This post. It speaks to me. I have been here. So many times...and that is OKAY. I am human, you are human, and unless you're superhuman, you've probably set an intention to do something and fallen off the wagon in one way or another - with your relationships, with your work, or - like this post is focusing on today - with your health and wellness journey.
There are SO many reasons that we as humans lose momentum: we get tired, we get distracted, other areas of our life demand more of our time and attention, etc. We set our intentions at the beginning of the year to "lose weight" and "get healthy" etc, and then we fall short of the lofty goals we set, get unmotivated, focus our attention elsewhere or even just straight up quit.
Today's blog post goes out to anyone who is looking to gain some tips and tricks into how to best prepare, plan and carry out a sustainable health and wellness regime - whether this is a brand new priority in your life or not, the foundation is still the same.
Before the tips and tricks comes the credentials - the "why should I listen to Bonz about this stuff anyway?" Please refer to the below picture collage of me I put together in November of last year (2020).
Left: April 2018. ~212 lbs. Middle: January 2019. ~190 lbs. Right: November 2020. ~180 lbs.
If you refer to the dates again (some of you maybe just saw those curves and thought DAMN MAMI!! LMAO), the three pics above span from spring of 2018 to fall of 2020... that is about 2.5 years of time in between these pictures. My process was slow and steady. It was equally full of effort and exhaustion, confidence and comparison, self love and doubts... all of it! I managed to summarize a few things below that I think really helped me realign, reprioritize and maintain progress in the direction I wanted to go:
No drinking alcohol during the work week when traveling for work.
Eating less (and eventually no) meat.
Working on my mental health through journaling, meditation, reading and slowly releasing drama and negative energy sources from my life.
Turning my energy from always having plans and going out on the weekends in Dallas to getting my yoga teacher certification, meditation teacher certification, becoming a certified personal trainer, getting reiki level 1 & 2 certified and reconnecting with my passions and ultimately myself.
So, my beloved reader. I challenge you to align, prioritize and actually take time to think about what it is you want for yourself in the health and wellness realm. Know that self care in any form is an ongoing process. Take your time. Trust yourself and trust the process. Commit to showing up for yourself every day in some small way. Now on to the juicy stuff.
This blog is going to be I N T E R A C T I V E! So get out some pen/paper, or write your responses to the following questions down in your phone. Here is a Bonz-gal's perspective on how to best "get back on the wagon" when it comes to your health and wellness journey.
You have to come up with a game plan.
Why are you feeling called right NOW to begin or begin again? What is your WHY?
What are your goals?
Do you have support at home for these goals? i.e. do you live with others who will encourage and support you through this journey or no?
What does 'success' look like to you for your health and wellness journey? When will you be 'satisfied'? And plz don't hit me with the "I'm never satisfied"... that is cute and all, but also sad af because if you're never satisfied and always striving for a better body, wishing you looked a certain way, praying for a six pack to come through or always trying to get your mile time down, you are not living in the PRESENT MOMENT and appreciating yourself for how far you have come and that you are here today showing up for Y O U. Yes push for continued growth and expansion, but also take time to appreciate the now.
Now that you have an idea of your WHY, let's talk about the HOW with 'SMART' goals. Take time to really think these out and start at a high level. You don't have to have your goals perfectly ironed out and finished all in one sitting. Start out with some goals now and develop them over the next week or so.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
Make a schedule. Plan out your weeks. Acknowledge that your week may not (more than likely will not) go perfectly according to plan, but set yourself up for the best possible outcome through preparation and good intent! Intention is everything. If you set an intention to follow your plan and schedule to the best of your ability, then you will and that will be enough.
When will you workout?
What will you eat?
When will you rest - this is EQUALLY important!
Listen to your body. Take a rest as you need it, even if you did not plan for rest. Are you tired? Either take a nap if it's within your means, or go to bed earlier. Are you super sore? Book a massage if that is an option for you and your budget, or do a lower intensity workout like yin yoga if you can't or don't feel like resting. Overarching message - listen to ya body and take actions to honor how you're feeling!
Build your community in the health and wellness space. Whether this is finding a crew of friends who likes to workout together, or discovering some of your favorite online fitness professionals, in studio coaches and teachers, etc. Whatever community means to you and however it looks to you, this will be a great support system and accountability holder along the way.
Don't cram everything in all at once. Take your time and honor the process. Remember - that pic of me above is over a span on TWO AND A HALF YEARS! And I am still working towards fitness goals. As you grow and evolve, so do your goals! Remember to check back in every so often as you progress to set a whole new set of goals for yourself and treat yourself along the way.
Love yourself throughout the journey, and always remember to give yourself grace. We are always doing our best whether we believe it or not, and because of this we must always remember to not be so hard on ourselves.
If you're currently looking for a personal trainer or want to attend any of the classes I teach or coach at in the Dallas area, please hit me up at bonnie@thebonzvoyage.com today! I would love to work with you and help you reach your health and wellness goals!
In love and light,
Bonz
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