A Week of Progress – and a New Direction

Destiny
9. apr.
6 min lesing

I reached my goal in week 12 – working out 5 days a week 💪🏼🤩

I’m so happy and proud of my effort. What a feeling of accomplishment!

My body responded positively, and I could feel that it gave me energy 🙏

At the same time, I realized something important: I wasn’t in as good shape as I thought.

I had to lower my expectations and lift lighter. Already by Tuesday, I felt sore and stiff 😅

By Friday, I had to adjust my entire plan –

I simply wasn’t able to complete the exercises I had set up.

And you know what?

That was exactly what I needed to learn.

Listening to My Body – for Real This Time

We often push ourselves beyond what our bodies can handle.

I’ve done that many times before… and it ended with illness and having to start all over again.

This has been my pattern for years.

But before this week, I made a different decision.

I reflected on what had gone wrong in the past and realized that I need to:

Slow down
Lower my expectations
Listen to my body
Adjust my plan day by day

And because I actually did that this time – I managed to complete a full week at the gym 🙏

As I’m writing this, I’m already into week 2 💪🏼

Routine First – Perfection Later

This week (week 13), I’m also training strength Monday through Friday.

Many would say that’s too much – and I don’t necessarily disagree.

But for me, this isn’t about being “perfect.”

It’s about building routines.

Getting my body used to movement again.

Showing up – day after day.

Over time, yoga will become my main focus, and strength training will likely be reduced to about 3 days a week.

Why Strength Training Motivates Me

Strength training is, in my opinion, “simple” to learn because you repeat the same exercises.

But what really motivates me is that it’s measurable.

I can lift a little heavier.

Do one more rep.

Feel progress.

It almost feels like gaming 😄You’re leveling up little by little.

When we train, the body releases dopamine – a neurotransmitter linked to motivation, pleasure, and reward. It actually makes us want to keep going.

And maybe even more importantly: Strength training becomes more important as we age.

We naturally lose muscle mass over time, and strength training helps us:

Maintain strength
Prevent injuries
Support joints and bones
Sustain energy in everyday life

For me, it’s not just about how my body looks – but how it functions.

The Dream of Yoga Lives On

Even though my focus right now is strength training, yoga is the real dream 🙏

I was supposed to be in India right now, practicing yoga.

But the trip was stopped due to the situation in the Middle East.

As I wrote in a previous blog – I haven’t given up on the dream.

It simply had to be postponed.

And now… it’s happening 🙏

I’ve booked new flights with Finnair so I can avoid traveling through the Middle East.

On April 30, I’m traveling to India 🤩

You can imagine how excited I am!

Triguna Yoga in Rishikesh has been incredibly supportive and helpful the entire way 🙏

A Balanced Easter

Easter just passed, and I made a conscious choice to step away from everything related to my website.

Instead, I focused on:

Spending time with my family
Recovery
Training

And I actually completed 3 strength workouts

during Easter 💪🏼

That feels like a good balance.

Nutrition, Honesty – and New Choices

Easter was also a small reminder for me.

I enjoyed myself. Maybe a little more than I had planned 😅And yes – my weight went up slightly.

But this time, I chose to approach it differently.

Not with guilt.

Not with strict rules.

Just with honesty.

Because this isn’t about one week.

It’s about my habits over time.

I know what works for me.

I know what gives me energy – and what drains me.

So instead of focusing on what I “should have done differently,” I’m focusing on what I can actually change now:

Returning to my routines
Prioritizing protein-rich meals
Reducing what I know doesn’t serve my body
Listening to my body – also when it comes to food

No extreme reset.

No “starting over on Monday.”

Just a calm adjustment back to what feels right.

Moving Forward

Over the next three weeks leading up to India, I’m making a small adjustment:

I’m going from 5 to 3 strength sessions per week –but training heavier and more intentionally.

The goal now is to build strength and muscle while still taking care of my body.

And maybe most importantly:

I keep listening.

Destiny 💫

En uke med mestring –

og en ny retning

Jeg klarte målet mitt i uke 12 – å trene 5 dager i uken 💪🏼🤩

Jeg er så glad og stolt over egen innsats. Snakk om mestringsfølelse!

Kroppen responderte positivt, og jeg kjente at det gav meg energi 🙏

Samtidig oppdaget jeg noe viktig: formen min var ikke så god som jeg trodde.

Jeg måtte senke kravene og løfte lettere. Allerede på tirsdag kjente jeg at musklene var stive og støle 😅 På fredag måtte jeg justere hele dagsplanen – jeg mestret rett og slett ikke øvelsene jeg hadde satt opp.

Og vet du hva? Det var akkurat det jeg trengte å lære.

Å lytte til kroppen –

for første gang på ordentlig

Ofte pusher vi oss mer enn hva kroppen tåler. Det har jeg gjort mange ganger før… og det har endt med sykdom og at jeg måtte starte helt på nytt igjen.

Slik har jeg holdt på i flere år.

Men før denne uken bestemte jeg meg for noe annet.

Jeg tok med meg lærdommen fra tidligere og innså at jeg må:

Senke tempo
Senke kravene
Lytte til kroppen
Justere planen dag for dag

Og fordi jeg faktisk gjorde det denne gangen – klarte jeg å gjennomføre en hel uke på treningssenteret 🙏

I skrivende stund er jeg allerede i gang med uke 2 💪🏼

Rutiner først – perfeksjon senere

Også denne uken (uke 13) trener jeg styrke fra mandag til fredag.

Mange vil si at det er for mye – og jeg er ikke uenig. Men for meg handler det ikke om å være “perfekt”.

Det handler om å bygge rutiner.

Å venne kroppen til bevegelse igjen.

Å møte opp – dag etter dag.

Etter hvert vil yoga bli hovedfokus, og styrketrening vil trolig bli redusert til 3 dager i uken.

Hvorfor styrketrening gir meg motivasjon

Styrketrening er, i mine øyne, “enkelt” å lære fordi man repeterer de samme øvelsene.

Men det som virkelig motiverer meg, er at det er målbart.

Jeg kan løfte litt tyngre.

Ta én repetisjon ekstra.

Kjenne progresjon.

Det føles nesten som gaming 😄 Du “leveler opp” litt og litt.

Når vi trener, frigjøres blant annet dopamin – et signalstoff som er knyttet til motivasjon, glede og belønning. Det gjør at vi faktisk får lyst til å fortsette.

Og kanskje enda viktigere: Styrketrening blir bare viktigere jo eldre vi blir.

Vi mister naturlig muskelmasse med alderen, og styrketrening hjelper oss med å: