Small victories

I’ve had a really great week. I’ve worked out 3 times, got up at 7ish (almost) every day and revised 12 pages of Qur’an (which is less than I would like, but that’s just me being too hard on myself). I wanted to do way more, but I had to remind myself that the only way I’m going to improve is by taking baby steps. I’m the kind of person who wants to change overnight, so I take too much on board, then I can’t maintain all the changes I’ve made, so I start to slack off, eventually quitting and feeling like a total failure. This last week, however, may just turn out to be the fresh start that I was hoping it would be. I’m feeling very positive – I’m just so proud of myself for actually getting up early!

I’ve also been keeping a food diary (although not counting calories just yet – I don’t want to depress myself with how much I’m overeating, as I’d just throw in the towel if I did) which has been quite an education. I’ve finally discovered the importance of a mid-morning snack, something I’d never understood before, mainly because I always got up late and therefore had breakfast mid-morning, doing away with the need for a snack. This week, however, I found that if I didn’t eat a snack I wound up eating twice as much for lunch. (Once the food’s made I really cannot stop myself eating more.) Something else I’ve learned from writing a food diary is that when I eat late at night, I get up in the mother of bad moods the next day, and I find it really hard to drag myself out of bed. I know this isn’t true of everybody, but I just can’t afford to eat late at night. My cut off time is 7-8pm, before then I’m fine.

I’ve also learned that, so long as I take a nap (40 minutes to an hour will do), I can manage on just 4 to 6 hours of sleep a night. That has been a revelation. What have I done with all the extra time? Zilch, really. I’m re-reading the Lord of the Rings and that’s about it. But boy, am I enjoying doing nothing.

Although, if I’m honest (which I will be), I think the reason that I’m only working on these three areas (sleep, Qur’an and exercise) is that in a week’s time I shall be going on holiday for a couple of weeks, then when I get back I’ll have about another week before it’s Ramadan, and, realistically, I have little actual hope that I will maintain these (or any) new changes during either my holiday or Ramadan.

However, a small part of me is secretly rooting for me to succeed with these particular changes right through these times. We’ll see.

For this coming week I intend to improve on my current little achievements, as I feel that the fact that I’m going away is no reason for me not to do so. That and the fact that I’ve really enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment this week and I want more! So, I’m intending to workout 5 or 6 days this week (I’d love to say 7, but I know that that would just be setting me up for failure), revise 28 pages of Qur’an, continue to get up at 7am, and to eat better (i.e. watch my portions, eat regularly and eat before 8pm).

I’ve got Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred, which everyone seems to be raving about (seriously, I’ve seen it praised up on so many blogs and websites it’s ridiculous) and that’s what I’ll be working on this week. I’m just going to get used to the moves, is what I’m telling myself. I’ll start it properly when I start eating right and have 30 days continuously at home. Do I sound like I’m procrastinating?
Nah.