Insomnia
Insomnia is a bugger. When eating less, I always find I get worse insomnia. How do I approach this and what can be done about staying awake in the wee small hours. It’s frustrating and you have to be very strong.
I Can’t Get No Sleep
The Curse Of Insomnia
Insomnia is a pest. I always get it when trying to lose weight. Adapting to such a radical change of lifestyle was always going to be tricky. Often in life, I’ve gone from one extreme to the other, so this is nothing new. This feels much like my last ground zero in May 2009 which prompted me to shed seven stone (42 Kilos). The valuable lesson I learned from that achievement is never, ever take your eye off the ball and get complacent and slapdash. I need to operate this way for life. Had I taken this approach back then, I wouldn’t be here today!
Like millions of others, I am one of those bods who looks at a biscuit and gains weight. If I discipline myself, I can lose weight steadily. All too often we go for the eating option in life. I’ve been guilty of giving up way too easily, way too many times. Eating is an addiction for me and many others. A horrible addiction at times. My habits got so bad that there was no way I could continue with so many out-of-control habits to deal with.
Bedtime Hunger
Causes Insomnia
One of my biggest problems when trying to change habits is going to bed hungry and developing chronic insomnia. And the past three nights have been pretty chronic to the extreme. Admittedly, I came close to cracking and consuming some biscuits, a sandwich and a doughnut, my usual binge-eat go to foodstuffs. I stood firm, strong, standing…. Or lay in my bed!
As I was tossing and turning, I got a lot of thinking done. Blogging helps because I often think of blogs in my head. Another aspect keeping me going is I think of how wonderful I feel the next morning when I awake having not overeaten. This is helping. And the more I do it, the more the body will get used to being hungry. And the less you weigh, the less you have to eat.
Food Addiction And Insomnia
A Bad Combination!
I accept I am almost always going to be hungry because of my food addiction. I’m hoping my body begins to get used to this. Whilst I feel hungry, I know I’m not starving myself which is helping to keep me going. I always knew these first few weeks were going to be the toughest. But I’ve developed a determination which hasn’t been present within me for a considerable amount of time.
Any weight loss attempt is going to have side effects. The more the days gnaw on, the more I think so much of this is in our brains. I feel like I’ve completely reprogrammed myself already and accept this is a long journey and not something solved by a quick fix. I accept hunger for what it is because I’ve spent most of my life thinking I’m hungry. Documenting this journey is helping.
Keep It Simple
To Diffuse Insomnia
I’m trying not to look into things too deeply and sticking with the plan I’ve been working on. 5000 steps, four small meals a day, 2000 calories a day. I feel like I’m in a bit of a detoxing phase right now and as the weeks go on, this will relax. I just need to kick-start this journey with some hardcore life changes. No pain, no gain!
I’ve been off work this week and hopefully, things might settle down a bit when I return on Monday (watch this space!). Despite turning off my machines, drinking what I call a ‘hippie tea’ (this one is called sleep ironically enough) and reading a good old-fashioned book before turning in, this is not working one jot right now, but it’s something I plan to persevere with. I’m learning to stop giving up so easily.
Dealing With Insomnia
Taking Little Steps
This is all about little steps. The fact I’ve got through the last three nights without cracking once gives me real hope I can permanently change. Of course, and it inevitably will happen, I will crack at some point. When I do, it’s a case of how I deal with it and what I do next. The fact I’ve gone seven months without smoking proves I can do these things when I want to. Or when my brain wants to.
Unfortunately, insomnia does have the knock-on effect of feeling tired and lethargic the next day. I just have to keep going on this. As my body settles into a new way of being, I’m hopeful that early problems like this will become a thing of the past. For too long, I’ve gone to bed quite full after late-night snacking and slept soundly.
Because I work evenings (2PM to 10 PM), my routine is also slightly different. Trying to find a balance is tough but three meals a day is what I’m attempting! Strength and discipline are called for! Whilst my job is no longer physically tiring, it is very mentally tiring. Routine is everything in order to succeed.
