It seems that when I am in a positive frame of mind, it is a lot easier to stick to eating healthy. Sunday night is possibly the most depressing night of the week...there's nothing to look forward to tomorrow except work. Although, to be fair, the steady stream of work doesn't end just because it is the weekend.
I haven't done many steps this weekend; in fact, I have done less than I would do on a normal working day. It's a struggle to motivate yourself, especially when the kids are away and it's a weekend when there is no motivation to do much and you just want to relax. The problem with relaxing through, is that your mind relaxes too: and mine most definitely did.
I had an absolutely lovely evening last night, the first kid free Saturday in a while, so I spent the day with my wife, enjoying some couple time. Today was the catch up.
One thing I have noticed is that, if I mark for a consistent period of time, I seem to lose motivation to follow the healthier lifestyle I've been building and nurturing for 40 days now. It's easy to see why...the mental effort required to sustain marking essays for 5 hours takes it's toll on you and mental fatigue drains your resistance to substances that you should not eat...like cheese and crackers, and drink like beer and whisky (for me). I have tried to not mark for extended periods of time without a break: but sometimes needs must.
Tonight I had takeaway pizza and a chocolate cookie. Not a great end to the week which saw me take too many 'breaks' from my healthy lifestyle. And the scary thing was that it was so easy to slip back into my old habits. All the new habits slipped away on a couple of occasions during the week and it took no effort at all. It takes a lot of energy to get into the habits and less to maintain them, but to slip back was the easiest thing in the world. Perhaps because I had been doing my previous bad eating habits for so long?
I think the lesson I have taken from this is that it takes a long time to set up and maintain a routine and, if you are not constantly looking out and working towards maintaining the routine for a similar amount of time that it took you to create it in the first place, then you can and very easily slip, and will slip back into previous routines without so much as a backwards glance.
I could make up excuses that I was tired, that there has been no opportunity to exercise because the marking load before a break is much more intense than a normal week...but they would be excuses and I am not going to make excuses for my slips. If I do, I am justifying them and paving the way for more. Instead, I have to face them, acknowledge them, learn the lesson from them and move on. I have to keep telling myself that this is a campaign and that each day is a battle. Last week had more losses than wins, but the war isn't over and the war on my lifestyle and fat stomach is something I am determined to win.
Therefore, I am setting myself the goal of losing the 2lbs I should have lost last week plus the 2lbs I want to lose this week. I am still going to eat my normally, healthy food, I simply intend to make sure that I also exercise more and do more steps than I normally do. I am going to have a set lunch each day so that I do not snack in-between meals and don't eat things from the school canteen. So by Saturday next week I should be posting in the healthunlocked.com Saturday Slimmers that I am now 13 stone 0lbs. 4lbs in one week is a challenge and I know I shouldn't because losing more than 2lb in one week is unhealthy and normally ends in you putting it back on, but it's a good goal and it's only a one off and it's a target that's both challenging and reachable.
I am also determined to run three times over this coming week. The three runs for couch to 5k. It will be tough, as there is marking and also preparation for a trip to London with friends...but I will do it!
I love the feeling of a challenge and the motivation that comes with it. I know I have had one reply to my competition post on healthunlocked.com that was a little patronising, inferring that I should be more about supporting others than being competitive, but if competition works for me (and you) then that's what I am going to do. Besides, I am always in competition with myself anyway to do a little more, be more healthier, to walk just a few more steps...that's just me.
Now I have that challenge, I will be the judge of myself on whether I reach my goal or not; and I will only have myself to blame if I don't...but I am motivated, so I will. I will not lose in my battle against me. And this is why I love doing this, because each day is a new motivation to keep going. Nothing, no slips, no bad weeks, no excuses, will stop me from reaching my goal of a healthier lifestyle and losing weight in the process this week and beyond.
Oh, and just in case you were interested, I won the workweek hustle, with 96,000+ steps from Monday to Friday. Probably the reason why I maintained this week, rather than gaining. Remember, a slip is simply a learning curve for you to reflect on: learn the lesson, reflect and move on to a better day, a better week, a better month.
Thanks for reading.
Stay Strong. Stay honest.
Sean.
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