Reading my articles each week may lead you to believe that I've really got my act together. So, I wanted to write a blog to be really honest with you all about the things that I struggle with.
I feel like when I put out content each week about how to eat better, how to sleep better, how to have less stress in your life, how to move in a more ideal way, that everyone thinks that I am able to do all of these things all of the time.
Let me be the first to tell you that that is just not the case. I am completely human, and I am doing my best, but I am definitely not able to follow all of my own advice all of the time.
So.... in no particular order, here are some of the things that I do or think about that are not perfectly aligned with the weekly blogs that I send out.
Don't Apologize
I have patients that come in and apologize to me for "falling off the wagon with their diet." or "cheating" on when it comes to eating healthy foods. I want to let you know that I do not judge you or think of you any differently based on which foods you choose to eat. In my opinion, there is no such thing as "cheating" on your diet. To cheat, is taking an unfair advantage of something. It's just food. With each meal, we make a choice on how we are going to feed our body. We can choose more nutrient dense food or less nutrient dense food. It is not something that any of us need to have guilt or shame around.
Eating
Our family gets busy and orders pizza, tacos, and Thai food. No, we don't cook every single meal from scratch with real, whole food ingredients. There is probably 1 night every week or 2 that we have no plan for dinner, it is late, and these are our go tos! I figure if we eat well most of the time, we are doing great and getting the nutrients that we need!
Sleep
My children wake me up in the middle of the night.... just about every single night. One is nursing at night still, and the others wander into my room at least a few times a week. I try to prioritize sleep, but sometimes it is a struggle.
Movement
I haven't done a "good workout" where I get sweaty since I was pregnant with Madison in 2020. Yes, I move. I go for walks. I sometimes pull up a quick yoga video on my phone or have a kitchen dance party with my kids... but a planned workout... at a gym... with weights has not happened! I know that this would be good for me, but I have yet to actually schedule it and make it a priority.
Hydration
Some days I drink more coffee than water. I know that being hydrated is incredibly important. I drink morning coffee as a habit, and afternoon coffee because I like something warm - at least that is what I tell myself. Even though I don't notice a strong effect from the caffeine, I think at some level I am likely using the caffeine as a pick me up.
Mindset
I have mom guilt. Sometimes I feel like I'm not spending enough time with my kids. Sometimes I feel like I'm not preparing them enough healthy meals for their lunches. Sometimes I worry that I am going to say or do something wrong that they will pick up on and will have poor long-term consequences for them.
Rest
Our family watches TV in the evening most nights for at least an hour. I know this doesn't fit with my values. I know that I don't want my kids to have too much screen time. Vegging on the couch feels easy and is a hard habit to break. If I think about it, I am tired. Working and raising 3 kiddos is a lot. (Yes, I realize that if I have the time for this, I have the time to get my workout in).
While I know there are things I can do better, I don’t beat myself up about it. I know I am human and am doing my best. So, I speak kindly to myself and that makes a world of difference! I encourage you to do the same. Don't beat yourself up about the things that you "should" be doing. Be kind to yourself, and remember that you are doing the best you can!
With love,
Dr. Jamie