Ugh, Last week was one of the longest weeks I've had in long time. The whole thing is pretty much a blur and I'm praying that weeks like last week don't happen very often.
My diet went to crap, work was hectic and stressful, and several new employees just seem to take it's toll. One night I even fell asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace.
I'm learning the hard way that my body does so much better on just fruits and veggies. My brain however wants bread and sweets. It's a nonstop battle between what I want to eat and what I should eat. It should be a no-brainer but it isn't.
Honestly, I'm exhausted. There just isn't enough time in the day to get everything done and I feel like I'm failing on every front. From getting things done at work to spending time with my family, and making quiet time with God..............I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water as far as time goes.
I realize it's a priority thing and again, I just feel like I'm struggling to even do the smallest of things effectively.
Have I mentioned that I'm working on my elite training certificate? I think I did, but if not, it's three on line courses consisting of a certified trainer course, a nutrition course and an exercise therapy course. I started the courses about a month ago, I've started reading the material, but I've yet to take one quiz. Needless to say, I'm already behind. On top of all this, little league starts next weekend. How in the world am I going to squeeze in practices every evening for 3 weeks? This is the first year that I'm actually having to talk myself into coaching. I am by far not going to win any coach of the year award, but I just don't like any of the other options as far as someone else coaching Coby this year. He loves the game and he's pretty good at it and I just don't want anyone else but his dad ruining that:) .
I mentioned how bad last week was and I'm hoping this next week will be better. I found a little comfort in one of the books I'm reading (to my wife's dismay, I read several books at once and they are frequently all over the house). The book is called "Willpower; Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength" by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney.
I'm not finished with it yet, but the one thing I found interesting is that Willpower is not a finite entity. At least as far as it's strength is concerned. If you have tried dieting, you well know that you can exhaust your Willpower. And when I say exhaust, that's exactly what I mean. When you are struggling daily with commitments, goals, etc, it can literally just wear you out.
They've done studies that show when people struggle with things like dieting, quitting smoking, etc, they actually do worse on mental exams. Do you ever realize that when your tired it's harder to stick to your diet? I sure do. If I've had a long day at work, when I walk through the door, I just want something, anything to eat. I'm often too tired to care what it is. I know I'll regret it later, but I usually eat the sweetest thing in the pantry.
And speaking of diet, here's another kicker.........when your body is low on sugar (glucose) your willpower is weakened as well. This doesn't exactly mean that the Oreo cookies in the cupboard are going to help your willpower (though in short bursts they will), but you don't exactly want to stay "hungry" when your dieting. The too biggest factors of maintaining willpower................calories (quality) and sleep. So there ya go, sleep well and eat a salad:) and you're good to go.
I write that as I sit here yawning. I just can't seem to get enough rest. I am constantly tired and lately it's getting frustrating. I'm hoping Spring Break with be the key to a little rest. Only 2 weeks to go!!!
Like I said, I'm not done with the book yet, actually I'm only half way through, but it does mention keeping lists and goals (not 10 goals at once) to help you stay focused. Precise goals, meaning don't only write the goal, but also a plan of how your going to reach it. It's got to be detailed. If you goal is to lose 20 pounds, your plan can't be "eat better". Because eating better can mean "hey I'll only eat 2 cheeseburgers instead of my usual 4". Write down the details. What are you going to eat for breakfast? A snack? How are you going to deal with the temptations? Have a full out, drawn out plan. And who cares if you have failed and started again, and failed again. Does it really matter? Just start again. We all drop the ball, if you're like me, dropping the ball is almost habitual. Just focus on the goal. Focus on how reaching that goal will make you feel. Think of that feeling as you draw out your plan. Write it out today and start tomorrow. Commit to the plan. Rewrite the plan as needed, but commit to doing it.
note: I just re-read what I wrote.......my college English professor would have a fit at how much I ramble!!!
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