My problem...

I know my biggest obstacle; late nights and poor sleeping habits.

This is the cause of most of setbacks. I have trouble getting up and doing my workout, which means that I'm inevitably going to struggle to fit in later today (i.e. today I have a football practice with the kids’ team I coach, which means that I won’t get home till 8:30 tonight, so I will hopefully get my workout in during my lunchbreak… hopefully…). I can accept that some workouts will be missed because life gets in the way, but this scramble could have (and should have) been avoided.

Being tired makes me more prone to cravings, specifically for simple sugars and carbs, both for the sugar rush that they will bring (and of course the inevitable crash, but that doesn’t seem to be in the forefront of my mind when I’m like this), and for the comfort aspect.

I’m up late doing nothing. No, really, nothing. I can’t sleep because my head is too busy, but I’m too tired to do anything productive. And because I’m up and bored and frustrated and Nick is in bed asleep I’ve got a scenario that covers several of my food triggers. I pick and pick, mostly on healthy foods (because that’s pretty much all that’s available in the house), but it will put me over my calorie goals.

So I’m missing workouts and undermining my nutrition… no wonder I struggle with my goals. And aside from all that, there’s a wealth of information that supports a string link between good sleep practices and a healthy weight.

Now that I’ve identified this, I have to figure out what to do. The obvious answer is “just sleep more”, but that’s like saying “just eat less” to someone who’s struggled with their weight for any length of time… there’s no “just”. I’ve been on medication for my sleep problems, but they always leave me fuzzy headed in the morning, and I’m concerned about the long-term side effects. I’d really like to develop some holistic solutions.

Did I turn a corner????

I don’t know. The dietician has been helpful, but I was still FAR too indulgent in sugar and simple carbs, so my behavior was in no way modified since the last post. However, two things happened that have started me down a new path;

1. Fall came early to Canada.
What does this have to do with anything? you may ask. Just wait a mo’, I answer, I’m getting to it.

2. My pants don’t fit.
No, really. See, all summer long I wore cute skirts, dresses, capris and long shorts. Some were bought this season, but even those bought last season for the most part fit. I lamented the few pairs of shorts that were tight, but for the most part I was able to blissfully ignore the fact that I had gained a few inched around my middle.

But then the weather turned, and last week was getting pretty cold. And I tried on my jeans and pants.

The horror.

I have one pair of jeans that currently fit properly, and they were ones that I stopped wearing last year because they were too baggy in the waist and bum. I have another pair that wearable as long as I’m careful about which top I pair with it because the muffin top is VERY noticeable.

And as for my dress pants that I would usually start wearing to work, I’m down to one pair.

I can’t afford to replace my wardrobe, so I realized I had to actually start walking the walk. I decided the only way to break my habits and/or addictions was to go cold turkey. So I’ve been completely off the sugar and refined carbs for almost a week mow. That includes EVERYTHING with sugar, including sauces and dressings, pre-packaged soups, all breads, everything. I’m going to aim for two, maybe three, weeks before I start introducing even a trace of sugar back into my diet.

My intention is that by that time I will have broken any physical addition to sugar and won’t be jonesin’ for a treat every couple of hours. And I will have broken the habit to do so.

Is it working? Well, I’ve been craving less junk, although I’ve been perhaps too indulgent with other things (i.e. nuts, popcorn etc.). However, I think that these were crutches of sorts, and I’m tapering off those as well. And I do feel like my belly is less bloated.

Annnnnd as motivation, I’ve jumped on Glam’s Grand Muffin Melt-Off bandwagon.