How to Fit in Your Workout—and Have that #PerfectWeek

I posted a picture today with the hashtag: #perfectweek… Now, on this journey I am on, I
have been far from perfect. But this week I am striving for ONE PERFECT WEEK. In coming up with my game plan, I realize there are five things that I do, regularly, to help me stay on track, so I figured I would share those with all of you—in hopes of it working for you 🙂

1. Work out in the MORNING…

Before you say “NO!” Can I take a minute to talk about this first one? I know, I know, I know… morning workouts are not appetizing, am I RIGHT?! I used to say, “I CAN’T work out in the morning!” I would even throughout some kind of medical excuse, like, “My blood sugars are just too low in the morning, I have to eat first…” yada-yada-yada… I used to HATE waking up when it was dark outside. It would honestly give me anxiety and bring back memories of Hell Week during college—just thinking about it makes me want to vomit! Anyway, being new mom I quickly learned that waking up before hubby and munchkin was going to be the ONLY way I could ensure that I would have time to work out… So, I made the conscious decision to follow Nike and “Just DO IT.” It was hard—really hard—at first. But now, going on 5 months, I LOVE IT. You might be thinking, “Is she lying? Is she crazy? Is she taking drugs, or…???” NO. I promise, the answer to each of those questions is NO 🙂 Honestly, I just have found that I enjoy the “me” time. I no longer view it as a punishment—I wake up at 5:30am and I have 60 minutes to myself (ok, not all days because sometimes munchkin wakes up and wanders out to find me—which gives me another 26 pounds of weight to squat around with!). But really, I love it. Also, I actually enjoy working out on an empty stomach now, which is NOT something I used to “be able” to do. I don’t know what’s changed—but I honestly think it’s just mental. I did a lot of research about exercising after a fast (such as sleeping overnight) and I made a mental decision that it was worth me giving it a REAL TRY. So I DID and I haven’t turned back.

2. Sleeping in my workout clothes…

NOT MY DIRTY workout clothes… Clean ones 🙂 Remember, I work out in the morning, so… When I go to bed after my nightly shower (that’s when I wash my hair), I put on my sports bra and spandex, put my rolled-up socks inside my shoes right next to my bed, and place a hair tie on my bedside table. That way, when my alarm goes off at 5:30am, I roll out of bed (quite literally), grab my shoes and my hair tie, and I am OFF to workout. No thinking, no prep, IT’S ON! Sometimes, if it’s chilly in my house, I grab a lightweight sweater to throw on for the first 60 seconds of my workout (by that time I am already working up a hot sweat). The less you have to think or prepare for the workout the easier it will be to START!

3. Set two alarms only 3 minutes apart…

If you are like me, the snooze button can becomes an automatic response… And, more
often than not, a typical “snooze” can last anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Hit that baby 2-3 times and you’ve lost your window for your workout. That said, set two alarms only 3 minutes apart. This does not allow you to snooze, because if you “mistakenly” hit that snooze and start to settle back in, the next alarm is going off and it’s just plain annoying… So, you WILL get your butt out of bed.

4. If you are a working-mom like me, then prep your work clothes the night before (or for the whole week)…

As a working mom, I find this is especially important for me. After my workout I hop through the shower (really quickly—ike a ninja—and do not wash my hair) and then get ready, which takes me about 30 minutes. One of the biggest factors is, “WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?!” So I prep all of my outfits on Sunday night. I put together everything—blouse, pants, jewelry, etc.—and I put together 7 outfits for a 5-day week because two of them (even if they are pre-selected) get that “EHHHHH” response after I look in the mirror so I throw one of my “alternate” outfits on. DONE!

5. Prep your breakfast/lunch the night before…

Now this I do with SOME flexibility. For example, I know I always eat two fruits per day, so the night before I throw my 2 fruit selections into my lunch pail so I don’t have to think about it in the morning. I also typically throw in a hard-boiled egg and a Greek Yogurt (both items packed with protein to help get me through the day). As some of you know, I also prep about 5 containers of overnight oats on Sunday nights, so those are available for a quick grab for either breakfast or lunch. I do not always make my sandwich the night before (because I don’t like ANYTHING soggy) but if I know I am making a sandwich for lunch then I have something super simple for breakfast, like a protein shake or overnight oats. The less you have to DO in the morning, the more likely you are to fit your workout in!

These 5 tips have totally changed my life… Like I said, I used to hate waking up early, but now (remember I am 5 months in) I look FORWARD to exercising. For me, when I hear that first alarm go off at 5:30am, I focus on improving me. It is an opportunity to focus on ME. I know that might sound self-centered… But I really never thought about that before having a baby… and now that I have my daughter I understand that I don’t have the luxury of focusing on my needs 24/7… So, really, when I wake up early and “get to” work out, I am rewarding myself.

It’s just a way of re-framing it. When look at is as a reward, a luxury, something YOU are doing for YOU, it becomes something greater! Remember—you rock, you are amazing, and you are worth it! As a narcoleptic, I think I am safe to say that I value sleep more than just about anyone on the planet—but trust me when I say that I feel so much stronger, healthier and HAPPIER with incorporating these changes into my life.
Much love my friends!
Summer

Instagram: @summerssilverlining