We recently went on vacation to the island of Curacao. It was a workation for my husband, but a relaxing vacation for me. Anyways, I missed the "Together on Tuesday" topic regarding "What Do You Do To Stay Healthy?" I really wanted to weigh in on this topic, so today, I'm playing catch up. It's funny how much our society equates being thin or skinny with being healthy. I don't think that is necessarily always the case though. People are too busy pointing fingers at those who are over weight when staying healthy is really an issue that everyone has to tackle, regardless of their body type.
Staying healthy is something that I really have to work at. I do try to be a healthy person, on most days..well, except for the weekends. Lol. Seriously, I know if I eat better, I feel better, and I will be around longer, and in better condition for my kids. I take that very seriously. Here are the ways that I work to stay healthy.
Exercise: I am a runner. I know that a lot of people hate running. The most common response I get when I tell people that I run is, "Why?" Well- truthfully, I thrive on it. It has become such a part of my routine that (as crazy as this may sound) I feel jittery and not myself if I don't get a run in. I do not run every day. I take two days off a week. Also, I am so uncoordinated that I do not enjoy most sports having to do with a ball with the exception skeeball or bowling. I also like the feeling of accomplishment I get from reaching a running goal I have set for myself. Right now I'm working towards running my first marathon. The race isn't until October (21st-my birthday). Last year, I completed a sprint triathlon. It was a nice break from running, but I have hate/hate relationship with the bike. It hates me, and I hate it.
I like running for the convenience of it as well. I can run where ever I want, at any time of the day-even when the kids are around. We have a treadmill in the basement. I do not enjoy running on the treadmill one bit, but sometimes you do what you have to. I do like zumba, and I also enjoy yoga, but don't have a lot of peaceful quiet time that it requires. These sorts of activities usually have to be done at a gym or as part of some sort of class where as with running, I do not have to pay a wasted gym membership fee. I say "wasted" because my kids just won't stay in a gym daycare system. Since my husband travels so much, I hardly ever make it to the gym. It's throwing money out the window to pay a gym membership fee and to pay a baby sitter. So, the zumba and yoga classes will just have to wait for now.
Diet: Okay, so this is what I struggle with the most as far as staying healthy. I have an incredible sweet tooth. Seriously, I always joke that I run so I can eat as much dessert as I want. It's not really a joke though. I know that I don't always eat the best. I do try. I think I eat pretty healthy in the morning, and at lunch (most of the time). Every morning (except for Sunday because that is the day I get to what I want for breakfast instead of what I should) I have a bowl of FiberOne cereal and a cup of coffee. I have really worked to limit it to one cup of coffee. Occasionally I will get wild and have some orange juice. I have a morning snack which consists of some sort of granola bar. Lunch usually varies, but mostly it is yogurt, fruit of some sort, and some kind of carb (like wheat thins). Sometimes I will have a sandwich, but not very often. For some reason after I had my kids, I have had a great aversion to lunch meat. I'm not sure why. I'm okay if we are out to eat and I order a club sandwich (rarely), but at home, I just can't do it. So weird. Dinner is where I usually get in trouble. When Jake is gone, it's just me and the kids. Rather than cook two dinners, I try to make something that we can all eat. I find it hard to make healthy dinners when they only want to eat typical "kid foods." I have started to modify somethings. If they eat chicken nuggets, I'll have a baked chicken breast instead. Also, my rule for every meal is for them to have one item from each food group. They don't like veggies, so we usually load up on fruits. Then, they go to bed, and dun, dun, dun-I have dessert. Around 9 pm. It's a habit. If I had a choice between alcohol and dessert-dessert would win every time. Now when I say dessert, I don't mean ice cream sundae's or cheesecake. It's usually a piece of candy or a couple of cookies. Nothing big, but still. I know that if I deny myself sweets during the day, and try to eat something else, I will wind up just eating a bunch of junk, and then eat what I originally wanted-because that's how it works with me. I don't have the will power to diet or not eat sweets. So, I just practice moderation. I don't go overboard, or I try not to. Like I said, eating right is something I'm struggling with. I know what I need to do, but doing it is the hard part.
Sleep: I just don't get enough of this. I'm one of those people that could sleep for 10 hours, and still be tired. Let's just set the record straight-I don't sleep for 10 hours. I probably get 7 or so hours a night. I'm still tired though. I do take iron supplements because I am anemic. I can tell a huge difference in my energy level if I don't take my iron. Anyways, back to sleep. Bottom line, I could use more. Who couldn't?
Stress/Alcohol: Okay, so it may be wierd to pair these two together, but oh well. I need to finish up this book I'm writing. :) I have a lot of stress. I'm a mom and a wife. I don't get a lot of time for myself. I also put a lot of stress on myself. My husband is always telling me I'm too hard on myself, and it's true. It's a problem I've always had, and probably always will have. Stress is probably a large part of why I feel so exhausted all of the time. As for the alcohol, I really think I'm doing alright there. Sure I enjoy a glass or two of wine every now and then, but I don't over do it. I don't drink every day, mostly on the weekends and the occasional week night. I just don't want to ever feel for any reason that I'm not in control when it's just me and the kids. I don't want to take any risks with that at all. So, I typically do not drink when it's just me and the kids.
Thanks for reading this extremely long post. Don't forget to check back in next Tuesday.
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