Bonjour, Dear Fitness Challengers! I hope that you’ve had a successful Week 6. Mine flew by as I’ve been super-busy spreading love & light at conferences & speaking engagements; but not to worry I’ve still got lots of fitness news to share! 
Making Choices: Good & Bad
This week has been a whirlwind. It’s been fun bouncing around the Metro NYC area for a few days. I’ve made some fantastic new contacts & even secured a couple more speaking gigs as a result of Thursday’s presentation. All of this makes me a happy (and tired!) lady. And while I’ve been having a great time, I’ve also been faced with some tough decisions.
Traveling into the city requires a 5 a.m. wake-up and a full-day of running around. This left little time for my morning hikes this week. To make up for it, I did my best to squeeze in mini-workouts whenever possible. That often meant simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator or using my legs instead of hailing a cab. It’s the small choices that lead to great victories!
I also tried to be very conscious of my food choices. Traveling, conferences, and dinners-out lead to lots of less-than-healthy scenarios. But I stuck to my guns as much as I could. I always ate my salads first & loaded up my plate with fruit rather than pastries. (Okay, I had one pastry, but mostly fruit!) Still, there were two situations in which I was really tested. In one, I failed miserably. And in the other, I swept a victory.
First, the failure. The afternoon luncheon was a sit down, plated affair. These things are typically difficult because you aren’t presented with options. You sit down to a tiny salad and a little while later you are presented with your entree. This time was no exception. I devoured the salad but was still quite hungry while awaiting the entree. When it arrived, it was a big plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Well, it’s no secret that I stopped eating meat (except for fish & cage-free organic eggs) a few weeks ago.
Unfortunately, however, I let my hunger get the best of me. I wanted to ask if there was a vegetarian option, but I didn’t want to be annoying. In hindsight, that is an excuse. I should have manned up and asked. Or, alternatively, I should have just abstained from eating the chicken.
I felt absolutely disgusted with myself afterward. While the chicken was tasty, it was by no means worth it. I have no idea where that meat came from or how that chicken was treated. I really struggled after making that poor decision. It was more of a personal/emotional failure than a fitness failure. But, the two go hand-in-hand. I’ve forgiven myself for my poor decision. There is no sense in beating myself up over it. The important thing is that I truly learn from this lesson. A few minutes of “satisfaction” are absolutely not worth the crummy feeling that a poor choice leaves me with.
Now, for the sweeping victory. To anyone who has wandered around NYC for a day, you already know the true meaning of the word temptation. Lunch had been early in the day and by the time I was headed back to the Port Authority to catch my bus, it was late in the afternoon. My walk took me past street food vendors and pizza shops offering all manners of delicious distractions from gyros to thick pizza slices to sweet & salty roasted nuts.
I was so tempted by the time I got to Port Authority. I even walked into a shop & browsed the selection of potato chips! I even stared longingly at the ice cream scoops being served in Baskin-Robbins! But… I held my ground. I knew that in a little more than an hour I would be back home with my kitchen full of delicious & nutritious goodies at my fingertips. I stayed strong, I took a big swig of water, and I didn’t give in. 
Very proud of myself.
Accountability Pictures
Despite a couple of less-than-stellar decisions and a hectic schedule—Week 6 was a great week. I am proud of my decisions for the most part and I even saw some positive change on the scale—another ½ pound down, bringing my total weight loss for the challenge to 4.5 pounds. But the results that really made me happy this week were my Accountability Pictures! This week I can really see the positive change that I have been working for.
I’ve got two weeks left and I am going to BRING IT for the next 14 days and do everything in my power to reach my goal! Here are my Accountability Pictures for Week 6:
Week 7 Goals
This week will be much more standard as I won’t be on the road again until Friday. Here’s the plan:
- Morning hike every morning Monday – Thursday
- Breakfast at home every morning Monday – Thursday
- Bring lunch from home every day Monday – Thursday
- Arm workouts (5 lb free-weights) Tuesday & Thursday evening
Call to Action
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. —Unknown
It’s pretty incredible to think that we’ve only got two weeks left in this challenge. When we started, June seemed so far away. Now, it’s right around the corner. Today, I want you to really ask yourself:
- How have I changed in these past 6 weeks?
- What am I proud of? What am I ashamed of?
- What am I going to do next to make my dreams a reality?
Take some time to reflect on these questions. It’s now or never, my friends! Let’s get healthy & happy!
Leave a comment and let me know what I can do to make the last two weeks of the challenge your best weeks yet!
In love & light,
Dena
