TGIF with Debb: 75 Strong: My Way (One Page, One Walk, One Day at a Time)

Dear Diary,

It’s been another week of noticing.  Noticing how I feel.  Noticing what I’m doing.  Noticing what I’m learning.  Noticing the little moments. Which, when I actually stop long enough to pay attention, are probably not so little after all.  This week, I had one of those aha moments while listening to another Mel Robbins Podcast, yet again.

Mel had John Grisham on the show … the author of A Time to Kill and The Firm. I really loved this conversation.  What really stuck with me wasn’t the millions of books sold or the Hollywood success.  It was the “Write one page a day.”  Grisham talked about how, when he first started writing, he realized that if he wanted to actually finish something, he had to stop waiting for the perfect amount of time, inspiration or motivation.  He just had to write.  One page.  Every day.  He even developed a ritual around it.  The same time, the same place, the same coffee.  Every day.  The ritual itself became part of the process and so I thought… “Hmmm. Maybe I need to steal this idea.”  Not the coffee. I already have that covered.  It’s Pumpkin Spice Creamer week friends.  Heaven in a mug.  Seriously.  But the one page a day idea ...

Maybe I don't need to write a blog once a week 

Maybe I just need to write a little every day.  The reality is, I’m always noticing things.  I'm curious.  I listen to conversations.  I notice funny things.  I have random thoughts in the shower, in the car and in the line up at Zehrs.  I hear something that makes me pause and think. Something makes me laugh, cry, swear or say, “Well … that's interesting.”  And every night, I already write in my journal.  Most of the time, it's my gratitude list.  Sometimes it's what I'm feeling.  Sometimes it's something I want to remember. Sometimes it's about this crazy little experiment called 75 Hard.  So why not just start writing those thoughts down as they happen?  Maybe I don't need to sit down once a week and think, Ok, what am I going to write about this week? Maybe I can collect the little moments.  One thought.  One observation.  One story.  One page.  And eventually … there's a blog.  And eventually there's a book.  Or maybe there's just a really great collection of Dear Diary moments.  Who knows!?

Which brings me to 75 Hard

I am currently on Day 25 and I'm feeling really good!  I'm intentionally not saying, “I haven't messed up yet” because I'm not looking at this as something I'm trying to survive until the end.  I made a commitment to myself to finish ... not because I need to be perfect.  It’s actually, the exact opposite.  I'm doing this because I want to create discipline.  I want to prove to myself that I can say I'm going to do something and actually do it.  Yesterday, I had a little test.  I'd been busy all day.  Teaching.  Practicing.  Working on business things.  Spending time with family and talking about another potential retreat …  Wink wink.  I'll tell you more about that later.  And maybe even a little something I might be selling in December …  double wink wink.  More on that later too.  Insert final wink here. 

I did my workout and everything else on the list, but I didn’t do my outside workout yet. Then I went to my mom's for dinner and on my way there, it started raining so I thought, “ok I’ll skip today’s walk and do a 90 minute walk tomorrow, no big deal.”  Then I started having these thoughts of, “Really? Do you want to walk for that long AND do your workout AND teach two classes?”  No definitely not, and ultimately, that wasn’t he commitment I made to myself.  But I was tired.  It was getting late.  What a brain battle.   Then I thought about the fact that I was on Day 23 (this was Wed night).  I thought about my routine.  And then, (perfectly timed), I received an Instagram message from one of my yoga/Pilates friends from the studio.  She told me she was going to start 75 Hard with two other friends and that I had motivated them to do it.  Well.  Fuck.  Now I HAVE to go for the walk!  How can I motivate someone else to show up for themselves and then make excuses for myself?  I got home at 8:30 and told Rui, “I'm going for my walk.”  I also know he doesn't love me walking alone in the dark.  He looked at me like:  “Excuse me? Who do you think I am?”  😂  "I'm coming with you.”  So off we went.  And honestly, it felt really good.  It wasn’t just another 45-minute walk.  It was keeping a promise to myself and to my ladies. Thank you Laura!  You motivate me big time! Jus sayin' ... another wink wink.

And that's where the John Grisham lesson really hit me

One page.  One walk.  One workout.  One healthy meal.  One decision.  One day.  These tiny things don't feel life-changing in the moment,  but they become rituals.  Rituals become habits.  Habits start to become who we are.  I don't think I'll reach Day 75 and all of a sudden think:   Well, that's that! Back to beer, wings and never drinking tons of water again!  (ok I might have wings on day 76).  Honestly though, I actually feel like something has shifted.  I want to keep walking.  I want to keep strength training.  I want to keep moving my body daily.  I want to keep eating food that makes me feel good.  I want to keep drinking more water.  I want to keep being intentional because I'm already experiencing the payoff.

Let's talk about sleep baby

I don't want to jinx anything, but my sleep!!  Holy shit.  Eliminating alcohol.  Drinking more water.  Moving my body twice a day.  Eating whole foods.  Getting enough protein.  Eating vegetables.  Not eating junk.  Not having beer and wings (yes I said it again).  And I'm sleeping WAY better.  No night sweats.  I'm waking up feeling better.  My energy is better.  My digestion is … well…  💩 … There.  I said it.  My digestion has been AMAZING!  And I definitely don't think it's a coincidence.  Does food affect how we feel?  Check.  Does moving your body create all kinds of feel-good chemistry?  Check.  Does better sleep help you feel better?  Check.  “Okay, Debb… message received. Apparently when you eat well, move your body, drink your water and stop drinking wine, you actually feel pretty damn good.”  Shocker! I'm also noticing how much easier it is to eat at home.  I'm barely spending money on food out.  No random:  "Oh, I'll just grab a chicken wrap” or  "Maybe I'll go pick something up from the Hot plate area at Metro since I’m shopping."   Instead, I'm planning ahead.  I'm prepping what I'm going to eat the next day.  I'm tracking my macros.  I'm getting my protein in.  I'm eating more vegetables.  I’ve eliminated wheat.  Yes, that means bread.  I know.  What? I'm finding that when I actually plan for myself, taking care of myself becomes so much easier.

Stronger:  inside and out

I've also lost six pounds and yes, that feels good because I'm going in the direction I want to go.  But I'm trying really hard not to make the number the point.  I've already decided I'm not interested in becoming obsessed with the scale or my body.  I'm much more interested in how I feel and balancing out my hormones.  I'm working on strength training at F45 three days a week, along with hot yoga, fusion classes and walking.  I've even been doing my own little workouts in my bedroom on my mat too … weights, push-ups and whatever else I feel like doing.  I'm noticing I'm feeling stronger. There's something really cool about noticing:  Oooh … I couldn't do that before.  There’s power in progress. 

Another kind of progress

Then I listened to a podcast yesterday with two women who were basically bashing 75 Hard.  Honestly, I’m all about people having opinions.  As they say, opinions are like assholes.  Everybody has one.  I genuinely like hearing different perspectives. I’m curious.  I don't think we should all agree on everything, and I’m definitely not saying 75 Hard is for everyone.  But, I also have to say … when the conversation turns into bashing something or someone, that’s not really the vibe that resonates with me.  Period.  And now, your opinion ladies, is not as valid (in my opinion).  Is 75 Hard extreme for some people? 100%!  Some of the “rules” are very black and white. Some of it is very militant. There are parts of it that I’ve already decided don’t work for me … like taking a photo of myself every single day.  Nope. Over it.  Maybe I'll take another photo next week. Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll just compare my first photo to my last one on day 75 and see what changed.  And the whole idea that if you mess up one day, you have to go ALL the way back to Day 1 and start over?  No thank you.  I'm an adult.  I make the rules for myself.  And that, for me, is one of the biggest lessons in all of this.  I can take what works for me and leave what doesn't.  But I don’t have to be an asshole about it and declare that 75 Hard is bullsh*t.

There are a LOT of things about 75 Hard that I love.  I'm drinking more water.  I'm sleeping better.  I'm moving my body twice a day.  I'm eating better.  I'm reading more consistently.  I'm being more intentional.  I'm elevating my fitness beyond just teaching classes. I want to do more of my own workouts. I want to get stronger. I want to move my body in different ways. I want to balance out my hormones and feel good in my body. Is working out twice a day appropriate for everyone?  Obviously not.  If someone is just beginning their fitness or weight-loss journey, especially someone who is carrying a significant amount of extra weight or has other health considerations, they clearly shouldn’t jump into two workouts a day.  That’s not my situation.  I already exercise regularly. I teach. I move. I have a fitness base.  For me, this is about elevating what I’m already doing and creating consistency. And then there’s the reading.  I love to read.  Do I read every day?  No.  Do I want to?  Yes.  Do I make time for it every day?  Clearly not. So, having a daily reading requirement is actually helping me create a habit that I would like to keep for the rest of my life.  Same with the water.  Would I like to drink the appropriate amount of water regularly?  Yes.  Would I like to move my body every day?  Yes.  Would I like to read every day?  Yes.  Do I want to weigh myself and take pictures of myself every day?  No.  So, again, I'm taking what works best for me.

And then there was the part of the podcast where they were saying, “He doesn't even tell you what to eat!”  And I'm thinking … exactly.  He says, “choose a healthy nutritional plan that works for you and stick to it.”  I actually like that.  You choose what works for you.  But, the whole “don't cheat” language, I do agree is a little extra.  I understand what he means, but the word cheat can come with so much negativity, like you're cheating yourself.  Or you've done something wrong.  Or now you should feel guilty.  I don't want that relationship with food.  If there's a day during my 75 days where there's dessert and I really want it, I'll have the damn dessert. As of right now, I haven't.  And I don't intend to, and that's because I don't want it right now … not because I'm terrified of breaking a rule.  For me, this is about keeping a promise to myself and there are always going to be opinions. 

When I was vegetarian, people had opinions.  When I was doing paleo, people had opinions.  And it's interesting because when I was eating garbage, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and carrying a lot more weight, nobody seemed to have much to say (to my face anyway).  But when you start eating healthy, drinking more water, exercising and taking care of yourself, suddenly people are like:  “That's too extreme.”  Like wtf. I'm not saying everyone needs to do what I'm doing.  I'm saying listen to your own body.  Listen to how you feel.  Take what works for you.  Tweak what doesn't and make the rules that actually make sense for your life.  That's what I'm doing and I have a few more ladies joining me now on this journey, as I mentioned earlier, and I love that so much!  If you want to jump on this 75 Hard thing too, maybe we’ll call it … 75 Healthy: My Way.  Take the pieces that make you feel stronger, healthier, happier and more like yourself.  Leave the rest.  At the end of the day, this isn't about following someone else's rules perfectly.  It's about learning how to show up for yourself.  That’s progress.  That’s power.

You are the author of your story

John Grisham talked about the idea that if you're still here, the story isn't over. There's more to write. I love that. Maybe my next chapter isn't about becoming someone completely different. Maybe it's about becoming more of who I already am. The curious me. The creative me. The strong me. The funny me. The emotional me. The woman who sometimes swears on her blog. The woman who is learning to trust herself. The woman who is learning to listen to herself. The woman who is learning that discipline doesn't have to mean punishment. So here's to one page. One walk. One ritual. One choice.  One day at a time.

And to all of you who are walking alongside me … whether you're doing 75 Hard, writing your own story, trying to eat a little better, moving your body, starting something new, or simply trying to figure out what the heck comes next…

Keep going.

And if you want to send me your thoughts, your wins, your struggles or your own little “I almost didn't do it but I DID” moments, please please please do!  I love to hear it and be part of your journey.  Once again, I'm reminded:  It's all about connection.  It seems like that's what this Dear Diary with Yoga Debb thing is becoming.  Kinda fitting since the word yoga literally means “to connect.”  Not just me talking to you.  Us talking to each other. So … what's your one page today?  What's your one walk?  What's your one tiny thing?  Go do it.

TGIF ... until next Friday!

Truth

Growth

Inspiration

Fun

Building strength, mindset, and real-life consistency … one breath at a time :)

💜 Yoga Debb