How long does it take to feel good (Part 2: The Plan)

If you haven’t read Part one of this blog series, click here to check it out!

If I think about “feeling good”, it’s more than just being fit.

It’s feeling strong. 💪

It’s looking good in my clothes (and without them!) 🤭

It’s eating well, sleeping well, and practicing proper self care. 🧘‍♀️

What “feeling good” is NOT:

✗ Perfection

✗ Deprivation

✗ Shame

✗ Overdoing it

So what does feeling good look like?

One of the things I’ve recently learned is that when I make choices that show respect for myself, I feel much better, even when I don’t see an immediate change or outcome.

One of the things I’ve recently learned is that when I make choices that show respect for myself, I feel much better, even when I don’t see an immediate change or outcome.

For example, if I feed myself healthy foods all day, eat without stuffing myself, and avoid using eating to ‘buffer’ other feelings, then I end up feeling proud of myself. As an added bonus, I also feel less bloated, heavy, and brain-fogged.

If, on the other hand, I annihilate myself with a way-too-hard workout, knowing I haven’t been in the gym for a year, I know I’m going to feel horrible. And then the feeling is compounded by shameful thoughts that come up: I should have kept up at the gym. I shouldn’t have let my fitness slide. What kind of a person does that? 

With respecting myself in mind, this is the plan I’ve laid out for myself:

Eating Protocol

I know myself, and if I’m left to my own devices with food, I will very often overdo it. Since I’m adding fitness back into my routine, I’m anticipating more hunger, so I will track my food with my Weight Watchers app daily. 

Drinking Protocol

Ah…wine. I enjoy a glass (or two) and I could definitely drink it daily. However, my body does not react well to sugar, and alcohol is part of that. When I drink too often, I feel gross. So I’ve relegated myself to one can of wine a week. Yes I said can. Stop laughing 😆.

Exercise Protocol

I’m an all-or-nothing person when it comes to exercise, so my plan is 5 days per week of exercise. I’ve joined back up at Crossfit NCR, which was my gym for over a year before Covid. Their workouts are on-time, intense, and pre-planned, so I know what I’m getting and I can use my time efficiently.

As a backup plan, I have my (cheap) Peloton app that I can use with my spin bike in my basement. Always have a backup!

Other (important) things

I mentioned in Part 1 last week that I was doing something different this time.

Coaching is a practice I’ve been using over the last year, both with myself and my clients. Jamie is becoming a certified life coach, and has been coaching me daily on alllll the ‘mind drama’ that surfaces when I set a goal and pursue it.

Subscribe to join me on the blog next week as I go through week one and highlight all of my obstacles and how I solved them.