Coming back from America has marked the beginning of a new chapter for me. I guess our holiday of a lifetime had always loomed large over 2015 for us so we weren’t prepared to plan anything or think too deeply about events due later in the year. Our focus has been first and foremost on the holiday and getting through it. Luckily we had an amazing time and avoided some of the pitfalls we feared going into it, but there was one pitfall we could not avoid.
Overeating.
Now we are home and the holiday is behind us I have been able to take a breath and start thinking about my goals and aspirations for the next few months, through to the end of the financial year.
My immediate professional goal is to produce at least two products to kickstart my working from home career. I am still working on my comprehensive guide for special needs parents but I have veered off for a short time to put together a shorter book, concentrating on travelling for special needs families. This is based on our previous holidays as a family and will highlight all the things that we have learned in order to chase our dreams and take the leap to international travel. I hope to have this available by the end of June at the very latest, so keep an eye out for that. I also aim to release my A to Z family holiday guides (as featured on My Home Truths) as a single book in that same time frame. Wish me luck!
On a personal level, I want to feel good about myself again. I want to be fit and healthy, both mentally and physically. On the mental health front I am still taking antidepressants (and will continue to do so for some time to come) and I’ve also started taking B vitamins to combat stress. I have recently purchased the mindfulness colouring in book and aim to undertake 30 mins a day of just colouring in. I love colouring in with the girls and find it very soothing so I expect taking some time to undertake my own colouring in will make a big difference to my everyday mindset.
Physically, the trip to the US crystallised my unacknowledged and growing dissatisfaction with my weight and fitness levels. The last straw was my inability to do up my pants on our departure day – it was a humiliating and sobering jolt to the system. On my return I was determined to put in place a plan to address my dissatisfaction. One of my friends has recently started to do park runs on a Saturday morning and I have to say, despite my previous aversion to the concept of running, I started to get quite interested in her experiences.
I have never been a runner and have never wanted to be a runner. So I can’t explain why I suddenly felt drawn to the idea of running – I just do. Somehow I found myself late last week registering for park run as well. In a bid to have a good go at it, I downloaded a free Couch to 5K app plus Runkeeper to my phone and have been going for interval training walk/runs all week. I am not very good at jogging (my cardiovascular system is seriously underdeveloped and always has been) but I am giving it a go. In fact I undertook my first 5K attempt using the C25K app as my training tool. I completed the 5 km in 40 mins flat which I think was an awesome result for my third ever serious walk/run.
My goal is to be able to jog a full 5km before my 40th birthday in August. I also want to get my weight back closer to (if not under) 60kgs and find more energy. And, yes, I’m being deliberately ambitious with my personal health goals. So far, so good, but there is a long way to go and quite a few months between now and August (which isn’t all bad – I’m not ready for the big 4-0 just yet!)
Thankfully there are others out there also searching for motivation and support to turn their fitness around. Just this week Mr Problogger himself, Darren Rowse, started up a Facebook group called “FeelGooder” for bloggers and work at home creatives who want to make real change in their lives through fitness and wellbeing. I was amazed by the number of people who have embraced this concept and grateful that there is now a group that can support me too as I start on my road back to fitness.
FeelGooder is an awesome term – it really does capture where we all want to be. We all have varying bodies, fitness levels, eating habits and preferred methods of exercise. What we all have in common is our desire to “feel gooder” – to feel better about ourselves, both mentally and physically.
As I do, I will be regularly updating my progress here with you all and I welcome you to keep me honest and accountable.
Okay?
Alright, well I’m off to have a cup of tea and chocolate because I earned it by playing tennis today. Not too much chocolate, mind you, just enough to assuage the sugar cravings and to give a boost to my mental health!
Bon appetit…
Linking with Grace, Ann and Bron x
I joined FeelGooder too! 🙂 All the best in your fitness goals this year. I’ll be cheering you on in the group!
Ai Sakura recently posted…Happy Birthday to Me! #my31candles
Thanks Ai! I’ll be looking for you too. I’ve really got a lot out of it so far – hope it’s helping you too!
I hear you on the overeating!! The call of the buffet was too strong to ignore while we were away too!
Good luck with your many goals. You’ve got this.
Having running friends can be a great inspiration, definitely not for me though!!
ann recently posted…Things I Know #59- Still sick
Damn buffets! I wish I could resist the temptation but I’ve always been a sucker for all you can eat goodness…
I read about Darren’s group and think it is a great idea. I’m aiming to be able to run an entire 5kms non stop by the end of the year. Let’s do this!
Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages recently posted…Baked Porridge Cups
Woohoo – I’m hoping to achieve the same. Have only run (okay jogged/walked!) once this week but hoping to head out again today if the weather clears. I’ve managed to do two 5km sessions averaging 40 mins so I’m hoping to bring the time down as I jog more and walk less. It’s still not easy though – that jogging gets hard towards the end of the session!
I’m in quite a bad place re my weight and health at the moment and need to pull myself out of it. I didn’t know about the group Darren has set up so just put in my membership request. I need all of the help I can get.
Despite the issue plaguing (dare I say ruining?) my life I still can’t seem to motivate myself to do something about it.
Deborah recently posted…Self publishing – an interview with Joanne Tracey
Deb, so glad you’ve joined the group. I think there are many others in there wanting to make change but lacking the motivation or drive to get things started. Or unable to find an exercise or a time that best suits their needs. Even if you sit back for a while and take it in, I think the group will help you. I know it’s helping me – fingers crossed we can all find what we need to get healthier and stay healthier x
thanks for writing this and it’s great to have you on team Feelgooder! Looking forward to tracking your progress and learning from what you’re doing!
Darren recently posted…Hey Bloggers! Is it Time to Focus a little Less on Your Blog and A Little More on YOU?
Thanks for taking the time to comment Darren and for setting up the group. It’s been just what I need to keep motivated while I work to make exercise a habit and a way of life. This week has been a little more difficult with some personal issues coming into play but reading everyone’s posts is inspiring me to keep going and work through it.
Great goals lovely! You can so do this, I just got some watercolour pencils and am searching for a decent colouring in book, I am thinking I will need to get one online as I can’t seem to find any in the shops here. Best of luck with you goals and look forward to reading about your progress. Sending lots of fairy wishes and butterfly kisses your way
Rhianna recently posted…A fresh new start
I ordered my book from Booktopia and can totally recommend it. There are others to choose from as well so you could grab a few if you like. I like this one as it’s A5 sized and can fit in your handbag so I have it with me everywhere – very handy for those moments when distraction or a calming activity is called for!
Well this is something I can totally relate to Kirsty! I’ve had some rapid weight gain due to health issues which is adding to my health issues! Frustrating! Nothing I have tried has allowed me to shift any weight so far but I won’t give up. Getting to the bottom of my health problems will be the first step in understanding the way forward, and I’m well on the way with that! I’ve joined Darren’s group too but haven’t yet participated. I’ve been too unwell. I don’t have enough energy to get around everything at the moment. All the very best with you health goals! xo
Min@WriteoftheMiddle recently posted…Mindful Monday: Get Outdoors in Nature!
I get so much out of the group just reading the posts from others – the motivation and the inspiration comes from others sharing their journey. I hope you get to the bottom of your health issues soon Min so you can feel better and get back on the road to health and fitness x
Oh Kirsty I am feeling you. I came home from my trip feeling just awful about myself despite having an amazing time! I swore I was going to work hard in the 8 weeks that I was home so I would be fitter and healthier for my next trip, but now, less than 2 weeks away from flying out and I think I am feeling worse than when I got home…. Totally lost my mojo 🙁
Hope you keep yours and good luck with everything that you are working on!
Zita recently posted…for a juice cleanse
Just walk as much as you can when you are in the States and try to keep to your normal diet. If I had’ve just reduced my food intake I could have come back having lost weight rather than put it on. You can do it Zita!!! Have a wonderful time x
I think the A-Z guide as a book or ebook is a fabulous idea. I didn’t know about the FeelGooder group, I might need to look into that. It can be hard when you work from home to fit the exercise in.
Raychael aka Mystery Case recently posted…Blog Exchange | Thinking outside the niche
If you haven’t joined it yet Raych, you should. It’s been really motivational for me so far, particularly on those days (like today) where I’m not feeling inspired to exercise. Seeing what everyone else is getting up to certainly helps kick me into gear!
I think I need to do some things to make me feel better too but I always seem to find an excuse not to get off my butt. Good luck!
Anne@GritandGiggles recently posted…Road Trip: Down by the River
I’m the queen of excuses Anne – completely understand where you are coming from. I guess I’ve got to the stage where I can’t justify the excuses anymore so I’m getting out there and finally doing something about it! I’m sure as the motivation wanes, the excuses will start creeping back in…
My mental health has been dreadful of late, and my eating habits have taken a blow for the worst. I had a terrible emotional upheaval yesterday and consoled my self by eating a whole block of chocolate over the course of today. I don’t feel good about it. Good luck with your book. It sounds like a wonderful resource for other parents with children with special needs x
alicia recently posted…Piss farting around
Thanks Alicia. I just have to get onto writing it now – this week has been an out of sorts week with a few unexpected event popping up, playing having with both my writing and my exercise. Hope you can feel better soon x