Slumping 101

Why do we get into slumps? I've been thinking about this for a few days now and I believe I have found an answer, at least for my situation. When I am hard on myself and follow a very strict regimen, I don't leave much room for error. In the past few months, I have attempted to change the way I eat by going paleo. I did a few Whole30's- both of which ended a few days early because I craved a glass on wine on a Friday night. "It's alright," I told myself. "I will still follow the Whole30, or paleo, eating guidelines because I don't really miss bread or cheese or any of that." What was once a good attempt at maintaining this natural, simple way of eating quickly off-roaded around the time of my birthday. I was hosting a brunch, and had eaten enough prosciutto egg cups over the past few weeks that I would rather my guests starve than serve them a large platter of paleo-friendly breakfast munchies. All of the photos of "brunch" on Pinterest screamed "WE LOOK ADORABLE AND DELICIOUS! MAKE US!" and no, they were not eggs and meat and veggies. They were heart-shaped wheat pancakes, and iced coffee served with cream in cute mason jars. They were apple cider mimosas with a touch of bourbon and brown sugar, and greek yogurt parfaits with vanilla almond granola and fresh fruit. I was so used to the idea that none of this (besides the fresh fruit) was good for me, and its off-limitedness, in my head, wore off for my birthday, the one time of the year that I could eat as much cake as I wanted and nobody could comment. I think it's this way of thinking that gets us in trouble. Ruling out certain food groups and maintaining this over a long period of time takes great discipline. Maybe for athletes and people whose lives are dedicated to health and fitness, this is sustainable. But for a 23-year old girl who enjoys socializing, baking, cooking, going out for dinner, and a nice glass of wine or two on a Friday night, this is sort of a setup for disaster. So anyway, back to my slump. After my birthday, which was about 2.5 weeks ago, I wasn't able to get back on the paleo train. I thought I would just eat healthy and work out, but that was derailed. Every so often, running becomes unappealing to me. This is one of those times. So then, since I'm not running, I thought, I will do yoga a few times a week. And that's what I did. Yoga, 1-2 times a week. The lack of cardio had me feeling bloated, and the shame I had for my poor fitness regimen caused me to eat crap, snack, and crave. I have been in my apartment for the past few days because I had strep throat, and I feel crappy. I feel bloated, like I gained some weight, and my jeans were tight on me when I put them on for a few hours today. Crappy feeling. The thought of that quote about hitting rock bottom before rising up again comes to mind. And then that is all I'm left with and I know what I have to do. But why exactly did I slump? When I take on goals like exercising strictly 6 times a week including 5 days of cardio and 2 days each of arm days and leg days, or deciding to eat nothing but vegetables, protein, healthy fats, and some fruit, perhaps I am not purely doing this for myself. Maybe I am expecting some outcome of getting really fit and in shape. But when we take on such major, life-changing goals, we need to think about what we are really expecting with the outcome. Are we losing weight or getting healthy because we want someone's attention? Or are we merely just trying to feel better about ourselves? I am going to start fresh with my goals. My new goals are to be in control of what I put in my mouth. To think twice before buying an unhealthy snack. To squeeze in some exercise each day, even if I don't feel like it. And I am making these goals for myself. I am setting these goals so I feel happy with my body and confident. I cannot attach expectations to these goals, not much more than just expecting to feel better about myself and therefore happier, more energetic, and more confident. But we just cannot create situations in our head based on these goals. "If I lose 10 pounds, I'll definitely get a boyfriend." Sounds pretty illogical, doesn't it? I want to find the joy in exercising again. In preparing myself delicious meals that are healthy but not overly strict. Everything in moderation, isn't that one of the oldest health tips ever? Doesn't it still stand? Can I do it? I think I can. But this time I am not going to create unobtainable goals. I'm going to check in with myself each day and make sure I understand what my expectations are. I am going to do this for myself, not for anyone else. Because then I am the only one who is in control of what happens after I achieve my goals. Why give this power to someone else? Why work so hard for something just to let it go because you put the power of your expectations into someone else's hands? Now, while I'm young, is the time to get to know myself more, and to be more in charge of my emotions and how I take care of myself. So it is time to get out of this slump, one day at a time, and work towards short-term goals that will add up to change with one long-term goal! First short-term goal: exercise 5 out of the next 7 days; eat healthy 7 out of the next 7 days