Hitting The Wall
Eternal Struggling
Hitting the wall happens frequently when you have an uneasy relationship with food, it’s constant and feels never-ending. You have to ride out the bad times and remind yourself you will get through in the end.
"No-one ever said it was gonna be easy......" Inspiral Carpets ft. Mark E Smith
The Wall…
What To Do
Wise words to kick off this blog! And a top tune to boot. Has got this drab Wednesday morning in Manchester going! Today, I’m writing about the hitting the wall. Runners are notorious for hitting the wall, but it is much the same for those losing weight. The same principles apply. Do you give up or soldier on?
One month into my journey, and it has certainly, without sounding too arty, become a journey of discovery. I’m certain that a big chunk is simply willpower and thought process. I look back and admit how weak I was. I’m already feeling the benefits. Today, for the first time since Sunday, I feel I am back on track, so a good time to update when in a positive frame of mind. I hit a wall and whilst not pleasant, was a fascinating part of the learning curve.
So what happened Sunday to run into this wall? Let me explain. Our usual jaunt to see family. A rainy, horrible, miserable Manchester afternoon. Nothing else to do but get your ass spanked by a seven-year-old on Super Mario games. As is traditional, when we arrived I was offered coffee. A roulade was slapped on the table. Having reduced my sugar intake significantly, any sweet things I simply find too sweet now. The roulade did not look particularly appetizing but out of politeness more than anything else, I had a couple of small slices. I consumed thinking how ruddy-sweet it tasted.
No Harm Done?
Maybe Just A Little!
I thought nothing more. I’ve had small slabs of cake before, few calories, no harm done. Logged into the MyNetDiary app, job done. In the evening, me and Larice settled down to watch a film – my first TV of the week – and, despite having had my evening meal I got hunger pangs. I blamed the TV as I try and keep my mind occupied with other stuff. I rushed into the kitchen without thinking and thrust 25 IKEA meatballs into the air fryer. When cooked, I ate with mayo and ketchup. And yes I did count the meatballs! Luckily, we never have really bad foodstuffs in the house now. Just as well, I felt like completely caving in.
One thing you never do when starting a journey like this is stop learning. Once you get into it, you find the whole process taking over your life. That’s fine, especially if like me you love learning. As I wrote above, you need to keep your brain occupied and stay focused. My mood changed over Monday and Tuesday. I was feeling fat, feeling frumpy, feeling moody, and bordering on depression despite having taken my ‘happy’ pills, feeling this whole thing was a waste of time. Go back to the old ways. Buy bags of crisps and bars of chocolate. Slump in front of the telly gorging on toast and butter. Yeah, that’s gonna make you feel a whole heap better! Thankfully, my brain seems to realise this.
Slight Overeating
Keep Away From The Sugar!
I slightly overate yesterday through a misjudgment and didn’t overeat Monday. Despite my temperamental mood, I’ve been busy at work and kept my brain occupied. To go back to couch slumping was never really a serious option such as I have changed my way.
My mood is back to normal this morning, I’m looking back and firmly blaming the roulade. Sugar is evil, not your friend and will not comfort you in any shape or form! We must resist the sugar! Ok, a little over the top but I’m sure you get my point.
Learning Curve
Never Ending Story
So what have I learned? I simply have to stay away from sweet stuff. This is great given that you know what is just around the corner and there will be many temptations. Thankfully, they don’t appeal much and given the drama of the last couple of days, there’s proof that sugar is not for me bar one teaspoon of Truvia in my late-evening peppermint tea. On the other hand, as I always stipulate, do whatever works for you.
I feel great this morning as I look out from my office window. Come through a major wobble and out the other side relatively unscathed. When things get tough and they will get tough, you have to hang on in there. You have to show fight and resolve. You have to dig your heels in deep. And you must keep saying to yourself this is a long journey and a complete change of lifestyle. You will hit the wall numerous times but you can deal with it and move on.
