Preparing for Success

Its funny how everything changes when you are changing your lifestyle.  I spend a lot of time planning and preparing lately.  I mean a lot of time!  In ALL aspects of my life I believe in the Benjamin Franklin quote “If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. This is definitely true when it comes to the food and exercise.

I have been keeping a fitness planner since August.  It is paper and colorful pens with stickers and a nice cover.  I’m in love with everything from The Happy Planner.  [Side note…..I also keep a planner for work and a personal one too.  I’m not into doing crazy layouts, but I do have a cool sticker and washi tape collection.]  The fitness planner has a format for tracking what I’ve ate, my exercise and how much water I’ve drank.  I’ve recently added meal planner inserts so I know what my next meal is.  These inserts also help me pack each day to ensure I am prepared and don’t get tempted to create my own meal plan at McDonald’s.

The diet I am using has an meal planning tool on their website.  This has been a great for me.  I need to know how the calories add up.  On other plans I would wing it with food and points.  If I was hungry that day I could run out of points long before dinner.  It has been helpful for me to plan a week at a time.  I look at my work/personal planner to know what kind of meals will be easiest in my day and work around that.

Another planning tool I recently added is a white board in the bathroom.  For me this ensures I see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  I know it sounds a little weird, but it’s what works.  It is the room I’m guaranteed to visit every day!  I write in events I am going to attend, the days classes are available, when my trainer time is scheduled and an inspirational quote.  I am updating it weekly.  Why?  It reminds me daily what my week looks like and if I skip one of the workouts I have to be able to find a time for a replacement.  Most of the time that’s not possible, so I make sure I go.

At night I make sure my workout clothes and shoes are beside the sink so I’m not looking all over for something to wear.  Even though I’m loving the morning workouts, I’m not getting up one minute before I have to so this process needs to be efficient.  I also make sure my water is ready to go and dosed with some Mio Energy for caffeine.  I also try to get as much of my food for the next day organized to eliminate chaos in the morning.

There are downsides, I don’t watch as much TV as I used to.  Then again, is that really a downside?  As long as I can watch sports when I want I’m happy.  I DVR the rest and I’ll get to it when I get to it.  I’m prepared to live my best, happiest, healthiest life! 

Gotta go…..my phone just told me it’s bedtime!