Last week I was all moany about how I couldn’t get to the gym, well this week is far more positive. This week I have a plan, good news, and a recipe!

First, the good news

Writing down my fitness streak is working. Although absolutely no one has cheered me on, with the lone exception of my friend Fred, I’ve managed to keep myself on track for a week with the simple knowledge that I’m on a streak.

The plan

Sometimes inspiration can come at odd moments, like when Fred asked me, “How long does it take you to get bored of a routine?” My first response was, “…. uh….” I should know this, right? Well, after thinking about it, I do. It goes something like this:

Week 1: Learn the routine to mastery. The challenge keeps me engaged until I have the form, speed, and everything down to correctness. I actually have a lot of fun with this stage of things because I’m not only competitive with myself to “get it”, but also laughing at my mistakes. It’s a great mix that keeps me interested in the activities and mindful of what I’m improving.

Week 2: Practise it at mastery level. I admit, I feel a bit smug here. I just mastered something, and I’m proud of myself. My form is perfect, my tempo perfect so that I’m getting results, and I feel great. It’s a good feeling, so I’m still good at this stage.

Week 3: Boredom strikes. Boredom strikes when I can no longer feel the improvement in my muscles, stamina, balance… whatever that I’ve had to master for the routine. This means it’s time to move on and try something new and challenging, even if that means adding a new variation or move to the routine I just mastered. It’s the small things.

While the timing isn’t exact, you get the point. Sometimes it takes me less time to reach that stage of boredom, other times longer. Either way, this is the process I go through from excited to boredom.

Boredom also strikes when I plan too rigorously, which is hilarious because I’m a list and plan fanatic. It’s like the sheer effort of saying, “I need to reach 60+ full body pushups” and working backward from there makes me start yawning and giving up. So, I’m not going to do it in a direct way. Instead, I’m just planning on having some fun.

The recipe

Vegan, gluten free, baked potato with guacamole and veggies. YUM!

Above is a creation of pure madness… or a love of using up leftovers in odd ways. In this case it was left over guacamole dip that we made for a Mexican Food Feast. I couldn’t stomach eating it with  chips, even homemade ones. So, I tried a variety of things, but the potato is one of my favourites as a light lunch or a side dish. Bonus: it’s vegan and gluten free!

The list:

• 1 medium potato
• 1 mini bell pepper , chopped
• 1 – 2 button mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of homemade guacamole dip

Bake or microwave the potato. When it’s done, add the toppings, serve and enjoy.

Nutritional info (estimated from ingredient list)

Calories: 224, Fat(g) 7.5, Carbs(g) 37.3, Protein(g) 4.2

Your turn. Can you make this recipe smarter and still as tasty? How about ways to keep defeating boredom for me to try?