I didn’t post last week as I was ashamed that I hadn’t fully followed the plan for week 2 and I had put weight back on. As a result, I didn’t have a plan to follow for week 3 and guess what? I haven’t lost weight.
So I’m back up to having 13 lbs to go to my ideal weight.
I have planned some meals and bought plenty of healthy food for this week and I ran twice at the weekend. I also ate a lot of comfort food yesterday!
I have lots to say about my self sabotaging behaviour and, particularly, my inability to refuse chocolate, but I’ll explore that in a later post. I just wanted to get something out there at the beginning of week 4 so that I don’t revert back to my old ways of thinking there’s no point carrying on because I’ve failed. It’s not a failure, it’s just another opportunity to learn from my mistakes!
One thing I need to do is figure out how to run during the week in the bleak midwinter. Running really helps me keep on track.
I’ve lost 2 lbs this week. Reflecting on how it’s gone there are things that went well and things that I could improve.
What went well – I did the strength training and running that I planned, plus an extra run. I mostly stuck to the meal plans
What could have gone better – I didn’t do any stretching and I really need to start doing that regularly. I had fish and chips for lunch on Friday then snacked loads at Fe’s that evening. I ate too much pumpkin cake last night.
I really do have a tendency to eat more than I’m comfortable with if I’m not careful. I immediately regret it so I need to work on why I’m doing that – am I feeding an unmet desire? That’s what lots of the stuff I’m reading suggests. I need to think about that but in the meantime, I know having a plan helps me so here goes…….
This time last year, I had just finished 6 months of health and fitness coaching. I felt on top of the world and thought I had made lots of permanent changes. However, although I’ve kept up many of my good habits, I can feel myself slipping into my old ways in certain areas.
When I got on the scales this morning, I was exactly a stone heavier than my goal weight which I reached last year. This stone has crept on slowly over a year. Christmas and two holidays in the sun are the main culprits but each time I haven’t managed to lose all of the weight after each week of indulgence.
I have only had alcohol on 15 days this year which is a significant achievement but I can’t blame alcohol for my weight gain! I’ve developed a bit of a sweet tooth which might be an alcohol substitute. Ulitmately, I have realised that my alcohol infused binge eating was actually not really alcohol driven and that I have a tendancy to binge even when I’m sober. I’ve actually realised recently that I am quite compulsive and, since I’m not drinking alcohol as much, my compulsive behaviour is coming out in other ways. I probably have some work to do on myself to figure out what needs I am trying to satisfy with my compulsive behaviour but that will take time.
Whatever the cause of my weight gain, I’m not where I want to be in terms of my health and wellbeing. With Christmas just 2 months away, I thought it was time to set myself a realistic challenge of getting back to my goal weight so I can enjoy a few indulgences at Xmas.
I find that I am much better at doing what needs to be done if I make a plan so I’m going to use this blog as a planning tool and anyone who is reading this can hold me to account! (Even if nobody is reading this I can’t be sure so it will help as an accountability tool!)
The following is a list of the habits I’ve kept up and the ones that I have let slip to give me an idea of what I need to work on.
Good habits I have kept up
Good habits I have let slip
Running 2 – 4 times a week
Strength training
Not drinking alcohol
Drinking 1.5 litres of water a day
Eating nuts and seeds
Not eating sugar
Taking salads to work for lunch
Not snacking in the evening
Avoiding stress
Mindfulness/Meditation
Planning my meals a week ahead
Planning my meals a week ahead
Yes, I know the last entry in the table above is the same in both columns – that’s because I do it sometimes but not often enough!
So for the next few months I’m going to post my plans for each week in the hope that it will keep me on track to lose a stone before Christmas.
I’m not doing so well on blogging my progress at least once a week but the rest of my June challenge isn’t going too badly!
I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol but that is just becoming part of life now and dry June just doesn’t feel like a huge challenge (which in itself is amazing and I never thought I’d get here!)
I’ve mostly stuck to no refined sugar – I’ve caved in twice so far. Once with birthday cake and once with a bar of dark chocolate. However, I still feel like I’ve “cut out most refined sugar” and I’m learning that a blip shouldn’t define me so it doesn’t sabotage my efforts. I’m re committing now to continue to cut out most refined sugar.
The running part of my challenge is on track and I’m doing between 2 and 4 runs a week. I’m struggling to get back into strength work outs but I have put some 6kg weights in a room where I spend a lot of time so I just pick them up and go three sets of shoulder presses regularly.
All in all, I’m pleased with my progress but there’s still room for improvement. It would be a boring world if we were all perfect though!!
I’ve been a bit slack at blogging and also keeping up healthy habits – although I have remained alcohol free for the last 82 days and I do run regularly so that’s a huge achievement! However, I’ve developed a bit of a sugar habit over the past few months. It’s crept up slowly but I’ve realised I’m now eating a lot of sweet stuff most days. I haven’t lost any weight this year so I’m still half a stone heavier than when I finished my coaching and I’m not feeling quite as great as I was when I was at the height of coaching last year. I’m doing Sheffield round run at the end of June and that is the perfect reason for me to make a few changes and get healthier in preparation! So here are my goals for June:
Remain alcohol free for the whole of June.
Cut out most refined sugar (to clarify “most” I’m going to cut out cakes, shop bought chocolate, boiled sweets and biscuits but I am going to allow myself to eat my rhubarb cake (which only has 100g of sugar across 16 portions), home made raw chocolate (with minimal sugar) and home made things sweetened with dates and dried fruit).
Run 2 – 4 times a week.
Do 2 strength work outs a week.
Drink more water.
Log my food in MyFitnessPal (and revisit all the healthy recipes that I logged in there while I was coaching.
Blog my progress at least once a week!
I don’t think any of this is too ambitious as I am already alcohol free and running. I have let the strength workouts slip but think that will be easy to get back into. I just need to get back into the mindset I was in last year.
So watch this space! I don’t even know if anyone reads my blog but putting this out there on the internet will make me accountable. Even if it’s only me reading it!
Cognitive dissonance is something that I suffer with a lot! It’s that annoying argument that you have with yourself about two opposing viewpoints. We waste so much energy on these arguments and it can be mentally exhausting! It happened a lot for me around alcohol until I decided to quit drinking for 90 days. Now there’s just no argument! I’ve made the decision so there’s no discussion! It is so freeing! (It is also what is making me think I might just quit alcohol for good!)
However, I noticed recently that a new argument had started up in my brain about going to the gym. I started a new job a few months ago and it means I’m not working from home as much as I used to. That in turn means that I don’t have as much time to go to the gym. What I’ve realised (after lots of reflection which is something else I do more of these days!) is that the cognitive dissonance around going to the gym or not was actually stopping me from doing strength workouts altogether even though I am perfectly well equipped to do them at home! By the time I’d finished arguing with myself, I was too exhausted to do a workout! The solution? I’ve cancelled my gym membership! So not only is that cognitive dissonance quiet now, I’ve saved myself £54 a month! Win win!
I occasionally have an internal argument with myself about going for a run but I’ve developed such a good running habit that it doesn’t happen very often and I know from the experience of building up that habit that I might as well just go for the run as it makes me feel so good! Coupled with the fact that my dogs like running with me so it kills two birds with one stone, that argument rarely gets air time these days.
So my advice to you is this – if your head is filled with a constant battle about something, take a step back, reflect and make a change that stops the cognitive dissonance. It is liberating!
I’ve been a bit rubbish at blogging but I thought I should at least post an update 6 months on from my health and fitness coaching!
Where do I start? Well firstly, I’m really proud of myself! I put on weight over Christmas and I put on weight on an all inclusive holiday in March. The holiday weight is gone and the Christmas weight is well on its way! Im currently half a stone heavier than when I finished the coaching but im feeling so great in every other way that I’m OK with that! All my new smaller clothes still fit me.
The biggest achievement is that I’ve only had alcohol on 6 days this year! That means I haven’t had alcohol on 94 days! it’s been a huge learning experience but I’m mostly loving it. I still have moments of really fancying a drink and I did give in on holiday but I’m coming to the conclusion that alcohol gives me nothing and takes away so much. I would never have got here without the support of Beth throughout my coaching. She got me to see things differently and build long lasting habits.
What does alcohol take away from me?
Sleep – it ruins it
Heart rate – it increases it
HRV – it lowers it
Self respect – it removes it
Memory – it erases it
Motivation – it’s crushes it
Exercise – it stops me from doing it
Anxiety – it adds to it
The list goes on but you get the picture! I’m a happier, calmer, more motivated version of myself without alcohol.
I’m still not ready to say never again and I’m hanging on the the fact that I can drink the bottle of champagne that’s chilling in the cellar but that just means I need to keep working on myself. I’m not fully recovered but I’m going to carry in reading, listening to podcasts and revelling in the unexpected joy of being sober (to steal a phrase from one of my favourite quit lit books with the same name!) So watch this space!
The ultimate test was going to Day Fever recently. This is a night club experience during the day. Curated by Rob McClure of Reverend and the Makers. I went with 3 drinking buddies and I stayed sober. It was a brilliant afternoon and I danced for 3 hours straight to banging tunes. I even got up on stage to dance. I left early as I had other commitments but I would have (and will next time) stayed longer. It made me realise that if I do things that I love, I don’t need to drink. I clocked up 30,000 steps that day so it was great exercise as well!
I’ve also started a new job since I last posted. I took voluntary redundancy from the university which was a scary prospect but I got a job at Nexus Multi Academy Trust which I am loving at the end of week 4. (Staying sober through the redundancy and job hunting was hugely beneficial.)
Exercise is now just part of my regular routine. I’m running 2 – 4 times a week and doing regular strength and mobility training. I just feel meh if I don’t exercise regularly so it’s a non negotiable.
I’m eating more healthily and I’ve developed the best sourdough starter but that deserves its own post so stick around if you’re interested…….
It’s 55 days since I last had an alcoholic drink and I’m feeling great! I have had very few moments of really wanting a drink and they all passed really quickly! I’ve been sociable including having my own leaving do from the University sober. It was so nice to be able to drive home, get a good nights sleep and get up for a run the next day!
I’ve been reading some great books to spur me along and recommend the following which are great reads:
The unexpected joy of being sober by Catherine Gray
It’s day one of the Reset and Realign One Year No Beer challenge. My exercise today is to write down all the reasons that I am taking the challenge and to put them somewhere easy to refer to so what better place than on a public blog so I can be held to account by anyone reading it! So here are my reasons why!
After losing so much weight and getting healthier and fitter in 2024, I don’t want to ruin all the good work that I’ve done. If I drink alcohol, even if it’s just one or two nights a week which has become the norm, it slows down my progress and stops me wanting to embrace all the healthy habits that I’ve formed.
I need to be on the top of my game this year as I am applying for voluntary redundancy and need to find a new career.
I love running with my dogs and I just don’t feel like it when I’ve had a drink the night before.
