Before I get into the topic of the day (ahem…week, month? Yes, it’s been a while again), here comes my little tidbit about tea! David’s Tea has their new summer flavours out – WOOHOO! As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, I am powering my way through the new flavours like it’s my job and so far, they’re all a hit! I don’t think I would like any of them hot but I’m guessing it’s primarily meant to be iced (duh right?).
The first flavour I tried was Strawberry Shortcake and it was tasty, but my least favourite of the three I tried. The strawberry flavour was nice and sweet and there was a hint of hazelnut that complimented it really nicely. The second flavour I tried was Luscious Watermelon which was so refreshing; part of what I loved so much about it was that I could taste other types of melon and fruit. Even my boyfriend who doesn’t like watermelon loved this tea, which I found very impressive. The last tea I tried (and my personal favourite from this collection) was the Tropicalia. This tea was absolutely delicious and reminded me of a pina colada. Picture yourself on a beautiful beach with a gentle breeze and the sun is shining – yep, that is where this tea will take you.
Now into the main topic of the post – seeing the big picture. The ‘big picture’ is so important, because there are so many interrelated parts of our life and seeing the ‘big picture’ will allow you to live your life to the fullest. I find when it comes to exercising and healthy eating this can be a big problem for me, and I know other people have trouble with this as well. It can be really difficult to remember to look at the big picture when you’re goals include eating healthy and working on fitness because for most of us, our goals are pretty specific. There are some key things that I think are important to work on in order to see the big picture.
Firstly, always remember that being healthy and fit is not a black and white scenario. A lot of us tend to think in terms of our specific goals and whether or not we have reached them, which can be limiting. It is equally as important to acknowledge the journey as it is to acknowledge the destination; perhaps even more so. While you may have specific goals in mind, whether it be related to weight, fitness level, distances etc. there will always be things you can improve on but also, things you are doing well. This is not to say that you shouldn’t set goals for yourself because I believe that goals are super important; I’m just saying it is even better to have goals AND acknowledge smaller triumphs regardless of the fact that they may not be the ultimate achievement you’re working towards. For this reason I think it’s very important to acknowledge that everything is not black and white – you are not unfit or fit, healthy or unhealthy, ‘perfect’ weight or ‘non-perfect’ weight. There are many ‘in-betweens’ that are also important to celebrate.
Secondly, allow yourself to indulge from time to time. Remember not to be too hard on yourself. As a person who is interested in nutrition and fitness and therefore likely knows a lot about it, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it isn’t acceptable to allow yourself to indulge. In terms of food, treats every once in a while are okay. There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to go ahead and have that cookie or cake or whatever it may be that floats your boat in that moment. Am I saying to do this every single day or push yourself into an all out binge? No, of course not, but, having a treat every once in a while will not hinder your performance or stop you from reaching your goals. Heck, it may even get you there faster by allowing you to feel satisfied and avoid those all out binges.
The same goes for fitness, but with a twist. For this I’d say listen to your body. Having a set routine and planned workouts are great, and trust me, I know that they can help you stay on track, but, if you’re finding that for whatever reason, one day you’re in the workout and it just isn’t feeling right then change it up. If your plan was to run but it’s not feeling right maybe hit the pool or the elliptical that day. If you’re truly exhausted and the weights are just killing you, maybe take it down a notch for that day. Your body will tell you everything you need to know. I’m definitely not saying that every time you feel a little tired or a little sore to throw in the towel and call it a day, but just keep in mind what feels normal and what feels off.
Thirdly, remember to put your nutrition and fitness goals into context with the rest of your life. Your health goals need to fit with the rest of your life, and you need to see that they are only a part of the picture. You also need to realise that day to day slip-ups and pitfalls are not going to hurt you in the long run. This one for me is the hardest, and that is why I put it last. It can be really difficult to hit a snag in training, or nutrition, and realise that in the end, it will still be okay. That particular day maybe you aren’t going to reach your goal, or maybe it will take you slightly longer to reach your goal, but that minor snag must never define your self image, because honestly, down the line you may not even remember it.
By putting your nutrition and fitness goals into context of the rest of your life you can start to use the pitfalls and slip-ups as motivators. When you hit one of those pitfalls ask yourself “in ten years will my life be altered by this?”, if the answer is “no” then just move on, if the answer if “yes” then find a way to get yourself back on track; it may not be exactly what you wanted but it will still be rewarding.
As you can probably imagine, these steps are interrelated. Improving in any one of these areas will help you with the others and will help you see the big picture.
That’s all for now lovelies!
-Sam
Be Bright. Be Bold. Be You
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Tell us:
Do you ever have trouble seeing the big picture?
What strategies do you use to put your nutrition and fitness goals into context?
Have you tried David’s Tea Summer Collection yet? If you have, which is your favourite summer tea?
AvantAudrey 