75 Hard Attempt #5 Day 1: The First Test of My New Morning Routine
Well...
Here we are.
Day one of Attempt Number Five.
I woke up around 5:40 a.m. on a Sunday.
Crazy, right?
The first thing I did was reach over and grab the 30-ounce bottle of water I'd left on my nightstand the night before.
No getting out of bed.
No coffee first.
No thinking.
Just drink the water.
Exactly the way I'd planned it.
After that, I pulled my tarot card for the day.
It was the Eight of Cups.
I couldn't help but smile.
To me, tarot isn't about predicting the future.
It's about giving me something to reflect on.
The Eight of Cups is about walking away from what no longer aligns.
Yesterday I wrote about letting go of unfinished projects and trying to stop carrying the weight of everything I thought I should have already finished.
So pulling that card on Day One felt like the perfect reminder.
Release it.
Move forward.
Then I took my progress photos and sat down to write yesterday's blog.
Now, I know it's Day One.
Morning routines are always exciting on Day One.
The real test isn't today.
The real test is whether I'm still doing this two weeks from now, when the excitement has worn off and it's just another Tuesday.
That's when routines prove whether they're actually systems or just good intentions.
By six o'clock I was out the door for my 45-minute walk before the heat settled in.
Luckily, my partner decided to come with me.
I always enjoy walking with him.
He's incredibly supportive of the things I want to accomplish.
He may not always understand why I dream up another project, another challenge, or another goal, but he's usually right there asking how he can help.
Having someone who believes in you like that is something I never take for granted.
We got home just before seven and sat on the deck with our coffee.
Mine was black.
Instant coffee, actually.
After a couple weeks of white mochas and pistachio lattes...
It tasted terrible.
I won't lie.
But sometimes your taste buds need a little reminder of who's in charge.
Breakfast was my norm.
Two eggs over medium.
Two Jimmy Dean turkey sausage links.
Half an avocado.
We were out of sourdough, so half a bagel had to do.
Not perfect.
But good enough.
Around 8:30 my alarm went off.
Time for another 30 ounces of water.
One thing I'm trying differently this time is drinking my water in dedicated blocks instead of constantly sipping all day.
It only takes me about ten or fifteen minutes to finish a bottle, and surprisingly, I haven't been running to the bathroom every half hour like I was before.
Sometimes the answer isn't changing what you do.
It's changing how you do it.
After breakfast I taught my 9 am yoga flow.
Originally, I planned to paint one of the rooms in the house and work on my business for a little while.
But I could tell my partner really wanted some one-on-one time together.
So I changed my plans.
Sometimes the projects can wait.
The relationship shouldn't always have to.
Around 11:30 we climbed into the 1981 Corvette and took a drive through the backroads to Konocti Harbor Resort on Clear Lake for lunch.
There isn't any air conditioning in that car.
And it was 103 degrees outside.
Let's just say if I didn't make it to the sauna today, the Corvette made up for it.
Lunch overlooked the lake.
My choices that fit my nutrition plan were pretty limited, so I ordered the Green Goddess salad with chicken instead of the chicken wrap.
Not because I can't have carbs.
I just knew I had better options waiting for me later in the day.
By lunch I'd already finished 90 ounces of water.
That might have been the biggest win of the day.
Before we left for our drive, I set an alarm on my phone for 2:00 p.m. to remind me to drink my fourth 30-ounce bottle.
That would leave me with just the last 10 ounces to finish with dinner.
Breaking it up into scheduled chunks instead of constantly sipping all day made it feel so much more manageable.
It turns out I wasn't struggling to drink enough water.
I was struggling with when to drink it.
That's probably the biggest victory of the day.
After lunch we picked up a few groceries for the week before heading home.
One of the things on my August Embodiment Calendar was to make blackberry jam.
So I finally did it.
A sugar-free blackberry jam.
I'm still not convinced it's perfect.
It's a bit tart.
But I'm already looking forward to making banana pancakes later this week just so I have an excuse to eat it.
Dinner was turkey stuffed bell peppers.
They're packed with ground turkey, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, onions, garlic, marinara, and just enough rice to hold everything together.
Healthy food doesn't have to be boring.
It just has to taste good enough that you'll make it again.
I've included the full recipe at the end of this post if you'd like to make them yourself.
After dinner we took the kayaks out onto the lake for my second workout.
This is one of those moments where I stop and remember how lucky I am.
I always joke that we live at summer camp.
Because it really does feel that way.
As we paddled around the lake there were couples sitting on paddleboards and kayaks waiting for the sunset together.
It was simple.
Quiet.
Beautiful.
The kind of evening you don't realize you'll remember until it's already becoming a memory.
I ended up finishing my planned gallon with dinner, but I was still thirsty, so I poured myself another glass and drank an extra 15 ounces before bed.
That was actually kind of encouraging.
Instead of scrambling to chug a gallon at nine o'clock at night, I had stayed ahead of my hydration all day.
By the time I crawled into bed around 9:30, I wasn't forcing myself to hit a number—I was simply drinking because I was thirsty.
That's exactly what I was hoping this new system would do.
Today's Lesson
The first day of a new beginning isn't about proving anything.
It's about proving your systems work.
Today they did.
Now I just have to keep showing up tomorrow.
Healthy Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers
A high-protein, veggie-packed dinner that's become one of my favorite meal-prep recipes.
Servings: 8 stuffed peppers
Ingredients
8 large bell peppers
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 zucchini, finely diced
8 oz mushrooms, finely diced (about ½ of a small carton)
2–3 cups baby spinach
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup cooked rice (white or brown)
⅔ cup marinara sauce
1–2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (for topping)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (light sprinkle)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Prepare the peppers.
Slice the tops off the bell peppers.
Remove the seeds and membranes.
Lightly brush the outside with olive oil.
Place them upright in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Cook the rice if you don't already have leftover rice.
Make the filling.
Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet.
Sauté the onion, garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms for about 5–7 minutes, until softened.
Add the ground turkey and cook until browned.
Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.
Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Mix in the ⅔ cup marinara sauce and ½ cup cooked rice.
Stuff the peppers.
Remove the peppers from the oven.
Fill each pepper generously with the turkey mixture.
Sprinkle the tops with a little gluten-free panko and a light dusting of Parmesan cheese.
Bake.
Cover the baking dish with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes so the topping becomes lightly golden.
Serving Suggestions
These are delicious on their own, but they're also great with:
A simple green salad
Roasted vegetables
Fresh fruit
A dollop of plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
Meal Prep Tip
This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and reheats beautifully, making it perfect for lunches or busy weeknight dinners. The filling can also be made a day ahead to make dinner even easier.
Heather's Note:
This is one of those recipes that reminds me healthy food doesn't have to be bland or complicated. It's packed with vegetables, high in protein, and hearty enough that I never feel like I'm missing out. It's definitely earned a permanent spot in my dinner rotation.
