Invest in Myself: Week 38

Welcome to the recap of Invest in Myself, Week 38.

It's been a draining week, but I'm looking on the bright side and staying positive.

Let's review my week...

Motivation & Accountability

I'm up half a pound, likely due to stress eating. I need to work on some strategies to keep that from happening. Fortunately, during week 38 of Real Appeal, we focused on conquering binge eating. Strategies for overcoming binge eating include:

• Eat regularly
• Limit snacking
• Get a grip on stress
• Come to your own emotional rescue
• Catch yourself when you slip
• Avoid opportunities for mindless eating
• Learn to ride the wave
• Ask your coach for help

Nutrition

Stress eating reared its ugly head this week. I was really busy at work and tended to grab something quick to eat like a protein bar rather than stopping to prepare and eat real food. It's okay for me to do that every now and then, but habitually doing it for multiple meals multiple days in a row isn't healthy for me. I may think I'm controlling my time better by not stopping to eat, but it makes me feel less in control of my health and wellness goals, which should come first.

I actually ate healthier on my business trip to Pittsburgh than I did when I was at home stress eating. Our flight to Pittsburgh was delayed by 3 hours, so we had plenty of time to sit and eat a real meal. I had salmon and brussels sprouts, which was delicious! I also passed on the unhealthy treats that were available at the conference.

dinner during the airport delay

decadent chocolate cake that I did not eat

Exercise

I had a solid exercise week. I did yoga twice, ran twice, and got a zillion steps by walking around the airport in Pittsburgh while waiting for my flight. I've committed to meeting my friend Jen for yoga class at least once a week, which will help hold me accountable (and make it more fun). I was really proud of my runs, which were farther (4 miles each) and faster than I've been running in a long time.

Self-Care

As with eating, I did better with self-care when I was on my business trip than when I was at home. The conference I attended was focused on health and wellness, so there was some interesting content.

this is the resource guide I created for the conference

Chris Dancy, "the most connected human on earth," shared a lot of information about using apps to improve health in a mindful way, which is the kind of thing that really intrigues me.

wisdom from Chris Dancy

I sat next to a man named Richard Citrin, who wrote a book called "The Resilience Advantage" that I'm eager to read. I think focusing more on resilience and less on stress management would serve me well. Just sitting next to him was inspirational - he is the person who starts the applause when the speaker says something applause-worthy!

I had a lot of time in the Pittsburgh airport while waiting for my flight to arrive. I used the time to get extra steps, explore the airport, get a shoulder massage, and track down a card game to play with my son.

I noticed there was a sensory room at the airport, and I was eager to check it out. It is named "Presley's Place" to honor the boy who inspired it. Having a safe space at the airport can make travel easier for children (and adults) with autism. The suite of rooms includes soft furniture, bubble tubes, light tunnels, a tactile wall, a quiet room for adults, and a replica airplane cabin. It was amazing.

Another cool thing in the airport is an art installation called Fraley's Robot Repair.  It looks like a futuristic robot repair shop. Apparently it was originally pop-up art elsewhere in Pittsburgh, and a kickstarter campaign funded the reinstallation at the airport. Read more about it here.

I previously went to Pittsburgh at the end of June (Week 27), and I saw a card game at the airport that I thought about getting. I decided against it, telling myself I would look it up online to read reviews and look for a lower price. I promptly forgot what it was called, and it's been one of those things that has driven me crazy ever since. I was excited to see that the game was still there and I got it. Hopefully it will be fun to play.  

Looking Ahead

We are finally getting carpet in the basement on Friday. I can't wait to reorganize everything down there and reclaim the gym!

See you next week!