A lot is going on behind the scenes here so I apologize for not writing more, or keeping you in the loop.
I’ve been in testing mode (again!) 🙂 with some intriguing results – and otherwise trying to get through the dailies around here. 😛
Let’s catch up a little, because I think what I’ve been going through the last few weeks might make good “food for thought” for you too… then I can get back to my usual updates and daily food diaries. 😉
This all started on my birthday a couple of weeks ago…
If you watch this video you’ll see that I got out all of my journals and planners and fun stuff to map out some ambitious goals for the year:
My favorite is the Jumpstart Your Goals In 90 Days motivation & success planner!
My birthday was a tough day truth be known, although you can’t really tell it in that video. I try to make the best of even hard days…
So on my birthday I decided to spend some time focusing on ME and on what I want out of life, plus changing things I DON’T like or want anymore, and mapping out some big ambitious goals for the next year of my life.
Planning out your goals and creating a plan to create positive changes is FUN and exciting!
Until it’s NOT, lol.
I don’t know about you, but not long after I get all excited about something and start mapping out the plan for how to make it happen… I get completely OVERWHELMED.
When I get overwhelmed, I feel discouraged and then I shut down – and feel defeated before I ever even really start.
It took me a good WEEK to work through all of those mixed feelings of excitement and anticipation and overwhelm and discouragement, back and forth, up and down. 😛
That’s human nature.
We resist change.
Our mind will run on auto-pilot if we let it, with days passing into weeks then into months, doing the same things over and over out of habit.
Try to make any little change and BOOM – resistance!
The thing is: wishing you would change, or that you were doing the things you really want to be doing, or being the person you really WANT to be – that doesn’t feel good.
You beat yourself up, end the day with regrets (again), wonder why you can’t do better or be as motivated as this person or that one, etc.
Or at least that’s how it feels to me.
It makes me feel bad about myself.
Or when getting from where you are now to where you want to be feels like a LONG HAUL and a lot of work I get overwhelmed and discouraged – and totally deflate.
But when you take action, ANY action, that feels SO good!
I reflected on all of this over that entire week, taking note of my feelings and reactions, and kinda letting it all play out while I decided what to do.
The one thing that really stood out to me in my journaling was REGRETS.
I’ve had plenty of regrets over the years, lots – like anyone else I’m sure. But I decided it was time to let go of those.
What’s done is done, but every single day I live in now… I can choose NOT to have any regrets about how I live it. So that’s where I decided to start…
Every single day, I’m going to do whatever it is I would regret NOT doing.
Some days that’s a 30 minute break in the sunshine because I keep looking out the window watching the day pass me by, or a walk in a light rain because it feels amazing on a hot evening! Or a cuddle with my great dane where I curl up on his doggy bed with him and just BE together, because he’s getting old, or a visit with my father – because how many more will I get? ❤
Last Monday I grabbed my float and headed to the river to just ENJOY THE SUNSHINE for a couple of hours, for example.
I’d worked all weekend, worked that morning, and had to work late that night. I knew I was going to REGRET missing a gorgeous sunny summer afternoon, so I dropped everything and just went!
That felt SO GREAT!
Do something today for YOU, something that makes you smile like you have a secret. 💕
Yes there’s laundry & dishes to do, closets to clean out, home repairs to tend to, emails to answer yada yada yada… but you have to make time for yourself too.
You just HAVE to.
Whether it’s BIG goals like writing a book or getting in amazing shape, or it’s just the goal of being happier and healthier, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference: the consistent daily actions.
I mean, we’ve all gone to the gym and done a really great sweaty workout, then look in the mirror all disappointed we didn’t instantly “get in shape” after that ONE hard workout. Am I right? 🤣
I know it would be nice if we could change everything, fix everything or make everything RIGHT – right now. But that’s unrealistic.
You only have so many hours in a day, and most of us have those pretty darn full already, so it’s easy to just give up before you get started.
I decided my solution is:
DO THE LITTLE THINGS.
Every single meal is a decision. I don’t have to make any big promises or change my whole life, I just have to decide what I’m going eat right now.
When I feel discouraged about my flabby arms, I stop and do a set of 20 Tricep Dips.
If I start feeling bad about not calling this friend or answering that email – I stop and just DO IT. If I feel guilty about not visiting my dad lately, I figure out when’s the next time I can go and MAKE IT HAPPEN.
It’s a simple shift that makes you no longer feel like a victim of bad choices and regrets, and makes you feel IN CONTROL instead.
I’ve been doing this now for the last week and it feels AMAZING!
I realize that a short walk for 10 or 15 minutes is not going to get me in super amazing shape anytime soon. But I can really FEEL that incline on the way back, plus I feel SO good for just DOING SOMETHING, for taking action instead of sitting around wishing I would start walking again – or that I had the time to go out for a half day hike or even a 2 mile walk.
I’m also back to my quick home workout, just simple body weight exercises that take all of 10 minutes. Is it an intense workout, an hour at the gym, or lifting weights like that super fit chick on Instagram? No – but it’s what I can do, and I’m DOING IT, and I don’t fall asleep regretting I didn’t exercise yet AGAIN that day.
Doing nothing makes me feel like a failure, and makes me feel disappointed in myself.
Doing something, even the little things, makes me feel GOOD about myself – and gives me a sense of accomplishment that motivates me to do MORE.
The exercise I’ve been doing lately is helping, I can feel the difference!
Being consistent with little things is WAY better than consistently doing NOTHING.
Daily positive choices & actions really add up too. It’s not what you do once that changes your life or brings you great results. It’s what you do DAILY that creates your life.
So the question is:
What am I doing daily to make my life better/worse?
Then start doing less of the worse, and more of the bettering. 😉
Life is always going to be busy and crazy and chaotic and full of unexpected distractions and things that derail me and all that stuff. That’s LIFE.
It feels SO good to have just one little source of satisfaction and control in an otherwise whirlwind of days that turn into weeks and months.
All that time goes by (and fast!), but I feel SO good knowing that just taking 10 minutes to work on my arms or abs WILL make a difference. Not only does it make me feel better about myself TODAY, it will add up over time.
Where if I do nothing, three months from now my arms will still jiggle and make me self conscious, and I’ll just regret having done NOTHING about it.
Um, hello last three months! Been there already. And the three months before that, and the three months before that too. 😛
We all know what it feels like NOT to do something, right?
We all know what it feels like to REGRET not doing the things.
What I want to know is: What will it feel like if I just do what I can, and do it consistently, and keep going?
That’s exactly how I lost my weight eating low carb, by the way.
I struggled SO much for SO long getting my head straight about it, until one day I just decided to go 90 FULL DAYS eating 20 net carbs max – no matter how I felt, no matter where I was, no matter what the scales said even. Just 90 days.
That one little 3 month commitment totally changed my weight loss journey – and my life. Being in ketosis that long consistently killed my cravings and my desire to binge, made me feel IN CONTROL, and helped me change my (toxic) relationship with food.
I just took it one day at a time. Not the whole 90 days at once, just one day at a time – one meal at a time, actually. That’s all you really have to do!
Here are current photos of me taken day before yesterday:
I shared that photo on Facebook here along with my current stats: height, weight, size, goals, etc.
I have SO much more I want to share with you!
It’s been a crazy month, and next week I’m headed off for KetoCon (yay!!) – but I’ve been doing some VERY interesting testing lately and cannot wait to share the results with you, along with what I’m eating lately and what I’m not eating (and why).
I’ve been posting updates daily on both Instagram and Facebook, which is a great place to keep up and join in on the discussions – and will also be a great way to keep up with my daily happenings during the KetoCon trip. 😉
I’d really like to talk openly in upcoming posts about things like exogenous ketones (and why I DO NOT recommend using them), ketone levels and what those might mean for you, calories and why that’s more complicated than just a number, etc, etc, etc.
But mostly, I’d love to hear what YOU most want to learn more about or hear from me. Or any questions you have…
As for my daily food diaries, those will be back soon. I’ve been eating VERY simple lately and very few foods as I continue recovering from my gut health issues that started last winter – which is another topic I’d love to discuss with you more too…
How are things going with you?
And hey…
Do something today that makes YOU smile!
This note wasn’t perfect, but it was on MY list of things I would regret if I didn’t get it done. 😉 Because I miss you, and it keeps bugging me that I haven’t had the time to write here as much as usual lately.
So forgive my rambling, but on top of both a walk AND a home workout today, I can now fall asleep without regretting yet another day went by without sharing an overdue update with you. 💕
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. If you’re participating in the Low Carb Challenge the Week 11 Weigh-In is in our private group. I’m going to do something a little different for the next challenge… so stay tuned for details! 😉
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
I don’t get it, I really don’t… when you do these posts its divine intervention for me. You do them EXACTLY when I need them, because I’ve been in a deep hole and tried clawing my way out and quit because it seemed easier to do nothing.
I admire and respect you so much Lynn. This is the only place I see you now because I gave up Instagram because I kept feeling defeated by other peoples success and didn’t want to focus on my failure.
Bless you over and over.
Thank you for sharing, you hit the nail on the head with each word. I often wonder how people who say they live without regrets. For me life always gets in the way from raising a family and meeting everyone else’s needs I too often regret not doing certain things I want to do. But your update helped me understand it all so much better, thank you.
Really looking forward to these updates you describe. I also have been dropping a few things (even though they’re “Keto”), and moving towards simplicity. My motto is 8-Ingredients-Or-Less. I don’t even look at recipes with a plethora of ingredients. Life is too short. I’ve also been correcting gut flora for the past year. Doing SO.MUCH.BETTER.
Great, now you’ve cost me $80 at Amazon!!! Haha! But I know the power of writing things down (I’m a big to-do list maker). Hoping that seeing it written down will get me motivated to get off my big butt and get started! Thanks for the insight.