So, yeah, this is a little late…but here I am!

This past week I found myself not just feeling better than I had before that terrible energy trench last month, but better than I have in, maybe years, physically, at least. Mental health is improving, but, as I hope to share more about soon, it’s definitely a journey of celebration of “small” victories and finding Victory in what may seem or feel like defeat.

Speaking of small victories, my period started today, making it a 35 day cycle, which is a vast improvement over my last two cycles which were 54 and 50 days, respectively. This feels like a huge improvement and sign that I’m doing something right.

So, let’s check in with the elements that come together to create an increasingly healthier me!

Food: considering this was PMS week, I did ridiculously well. Still no gluten, and other than craving some fried chicken and pizza today, and answering with pumpkin chili and sweet potato crackers, I haven’t really missed it. I didn’t even blink when Scott went and got donuts for the kids again. I’ve really dialed in the meal prep and having food for myself that I get excited about and look forward to, and I think that makes a big difference.

Sleep: still going pretty well overall, but room for improvement in the area of wakefulness.

Yoga: I finished a 30 day yoga challenge at the end of the week and also mapped out the next 5-6 months of my yoga journey and I’m super excited to pursue that. And who knew, I can actually get pretty far into the splits!

Strength: I’m still keeping this on the moderate end of high intensity because I’m trying not to stress my adrenals, but I’m also trying to make sure it’s intense enough to get the best all around benefit. I’m definitely getting stronger and surprising myself in a lot of ways.

Cardio: some of my walks were 35 min and 2-2.5 miles, a few were 4 miles, and all of them felt really good. Lexi is getting burnt out on long walks so I’m working on a plan to shift things around and ask less of her while still building and growing.

Meditation: I’m doing well with consistency and learning a lot of discipline. Some sessions are definitely easier than others! I’m about to upgrade to Calm premium, and I really look forward to exploring more new guided meditations. I’m also going to do a 30 day meditation challenge on the yoga site I use soon.

Supplements: again, consistency is good here, and I think everything I’m using is serving me well. It’s taken a long time to get to this point where I feel confident about that, but I really do now. I’ll be reordering next week and I’m a little giddy to get my hands on Peanut Butter Chocolate protein. Drool!

Morning and Evening Self Care: This still can feel a bit like a juggling act where I can’t seem to keep all the elements in the air, but I’m improving and making it and me a priority, so that’s a win.

I really am starting to feel better physically and emotionally than I have in possibly years, and I’m so thankful and excited.

I have some mini-Goals for the week of 10/16-21:

-get up at 7 to do morning self care before Scott leaves, then do strength and yoga while kids eat/play before school, so we have more time to walk and play before naptime.

-Tuesday and Thursday (and Saturday if up to it) 20 minute cycle class at the beginning of naptime. I want to gently ramp back up to my cycle routine. Goal for the last two weeks of this health makeover is to do 2-3 short cycle classes in addition to whatever walk I can get the kids to join me on.

I’m so excited to continue to see myself get healthier, happier, and more balanced!