Fall is in the Air

Summer is simply the best, I think we can almost all agree, but fall isn't too far behind in the favorite season category for most of us.  Fall, especially in Northern Michigan as absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.  The weather is amazing and the colors are gorgeous.  As the temps cool of, sadly we put away the swimsuits and watch our tans fade away.  The good ol football hoodies become a daily favorite.  Along with the weather and wardrobe change come a huge schedule change for those of us with kids.  Back to the daily routine of alarm clocks, packing lunches and snacks, after school taxiing and activities, dinner, and homework all to go to bed and do it all over again the next day.  Not going to lie, but with an 8th grader, 5th grader, and 3rd grader I was kind of looking forward to putting these crazy girls back into a routine.  Although their new routine also changes up my routine A LOT!  This is the time of year where everyone gets incredibly busy and overwhelmed with activities, the comfy cushy clothes come back out, we get exhausted, then naturally put ourselves on the back burner.  No longer are you trying to eat as healthy, you are slipping into those cozy clothes, you aren't making your workout time a priority in your busy schedule, and you slip FAST.  You know as well as I do, a week or two off while you are trying to get into the fall grove and suddenly its a week, next a month, then a year goes by and you slipped away.  Right now the gyms are slow, the local trails for biking and running are nearly abandon, and everyone is trying to figure out what and how to eat during this in between of summer BBQ and winter comfy food. 

You are missing out on the best time of the year to workout!!!!!

The heat of the summer has now passed, the humidity is nearly gone, and you can't beat the amazing color change outside!  Now is the time to get out and hike or mountain bike through the woods on nature trails, or get on the road bike or your sneakers on for a good cool jog or ride.  I know you are CRAZY busy, but you are missing out on SO MUCH of you let fall slip away from you.  Most importantly, make the time for yourself and make it a priority.  You may think you are being a good parent by carting your kids to their activities while staying on top of the important responsibilities of the household, but if you are doing these things while being crabby from a lack of exercise (which you know makes you a much happier person) then you are really not being a good parent at all.  The happiness you carry within you is the most important thing you give to them every single day.  For years and year and even still today I hear the same ol question, "why do you workout so hard?  Are you training for something?"  My answer, "heck yes I'm training for something...it's called life!"  "I'm training hard because I need to keep my sanity even more so than my physical fitness."  "I'm training because I have three daughters at home watching me."  "I'm training so that when one of my daughters coaches needs a fill-in on the soccer field or basketball court, I can get out there and play with them."  These are the reasons I train.   Training is not about vanity, and I need to make this a REALLY big point to those that think "gym people" are so vain.  There is a really good chance that people that think "gym people" are vain, have never really stepped foot inside of a commercial gym.  Most of us there are not supporting a six-pack set of abs and watching ourselves in the mirror nonstop.  If you have ever seen any of my workouts, then you know the level at which I am working, and I don't have the shredded bod to show off because quite frankly I like to eat and eat a lot.  The workouts are about my sanity, the athletic build is just a positive side-effect. 

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Be a Priority
Make the Time
Don't put yourself last
Don't make EXCUSES
Get FIT    Stay FIT
BE HAPPY

Things to help you out.
Start getting your life organized.  You have had a week, maybe a few more, since the kids have been back in school.  That week was your week off.  Today, start getting organized and making a plan for this fall/school year. 
Set some fall goals or have a Fall Bucket List.  For example: write down three different places that you want to hike and three different places that you want to ride your bike for the month of September.  Get those miles in outside before the snow flies, plus the temps are perfect and the scenery is breathtaking. 
Make meal plans, menus, and shopping lists.  Nothing seems to be more time consuming and obnoxious then trying to decide what to make for dinner, plus making or buying enough food for school lunches, and lets not forget the million and one trips to the grocery store.  Pick a day that you are going to spend 30 minutes or so on meal planning.  Make a list of what you need from the store.  Get the grocery shopping done early.  I try to plan meals throughout the school year that are army sized.  A meal that will be dinner and school lunch for the next day or two.  Here's a helpful tip, give your kids little menu's to fill out.  You can find tons of different menu printables online.  Let them put some ideas down, plus anything extra they might need from the store on your next tip (like hairspray for your teenage daughter, or glue sticks for your third grader) so you don't have to make all of those extra trips for them.  You don't need to use their exact menu, but pull ideas from them, it cuts down on your brainstorming for meals. 
Map out your weeks activities and pencil in your workout times.  Nothing will pass you by faster than an workout time.  "oops, I miss the gym AGAIN (5 years later)."  You need to either get your bootie out of bed in the am before the kiddos wake up or be darn well disciplined in slipping that workout in before the evening settles.  Like I said, I get it...you are super busy, I am super busy,  Jack and Jill are super busy - MAKE THE TIME!  One hour in your day is NOT impossible.  One week of waking up a hour early and it then becomes a much easier habit. 
Make weekends about Active Family Time.  Those hikes, jogs, bike rides, etc can be done as a family.  Include your kids, your spouse, maybe a sibling, parent, or friend.  My husband and I are both strapped for time these days, so instead of date night this last Saturday evening at a restaurant, we went for a bike ride instead.  We had a little alone time, got our exercise in, and had a great time together.  How often to do tell friends that you need to hangout more?  Plan a hike together!  GET MOVING
WINTER IS COMING   I know it's the last thing people want to hear, for me anyway.  Please don't get swept away in the winter weight wonderland.  If you slip on your jeans from last spring and they are snug, don't switch them out for cozy leggings and blow it off.  Work to get into those jeans darn it!  I love leggings just as much as the next lady, but seriously there is no accountability in leggings.  Those puppies are going to fit at 135lbs or 165lbs.  The big bulky sweatshirts and sweaters do an amazing job a covering up what under them, but don't settle for that anymore. 
                  Keep working out     Keep Eating Healthy     Keep setting Goals and Slaying Them

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