Before I start today’s post I wanted to take a second to thank each and every one of you that comes back time and again to my blog and follows along on this journey. Zachary and I are so appreciative of all of your love and support every day, but we are particularly thankful for all the love we received on  about us buying our first home! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Now, today’s post is all about finding that balance. I’m not just talking about food/diet or sleep, I’m talking about the bigger picture here. It’s great if you’re eating right, but if you’re not getting enough sleep then you’re probably still going to feel crappy. I know I do. For me it’s finding a balance between it all that makes me feel the best! If you’re expecting a fitness post or a guide on how to measure out your meals then you’re in the wrong place. I’m definitely not the perfect spokes girl for either of those (lol). But I’m happy! Read on for what works for me.

Finding Your Balance in the Kitchen

I am one of those people that LOVES fruits and vegetables. I crave them actually! But that’s not to say I don’t also crave spaghetti and meatballs, because I do! For me it’s all about finding a healthy balance of it all when I’m eating. I try to look at it meal by meal, but also week to week (does that even make sense?). When I’m making dinner I usually grab a protein and some vegetables and mix it together. Sometimes I also make rice or pasta, but lately it’s chicken plus whatever veggies I have in the fridge. Now say we go out to lunch the next day with friends and I get tatter tots or a burger, then later that day I’ll be more conscience of what I’m eating and try to eat balance that out with a salad for dinner. Then for the rest of the week I’ll try to keep more towards the protein and veggie dinner rather than any other “splurges”. Same goes with snacking, I keep almond butter and rice cakes at my desk. Sometimes I also have dried fruit and/or trail mix. I keep things near me that are moderately healthy for me to graze on throughout the day, but I often find myself in the break room grabbing a pack of fruit snacks because I can’t resist! On those days it’s a definite no on any other sugary snacks later that evening. I carry over this way of thinking even to what liquids I’m consuming. I carry a camelback water around with me everywhere and drink it all day. I limit my soda intake as much as possible (i.e. maybe 1-2 diet coke a week). I drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, sometimes I drink it black, and other times I add almond milk and some (much healthier than a starbucks caramel machiatto, which I love)!

Getting the Right Amount of Sleep

As I’ve gotten older I’ve completely lost my ability to run on 5 or less hours of sleep. In high school I used to stay up so late doing homework and have to wake up at 6AM, now that I am an old lady I know my body needs at least 8 hours of sleep. I’ve also become more in tune with what my body is telling me and I’ve found that if I start the week off on staying up late on Sunday and/or Monday night then I will be over tired and groggy for the rest of the week which is no fun. So I alway make it a priority to start the week off right. Also, I’ve found that sticking to a sleep schedule even on the weekends is beneficial, i.e. still setting that alarm on Saturday. I usually set mine for someone between 8 and 9:30am on the weekends. I don’t want to oversleep to much because then my body get all out of whack. Play around with these items and you’ll find that your body is actually telling you what it wants and that is a consistent amount of sleep each night. So if that means forcing yourself to go to bed at decent hour then turn off that show, close your laptop, etc. Do what you have to in order to get your rest. This is a huge factor in your wellness! On nights when I have something I’m working on and I see it’s getting to be too late, I close down my laptop at a reasonable hour and then try to wake up a little early in the morning to finish it if it can’t wait until the next afternoon. If you give yourself a consistent amount of sleep every week you will surely start to feel better and have more energy!

Exercising is Fun They Say

Most forms of exercise are torturously boring to me. There is nothing more boring to me than being on a treadmill or an elliptical for 45+ minutes. I can’t stand it! I would so much rather be running or biking outdoors. I don’t have any sort of regiment when it comes to working out, maybe one day, but I do try to do something to get moving a few times a week. Sometimes I take the dogs on a run with me, because that is fun for me to bring along my furry BFFs! Sometimes I use our stationary bike we have in the house, other times I turn on a yoga video (the dogs always get all up in my space whenever I exercise on the ground like this), or do some core workouts on the yoga mat also. I wish I enjoyed the gym, but I do not. I go through phases of signing up and going for awhile, but then I remember how much I hate it so I stop going. I would love to find a work out class that I enjoy, but for now I prefer outdoors or in the comfort of my home and that’s totally fine! Everyone is different, just make sure you’re moving! Take a friend (dog or human) along next time if you need some motivation!

Warner’s Bralette (comes in seven colors!) // // //

I hope this inspires you to not obsess over one aspect or another thinking that it will lead you to perfection, and instead aim to lead a well-rounded and healthy life for you!