Being Flexible with Meals & Workouts

Since yesterday was kind of a fiber bomb of a day (between the chia, vegetables, and high fiber tortilla) I thought I might give my tummy a little break. I chopped up an apple and topped it with almond butter and cinnamon. Then I microwaved the whole thing for about two minutes. I ate the apple slices with a small glass of green juice, so yummy! I also had a chocolate muscle milk light on the way to work.

This morning was nice and overcast, a rare treat in the desert.

For lunch I opted for the whole wheat pasta primavera with a side of summer squash. To add a little protein I grabbed some shrimp and chicken from the salad bar. I figured out the chicken was dark meat though, so I only ate the shrimp.

We had a cute little visitor during lunch…

Lunch was a little bland but hot sauce fixes anything 😉 Plus I didn’t think about it too long because right after lunch I got a text invite to my favorite… Mexican Food! I can’t turn down Mexican food, like ever, so I quickly rearranged this weeks workout schedule in my head.

Wed– OFF/Recovery/Yoga

Thurs– Zumba

Fri– 30 minutes HIIT and Workout #4

Sat– Body Pump

Being Flexible

I usually stick to my workout plan and meal plan like a work schedule, I almost always follow it. However, I’ve learned to be flexible with it too. I can quickly rearrange a day off if possible, or make my workout more intense the next day. To me, it’s not worth missing out on a fun evening for. I used to skip last minute invites if it didn’t fit in with my exercise/eating plans. I mostly did it because I was afraid of regaining weight. I was afraid that if I didn’t stick to my plan, or carefully plan every move all would be lost. Now I’m to the point where I love eating healthy and exercising, but I also love good company, drinks, desserts etc. As I wrote recently (right after my birthday), I follow the 80/20 rule. I practice healthy behaviors at least 80% of the time and splurge about 20% of the time. Since I am “being healthy” most of the time I have room for the unexpected. So that being said, I do think that when you are first trying to change you are eating habits or lose weight, it is very important to be vigilant. This shows both you and everyone else (like those diet sabatogers) that you are committed to your health. However, I don’t think being restrictive all the time is practical long term. Eventually you have to learn to strike a balance that makes you feel good.

Question of the Evening:

Have you ever turned down an invite in order to stick to your workout/diet plan?