Wellness Journey: My One Month Commitment Starts Today

jodimullen2013 ♦ March 1, 2018 ♦ 1 Comment

A month of working on my wellness. DAY ONE February 28, 2018

I’ll be 48 in a month. I feel pretty good, but I know I can do some things differently and/or more consistently that will improve my health and overall wellness. For the next month, which I is jammed packed with over-extended professional commitments, I am going to make a commitment to myself, to my wellness. I thought it would be a good idea to be held accountable for this, so I am bringing you along for the ride.

My quest starts today. I have read six books in the past few months (some of them 2x) about health and wellness. There is considerable overlap in their recommendations. I am going to condense what I have learned and put it into action. I am going to be honest and tell you what I am thinking, doing and how I am acting. I am also going into this knowing that there are some compromises I am not willing to make and I will share about that as well.

Here we go. Today I started my day in a typical way. I met my buddies at the gym at 6am for a cross fit workout. Working out is not an issue for me, I love it. You cannot out work out what you put in so I am not seeing the results from working out that I would like to, part of why I am doing this. After cross fit, I got onto the treadmill for 30 minutes of running (slow pace) and 5 minutes of walking. I felt ok, but I ate like crap yesterday and when I eat like crap, you guessed it, I feel like crap.

I don’t skip breakfast, which is mentioned consistently in what I have read. Today I had tempeh (fermented soy, it’s protein for me I am vegan. I am vegan, except when I am not like when I eat sushi and M&M’s, more about that later), mushrooms, spinach and zucchini, tons of spices, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic. I made enough that I can have the other half for lunch.

I also had some supplements before I ate. Again, every one of the books I read recommended supplements. At this point I am experimenting and picking and choosing. I will list these out in a separate blog as well as talk about what I have learned and experienced.

I taught two classes today (2.5 hours long, each and saw one patient). I ate my lunch in between, at my desk (not ideal, but best I could do). It was satisfying. I had the remainder of breakfast with a ½ avocado on top- yum!

Also, everything I have read talks about water intake. I drank some while working out, 3 glasses with supplements/breakfast, and another 16 oz during my morning class, my afternoon class, and during the evening.

My love of data shows up in my relationship with my fitbit. I set my daily step goal at 12,000 steps and hit that today at 1:20. I just checked on my sleeping, which is a thing for me. Every book I have read says I need to do better here, and I agree so I will keep you up to date with what’s working and what’s not and what that looks like. Last night I got 5 hours and 55minutes, which I am not going to lie is about an hour or so more than usual.

I have to come clean about this too. I am jacked up on caffeine. I don’t drink coffee, but I like the energy drinks and I found some that are not that bad for you except for the caffeine in general. I drink 1/3 at a time. I like the “zip” that I get, but EVERY book says I have to cut it out for optimal health. I am not ready for that mostly because I have been doing a boat load of driving taking my daughter on college auditions. This weekend our destination is 5.5 hours away.

I took a 20 minute nap after work, Dr. Sara Gottfried recommends napping and references the literature on the health benefits of naps, there you have it. Dinner was a bit challenging because I had no plan and we didn’t have a lot to choose from in terms of groceries. I wound up eating a tossed salad with pan fried tofu, some roasted cauliflower and carrots, and a vegan Thai soup I made from scratch. I also had a handful of blackberries and cashews around 4:30 with a cup of Trim Tea, a product that has had some good results in terms of fat loss and I find curbs my appetite. The catch, you have to drink it every day and it takes three months before you really see results.

I am rounding out the day with an apple or some frozen banana (blended so it reminds me of ice cream) and planning for tomorrow. I have been going to bed after 12 and I wake up at 5. Spending time in front of a screen before bed, that’s not optimal either, Dr. Sara Gottfried talks about that too. I can and will do better. I’ll report about it tomorrow.

Thanks for listening.

Jodi