MIA for a bit but I'm back!!!

If you're a frequent visitor you may have noticed my absence.

Where'd I disappear to for all of these weeks? Well, I've been here trucking along but hanging in there with a shred of my sanity. You know those weeks/months when everything is just nuts? Work, kids, the schedule, sickness, and you name it? Well, that was the last month here. It was all I could do to be a mom, teacher and coach and still find time for me in the mix. I did it but it was at the expense of my health, my weight, the blog and unfortunately also at the expense of my sleep.

That's bound to happen sometimes in life but after a few too many weeks of living in survival mode, I'm ready to get back to a more healthy place for myself. After a week home on break (school vacation couldn't have come at a better time!), I'm rested, recharged and ready to recommit to a healthier balance for myself. Granted, I say this as spring sports pick up but I'm feeling confident after a week doing nothing but taking care of myself and relaxing at home so humor me!

My plan for the month in no particular order:

Fitness: I just started week 2 of the 21 Day Fix workout and I'm realizing that my ambivalence towards the program may have just been an ill-placed mental block. Although nearly all of my challengers love this program, I've never been a huge fan. I did it when it first came out 2 years ago and haven't touched it since because I remembered not liking it. Why then would I decide to adopt it now? Well, I needed something short, sweet and something that would allow me to check off the boxes and feel like I'm accomplishing something. I toyed with some of my favorites like Hammer & Chisel and P90X3 but both are 60/90 days and just thinking about committing to something that long was overwhelming. I need small goals right now so I can feel accomplished and 21 days is palatable.

Beyond my daily Fix workouts, I've also recommitted to doing at least 10 minutes of yoga daily. A few months back I did a round of the 3 Week Yoga Retreat (available through Beachbody On Demand) and not only did I learn that I like yoga but it totally helped me unwind before bed and I slept like a baby. Given that, I'm not quite sure why I stopped... Ok, I totally know why - lack of time! It's not always easy to commit to 30 minutes of yoga before bed...but I know it's worth it and I need to be sleeping better and more than I have been this past month so it's back to yoga and earlier bedtimes!

Nutrition: After a few weeks of living in denial about it, I finally admitted to myself and out loud that my body really does feel so much better when I adhered to something like the Whole30 meal plan. Why was I in denial about this fact? Well, I love my grains and my sugar and a world without those sweet things in them just seems a little sadder, I'm not going to lie about that. The problem is, my brain likes those foods but my body just doesn't. I also have limited self-control when it comes to sugar. It's massively addictive and as the pound of fudge that I housed the week before Easter will attest to, I have very little self-control around certain sweets. I'm better if they're just off the table as an option.

To get myself back on track and sugar-free I did a quick 3 Day Refresh (down 3lbs and 3/4" and no more sugar cravings!) and am back at my Whole30ish eating plan. Here's what's on tap for this week for food:

With 3 kids doing 6 sports between them and both my husband's and my schedules being nutty, simple is needed so there will be quite a bit of crockpot cooking and grilling coming our way this week and beyond. I'm also testing out a few new recipes this week too both to mix things up for us and to test out some recipes that I plan to share with my FREE 5 DAY EASY WEEKNIGHT MEALS GROUP that kicks off in a week. Fill out the info form if you want to jump in with us for that group. Goodness knows we all could use a few more handy, quick and healthy weeknight dinners in our life!

So that's my plan: SELF-CARE is priority #1! Sleep, eat healthy, move, hydrate and repeat!

If you need a little help with making time for you, join me! My next 30 day online health & fitness support group kicks off Monday, May 8th. Want more details? Fill out the challenge group info form and I'll be in touch!