I have tried multiple times this year to complete a 30-day health challenge but I have yet to be successful. Sigh…
Last month was my most recent attempt and I tried to simplify the terms to just three daily habits I wanted to adopt, but I failed almost immediately and then promptly gave up. Trying again in July!
Do PT every morning
Every morning when I wake up, there are a myriad of aches and pains that accompany me to do my AM ablutions. My neck, shoulders and back are the main culprits. Usually they all work themselves out eventually (except maybe the neck pain), but I want to be more proactive about this.
I’ve gone to physical therapy for my back, and when I did vestibular therapy they also gave me exercises for my neck. So I know what I need to do, it’s just a matter of taking/making the time to do it.
I have done PT consistently in the past, and I feel like it not only helped with my aches, but also helped with the scale. So it’s on my list for July!
Walk at least 1 mile (intentionally)
This was part of my June parameters, and I actually did do this for about half of the month. That’s a win for me!
A mile takes me about 22 minutes at a 3mph pace. I’m not sure I’ll have time to do both PT and the mile on the treadmill before work, at least not if I also want to still spend 15 minutes making progress on my LAF Lines work (I do!) and journal.
Ideally I will do this once I get home in the evening. The problem with pushing it until the evening is I’m less inclined to do it, whether that be because of a headache or being exhausted from the day. We’ll see how this goes and adjust if needed.
Track meals in MFP app
I have done this off and on multiple times over the years. I paid for the annual premium subscription so I have it until January. I usually start strong and then lose steam quickly. It’s boring!
But I do find if I track my meals, I naturally want to eat less so I don’t have to log it. Whether that’s from a laziness standpoint or that I don’t want to go over my calories and “fail” at the day.
But this isn’t about necessarily staying under a certain number of calories or hitting my macros. It’s about logging what I’m eating for accountability and maybe to evaluate the data.
Extra Credit
Bonus Points
I have three more habits that I’d love to hit daily, but I don’t want to put that pressure on myself. Instead, I’m making them extra credit habits. If I do them, super— I’ll give myself bonus points. And maybe I can cash those points in at the end of the week for a yet to be determined prize. These habits are:
- Eat 60g of protein daily (this is where the tracking data will help)
- Drink at least 3- 16oz containers of water everyday
- PM routine: hair/skin/teeth and gratitude journaling, check-ins
Weekends
There are some other things I’d also like to prioritize but I know I won’t get to them during the work week, and I’m okay with that. So my aim is to do them at least once on the weekends. These are in addition to my daily goals. These include:
- Do a strength workout (weights or body resistance)
- Spend time outside, weather dependent
- Practice meditation with Headspace app
I’m hopeful that I’ll have better luck this go around. I plan to setup a half used undated planner to track and journal on my progress. I’m going to set it up before the month starts so I don’t have an excuse. I really just want to feel better in my body, and if I lose some weight as a side effect of these habits, then all the better.
Have you completed a 30-day challenge?
Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash