Nikki Wears Nike

Woohoo! I’ve done it! I managed to not miss a workout in the first month of my training! I hope all of those pink X’s can provide some inspiration to you. I know they have me pumped for upcoming months! There were some days this past month that the last thing I wanted to do was run in the freezing cold, however knowing that you guys are following me really kept me on track (no pun intended). I will say however that some of my  ”rules” ended up being a little unrealistic (at least for me). For the most part I’ve behaved, drinking lots of water and all that, however I found that by consciously limiting my junk food consumption I actually probably ended up “cheating” more than ordinary, feeling that I had something to rebel against. This time I am going to be a little more laid back about that, perhaps setting a goal for two desserts a month (and making them really good ones)! The same goes for alcohol (maybe once a weekend at most). I am developing my phase two plan right now, but here are my updated rules for next month:

- come up with a better way to control diet without restricting things entirely (I find that when I’m not stressed I just naturally eat very well, so perhaps that’s the key)

- incorporate more “short runs” – each mile (regardless of pace) is roughly 100 calories burned, so work out even if you only have 15 minutes free

- put an extra emphasis on general health such as dental and skin care to further get into the mindset (I now carry a toothbrush and brush my teeth after every single meal – which is also useful for curbing junk food cravings!)

- vary strength training more often to beat boredom and keep muscles challenged

- drink two full cups of water each morning upon waking, do 20 push ups, and dance to music while getting ready

These are just what I scribbled in my agenda during my commute, and they are very much about what works for me specifically. Like I keep reiterating, you have to figure out what it is that works for you. Now, since I accomplished my main goals for the month (feeling stronger and dropping some pounds), I’m off to the mall to buy a bikini and some sunglasses!