January 8, 2013 was the date my first blog post was published. I declared a commitment to 365 consecutive days of exercise in an effort to get my health back on track. I also wanted to fit into jeans one or two sizes smaller, not gonna lie.
How fitting then that today, January 8, 2018, I am writing my first blog post of the year and… drum roll, please……………………
I am re-committing my intention to do 365 consecutive days of exercise this year.
The rules are simple:
- The exercise must be a minimum of 20 minutes in length (but ideally more, most days)
- The exercise must be intentional; i.e. I can’t find myself at bedtime justifying that I got my exercise in because I walked a total of 30 minutes that day. No. I have to plan the exercise.
- I will be kind and practice self-care as I ease myself back into daily exercise.
Some days, I may find myself doing my workout after midnight due to work and travel, and that is fine. I am not going to beat myself up about the technicalities of a workout happening before midnight or after. I have enough shit to deal with.
I also know that despite my best of intentions, I won’t be able to blog with regularity. And if the choice is between actually exercising and writing about exercising, I will have to prioritize on the exercise. #sorrynotsorry.
So, in an effort to use this blog for some accountability (the original intent of the blog, by the way), I intend to publish one blog post per week, with a weekly run-down on what I did to meet my daily goal.
Or maybe I won’t. I’m really not sure if I’ll have the time.
I probably won’t this coming week, as I’ll be traveling to the U.K. from today through Saturday Jan 13th. I’ll be home for a day, then flying out to Jamaica on Monday Jan 15th through Friday Jan 18th. It’s BUSINESS, settle down!
Well, okay… so on the Friday my daughter will fly out to join me. We will have a few days of play time at a lovely resort before returning home on Monday Jan 22nd. Sometimes business travel has its perks.
So, I’ll just go ahead and set the expectation nice and low here. You may not see an update from me for a couple of weeks.
I’m toying with daily Instagram posts to show my workouts, but even that I’m unsure of. I have many followers on IG who are professional connections, and I’m not 100% comfortable with that audience seeing those pictures. #firstworldproblems #whattodo?
I’ll publish a post tomorrow with a weekly recap of my exercise for the first week of 2018.
Thank you for all your support. It really does mean so much to me.
Keep moving.
xoxo, nancy
I love that you are recommitting to this 😀 I am with you all the way!!
Why not set up a second instagram account, a “My year of sweat” dedicated one? I have several as you know…it is really easy to maintain both as you can stay looged in to as many as you have 🙂
Great idea, June! I’m going to try to do a single post with a weekly summary update for now. If that gets to be too much, I’ll do IG. Heck, i might even get ambitious and set up the second IG tonight if I’m jet lagged and can’t sleep when I arrive in London! Thanks for the reco!
Sounds like an excellent plan…
Although I don’t know why you called me June 😂
See my second comment. 😊
And I just realized I called youJune. I thought I opened up and was replying to June’s comment. Clearly still bleary eyes from my 5:00 a.m. start today!
Hahaha I wondered if something like that had happened…
My first thought was “no it’s January” it took me a while to remember June is also a person name!! 😂
I just laughed out loud! Taking off for Heathrow shortly. Can’t wait to see you Friday night!!!
Haha 🙂
Have a good flight! I can’t wait until Friday either 😊😊😊
Oh, Nancy. While I really admire your enthusiasm, I find myself wanting to waggle my finger at you. Is this the same Nancy who, only two weeks ago, was telling us about the horrible year that 2017 had been, culminating in being out of action for all of December? And how you were planning on taking at least a two-week break in the new year? And now you’re flying all over the world for work again, and promising to exercise every day, even if it cuts into your sleep? And you’re committing to telling us about it on a regular basis? I don’t know you well enough to give any sort of advice and no one knows what’s within your capability better than you do yourself, but the only commitment I want you to make is to take care of yourself, even if that means staying in the same size jeans. The last thing you want is to keel over from exhaustion. So skip the odd day and get an extra hour’s sleep instead! (PS: If you’re ever in the UK and free over a weekend, pop over here – it’s only a 3-hour flight! I’ll walk the legs off you and cook you something healthy and hearty! x)
You made me laugh out loud, June! Yes, I did commit to focusing on my health and G.I. issues at the holidays, and I have been! I have done a bunch of research, and while a lot of the info is conflicting and clearly biased, I’m picking up some common sense tips that I’ve implemented with success: eating within 30 mins of waking, not eating less than 3 hrs before going to bed, adding beans and lentils to my diet, cut out processed food (ie non food). I’m feeling waaaay better! The follow up appt with my GI specialist isn’t until the 26th unfortunately, so I had to take matters into my own hands until then.
When you see tomorrow’s workout summary you’ll see that I’m very much EASING my way into this daily exercise thing. Nothing hard core yet. 🙂
Sounds good, Nancy! I’ll be keeping an eye! 😉
I love it!
Sam beat me to it, I was going to suggest a 2nd IG account – call it Year of Sweat, if you want to keep it really separate for a bit! And it’s funny you say that – I’ve recommitted myself to moving at least 20-30 minutes a day. I have it on my to-do list to go buy some stickers, cause my training journal has a spot to track, well, anything, and I thought it would be fun to see the visual of it!
Good Luck! I’m happy for you!
Love it Kate! That’s you, me, Sam so far. We can act as accountability partners for each other!
Go for it! You are obviously dedicated to many aspects of your life, glad excercise is reappearing on the priorit list! 😘
It has to, Joan. I don’t get to the mountains frequently enough to have hiking be my saving grace. I just need to make it part of the daily routine/ lifestyle.
Good for you! I need to do something along the same lines… too many suits in my closet which don’t fit.
Honestly it’s way less about the clothes (that was a motivator the first time around though) and more about taking control of my health, giving this to myself, for myself and reminding myself what a badass I can be.
Totally understand! And you’re a complete badass 😉
Right back atcha!
😘
Sounds wonderful. Best of luck to you with your goal. I have no doubt you’ll meet it, but I also hope you’ll cut yourself some slack if life gets in the way and interrupts you briefly. It has a way of doing that. 😁
I am hoping that this sensible start (you’ll see what I mean about gently easing myself in with tomorrow’s post) lasts and I don’t lose my mind with an all or nothing mentality again. This time it’s not the scale motivating me, rather how I *feel* when I am living a healthy and active lifestyle. I want to feel that way again.
Good for you, Nancy! How has it been 5 years? I started blogging Sept of 2013, so I must have virtually met you then, wow. Take care of yourself and I look forward to your success! Xoxo
I couldn’t believe it until I got the WP alert wishing me a happy 5 yr anniversary. Which is silly, because I know that 2013 was “my year of sweat” and I can do math, but still… 5 years! Wow!
Kudos, Nancy. I know you are seriously goal oriented and you are going to kick the stuffing out of this challenge … in spite of the rough spots we both know will be ahead. I’ll be one of your cheer squad shaking the pom-poms for you along the way!
Thanks Jo! Your support means the world to me. I think I just hit my first rough patch. Couldn’t fall asleep until 4am UK time, and woke up with a sore throat. I think I may have caught what Ed has been suffering from the past 10 days. Ugh. Perfect. 😦
Ugh – hope you feel better and this is just a tiny blip because you’re tired!
Ed’s been fighting a cold and nasty cough for 10 days. I suspect it’s turned into bronchitis from the sound of his rattling. So far mine is just a tickle in the throat but massive congestion. Just snuck up to my room to take some sinus medication during a group exercise with the senior leadership team. There are 150 of us, so they won’t miss me (I think). Maybe I’ll be a rebel and take a nap…
I wish!
Pictures of a beautiful beach in Jamaica would be a nice visual that you were there thinking of those stuck in a gray cubicle. 😉 I can at least be sure to cheer you on. BTW…hiking around the parks outside of Las Vegas is still on my to-do list. Just need to save up the time for the trip…and get the hiking muscles back in shape.
When you plan it, let me know! I’ll move mountains to try to be there at the same time.
I am so pleased to read this! I often think of your year of sweat and the amazing strength it must have taken to see it through. I totally understand about time and blogging, but I am following along cause I LOVE this idea 🙂. You are going to nail it. Xxxxx
Love how supportive you are! Thank you!
“There is no greater mastery, then mastery of oneself. “ -Leonardo DaVinci. You know your capability, proved in 2013. You’ve got this. Good luck, and godspeed.
Thanks Paul! This might be the year Irina and I go back to Movara. Our timeline has been 3 years between visits. 2012 at BLR Malibu, 2015 at Movara, 2018… who knows where?!?!!
You have your priorities right, girl! I walk – very intentionally and fast 🙂 with Dylan about 4-5 miles/day and I’m starting yoga this year to battle my stiffness. Have fun on your travels and be good to yourself. XXX
Yay! Go Nance! I’ve been exercising every day for about the last 10 and worked full time hours around that (which is probably far less than what you are working) but I found I had so much more energy at the end of every day even though I’d worked all day. I had to get up 5am each day to make it happen but it’s been pretty awesome. Go get ‘em! Btw I’m in Vancouver 1-7 Feb and NYC 7-10 Feb. It prob doesn’t line up with any of your travels but let me know if there is a miracle xx
Wait a minute!!! I’m booked to Vancouver from Sun the 28th Jan to Thurs 1st Feb (early a.m. departure). Let me see if I can switch to Fri 2nd without breaking the bank. Would be AWESOME to see you!!
OMG that would be AMAZING!!!!! If not I fly in early on the first. Imagine if we could cross paths????!!!!let me know how you go x
If you think you’ll have a chance for lunch or dinner on the 1st, I’ll totally change it. Not S big deal for me to fly back in the 2nd. Will you be up to it after a long flight?
Yes yes totally! I’m flying without the kids haha Let’s just work it out. I’m there for a week so will just tell my peeps I have these plans day 1, they’ll be cool. Maybe early dinner? I might be a risk of being totally vague if I leave it too late.
Where do you stay? My bro is out at New Westminster which has a nice riverside quay area but I can be flexible. PM me on Facebook x
Will do. Will check out flight changes when I get back home. Still stuck at Heathrow due to flights delays.
Boooo. Ok keep me posted. X
Will do.
Normally stay in Richmond, close to airport and my office, but this trip I’m staying downtown. May switch hotels on Wed/Thurs to the Richmond hotel because it’s so much more convenient for early morning departures. Will let you know.
Okey Dickey. Sounds like a plan. How exciting if I get to see you!!!!!!
I fly in in the morning so could actually just come straight to you first and have brunch maybe? Anyway we can chat logistics and timings later x
That might be perfect, because I could do a flight that afternoon instead of the next day! I like it! Leave it with me!
Whoop!
I arrive 725am