helpful because I know I have a limited amount of time, and I'll get right down to business rather than wasting time doing mostly nothing before actually starting my workout.

Another thing I just started doing this week, is making a little note in my day planner about how my workout went. I created a little key for myself in which a check mark indicates a very good/high energy sweat sesh, a dash indicates a decent/average pump, and an "X" indicates a poor/low energy excuse for a workout. I also note the type, time, and place. My intention here is to paint a picture for myself of the optimal workout and workout setting, so I can be most productive in the future.

Is my crazy showing?! I think I'm making my "type A" personality quite clear, but I'm telling you! People have asked me, "How do you stay motivated?" and this is the answer. I make it a priority in my life, as if I were getting paid to do it... because really, I AM getting paid... paid in health. I'll say it again, physical fitness has to be a lifestyle choice. So CHOOSE to live the lifestyle and it will get easier and eventually it will become a part of your routine. The key is to have a plan and stick to it

What is your workout plan?!

Planning Pt. II: Goal Setting

 Happy New Year fitness friends!!

I am excited to announce that Patrick and I have finally finished moving into our new apartment, and are settling in nicely. I have started the year off with many major changes, so resolutions don't really seem to have a place at the moment. However, I do have big plans for 2016.

Yesterday, we were able to sit down and create a map of how we'd like this year to look in terms of fitness feats. I have mentioned before our plans to take the OCR world by storm this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the acronym, OCR = Obstacle Course Race. Patrick has competed in several, and I am looking forward to adding some finisher medals of my own to the collection. Additionally, I would like to make some major strides in my yoga practice this year.I have decided to start from square one, and re-learn the basics. Yoga 101 is in session in this household, and I plan to work my way up to intermediate status by the end of the year... In fact, while writing down our goals yesterday, Patrick noticed I wrote, "Intermediate Yogi Status" as my long-term (one year) goal, and asked, "Um... what is that?" I responded, "I don't know exactly, but I figure when I'm there I'll have a better idea." So that's that.

We decided to organize our goals into three increments: short-term, mid-term, and long-term. We defined those as one month, six months, and one year, respectively. We decided when each amount of time is up, we will take on the task of setting a new goal for the same amount of time. For example, in one month I will evaluate whether I accomplished my short-term goal, and set a new one for one month from then.

As we decided what we wanted to work toward, we considered many factors. Should each goal be aligned with the others? Should we have multiple goals at each juncture? Should we have the same goals as each other? Ultimately, we went with what we each felt was realistic for ourselves, and with goals we truly felt would be worth the work. Here is our goal planning chart:

When setting goals, I think the most important factor is making them realistic and reachable. Patrick and I spent a considerable amount of time debating, and evaluating whether we would be able to reach the goals we most wanted to include. Patrick has dropped about 20 lbs in the past five months, the majority of which was lost in the past month and a half. He figures if he's able to maintain the same workout regimen and diet, he will have no problem hitting the mark. My short-term (one month) goal is to handstand, unsupported for a full five seconds. In the middle of making our goal chart, I had to stop and do some handstands in order to get a baseline. I had Patrick time my handstand beginning when I appeared stable and stopping at the first sign of a wobble. My best attempt was only steady for about 2 seconds (which felt more like 10). I can, however, hold myself up for a substantially longer period with some assistance from a partner or the wall. Therefore, I thought 5 seconds would be enough of a challenge without being unrealistic. 

The second most important factor in goal setting (again, in my opinion), is reevaluation of the goal. Hence, the one month increment of the short-term goal. If for example, Patrick is unable to lose 10 pounds by February 6th, he will have the opportunity to adjust his mid-term goal to something more within reach. For both the short-term and mid-term goals we wrote the goals as bullet points, and left room to add in the coming months. I plan to keep setting small accomplish-able goals each month related to inversions, as this is something I feel will be helpful in achieving my mid-term and long-term goals. Little-by-little I will gain arm and core strength which will be useful in OCRs and my yoga practice. 

You may also notice, for his mid-term goal P included his plans to maintain a weight of 200 lbs. It is my suspicion that this will be much more difficult than it sounds regardless of the successful completion of his first short-term goal, because it necessitates him putting a halt to his weight loss, while continuing healthy eating, paleo-style, and working out at the same or higher intensity as he is currently. He will also continue to gain muscle mass, which weighs more than fat, so things may even out nicely. BUT the more muscle mass, the more rapidly the body burns calories, (aka he is going to be hungry). It will be a good test of whether he can avoid the quick and easy fixes for this... something I know I struggle with. I am always hungry... Not an exaggeration.

Okay so you caught me, I made a "New Year's Resolution" and called it a, "goal." Really, it's nothing new. It is nice that it coincides with the beginning of the year, new beginnings can be symbolic and motivational and aint nothin' wrong with that, but goals are intended to be updated, renewed and revisited. I make them all year long, and I think you should too.

Chime in! What are your goals for 2016?

Planning, Pt I: Food Diary

I've been thinking about my lifestyle of fitness recently, and why it works for me. This week it occurred to me, just like with anything in my life, being active and eating mindfully has taken me a good deal of practice to perfect, but more importantly, it takes A LOT of planning.

For me, everything goes more smoothly if I have a plan, and stick to it (within reason... sometimes life happens, and sticking to the plan is impossible). Sunday is generally my day to lay out the rest of my week, although it often spills over into Monday... Let's be honest, sometimes: Football. For this reason, the following begins a series I will do on

PLANNING. 

Enjoy!

I spend a lot of time thinking about food, you guys... Like, a scary amount. Especially when I'm working out as much as I have been lately. Believe me, I feed myself more than frequently enough, but P will tell you, I'm like a bottomless pit. I think he's exhausted when we're together from trying to keep me fed and happy. Anyway, I truly enjoy planning what I will eat in the following week and finding recipes to make. I've mentioned before, I go to the grocery store once per week (again on Sunday or Monday).

I begin working on a grocery list as soon as I'm inspired (usually immediately after leaving the grocery store for the present week). I find my inspiration on Pinterest most weeks, simply by browsing the home feed, or possibly filtering "paleo" or a specific meat or veggie I have in mind. This week, I found a recipe for barbacoa tacos and another one for brussels sprouts with bacon. I tweaked both of them a bit and came up with a meal plan revolving around the meat. I also included on my list, the snacks and breakfast items I wanted for the week, and my staples (eggs, almond milk, bananas, greens, avocado, sweet potato). Here's the list I headed out with:

Many times, I keep my list general like, "fruit," or "meat." That way, when I get to the store I can price things out, or see what looks fresh and go from there. On this particular shopping trip, I had planned to make barbacoa, but there was a good deal on ground beef so I simply adjusted the recipe to fit that instead (it was delicious!) I also found chicken sausage that sounded like better company for my brussels sprouts, so I went with that.

*Side note: I am pretty particular about my meat, so I make a separate trip to Whole Foods for that (For most items, Whole Foods is a bit too pricey for my budget, but Mariano's is my latest fave-- fresh produce at fair prices).

Here's what my grocery trip yielded:

Now for the prep part:

My method is simple, really. I just make everything on Sunday, separate it into large containers, and put it all in the fridge. Before I head out to work in the morning I take the portion I'd like in a smaller tupperware. Easy as that. I find my preference is to have some options so I don't get bored eating the exact same thing 5-7 days in a row. I will either make multiple dishes in smaller quantities OR I will make one dish in a large quantity but store each ingredient separately so I am able to mix and match from day-to-day. For example, here is what last week's food prep end product looked like:

The original recipe was Paleo sweet potato chili. By keeping the meat separate from the veggies I was able to add either chicken, turkey, or both each day. I also varied it by adding spinach, avocado, or a fried egg. I even ate it one morning for breakfast on top of scrambled eggs (SO good, guys).

This week's menu included two main dishes:

Topped with AVOCADO, and served on a bed of SPINACH

Additionally, I prepped:

Hard-boiled eggs.

I used them throughout the week as breakfast (two eggs + a piece of fruit), or as a between-meal snack. 

 Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

I boiled them in salted water, then mashed them with a fork. Throughout the week, I ate them as a side dish with the main meals above. One particularly delicious combination was the ground beef barbacoa served on top of the mashed sweet potatoes (!!).

                                                  Frozen Chocolate Cashew Milk. 

I used the milk throughout the week in smoothie bowls (new obsession) which include: frozen cashew milk (chocolate if you wish... and I do), coconut milk, berries of your choice (I used blackberries), banana (frozen or not), chia seeds, almond butter, and topped with shredded coconut, raw pumpkin seeds, and slivered almonds. 

Trail-Mix.

Raw pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, and raisins. (Sometimes I add chocolate chips too... shhh).

Other snacks this week included clementines, bananas, and an always-in-stock, emergency back-up in my house, Kind Bars:

So, there you have it! A week of clean eating, Shayla style, all prepped in one day. It really does make a difference for me when it comes to being on-the-go. No more ordering out because you're too tired to make dinner after a busy day, or fast-food on the fly at lunch. Everything you need is ready to go in minutes, saving you the last hassle you want to deal with during a hectic week. 

As always, comments and suggestions help me out! Have an active, and clean week!