Photos || Madi Flournoy Henderson
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Falling off the horse is easy but getting back on can be difficult. For those of you who consistently follow along with KBStyled, you know that I’ve been on a weight loss, health improvement, physical fitness journey since January 1st of this year, which means following a Whole 30 plan and working out 5-6 days a week.
For those of you who may be new to KBStyled, first off WELCOME, I’m so happy to have you and secondly, you can read more about why I’m on this journey HERE.
I am now 6 months into this journey and although it has been going very well, it hasn’t come easy…there have been many bumps in the road along the way. I’ve worked hard and I’ve seen results…I can pat myself on the back and feel proud. That feeling of accomplishment and seeing how far I’ve come and where I may be able to go on this journey keeps me going.
However, I’ve recently fallen off of the horse. It all started with vacation…Peter and I went to Aruba (just the two of us…ahhhh, I am daydreaming about Palm Beach as I write this) and I knew before we even arrived in Aruba that I would allow myself to “cheat” my Whole 30 plan while there. After all, vacation is vacation and I couldn’t truly “vacation” without taking advantage of happy hour and drinking fruity YUMMY calorie filled frozen drinks every day and eating delicious food!
Overall, I did really well while on vacation…we worked out every other day while there, I always ate a healthy breakfast, and a healthy (Whole 30) approved lunch. Dinner was a different story…I allowed myself to have whatever I wanted, which included lots of cheesy pasta, wine, fruity cocktails, AND dessert every single night! All things that I had not had in MONTHS. But it tasted soooooooo good! p.s if you ever visit Aruba, you MUST go to Giovanni’s and try their spaghetti formaggio…one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had.
We indulged ourselves while in Aruba and it felt good…I deserved it after all and I told myself that as soon as we arrived home, I would be back to my stringent rules and guidelines around what I ate. Did that happen, NOPE, it sure didn’t.
For about another week and a half after arriving home I was eating many “no no” foods and I wasn’t working out as often as I should have been. We were going through a bit of a stressful time with our house hunt right after Aruba and because I’m a stress eater, I began making poor choices…I had really fallen off the horse and I began second guessing my ability to get back on.
Even though it was only about a week and a half, enough became enough. My body definitely felt the difference in my diet. My stomach was always upset, I began having headaches again, I was feeling tired, and my overall mental state was not as great as it had been. What I was eating was wreaking havoc on my body. I was ashamed that I had allowed myself to eat so poorly and seek out those foods that I’ve worked so hard to cut out.
There was no other choice but to get back up on the horse. Getting back to the basics and centering my focus and attention on exactly what’s gotten me to this place in my journey so far.
Basics for me include tracking my daily progress using numbered post it notes, drinking loads of water, consuming only those foods that provide fuel and health benefits to me, and sticking to my workout routine. It all sounds pretty simple but I also have to work through stress in a different way than I ever have before (no more stress eating here).
It feels great to be back on the horse. I’ve come to realize that I can’t allow myself too many “cheats” along the way because when I do, I end up craving more and more. Of course I will continue to cheat every once in a while but I just won’t do it every day like I had been most recently.
Moving forward…the journey continues!
And we must talk about this amazing Sweaty Betty gear! Their new post-workout essentials are made for a luxe cool down. I’m wearing gear from their “Summer Run” collection…loving these fun vibrant shorts and I’m completely obsessed with this reversible run tank! The material is breathable and wicks away sweat all the while keeping you dry. If you haven’t checked out Sweaty Betty, you definitely should!
Thanks so much for letting me share a bit about the challenges I’ve recently faced on this journey of mine! I’m sure many of you can relate…falling off and working hard to get back on.
As always, thanks for stopping by…have a great day!
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Love this post! I'm going through the struggle of falling off the horse right now. I don't do Whole30 (though I should!), but I try to limit the amount of unhealthy things I eat and instead work on eating great veggies and protein. But I was out of town last week and the struggle is real! P.S. love your workout clothes!
Zelle
Southern Style
Thanks for sharing Zelle, sounds like we both have a hard time when out of town. Even when I am in town, we like to eat out a good bit and experience new restaurants, and it is always a struggle to find food that is compliant with Whole 30. I know we can do it girl…mind over matter, right?! And thanks…Sweaty Betty has the BEST workout gear!
I Need to check out sweaty betty looks like great workout clothes and of course You look stunning Brooke!!
http://xoxobella.com
Yes you do Bella! You would LOVE their gear, it's amazing! And thank you sweet friend, I appreciate you saying that. xoxo
The most important thing you have to keep reminding yourself in this journey is that this is a lifestyle not a diet. Right? Like this is your LIFE and you want to make good choices and be healthy forever, not just for one period of time. When I lost 30 lbs in college I kept telling myself, this is not for summer vacation – this is for the rest of my life! Anyway – i don't know why i'm ranting hahaha i'm just proud of you and think this post is super awesome. I also love that you have stuck to what you said you were going to do which is share your journey and hold yourself accountable. You rock! xo
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
You look gorgeous Brooke! I really need to check out Sweaty Betty – love the workout clothes you're wearing!
xo,
Caitlin
caitlincarol.com
Love this! You look amazing!! I am right there with you!
Mel | http://www.thegossipdarling.com