Let it go and eat the M&M's

I'm sure you have been there before ...its late night and you are super relaxed. You just took a nice, hot shower after a great day and awesome workout.  You feel fantastic and are in a great mood. Then....ta ta ta tun...you start to crave chocolate (or something else that's not in your "diet"). Well, this was me the other night. And I have the picture to prove it. Yup. My mind told me "you really want some PEANUT M&M's, Sandra!"

Was my body really craving them? Was it truly a craving? Well, I'm not sure, because my mind overtook my body signals and I decided that yes, my body needed those M&M's. So I ate peanut m&m's (my fave!) and they were goooood and I was very satisfied. 

Did I feel guilty afterward? A little. But I decided that I was not going to dwell on it. I was not going to let it get me down.  I thought to myself, "tomorrow is a new day" and said "let it go, Sandra"….actually I started singing in my head "let it go, let it go....the cold never bothered me anyway!"…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MK7qz13bU

You may ask "why would you keep something like that in the house?! It's bad and only there to haunt you!" Well I don't believe in depriving yourself. I also believe that you shouldn't restrict or forbid certain foods from your house, even if it's Doritos or m&m's. If I didn't have the m&m's in the house, I probably would have started out with something "healthy" but I probably would have eaten other foods to replace the craving and just eat more than what I did with those m&m's. 

Everyone is different so if keeping things out of the house works for you then great! And I'm jealous of you! But I know myself. Restrictions only make me want things more and make me think more of all those not-so-healthy foods. I rather give in to those cravings and "let it go", move on and eat a balanced diet the next day. And continue my fitness routine/journey.

I may not reach my fitness goals as fast by giving in to these cravings but I know I will get there and it will be a more realistic way of life than a disappointing one.

Do you give in to your cravings? And if so, what do you crave? 

Why I Started Running….

I used to HATE running.  And I'm still getting used to it.  I am starting to enjoy it, but it took awhile.  I was a walker.  I would throw on my sneaks and go walking.  But I would have to walk at least an hour or more to get the amount of exercise I really needed.  And an hour was just TOO LONG.  I wanted to get more out of my exercise in a shorter amount of time.  Hey, I'm a mom, with a job and dinners to make, baths to give, the list goes on.  I realized I had to start running. Ugh. Running?! Nooooooo!!!! But if I wanted to get my exercise in rather than skip it, because I didn't "have time"…running was the answer. So I started off slowly.  I followed Melissa Bender's advice for new runners (www.benderfitness.com) and ran for 20 minutes straight. It was HARD. And I struggled.  And I hated it…..I thought "How do people LOVE this???!!"

I decided I also needed a motivator to get me running so I signed up for a 5K recommended by a girlfriend who was running 5K's and having fun doing it. My cousin was also into running, so I started talking to her about it and got her to sign up for the 5K too.  And you know what?  The 5K was actually fun! Even though I was just praying to not pass out in front of everyone.  And I did it in less than 31 minutes! I was very proud of myself.  It was fun running with my friends and a great feeling finishing the race.

This journey of "trying to find the joy in running" began about a year ago. Since then I've been slowly increasing my runs per week.  Now I run about 2-3 times a week for about 35-40 minutes, which is just enough for me. I've found that I want the feeling of accomplishing that run. I feel proud every time I finish :)

So if you hate running or hate walking…..start slowly. Commit to doing 10 minutes straight and keep at it.  It will get easier and you will find something to keep you going. Believe me, I did.

My first 5K --Witch City 5K, Salem Massachusetts (wearing a tutu in my favorite color - RED)

Do you hate/love running? If you're a runner, what do you love about it?