I’m trying to rally. Really. I’m still in the 2nd week slump, however. I slept very poorly Sunday night. I was exhausted Monday. And Tuesday. Here it is Wednesday and I’m still not recovered. I blame monthly hormonal shifts. I need to blame something. It’s either that or lack of exercise. I haven’t managed to get any since Sunday. It’s been one of those weeks. Monday has been my scheduled day of rest. Yesterday was just highly scheduled. It happens. I have to be flexible when other things like work or family take priority.
I’m just finding it very difficult to garner the energy to go out and do it. I’m using every trick I’ve got to motivate myself. I’m reminding myself that by exercising I’ll actually increase my energy level and want to exercise more. I envision myself putting on my gear. Just putting on my gear. That’s very do-able. Once the gear is on, I’m more likely to go out and move. I’m telling myself that I can do 5 minutes. If I still feel bleh then I can stop. In all my years of exercising, I’ve probably only had 1 time where I stopped when I told myself that. When I get going, I usually want to keep going.
Mood wise I’ve been very very crabby. Between the exhaustion and the mood I’m finding it incredibly difficult to stay 100% raw or vegan. I’m at the 90% mark so far this week. I just want to grab what’s convenient and not have to think about it. I just want things which are “comfort food” and I haven’t had the energy to do my pre-preparation on complex recipes and I haven’t had the groceries on hand to just grab a piece of fruit. And the kitchen’s been a mess. In other words, I’m encountering many barriers this week. That leads to a latte here, a few saltines there, and a quick meal of sliced cheese since it was the only appealing thing in the fridge.
I said before that the some of the “one-littlest-thing’s” I can do each day to be successful are to pack the night ahead, plan menus/meals, keep appropriate groceries on hand. And I haven’t. It’s getting difficult to continue treating myself nicely when faced with adversity. I can see what’s wrong here. I know how to fix it. I just can’t seem to apply the knowledge. Here’s the part where self-talk and willingness to change enter the mix. Falling into familiar barriers leads me to practice familiar habits. These habits are choices. Choice implies the ability to select between alternatives. What alternative to choose then?
Today, I choose to head to the grocery store after work. I’m going to get some pre-washed, pre-cut, fruit and veg. An abundance of it. Enough for my dinner tonight and my meals tomorrow. That way, I don’t need to think about anything meal related. I can grab and go without grabbing my wife’s coffee-pot left-overs in the morning. I’m also going to get some more ingredients for my birthday cake. When I get home, I’m going to change into my workout gear the instant I arrive (well ok, maybe I will feed the dogs first. Make that the second instant after I get home). I’m going to exercise. And watch a movie at the same time.
Finally, I’m going to ask my wife to help me get the kitchen cleaned up. Then it will be ready for me to make fabulous things tomorrow night when I (hopefully) will be feeling more energetic and happy due to the exercise.
The most important thing is to not give up. Patience, persistence, practice. I’m doing great. Having a less than 100% day is not a good reason stopping the challenge. I’ll carry on and let you know how it goes.
