I didn’t keep a daily journal before starting all this – if I had it would have been interesting reading, especially when compared to the journal I’m keeping now.
In all honesty it’s been a relatively easy transition from “bad” to “good” – I put that down to 3 things:
- approaching it with an open mind and positive attitude
- already eating reasonably healthy dinners
- great feedback from Britt in relation to the journal contents
what this means for you
The 3 points above can be easily translated to a more general “blueprint” that will get you on track:
right thinking – put simply, you need to DECIDE to develop good food habits and then get on with it; no stressing and no letting those niggling negative thoughts stick around.
right advice – you’re going to HAVE to re-educate yourself on HOW to eat healthily. You can do this the hard way (research, reading etc.) or the easy way (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig). Forget fads, forget Body Trim, forget things that “melt fat away”. Learn to eat properly!
right support & guidance – you will need active support from your spouse (if you have one) otherwise mealtimes could be difficult. If they don’t support you, don’t use that as an excuse to stick with bad habits. Having access to a professional like Britt is invaluable too, provided you take suggestions and advice on board!
a mock journal
As mentioned before, I didn’t keep a journal previously. If I had, a typical day might look a little like this. Bear in mind as you’re reading, I changed from this relatively easily. You can too IF you decide to:
February 1st, 2011
Was in bed just after 3 this morning, knackered but at least I get an hour nap on the bus. Woke up at 8, found it hard to get out of bed. Eventually got up and had to rush to catch the 8:30 bus. Got in work about 9:30..
Food:
Breakfast: Didn’t have time to eat, would have missed the bus. Got a bacon and egg sub with my coffee at the busport because I was feeling very hungry
Mid-morning: Had a morning tea – ate at least half a dozen party pies and a couple of slices of cake
Lunch: Was going to skip lunch but that Chinese combo in the bus port looked delicious. Ordered “large” of course. Also had bottle of V Black because I was very tired.
Mid-afternoon: Leftover cakes from this morning’s morning tea
Dinner: Chicken with vegetables, rice. Ate the chicken, gave the veggies and rice to the dog as I was stuffed from all the eating of the day.
Night: Couple of slices of buttered toast while working on the computer. Had a couple of chocolates that were in the fridge too – all helps keep the energy levels up through the night!
Drink:
1 long macchiato, 2 sugars
1 bottle V Black
2 cups of coffee while working at night
1 mug hot milk before bed
Activity:
Kian wanted to play cricket when I got home. I told him Daddy was tired and gave him a cuddle instead.
Physical, Mood etc.:
Knackered and not looking forward to doing more work tonight. Probably pull another all-nighter and catch up on sleep on the bus.
Notes:
Ought to do something about getting fit – will do that when things get easier and I have a bit more time. I’m still young enough to get away with a bit of indulgence and neglect.
Must cancel that gym membership – not been for a year now and as per above I’ll sort something when I have more spare time.
When I read through that mock journal, it makes me realise exactly why I have spent the last couple of years wondering why the hell I keep getting ill. Having bouts of illness that resemble mild glandular fever, being wiped out for 2 or 3 days…
Diet was crap, exercise was non-existent and general lifestyle was poor…