August Goals

I can’t believe it’s already August. It seems like summer has just started here in Portland. The weather is finally consistently nice enough to enjoy outdoor activities and I love it!

I set the bar pretty low for July because I knew that I’d be really busy with a few vacations. How did I do for July?

July Goals

1. Commute to work by bike whenever I can. YES!

2. Practice getting in long rides on weekends. Yes, most weekends did include bike rides.

3. Incorporate more free weights in my workouts. Yes, that’s part of my normal routine now.

4. Enjoy the summer! Most definitely.

5. Read more books (I already read like 3 a week but I’m hungry for more!).  I’ve read some really great ones lately.

July was a challenge for a lot of reasons. The biggest challenge was the food. Between birthdays, parties, out of town guests, festivals, camping, road trips and family reunions it was like everything revolved around food. Potlucks. BBQs. Brewfest. I believe I made good choices, splurging on things that I really wanted– but within moderation. I don’t think I really went overboard on any of the food or drink choices I made other than the frequency of the indulgences.

Summer is a challenge time because of all these temptations. The weather is nice. I want to hang out with friends and family and food is always going to be the focus of those events. The biggest gift I can give myself each summer is the permission to enjoy it. That does NOT mean bingeing on everything in sight. That does not mean avoiding all the “fun food” and only eating the “diet” food. Fun food can be healthy too.

So I balance the indulgences with the exercise choices I make. I go for long bike rides and strenuous hikes that challenge my body. I challenge myself by swimming and lifting weights. And after I indulge (like at weekend trips and BBQs) I get right back on track when I get home. Back to “normal” eating. Like grilled chicken thighs and corn on the cob with butter and chili pepper:

Or how about my absolute favorite steak dinner with fresh zucchini from our garden:

All good meals! And they taste good without being high in calories.

August Goals

1. Continue the Scale-Free Summer. There have been a few times where I was tempted to weigh myself. Going scale-free was a struggle at first but sometime in July I seemed to find a comfortable oblivion to the scale. I stopped thinking about it all the time and stopped feeling anxious about whether or not I gained weight.

2. Go on long bike rides training for the Portland Century.

3. Relax more. I tend to go-go-go and never really have any downtime. I want to enjoy my summer!

I think that’s doable.

QUESTION: What is your biggest challenge in the summertime? What are your August Goals?