The Kat Files

Happy Monday, dear reader! Today is the halfway point of my June challenge. Overall, I feel good about the strides I have made since starting this challenge, and I want to share with you my progress from last week.

[Time Track the entire month. Eliminate scrolling mindlessly on social media.] I successfully tracked my time for the entire second week of June. I documented 5 hours and 50 minutes of specifically playing on my phone and scrolling on social media. YES! I scrolled 2 hours and 38 minutes LESS than last week. Admittedly, that is still A LOT of wasted time, but it is better than the week before, and I am hoping this week will be even less. I think time tracking is really helping me break this bad habit.

[Keep a food journal for the entire month. Primary focus is to cut out added sugar and sugary processed foods.] I am continuing to do well with recording the food and beverages that I am eating and drinking, their sugar content as well as their added sugar content.

I am excited to share that I was below my recommended daily allowance of added sugar (25 grams) EVERY single day last week with Sunday being my highest consumption at 18.04 grams of added sugar. It was a much easier week for me regarding sugar cravings. I am making better choices and craving sugar less and less with each passing day. I did bump up the amount of honey (from 1 tsp to 2 tsps) when drinking black tea, and I am enjoying it much more. I did look up some other alternative sweeteners at Wal-Mart on Friday evening (monk fruit and agave), but their sugar content is the same as honey, so I will stick with honey for the time being.

[Try to cook at least 2 recipes that are high protein/low carb or no carb.] No new recipe.

[Add running intervals to walking routine at least 3 days per week.] I did NOT add any running intervals to my walking last week. In fact, my knees were bothering me so much that I stopped walking outside for my daily walk on Tuesday and just recorded my daily steps for the remainder of the week. I acknowledge, I could have walked on the treadmill, but I did not feel like it.

On Friday, I did experience pain in my knees while doing the split squat/split lunge exercise in the Accelerator workout. I believe that exercise is what initially injured my knees in that Lower Body Workout. I have only done that exercise twice with two different instructors, and both times, it caused pain in the inside of my knees. I will not be doing that particular exercise again.

[Complete gut protocol (Spa728).] I continue to do well with taking my daily gut protocol.

[Complete BODI For Beginners Only Block 5.] I completed Week 2. ⭐

[Get a massage.] I scheduled my appointment for Friday, 19 June.

[Declutter/Organize Scrapbook Room to prep for annual scrapbooking event this month with friends.] I finished decluttering half of my scrapbook room which allows me to start prepping and packing for my upcoming scrapbooking event.

[Work on establishing a consistent Wake-Up time.] I continue to struggle with this goal. The earliest I got up last week was 5:57 AM (Thursday) while the latest was 6:38 AM (Sunday).

[Find a primary care physician that aligns with my healthcare goals. Started this process in May.] Finding a primary care physician and an endocrinologist is proving to be harder than I anticipated. I looked into a primary care physician that was recommended to me, but that physician does not take insurance. I looked into endocrinologists covered by my insurance, and the ones with good ratings will require me to travel at least an hour. Therefore, I think I am going to reach out to my gynecologist, who has ordered bloodwork for me in the past and see if she will write orders for me to get bloodwork. I could kick myself for not getting it done in March when I went for my annual well-woman visit.

Well, dear reader, another brief update on how I am doing with my June challenge. As you can see from week two, I am making good progress with a few of my goals, okay progress with a few others, and no progress with a couple of them. I will continue tracking my time, my habits and routines, as well as my sugar consumption. Hopefully, I can push through the stumbling blocks that I am encountering this month. Happiness!

“Progress comes with practice, and practice comes with purpose. Know your “why.”” ~ Melissa Steginus