Today is an equally busy day and it seems, at the minute, that all my tomorrows are going to be busy. Life is a busy schedule that never ends, it seems. Therefore, the Macbeth line in the title seemed apt today.
It is also apt because my healthy eating lifestyle has become a routine now. There are lots of facets to it, the main one being the ability to say no when I want to. In previous times I have always found this aspect of dieting, eating healthily, not drinking, exceptionally hard. I always want to say no, I always want to be good, but the part inside of me that wants whatever rubbish or junk or alcohol I'm being offered always won. That, however, is now different.
Ok, so there are always times when it does win, but I can control that little voice inside of my head that is screaming at me that I want it and I want it NOW! But this is another aspect of a routine that I have set up, having time off on occasion. That obviously doesn't mean that I go overboard and have 15 things from the local Chinese takeaway, followed by three pints of beer and...well, you get the picture. I mean having the odd chocolate bar, the occasional takeaway, having toast for breakfast WITH marmalade (I know, rebel or what?). By allowing myself that little timeout as part of my routine, it stops me from doing it more often and even helps that little victories when I say no but want to say yes.
lunchtime has also become a routine of making sure I eat. I stop what I am doing or I make sure that the student I am tutoring has something to do whilst I grab my lunch and eat whilst working. There isn't a day where lunch is missed now as I have learnt my lesson the hard way about what happens if I go for an extended period of time. I also make sure that I eat 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables a day (or more if I can) so that I am consuming the right amount of nutrients. I don't stop myself from eating anything, so I am not on a more carb less carb thing. I like carbs, so they form part of my diet in moderation.
For exercise I have made my routine walking the dog in the morning, which gives me 3000 steps. I also walk the dog in the evening, which gives me the same amount of steps too. At work I hardly sit down all day, so this normally gives me about 15,000 steps daily, a little more on a busy day and vice versa.
The one routine I can't stick to is going to bed or stopping work. Lots of research I have done tells me I need to get more sleep. lack of sleep is connected to weight gain, heart disease, mental health issues and a number of other not-so-nice things. However, the work I have to do at home and the (what seems like) small amount of time I have to do it, stops me from having a routine bed time. And I can cope...at the moment.
I also keep busy during the evening, to make sure that I don't really have time to get bored, as boredom is the one thing that will always make me think that I am hungry. I drink lots during the day to also stop me from feeling hungry when I am really thirsty.
The routine of saying no was the hardest because, when you start saying no to the extra stuff or to beer or to junk when you normally say yes, people look at you as if you've become, somehow, a little deranged. Then they try to convince you to have one, just one won't hurt. It's like having the physical manifestation of the little voice you've finally thought you'd got rid of. However, after a while, saying no becomes a routine and the people that would normally try to convince you to have one suddenly stop reacting. It becomes a routine for them too.
My last routine is the routine of reflection. Sometimes it is very hard to find the time to write this blog, as being a husband, father, step-father, teacher and general slave (as are most parents) takes up a lot of my time. But even short blogs help me to stay focused on what I am doing and what I need to do to improve or to lose more or to not lose too much. Reflections and talking to people on healthunlocked.com helps me to think about what I am doing and making this a daily routine has been the biggest confidence boost as I can see the improvements I am making and also learning from my mistakes. By being routinely honest to myself is also helping with my healthy lifestyle and losing weight.
So that's where I am at the moment and how routines are helping me stick to being healthy for the majority of the time. Let me know if there are any routines that you have that could also help me. I hope that some of this may help you to find your routines to help you change the way you live.
Thanks for reading.
Stay strong. Stay honest.
Sean.
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