Tag: lifestyle

Little Concentrated Efforts for Positive Lifestyle Changes.

I haven’t been good for a while. Lots of work stress, eating all the crap, minimal exercise and poor mental health. Which has all resulted in a quite crap physical and mental me.

So it begins again. Yes, we’re back here.

I’m considering tomorrow “D-day”. Lets see what I can do to be better. But the thing is, I’m still exhausted, the flat is a mess and I have very little in to eat. And I cannot be bothered to go out and do a shop.

So whilst I “start” tomorrow. It’s not like suddenly everything is just going to just CHANGE tomorrow. Whilst I might be a bit motivated now – I want to be thinner, I want to feel better about myself, I want, I want, I want… I know that even within the hour that will change. And tomorrow I will likely still wake up and want chocolate, and wish I didn’t have to go to work, and I’ll still likely hit the snooze button a million times.

But I want to start to change. And that probably even starts a bit now. Right now, I am tired and grumpy, but my head is FULL of SO MANY things I need to do to “just start”. And the reality is they all won’t happen.

So what I need to do – what is my plan: Little Concentrated Efforts of Positive Lifestyle Changes. I am thinking of the future. I’m not happy now – but sitting on the sofa eating excessive amounts of junk food won’t produce a good tomorrow. And I am not going to be in able to run a marathon tomorrow, nor eat just salad all day.

So change the little things. What can I do in each moment that will be better for tomorrow. I will still have junk food today – I’m craving it, I have it in. But I’ll have less than yesterday. I will recognise and prioritise 2 things that need to be done today. Each time, each moment – what’s best for looking after me? What if you weren’t alone and were with a group, what would be happening? (I look after myself much better when in front of people – I’ll stick to schedules in respect for them, keep things tidier, eat less junk so they don’t judge me).

Like tomorrow. I will set the alarms in anticipation that I will snooze – why would I think that would change overnight? And expecting myself to just “Get up” and meet an earlier timetable – that just sets me up to fail, and produce a negative backlash on myself. Why do that to myself?

Get up as normal. But instead of listening to the craving of chocolate, just go have my breakfast. The somewhat healthier breakfast I can make with the stuff I have in – it’s better than chocolate biscuits for breakfast.

And the day shall go on. Each moment hopefully just thinking how I can avoid the lazy, stuffing my face with sugar option – and do something a little bit better. And overall I hope that will produce results.

In the future, I hope to my journal setup. I want to have planned meals and an exercise routine. I will have work revision built into my week, so it is not something continually hanging over me.

But for now: focus on making me a better version of the right now me. Make each day better. Then hope the week was better – and not the BEST. Just better. There will still be the occasional chocolate bar. And I can’t be productive 24/7 – I need to have some evenings just relaxing, that’s important too. And maybe I’ll miss a run sometimes. But that’s OK. Just, aim for it to be better.

I’m giving myself a kind of 12-week check point. The changes and results won’t be immediate and obvious. If I can keep it up, hopefully I’ll see things change a bit in 8/12 weeks. The end of the month is always a good time to stop and reflect and see how things have gone, or what can change to make things  a bit better the next month. What are typical obstacles, how can I overcome them?

I’m really hoping for some change. Nothing magical. Just a bit lighter, a bit fitter, a bit happier. And then I can start looking at the proper information behind nutrition and health, etc, that I really want to get into for this blog. But I can’t do the extra stuff, if I’m just not looking after myself. That has to come first.

The PMA Way: Positive Mental Attitude. Little Concentrated Efforts for Positive Lifestyle Changes. Each day, choosing the slightly better option when I can. Hopefully, overall, those little things will add up. Lets find out.

How do I get off the sugar train??

Photo by alleksana on Pexels.com

This isn’t going to be a sophisticated (I could barely even spell sophisticated there… took many attempts.. *sigh*) post. This is a rant.

A rant about SUGAR.

About how it tastes so fucking good. But so fucking bad for us.

And with that I just mean calories and fat and weight gain and etc, from a general perspective. Because I do also know there is the complete anti-sugar lifestyle that is oh-so prominent in places like LA. Where it is the supposed devil. That any sugar is bad, and children are denied sweets and it’s madness (from my own un-researched perspective). And I want to look into those claims and understand that. But that’s taking it to the extremes.

But it’s also, eating all this sugar, all the time, it just can’t be good for the body. Apart from the obvious making you overweight etc, but just how it makes the body feel and be. I think we all know what that “junk hangover” feels like. The body just does not feel good. (Again something I definitely need to research into..)

But goddamm it is GOOD. How can you not have a treat once in a while??

And that’s my problem. I start and I DON’T STOP.

And it is INFURIATING. I love and HATE IT. Cause I eat an excessive amount. And it makes me feel so good as I eat it. But it is such a TEMPORARY good feeling. And then you want more to repeat the good feeling.

But inevitably there will be realisation that you’ve eaten too much. And (for me) the guilt sets in. And all the worry about how I’m meant to be eating good today. And I won’t be on target. And I’m such a disappointment. And I’m weak. Which just stresses me out. And causes me to be more unhappy and anxious and stressed.

And then I eat more.

I just came back from work, where I had gone to the shop in work (THE SHOP IN MY WORK SELLS ALL THE EASTER CHOCOLATE AND I HATE THAT I KNOW THIS AT ALL TIMES), and I had eaten a lot. “To give myself energy for the next few hours of the on-call”. And then all it did was make me more tired and bleugh. And then I was pissed-off at myself. And I’m still tired (I’m ALWAYS tired). So then I go to the petrol station on the way home, before my petrol is low. And before I know it, I’ve reached for treats “for tonight only”. And not just a single snack bar. Ohhh nooo. I get the big packs and/or the multi-offers. And now I feel sick and full. And again annoyed at myself. And tired.

AND THIS IS THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW I’VE DONE THIS.

Where does the motivation go? Why do I give in so easily? I know better. I know I do. I think it constantly. I can tell you “2+2=4”. But I have no idea where “2” is to found or how to keep it.

I’m tired. Mentally and physically tired of being on this roundabout.

I fought and gave up alcohol. 4 months sober. But I’ve replaced it with another addiction. I’ve just got to work out how to cut this out. Work it out of my day, my routine. My need.

I guess I’ve got to replace it with something else. The “good” that food gives me is temporary. What will make me happy in the long run? Can I make that more important to me and the quick buzz of chocolate?

I guess that’s the part I need to work out. Follow me through this journey.