Sunday 19 June 2011

My 30-day challenge - Take 2

How strange. After my last post about my 30-day challenge (when I'd got to Day 17), something happened and it all fell to bits. Literally the next day. I managed to keep up with things that day but by the following day, nothing was happening and I felt awful. My challenge went from being something I'd been finding really quite effortless (it was just a case of being organised and a bit of forward-thinking/planning) to something that felt like a very steep thing to climb. For no apparent reason that I could find...

I'd felt so amazing the first two weeks that I was expecting the last two weeks to be even better. Yet that was not the case. I thought that perhaps my wonky hormones had returned but not only were they still wonky, they were now back-to-front. Such confusion.

So I'm starting the challenge again from tomorrow. To see what it involves, click here. When I've finished this post, I'll get my little chart ready, tape it to the kitchen cabinet and off we go again. I have to admit, I do feel a little apprehensive about how I'll get on but I guess I just need to do it and keep going no matter what! The 30-day Challenge is exactly the same as before but I'm going to add in some daily exercise and see how I get on. I was doing this at the start of the year - I have no idea how I was getting up at 6 most mornings in January so I could go for an early-morning swim but it did happen! The main difference now is that I've been running a lot more these past few months (and in January I was lucky if I could run for 1 minute without needing to stop and walk for a bit) so running doesn't feel like such a chore, in fact at times I really enjoy it! And I've always loved swimming (and my Saturday-morning yoga) so the exercise part should be cool.

There seems to be something about getting past the 3-week mark. When I first did this in January, I got up to 3 weeks okay but then it fizzled out in the last week. It seems to have happened again. I wasn't expecting it to so I know to pay close attention once I'm half-way through. Other things I've noticed. My sleep quality has deteriorated in the past week. It takes me a lot longer to get to sleep and I don't feel quite so rested even if I've slept for a long time. I have absolutely no desire for dairy. I keep trying to tempt myself with some lovely ice cream but then I just think "meh no just don't feel like having it". I've even managed to resist the absolutely amazing home-made mint choc chip ice cream at The Palmerston. Normally I try and sneak a scoop or two at least once a week if I know any is in the freezer. A batch was made about a week ago and I've yet to taste it, I just don't feel like having it. And whenever I've had my beloved Galaxy chocolate (yes 3 bars have been consumed in the last month), I've not actually enjoyed it that much. I don't think I'm off chocolate so much as my taste buds becoming sharper, I think you can tell when you're eating something that perhaps doesn't have the best ingredients. Just need to find myself some superior quality chocolate to have from time to time! So even though my 30-day challenge didn't quite make it, there's still a lasting impact being made on my taste buds.

Wish me luck - my challenge starts tomorrow!

Wednesday 8 June 2011

My 30-day challenge - Day 17

So more than half way through and the "challenge" has been going well. I think it's the combination of wrapping it all up as a "challenge" and the fact that I've been trying to get into these good habits since the start of the year and at this fourth or fifth attempt, it feels easier as I've had quite a bit of practice. Also, I was expecting to introduce all these new habits and just be able to do it straight away immediately but then I was reminded of the fact that I'm rarely good at things when I first start and get better and better because I keep trying and don't give up.

I've had day after day after day where I've been able to do all the things on my list. I've just checked my chart and I had a run of 6 days where I did everything - pretty good going for me. The chart is essential and something I'll keep doing forever, particularly as daily discipline is not one of my strong points. The chart has enabled me to get back on track when I've missed doing something and it shows me the things that are most likely to be missed (daily toning exercises). I've realised that although I have to work on daily discipline, I feel good for doing it and I also get the most out of my day - I need structure, organisation and forward-planning to get things done.

Anyone who knows me well will probably know that I've been struggling with wonky hormones and low energy levels for years now. They've never stood in the way of me doing things but I longed for more energy and not to feel so up and down all the time. At their worst, the hormones had me feeling like some Jekyll and Hyde character, up for two weeks, down for two weeks. They're not so bad now thanks to seeing a kinesiologist and identifying the plethora of reasons why they were so bad but there is still a distinct rhythm to my life. I've felt great the last couple of weeks (and they were "down" weeks) and it makes it obvious that what I eat does make a huge impact on how I feel. I can eat rubbish and not put any weight on but it affects my moods enormously and I've only come to realise that in the past few months.

I'm not sure the impact on my energy levels as I've yet to wake up and jump out of bed, bouncing with energy. The only time I really feel like that it's due to adrenaline, I'll wake up at around 4 or 5 and be buzzing with excitement, unable to get back to sleep. As there are some exciting changes just round the corner for me regarding work I know that the adrenaline will soon be back but that's not quite the same as bouncing out of bed with energy. However maybe I'm just not that kind of person - I like to start my morning in a calm, quiet way and prefer no noise or talking for at least the first 30 minutes. Although I aspire to bounce out of bed, raring to go I'm not sure I'd actually like myself if I was like that as I'd be too noisy and energetic for myself!

I have noticed a change in my sleep quality though. The only way I can describe it is that my sleep feels very sweet. It's been blissful and I do wake up refreshed. I am less likely to wake up in the night and I'm not so affected by noise or light. Maybe I'm sleeping deeper too. I've started doing my 20 minutes of meditation just before I go to sleep so I'll do it sat upright in bed. It consists of taking deep breaths in, holding and letting them out again. I make sure that my lungs fill up completely and then exhale fully. I have a little timer next to me and as soon as 20 minutes are up, I'll switch the timer and bedside lamp off and slide down into the bed, turn over and I'm asleep in about 3 seconds. This is brilliant as I had noticed that I was finding it quite difficult to get to sleep recently. It could take half an hour or more to nod off and the longer it took, the more frustrated I'd feel. All change now...

The other thing I've noticed is that my digestive system is working well through the night (which is what it's meant to do). However we put so much into our bodies that we find difficult to digest or use up excessive energy trying to do so. I have to admit, I am slightly obsessed with bowel movements (if you're not comfortable with this kind of topic, don't read this paragraph). I could go for days without having one or even worse, you can feel it there but it just isn't coming out. I would drink coffee or tea for the specific reason of clearing out my insides but longed for my insides to work properly so I wouldn't have to resort to there kinds of tactics to make me go. I think as I'm quite small in frame, having a few days worth of poo stuck in my system would just make me feel horribly uncomfortable and would always feel a bit disappointed if only a small one came out. On the other hand, a big poo where you feel everything has come out makes me actually feel quite euphoric! Since day 5, my digestive system has got into a regular rhythm and soon after I wake, it's time to go. I feel like everything is coming out without much effort from me and that sensation of "all backed up but nothing coming out" has pretty much disappeared. At times I've not even felt anything until it's time to go.

I think a number of things are responsible. Cutting out things from my diet that I find difficult to digest or just aren't good for me obviously helps. I'm probably having about 10 portions of fruit, veg or salad a day so lots more fibre coming my way. Drinking 2L of water a day definitely helps and keeps everything hydrated and working well. But I think the main thing is the flaxseed. I have a large tablespoon mixed in with a fresh vegetable juice and it is working wonders. I missed my juice and flax seed on Monday for a number of reasons and it's thrown my digestive system out again and I'm now just waiting for it to get back into it's rhythm again.

All in all my challenge is going well. I've seen a number of positive results already and I feel more tuned in to what my body needs or wants. I'm sure that whenever I've eaten junk food my body has responded by making me feel like rubbish but I've always put that down to wonky hormones when actually other things were the culprit! I know that when the 30-days are over, another 30-day challenge of all the same things will start again as this is less a one-off thing, more a way of living a healthier way.