75 Hard Day 8: Mother’s Day, Slow Moments & Making It Sustainable
Mother’s Day — Day 8.
Day 8 started slowly.
I slept until around 7 AM, which honestly felt amazing after the early mornings from the rest of the week.
When I woke up, I made myself a black Americano and eased into the morning.
No rushing.
No packed schedule.
Just a slow Mother’s Day start before teaching yoga on the lake at 9.
Lake Yoga + Slow Morning Energy
Teaching yoga on the lake always feels calming this time of year.
The air is fresh.
The water is peaceful.
Everything feels softer in the mornings.
And after class, I headed home for breakfast around 10:30.
Breakfast was:
2 eggs over medium
sourdough toast
avocado
strawberries
Simple, balanced, and exactly what sounded good after class.
Mother’s Day Lunch in Calistoga
The rest of the afternoon stayed relaxed.
Lunch ended up being around 1:30 at Sushi Mambo with my daughter.
We split:
teriyaki
a Mamba roll
a Pacifier roll
And splitting everything ended up being perfect because it let me enjoy the meal without feeling overly full afterward.
After lunch, we came home and just kind of piddled around the house in that relaxed holiday way.
No pressure to be productive.
Just resting.
Reading Earlier Is Working
One thing I’m noticing this week is that doing my reading earlier in the day works so much better for me.
Instead of forcing it late at night when I’m exhausted, it already feels done.
And mentally, that feels lighter.
Dinner Pivot + Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Dinner was originally supposed to be baked mahi-mahi with roasted vegetables.
But by the time dinner rolled around…
that sounded incredibly unappetizing.
So we pivoted.
Instead, I made seared mahi-mahi with Creole seasoning.
And for the side, I made something inspired by loaded fries.
Here in Northern California, loaded fries are everywhere.
Basically fries with all the toppings piled on top like nachos.
My favorite version has always been sweet potato fries.
So since we didn’t actually have fries, I cut sweet potatoes into chip-sized pieces and roasted them in the oven.
Then topped them with:
cilantro lime sauce
pico de gallo
jalapeños
And added the same cilantro lime sauce over the mahi-mahi too.
It ended up being one of my favorite meals this week.
Fresh. Filling. Flavorful.
And it still fit perfectly into the way I’ve been eating during this challenge.
Chocolate + Evening Walk
I had my square of dark chocolate after dinner.
Then I headed out for my walk.
I went back to Anderson Marsh State Historic Park again, but this time my daughter came with me.
And it was really nice getting to explore it together.
The weather was warm, everything was green, and after a busy first week, the slower pace felt good.
Energy, Recovery & A Midnight Tick Scare
Energy has actually stayed surprisingly high overall this week.
Yesterday, I noticed a little stiffness in my lower back, but otherwise my body has been feeling much better than it did before I started.
Less swollen.
Less achy.
More mobile.
Then around 1:30 in the morning, my daughter found a tick.
Thankfully it hadn’t attached to her and we got rid of it quickly.
But after that, I was definitely laying in bed slightly anxious about the idea of a tick being somewhere in my house.
It took me a little while to fall back asleep.
But eventually I did.
And I still slept until around 6:30 the next morning.
What’s Making This Feel Sustainable
One thing I’m realizing eight days in:
This hasn’t felt nearly as hard as I expected it to.
And I think a huge reason for that is because I chose a way of eating that actually fits my lifestyle.
I’m not starving myself.
I’m not removing every food I enjoy.
I’m not trying to suffer through this.
I’m just making more supportive choices more consistently.
And because of that, this challenge feels a lot more sustainable.
Day 8 Complete
Eight days down.
Feeling lighter.
Feeling stronger.
Feeling more connected to my body again.
And that alone makes this worth it.
