We've just finished week 5 of the Resolution Challenge. Oh yes, we're still in it! You would think that the three-week detox would've been the hardest part of the Challenge. In many ways it was, but the assimilation of these newly-formed healthy habits into everyday life presents so many struggles on its own.

It doesn't get easier the more times you do a Challenge like this, either. Things happen, life changes in significant ways, and, well, all that meal planning and self-care we were so good at making time for during the detox now have to come face-to-face on the calendar with deadlines, events and real life.

My biggest struggle this past week (and in week 4) wasn't just in navigating post-detox life left on my own devices (ooh a cupcake!) Comparison, that ol' thief of joy itself, came creepin' up on me with a vengeance. It starts slowly - a fleeting thought in class of how much slower I am in doing burpees as the girl next to me. Then my real competition shows up & starts messing with my head.

• Why can't I do these as well as I did before?
• Why is it so much harder to come to class every day than it was last summer?
• Why am I so much more tired?

Past me is doing a number on current me's progress and thought process. It's hard not to be so hard on yourself! Never mind the fact that my life is completely different from just a year ago, mostly because of my full-time job. I haven't done Zumba in months because my bestie isn't teaching anywhere in Seattle right now. I don't have the time flexibility to work in naps when I want to, or go get another workout in when I want to.

The structure I knew I needed and wanted in my schedule means I have to be that much more intentional about how I spend my time. It also means letting go of how things were before. Easier doesn't necessarily mean better. I am much leaner and more fit overall than I've ever been during the winter. I really enjoy how light and alert I feel, so I'm still making good food choices and avoiding the snacks and weak moments.

Sometimes we have to work harder to celebrate these small victories and be present in the moment.