I used to find myself often stressing and feeling anxious when my workout and eating routines got interrupted, until I took a different perspective.
My husband and I were in Victoria B.C in February. The day before we were supposed to fly home to Edmonton, we were at a cafe and got a notification that all flights had been cancelled due to huge snowstorm. The storm was predicted to continue for the next few days, which started to throw us into a panic.
I'd never been in that situation before and it's actually quite stressful. There's many things that needed to be addressed immediately. Where are going to stay? Does the hotel have room for us? Do we have money to pay for it? What about the rental car that's due back? What's the protocol on finding flights home? And finally, what meetings did I have planned for when I was supposed to get home, and can I do them on the phone or do they need to be rescheduled?
After we had handled everything that felt pressing, I sat back in my chair to take a breath.
Coming down from the stress I started to feel some sadness which quickly turned into anxiety.
I hadn't worked out for 4 days so I was getting antsy. I'd had a cold, and I figured all the walking we'd be doing would be enough activity so I didn't bother to bring gym clothes. There was virtually no walking for the entire weekend due to the storm. The food scene in Victoria is really good, so I was indulging, but I knew that there was an end and I'd be getting back to my routine soon. Now however, I was starting to panic, the lack of exercise and the prolonged indulging was not what I had planned.
I ask my self 3 questions when I'm not happy with my eating and fitness.
1. Am I following my current "nutrition mottos"?
Which were:
· Get some fruits and veggies in with most meals throughout the day
· Eat thoughtfully and listening to when my body says "Okay, I've had enough"
· Indulge on alcoholic beverages I would truly enjoy
· Listen to my taste buds with dessert
The answer was "nope not really". I was stressed and into comfort food, which meant carbs, cheese, meat, and drinks and I also knew I'd been eating more than I really needed.
The next question I often ask myself is:
2. Am I okay with that? Am I okay not making exercise and healthier eating a priority?
Yes actually. If I come back with a few more pounds it's okay. My routine will go back to normal as soon as I get home. If I wasn't okay with it, my next question would've been:
3. What would be a reasonable improvement given these new circumstances?
Sometimes I have to remember to zoom out of my life and look at the bigger picture. I’m just happy that my husband and I are safe, and we will be fine.
There’s no point stressing about fitness, eating, finances or whatever else until you can actually do something about it which includes, not stressing about something that you aren't actually ready to do something about anyway.
If you are truly bothered because you've dropped the priority in the fitness and nutrition department, ask yourself what's a reasonable improvement given the circumstances you find yourself in, and if you aren't actually ready to do anything about it, that's perfectly okay, accept that you're not and give yourself permission to be okay with that.
Trust that when you can, you will get back to eating better and working out.
Do you need help with honouring your fitness and nutrition goals?