Over the last 6 days, there’s been much walking—have you ever been to Ireland, there’s plenty of hills and fields and cliffs—and much, ahem, drinking.
See, my family likes to tell stories, reminisce about old
times, talk about what’s coming up (all 3 of my brothers are in transition right now, moving to new cities), challenge one another over religion and politics, and laugh a lot … over beers, all while speaking in an Irish accent—which may or may not sound more Australian? Anyway, the culture we grew up in was one where most social events take place with drinks. And obviously it’s a huge part of the Irish culture, too.
Well, as you know, I like
wine.
And sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and overdo it. But, as my practice is ongoing, I have some workarounds and things that I watch out for—mindfulness practices when it comes to drinking, like:
- I maintain a 1:1 ratio of water to alcohol. I learned this from my friend Jillian, with whom I did the #tetatrek, and Neghar is also always monitoring my water intake whenever we are out together, so now it is ingrained. I also always chug
at least 1L of plain water before bed.
- I stay mindful of how I’m feeling. My family likes to go all the way when they’re in celebration mode. As in, they like to stay until last call, until the last song is sung and the lights come on. Used to be me, too. But now? Over the years, the FOMO has waned and my practice is simply leaving whenever I am ready. So most nights, I clocked out early and it was fine.
- I keep my nutrition consistent. I opt for salads with
protein every time we dine out, and I limit the starches and desserts, mainly because I am doing alcohol instead. I might have a bite here or there, but my practice is #moderation365. Many of you have asked me about wine and how it lowers your inhibitions for food, so you’re often more likely to eat crap after you start drinking. For me, this is a practice in having healthier treats on hand, but that still satisfy. And practicing choosing them. For example, I have been eating from an 85% dark
chocolate bar for the last couple nights. I also will do half a Quest bar at the end of the night. I love the taste of these things so they don’t feel like a deprivation. Find something comparable for you. You have to actually like the taste of it though, if there’s any chance of choosing it over pizza.
- I have been exercising! Yes, instead of just coasting through the week and saying, “Why bother? I’m in vacation mode.” I’ve been getting in 20 minute workouts. Like this one.
I don’t let perfect be the enemy of good when it comes to exercise. I get in what I can and let that be enough. It has to be, or else I won't do anything. I know that consistency will trump everything else in
terms of long-term success so I try to average a workout every other day, wherever I am.
It’s not my usual way, and in fact, for the last few years, I’ve been adamantly “I don’t exercise while traveling” simply out of convenience, but seeing as though I have been on the road more than I haven’t this year, that had to change.
Annnnnnd, I am getting mentally ready for the JillFit #20x20Challenge which begins this Saturday! It’s a free workout
challenge for the month of August and I am inviting anyone who needs accountability and some new ideas for training to join me.
Over 1200 ladies have already signed up, which is effing awesome! Have you joined yet? Details below.
Here’s the deal:
Over the last 3 months, my training has been a leeeeetle bit half-ass, partially a combination of being in Europe for 8 weeks, but also because I haven’t been super excited about my workouts.
So, in an effort to get more consistent and shoot some excitement into my training, I am inviting you to join me to complete twenty 20-minute workouts during the month of
August.
That’s an average of 5 workouts a week.
And to be sure I getting enough out of them, I decided to make them shorter, and more intense, thus the 20-minute rule. Leisure walking and lower intensity activities are fine to throw in here and there, but I want to ramp up my intensity, via both weights and cardio, and I want you to join me.
- A workout calendar for the month of August, with some flexibility so you can make it work for your schedule, but ultimately, the key is averaging 5 workouts a week consistently
- 8 full-length 20-min video workouts you can download: some will be for the gym and others for at home
- 6 cardio PDF 20-min workouts for you to mix-and-match as
you wish
- A weekly coaching email with nutrition, training and mindset insights
- Participation on Instagram – this is an IG Challenge where I will be looking for your effort and interaction. This is how you and I will keep track of your 20 workouts throughout the month. See below for details on how to share.
- A chance to be featured on JillFit.com and the JillFit Facebook page. I will be choosing my favorite insights and shares on IG for recognition on the JillFit blog and
screenshots for Facebook.
- Everyone who completes the 20 workouts (as verified by their IG shares/hashtags) will be entered to win prizes, including gear, coaching and a year-long membership into the JillFit Total Training Experience.
NOTE: You do not have to use my workouts in order to participate if you have ones you like better, but the key is that they need to be 20 minutes and intense.
How you share on
IG:
I want to see your daily workouts. Your photo can be anything showing that, from a sweaty selfie to a photo of your gym to your chalked up hands to an Instaquote with an insight you gleaned from the workout. See sample images
here. I also want you to describe the workout, what you did (doesn’t have to be super detailed) and how you felt in the
description.
This will essentially act as an online training journal for you. THIS IS ALL ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. We get to keep one another accountable. There’s something about committing to something publicly and in a bigger way that puts us on the hook! And I love putting myself on the hook — it’s one of my main motivational/productivity strategies. So tell your friends and family you are doing this. Ask them to do it with you. Show up on Instagram every day
excited to share your progress and your consistency. Be an example to those around you and who follow you!
Be featured with JillFit: In order to be considered for a JillFit feature, be sure to EXPLAIN as much as possible in your descriptions. What workout are you doing? What do you love about it? What’s difficult for you? How does it make you feel? What’s the insight there? How are you helping those following you on IG better better and feel more
motivated?
In other words, you can write whatever you want, but if you just hashtag it #20×20Challenge #day1 and write nothing else, you’re not really teaching or giving insight or sharing, and it won’t be featured.
How to #hashtag stuff: in the description of the photo, you need to hashtag both #20x20Challenge and #day1 (or whatever day # you are currently on) so I can keep track of all your participation. You will go all the way
to #day20.
Some housekeeping: Go ahead and follow
@jillfit on IG. Unfortunately, you cannot participate for the prizes without having an Instagram account. I am not going to be keeping track of workouts elsewhere. It’s free to set up an account and you can just create one for the challenge if you don’t want to do anything else. Be sure your
account is set to Public and not Private/locked if you want me to see your workouts. I can’t see them otherwise. You can always make it private again after the challenge.
Check out some example IG posts
here. And register for the challenge
here.
Let me know if you have any questions and looking forward to seeing you on IG clocking your workouts!
Xo,
Jill
P.S. Want bonus points? Forward this email to a few friends who you think would enjoy the challenge too! It’s free after all, and the accountability of all of us doing it together will be awesome!
:)
