Shredtember!
I am currently on Day 16 of Shredtember! I heard about it at the end of August from a friend of mine. I thought she had made it up but apparently it is a thing – search for the hashtag on Twitter & Instagram if you don’t believe me! It is basically a health and fitness craze in September where the traditional “back to school/college” time is seen similar to the new year. I personally am “shredding for a wedding” in November . I’m not going overboard , just trying to be more aware of what I’m eating and exercise more. For me the 1st of September really just gave me a date to stop making excuses.
My fresh start for the last 2 weeks has given me a focus and has involved the following:
1.) Better diet – I think the summer is a really hard time to be careful with food as I find I am constantly out and about. It’s even more difficult when the weather is nice with barbeques etc. So the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to cut out some of the crap, eat more fruit and veggies as well as getting more protein to help fill me up for more exercise. Don’t get me wrong – I am still having chocolate, alcohol etc. but just less than I was a few months ago!
2.) More exercise – trying to keep fit is generally part of my routine but again in the hotter months, it often gets skipped in place of beer gardens and other catch ups with friends etc. I’ve been doing some weight training recently for the first time and also trying to get back into running more frequently. Like with food, I haven’t gone crazy but I’m just more conscious of trying to do something daily and enjoying the mental and physical benefits of this.
Shredding however doesn’t have to be just about fitness and nutrition, it can be re-evaluating anything that is no longer serving you:
3.) Social media – I had originally intended to come off Facebook for the month. Hands up I haven’t stuck to it completely but I am limiting my exposure to it as I found I was beginning to waste a lot of time scrolling mindlessly through my feed and also sometimes getting into the comparison trap, i.e., looking at people having an apparently amazing time and comparing my life to theirs (even if I haven’t seen them for years!)
4.) Autumn clean – always take the opportunity when the seasons change to shred a charity bag full of clothes that you know you will never wear again!
5.) Relationships – are you spending time with the people that matter most? Often during the summer when we are here, there and everywhere it’s hard to keep up with family and close friends at the same time. As hibernation time comes around again, it is good to refocus on quality time with those you love.
What are you shredding this September? Whatever it is, I am here to help you refocus and reach your goals so just give me a shout.
Elaine x