Carry On: How to Start Where You Are
You’ve probably heard some version of this statement before: don’t wait until life slows down to make a change, because you’ll be waiting forever. And yet, sitting here in a forced pause after shoulder surgery, I understand the urge to wait for a quieter time. Bottom line, it is easier to focus on your health when you have less on your plate.
Now, I’m not advocating that we all wait for the ideal moment to pounce on a change, but let’s get real about what it takes to prioritize our fitness and nutrition.
First, if you are struggling to make a change, you are likely not “undisciplined.” When life gets overloaded by stressors, something tends to give, and the first thing on the chopping block is often acts of wellness. A workout gets skipped due to work demands, sweets are eaten to “get through,” and a daily walk becomes a herculean effort with everything else going on.
This dynamic is especially true in midlife, when the pressures stack up quickly. You may have kids who need you, aging parents who require more time and attention, work that keeps growing, and, to top it off, your own body is begging for more TLC than it used to. The cards are stacking up against your efforts, and you might blame yourself for not being able to keep up. Don’t.
To find a way forward, take an honest look at the landscape of your life. Maybe the first thing to address is sleep. We cannot consistently work out and eat well in a state of chronic fatigue. Maybe it is stress. Constantly having too much to do and not enough time takes a toll. Maybe before you get down on yourself for not “being able to” meal prep on Sunday, you need to ask whether your current life setup makes that kind of precision realistic.
The truth is, sometimes people need to be pulled out of their normal environment to reset. It is part of why rehab, retreats, and health ranches can work. They remove you from the habits, demands, and triggers that have been keeping you stuck. When you are there, all you need to do is focus on the task at hand - your health! You get a leg up.
But eventually, a person needs to go home. And if you have not figured out how to navigate your actual life in a healthier way, you are dropped right back into the same setup that wore you down in the first place.
If part of you is waiting for things to settle down before making a change, I get it. That feeling is valid. It really is easier to make a change if your days are not packed cheek-to-jowl.
But there’s a risk in waiting too long, and our health can sit on the back burner for years unless something forces the issue.
If you’re blaming yourself for “not being able to get it together”, stop. Instead, productively consider what may have to go so you can take care of yourself properly. Is there something that you are holding onto that is getting in the way? What would need to change so you could regularly eat well, work out, get a daily walk in, go to bed earlier, or (fill in blank with what came to mind).
If your setup keeps working against you, no amount of effort will fix it. At some point, something has to give.
If this post resonated with you, take some time today to decide what truly matters. Clear space for it.
And carry on!
Restorative Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
2 cups dry quinoa
4 cups bone broth (or water)
1 lb ground pork (or another ground meat, tofu works too!)
1 tsp olive oil
1 bag coleslaw mix (cabbage + carrots)
1 cup frozen edamame
1–2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen, chopped small)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2–3 tbsp soy sauce
Green onions, sliced
Sriracha (to taste)
Directions
Cook the quinoa
Add quinoa and bone broth to a pot.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 12–15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it sit 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.Cook the pork
Heat oil in a large pan.
Add ground pork, break it up, and cook until browned.
Remove and set aside.Cook the vegetables
In the same pan, add onion, garlic, coleslaw mix, edamame, and broccoli.
Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.Add quinoa
Add cooked quinoa and soy sauce.
Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes.Bring it together
Return pork to the pan.
Stir well and heat through.Finish
Top with green onions and a dash of sriracha.
