Week 4 of Body Back is starting on Easter, a holiday celebrated in no small part with sugary treats and chocolate everywhere. I went into the weekend just finishing up more than two weeks of a sugar detox. So, finding balance over this holiday weekend was my goal – both my challenge and my success for the week.

I planned for the weekend. I made sure to fit in all of my workouts, including an early-morning Easter run as the sun rose and the kids were still sleeping. I packed healthy snacks to eat at the egg hunts and family activities; I chose veggies over candy and drank ounces and ounces of water to stay hydrated and full. I even made a Body Back recipe to contribute to our family dinner, and I was pleasantly surprised that there weren’t very many leftovers. (Make a note if you haven’t tried the pesto shrimp gnocchi yet!)

I was also realistic. As I wrote out my weekly plan, I knew Easter Sunday was going to be a “better is best” day. There would be a few non-Body Back indulgences but I was OK with that; I believe balance is the key to long-term success and lifestyle change.

Unfortunately, achieving balance is not as easy as it sounds writing my plan out on paper. Implementing that plan is a whole other story.

Everything was going well on Easter from breakfast through dinner. Good choices, lots of veggies, lots of water, lots of willpower. Then we got to dessert, and it went downhill rather quickly and sort of spectacularly. When I do things, I tend to overdo them, and this was no exception.

Nor was it my proudest moment and afterward, I remembered exactly why balance is what I am always striving for. The sugar overload left me with a headache, bloated, cranky, zapped of energy. To paraphrase a popular meme: when you eat bad, you feel bad, and this weekend reminded me why I stick with Body Back again and again.

But today is Easter – a day of hope and of new beginnings. One of the most important things I’ve taken away from Body Back is that tomorrow is always a new day and you can always, always, always start fresh again. I’m ready.

As we go into Week 4, I’m putting the setbacks behind me and looking to the better habits I can create going forward. If I can end Week 4 on a better note than it started, I’ll be one step closer to finding that elusive balance.

This post was first published on the FIT4MOM DuPage County Body Back blog.

FIT4MOM gives women the “Strength for Motherhood” by providing classes and support for moms in every stage of motherhood. Through Fit4Baby prenatal fitness classes, Stroller Strides, Stroller Barre, Body Back, and Our Village, women have the opportunity for workouts and support that is flexible around motherhood.

FIT4MOM DuPage County offers classes in the western suburbs of Chicago, including Glen Ellyn, Elmhurst, Lombard and Wheaton. Your first class is always free! Set up your free class