Today the weather has been rainy. From the moment I woke up the clouds have not parted in any way to let the sun poke through and give a ray of sunshine. I mean this in the literal sense, because in terms of where I am and where I am going, the day has been anything but rainy.
Buoyed by Yesterday's successes and the feeling of motivation I had by knowing that I was back in control, the day started off with my alarm buzzing at 6.30am and with me wanting to go back to sleep and stay in bed until midday. However, I raised myself up from my bed, walked groggily downstairs and started my morning routine: having a vitamin supplement, filling a water bottle, switching on the TV and going to YouTube; I decided to do a more advanced TeamBodyCoach video today. This one was called Turbo 30 (considering the one I normally do is called turbo 20, I think you can see where this one is going), and was supposed to be more intense, the workouts lasting for 30 seconds rather than the normal 20.
However, I actually found it easier than the one I had previously been doing (Turbo20) although I was still dripping with sweat, my heart rate was about 128 by the end of it and it did last for 30 minutes...ish. So by 8am, when I had finished, I had pulled myself out of bed (even though I wanted to have more sleep) completed a harder workout and raised my heart rate more than I normally would. Strike one on the accomplishment scale for me and another step forward: I didn't want to do it but I did it anyway.
My second accomplishment, having had takeaway and beer over the course of the weekend the inevitable cravings surfaced a lot during the day and I was so tempted each time to succumb and eat the crisps, the chocolate, some toast...was that I didn't give in. I was sorely tempted and I felt myself giving way on a few occasions but, each time, I used a technique of talking myself through the craving and instead having a drink or a piece of fruit. I had and have managed that all day and now the cravings have gone and I am no longer having to constantly be on guard: I can now relax for the evening.
My third accomplishment was that I have managed to keep below my calorie level and accumulated extra burn through the exercises I have done today and the 15,000+ steps I have also completed. Again this has made me feel more energised than I normally would and, therefore, more likely to resist any temptations that had arisen this evening or during the day (as I have) and it has made me able to do more also. My mental health has also been helped by this as I am now more alert and happier in myself. It's actually an amazing feeling knowing that you have done well throughout the day and stuck to your goals. The positivity and continued motivation to carry on really helps when you can look back and really be proud that you are staying strong.
I know that there will be slips along the way and I will try my best to avoid them, but when I do I know that I will be able to push myself back on to the wagon and ride it again without hindrance. The journey is a long one and I am riding high, knowing that I will get there in the end.
Don't get me wrong, there have been times during the day where I have doubted the journey. Looking in the mirror this morning and seeing a gut still hanging over my boxer shorts and the moobs that stand out so prominently through my T-Shirts make me feel down and that it may not be worth it. But then I simply think about how far I have come, how much I have won, that things will take time and that this is a war, a campaign and that each day is a battle towards winning the war. I suppose it's quite an aggressive image, but it's the one that motivates me the most and focuses me the most. Life is hard. Losing this weight will be hard. Seeing my stomach every day will be hard...but I will win, it will go down and I will be a new, healthier, slimmer me.
Each day I will take another step forward.
Until tomorrow, stay strong and stay safe.
Thanks for reading.
Sean.