Getting Fit for Disney Week 5

Ok, because I promised to keep it 100% real, 100% authentic about this fitness journey.

Today, the check in for the last week of January, I was going to talk about my Fitbit. It seemed like the logical choice, since so much of our time together is now spent obsessing over steps. But I stumbled upon a more pressing issue I wanted to discuss. The Fitbit can wait.

Let’s talk about motivation. Specifically, powering forward when you have none.

Friday morning I did not want to go to the gym. DID. NOT. WANT. TO. GO. I was tired. The Teacup is teething, the Frying Pan is night potty training, and I was experiencing *whispers* women’s troubles. I was cranky, bloated, and desperately craving a breakfast burrito. Did not want to go.

Then I got a text from my friend who was supposed to come with to the gym. It read: “I so badly want to cancel on the gym tomorrow.” Zut alors! I also wanted so badly to cancel on the gym tomorrow. What are the odds. But before I could reply, “Me too! Canceled!” I remembered something I wanted more.  More than wanting to cancel on the gym, I wanted to be able to hold my 20+ pound child on a 30 minute bus ride from the Magic Kingdom to our hotel at 10pm without my arms feeling like wet noodles. More than wanting to cancel on the gym, I wanted to not be winded as we raced across Tommorrowland and Main Street, USA to get to our Splash Mountain FastPass on time. I said I wanted to do the work and, even in my moments of mom induced exhaustion, I still want that more than I want to cancel on the gym.

So I woke up Friday morning and I pulled on my saddest gray sweatshirt and I got to the gym feeling like garbage, but I got there. And I did my squats and I did my push ups and I did my biceps curls and I didn’t die. I was still tired, my  kid was still teething, I still really wanted a burrito, but I didn’t cancel my workout.

It seems to me that getting fit for Disney is actually a lot like Saving for Disney. It’s a long term commitment. It’s about the small, everyday choices you make that add up to a big difference. Just like you don’t earn all your Disney Fund in four weeks, you’re not all of a sudden able to do the Princess 10K just because you want to be fitter. It takes dedication and determination. It takes patience. It takes reminders that castles aren’t built in a day.

If you’re on this fit journey with me, I hope you’re motivating yourself and you’re buckling in for the long haul. I hope your determination isn’t wavering and you are having no problem getting to the gym, making your step goals. But if you’re like me, and you just wanted a cozy blanket and some Disney+ when what you needed was lunges and planks, I want you to hear this: you can do it! This week is not as easy as last week, and that’s ok! You’re doing great! All we can do is take it one step at a time and remember that our long term goals are way better than the temporary relief we get at canceling. I’m setting ANOTHER rule for myself on this journey. No canceling goals, no giving up on dreams. Push through the temporary discomfort for the long term benefits. In the words of Captain Marvel: higher, further, faster.

Week 5

January 27th-February 2nd

• Monday, Jan 27th: 5,058
• Tuesday: Jan 28th: 4,727
• Wednesday, Jan 29th: 5,465
• Thursday, Jan 30th: 4,869
• Friday, Jan 31st: 9,631
• Saturday, Feb 1st: 3,211
• Sunday, Feb 2nd: 7,167

Weekly Step Goal: 35,000

Total Steps: 40,128

Best Day: Friday with 9,631 steps! Look at that. All I wanted to do was cuddle in close on my cozy couch and that ended up being my best step day.

One month down, friends! I was originally thinking I would up my step goal each month, and I think that will be the case once we get through February. I’m still trying to find a balance on days where I am not at the gym or chasing girls around (hi, Saturday!) And I don’t want to coast through my step goals by having one or two really good days and then a bunch of mediocre days. So I am adjusting my February goals. My immediate goal for next week is to have more steps EVERY day of next week than I did the week before. So this past Saturday was 3,211. My goal is to have more that 3,211 steps this coming Saturday. And so on and so forth for each day of the week. The goal here is consistency and keeping with the theme of pushing through even when I don’t exactly want to be pushed. Assuming I can hit those goals, in March we’ll up it to 6,000 steps a day!

How do you keep your eyes focused on the prize? Share your best strategies with me in the comments!

Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!