So today the European Union ratified Brexit and we're leaving Europe. I can't help but feel sad at the way the Brexit Party MEPs conducted themselves and also that my children will find it much harder to enjoy the freedom to work and holiday in Europe. I feel we've been misled by so many people to get us where we are...but we are here and we are leaving. That's my sad day.
Also today, I have managed to do a full day, a break duty, a lunchtime intervention and make dinner (pork loin steaks, mash and veg), mark 20 books, hit my 14,000 steps (15,136), took the dog for a walk, make breakfasts, write this blog, read 3 chapters of my book and continue writing the book I have started. Actually, now I have written it all down, I have had quite a productive day!
One thing I have noticed, though, is that my craving for food intensifies when I am marking. Now, this could be to do with the fact that I am bored, as marking books is the single biggest drag on my day, or because I want some way of procrastinating to get me away from marking. Maybe it could even be a combination of both?
How have I tackled this problem? Tea.
Making a cup of tea gives me time away from marking, the caffeine perks me up a little, it fills my stomach and takes away the hunger I think I'm feeling (because we all know that sometimes feeling hungry actually means we're feeling thirsty). So almost no rubbish. Almost.
I have to be honest, I have had a little bit of chocolate, but nothing major. I didn't eat packets and bars, just a few munchies. Thankfully I'm too busy during the day to feel hunger cravings and, as I am now conscientiously ensuring that I always take my lunch to school with me, I'm not going for hours without food. This is helping me after school, at the time when I get home and want to relax. It's normally at this point I give in to cravings because my will power is at its lowest. Not if I make sure I eat my lunch!
So I have a conversation with myself at these points and talk about the benefits of not having the rubbish and tell myself that, if I don't want to eat the fruit on the side, then I'm not really hungry. At which point I either eat the fruit or have some water. This has helped me to maintain the healthy lifestyle I've been leading (apart from the slips).
I am continuing the honest conversations with myself to ensure I'm not deliberately misleading myself by saying I'm maintaining a healthy lifestyle when I'm not.
Yesterday, I also ran the first couch to 5k stage and am looking forward to the next one on friday. Therefore, this has been a happy, sad in parts, but generally good and busy day. The one really good thing about today is that, despite not stopping, I'm nowhere near as tired as I usually am and I feel much more energised than I have in a long time. My stomach also seems to have shrunk, so the tangible benefits are showing.
I have a very long day tomorrow, so I am already trying to figure how to write tomorrows reflection on a day of being healthier and out for over 15 hours. It'll come to me...it always does.
I hope your day has been as productive and healthy as mine has.
Thanks for reading.
Stay strong. Stay honest.
Sean.