Listen to Your Body

I didn't work out today.

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. ... thought through my options ... and rolled back over until about 7 a.m.

I was just so tired. The weekend didn't leave me refreshed, as it should have. We did a fair amount of running. I didn't sleep worth a darn, even after going to bed early last night. And I just didn't have any "me" time to get my head straight.

So this morning, I listened to what my body was saying. And I caught another 40 winks.

A year ago, I would have worried that skipping a day would send me down a slippery slope. Six months ago, six weeks ago ... I would have had similar fears. But today, I felt in control of it somehow.

But it wasn't a reflexive or mindless "hit the snooze button" moment.

Before making the decision, I considered what my whole week was going to look like, from both an exercise and eating perspective. I knew I had no reason coming down the pike to miss or cut short a workout. I also went over the contents of my refrigerator in my head to make sure I was stocked with good stuff for the week and reviewed my work schedule to make sure there were no group lunches or dinners that would cause issues.

I briefly wavered when I thought of all I ate yesterday ... all that salty ham and those mashed potatoes. But I reminded myself that one day of eating off program isn't going to send me to plus sizes tomorrow.

To be honest, the "confidence" I felt in making the decision also makes me nervous.

My point is pay attention to YOU. Spend some time getting to know what you want. Take some time to feel what you're feeling and think what you're thinking. Because once you know that, you can't psyche yourself out.

It's taken me over a year to get there. So be patient with yourself, too.