Daily accountability and check in

walkintofit

Mikey, hoping the ideas can jump start yours. Jobs can be wearing on the nerves when u have been doing them a long time. Finding new things to do is the spice of life. With your managerial skills should get u into something else. If you don't want to look for another job, how about a new hobby that u would enjoy? martial arts? rock climbing, crafts, leather work?
Mental fatigue is no joke , that takes time to clear that.

mikeyrowlands

Thanks Walkintofit, some good suggestions there. Time to put the thinking cap on.

I've started a new habit this week, randomly, along with my porridge pot, an orange and banana for breakfast. I'm trying to hold off my coffee for a bit later in the Morning. The extra fibre and Vit C will be much appreciated.


"Each person acquires their own character, but their official roles are designated by chance. You should invite some to your table because they are deserving, others because they may come to deserve it."

Todays Stoic quote. It's interesting because my job came about by chance and I never expected to stay in it, but here I am. I don't think luck or chance is the entire reason, agency plays a massive part. Right time and place is a factor, but you can end up in the right place, at the right time because of the things you have done

walkintofit

I think you are right Mikey. I ended up in my job by chance. A gal I knew came over and asked to fill out an application for a retail job in a clothing store. I said sure then I tossed it on the fridge and promptly forgot about it. Got a phone call about a couple weeks later from her boss. She said they were going through applications and couldn't find mine and to come in for an interview right away. I told them I was doing chores and wasn't cleaned up, she said come right in. Oh did I look a mess? yes!! I was rather embarrassed. She hired me on the spot! U know I was astounded!! I She said that if I can come in looking like that she wanted to hire me for my humor and my attitude... best story ever.

mikeyrowlands

That is a funny story Walkintofit 🤣 That's when you know you are gonna have a great co worker too.

It's day 3 of orange and nana breakfast, I don't feel any more powerful, it must be working. 🤣

Forgot how much I love oranges, they are just so much of a pain to eat. Definately an "is the juice worth the squeeze" situation.

walkintofit

Eating healthier is always worth the "squeeze" Mikey. U got some protein to go with the juice? Don't short change yourself. I'm dropping a little weight, but I do need to not cut out the protein. I am adding yogurt, cottage cheese and some blueberries or blackberries.
hubby and I used to make wine, got a good amount from that time, cracked one open last night, whew talk about flavorful and strong. hint to self dont drink it all.!

mikeyrowlands

Oh wow, your own wine, that sounds interesting. Do you do red or white?

I do have a decent porridge pot most mornings, I was making them with some protein powder and chia, but because I use water, they tasted a bit flat so I reverted back to pre made pots, I think they have whitener/thickener.

walkintofit

Wine types: mead, dandelion, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, elderberry, concord grape and made saki once. That stuff was strong!! It was fun while it lasted. I can't make it by myself. Its the corker machine. It requires grip strength to use. it. I should check to see if there is a different type that I could use. I like a sweet wine so I added back in a bit of sugar. Dessert wine is what the experts called it. We really enjoyed making different types of wine. Maybe sometime I will get back into making it. Solo hobbies aren't much fun.

walkintofit

Got the day off, hmm what to do besides cleaning the house. possibilities are endless

mikeyrowlands

I've just had the same Walkintofit, 2 days off with no plan. Except rest the brain and body.

Did some jobs, fitted a floating shelf and sorted some wiring in the kitchen ate badly and played computer games. Best time ever.

I've set some priorities to get me through the next months hopefully with some progress.

1 - Sleep
2 - Water
3 - Fruit and Veg
4 - Calories
5 - Exercise
6 - Lifestyle

Sleep and water aren't so bad but need improvement, less late nights, more water in the afternoon.

Fruit and veg and calories need work, my diet is awful, too much sugar and junk. MFP is ideal, tracking calories and macros to keep on track.

Exercise isn't too bad, I get steps in every day for the walk to work but I need to do some strength work and stretching, I feel old and achy.

Lifestyle is just everything else, job, family, social elements, hobbies etc. I need to spend more time with my family and friends.

Anyway, I'm back at my desk, not quite logged back on yet. The below is today's Stoic lesson, really resonates, particularly work and how fate plays its hand. Ive had a good few years but not so much the last one although I think I'm at the other side.

"If the breaking day sees someone proud,
The ending day sees them brought low.
No one should put too much trust in triumph,
No one should give up hope of trials improving
Clotho mixes one with the other and stops
Fortune from resting, spinning every fate around.
No one has had so much divine favor
That they could guarantee themselves tomorrow
God keeps our lives hurtling on,
Spinning in a whirlwind."


-Seneca, Thyestes, 613

walkintofit

Eating badly makes a person old and decrepit, time for you to eat more veggies and fruits. add 3 veg and at least 1 fruit daily. Look up portion sizes , that is an eye opener, take a multi at least 3x a week.
Keep on moving, got some hand weights? If not make a set with using a grocery bag and put a some food cans in each bag ta da weights. Maybe a exercise band?
I am adding a bit more protein. I like it when someone else cooks the meat, grill, smoked, traegar. Its in the spices used makes it good. I did get yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds, walnuts.

one thing i have been told from mil
laugh before breakfast cry before supper

seneca has some good words.

mikeyrowlands

Yes, veggies and fruit. I've got my orange this Morning again and I'll go and pick up a small salad to go with my quiche.

I'm planning later on prepping tomorrow's salad and also for next week. I get bored and turned off from some salads and end up buying lunch instead, so I'll try prepping more interesting stuff in advance.

I was surprised yesterday that I stayed within my calorie range, some poorer choices though.

Did have a later night because I was a bit zapped after work. I think later, I'll fight through the normal urge and take my wife for a walk around the block.

walkintofit

Do fight the urge and get outside with her. Its the little things like that will help the marriage and keep you out of the snack box. I liked it when hubby would walk with me. People were very friendly with us on the walks. One of the doctors would ride his bike and he gave kudos to hubby for doing it too.
Mikey, I stayed out of the chips and guess what I had a loss. yay me.

walkintofit

Do yourself a favor and eat better today, your tomorrows will thank you. days turn into weeks and weeks into years. Health is the true wealth.

mikeyrowlands

Wasn't that evening but we did have a decent walk yesterday, up to Blackpool for the lights. Hour and half drive but was worth it, not been for years.

Fish and chips and cinder toffee, amazing.

My Dad does yoga in the week, it's been something I've thought about for many years, hopefully relaxing and stretching. Maybe I'll try and find a starter session somewhere local.

walkintofit

Hi Mikey, here you can use You Tube to give it a try. That can take the stiffness out of the whole body. My son has yoga go on his phone, I might sign up for that as there is a 3 month trial. It is good to break up with the usual routine and get out of the rut. Good Job

zdin85502

walkintofit

zdin85502 just a question are you doing a vlcd? looks like it is too low for you. b careful if you aren't under dr supervision.

mikeyrowlands

Day 246 (I think), I thought I'd go back and see when I last counted.

Took a day yesterday and felt better for it. Just munching on a porridge pot with cranberries and raisins, very nice.

Wife is away this weekend, so I think I'll do some surprise jobs assuming it's dry.

Christmas lights up across the roof. No decs just yet but I'll get the outside lights done.

Get the grass mown, I've been making excuses and avoiding for months, it didn't get done late summer and now it's a jungle, doesn't help that I jammed the bbq in front of it in the shed.

I think there are a few others that I can sort while I've got time and space.

mikeyrowlands

Ill tell you what I really struggle with and I think it's the ADHD/spicy brain thing. I love using this channel to keep a tenuous link and some accountability but I really struggle getting change going and the habit to form.

I know what a good diet should look like.
I've got access to MFP and other programmes if needed (I've found noom good for habit building).
My wife does decent shopping and buys veggies and fruit, she really looks after m3 actually.
Ive got access to the gym and a decent garden or garage to do stuff at home.

I know I need to make changes now, I need to do more stretching and strength work as well as cut out biscuits, crisps and snacks

I just cannot get into a positive habit of eating healthier and getting some additional exercise. I feel drained and emotionally tired which causes me to have late nights and eat poorly for a dopamine fix, this creates a chicken and egg problem.

If/when the hyperfocus kicks in, I really get going, I've done well strength training in the gym and changed my diet but until this happens it's tough.

Not sure what this is, I don't think I need 'help', I'm not sure what the solution is but I thought I'd do a brain dump so I can come back to it later.

I posted my priorities a week or so ago and they are still 100% correct, I guess I can revisit those and decide what I'm doing next about them.

walkintofit

The drain and emotionally tired comes from working with so many people. U look at food and try to get some results from it , such as dopamine fix. Hard to step away from that. Try some outside time, no phone with you. Take a multi vitamin. Plan the late night snacks. Do you have some dumbells at home? Instead of sitting in the chair when getting home go grab those dumbbells' and do some curls. Tossing ideas at you Mikey. Some of this is for me too. If I put it in writing it does work better.

mikeyrowlands

Good suggestion walkintofit

I made a good start on Saturday but then ordered takeout, it was really nice though.

Yesterday was better, I finished the leftovers and made some good choices, also tracked it which I started Saturday but gave up when I cheated.

I really felt it Saturday night and Sunday Morning, my BP, I'm sure I could hear my arteries crying out too.

So reinforced attempts this week.

I've redone my field notes journal with a page of daily habit tracking and a daily journal page. It's a good little pad and it tickles my 'journal doodling' itch.

1 - Sleep
7 hours last night which is good, wife is still away and I had an early start to travel for work.

2 - Water
2 fills of my bright orange bottle, been doing OK with this, it's just the afternoon I need to remember to drink more.

3 - Fruit and Veg
Get my 5. Made a great choice yesterday, cooked 4 rashers of bacon but last minute decided to only use 2 and a sliced tomato on tiger bread.

Some stir fry veg in my leftovers bit not counting it.

Did nail an orange and banana just needed some more veg, maybe a chopped pepper with the sandwich would have worked.

4 - Calories
Tracked and stayed within, I'll use the macro tracking to keep sat fats low and maximise the lower ones. I think I get given 2200, I still had 180 left which is fine by me to stick around 200.

5 - Exercise
I need easy cardio choices my feet are agony most of the time, I do walk to/from the bus though which is about 5k steps along with walking about the office most days. It's a 'sweat on' I need to sort out to get my ticker going.

6 - Lifestyle
Started reading Ultra Proceseed People again yesterday, scary insight to processed food. Decided to stop using marg, it's practically plastic at this point.

That said, I'm waiting for a train drinking the new nutmeg and hazelnut latte from Costa.

walkintofit

u have some great things going on Mikey! good job! I have added a protein powder to my go cup. it does give me a better start in the morning. I noticed it has slowed down some eating. scale is moving down a little. i do get a salad in 3x week and add extra veg into it. I am short so my calories for weight loss are low (1200)
Mikey as your feet are sore, use a rowing machine for the heart or get out the dumbells and get some lifts in. Both would help you. I have sore feet from the walking I do at work. I try to be careful of not doing any jogging. have a great day

mikeyrowlands

Your meals are always so interesting Greaterthanlife.

Tilapia is available but not so common here.

My breakfast was avocado and poached eggs on sourdough, mainly as I'm in a hotel so it's cheating 🤣

I'm in an apartment rather than a room so I went to grab dinner last night, Ii was super hungry so I bought a tikka massala and 2 naan. I thought I had sneaked under my calories but I added 2 sausage rolls which I ate on the way back and they are surprisingly high.

Intention was correct anyway and I still tracked. I'll have a think about dinner later, its easier as I have a micro and grill so can actually cook.

You are right about the rowing walkintofit, either that or cycling I think. I've admitted to myself, I think my ankles are as much because I've put a bit of weight on and it could do with dropping off. I love(d) running and treadmill but I think those days are over.

Did alright yesterday though, between the commute and walking for dinner, 9k odd steps.

Have to check the trains this Morning, we've got a light dusting of snow in UK and of course it causes travel chaos 🤣 want to make sure I can get home tomorrow.

Scottish01

@mikeyrowlands - found your posts by accident, fair play to you...half expected it to come to a dead end after a while. Inspiring that you are continuing to enter in and good to read about your progress, please keep it going.

As for me, like yourself I've had to give up running on the treadmill and on the road even though I loved it, me old knees weren't able....but what I have found is walking on a a gradually increasing incline and speed for 30 mins has really helped me get back into it and best of all after keeping it up for month, no injuries to knees, hips or legs so I can keep going.

0 -5 : 2 @ 5K
5 - 10 : 3 @ 6K
10- 20 : 5 @ 6.5K
20 -29 : 6 @ 6.5K

I'll probably review it in another couple of weeks as I think I am getting fitter and have to work on it

mikeyrowlands

Oh dear, the amount of times I've written a post only to nudge myself off the app and have to start again.

I thought it would fizzle out myself much earlier on, I've been really surprised by the engagement in the thread with a couple of people sharing their own journeys, greaterthanlife and walkintofit in particular, its given me a reason to keep coming back and checking in.

This week has been interesting, I'm surprised by the amount of calories in some of the snacks and smaller foods, 350 in a sausage roll and 300 in a small shortbread biscuit, I eat these usually in a packet of 4. No wonder I'm in trouble.

I'm going to start swapping these foods out and making more effort to prepare a good lunch. I could do with a planned snack too that will stave off the hunger and desire to cheat whilst on my way home.

1 - Sleep
7 hours last night which is good but haven't slept well on the harder hotel bed this week.

2 - Water
Plenty of water yesterday.

3 - Fruit and Veg
Avocado, small bowl of fruit, banana, carrots and hummus, green salad for lunch.


4 - Calories
Made great choices, and was around 2200 but I finished a couple of shortbread biscuits with lunch. 700 calories damn.

I swapped out the poached eggs with breakfast this morning and had pico de gallo with avocado as a veggie choice instead and to keep the calories lower.

I'm trying to swap to a later train so I'll have to decide what to do for lunch, I can eat a couple of pieces of fruit and eat lunch/dinner on the train. I know - I'll do this and grab a poke box, they are delicious and healthy.

5 - Exercise
Work in progress, 9k steps on Monday when commuting, will do the same today, walked up to the supermarket yesterday and back, that was the limit of my exercise.

mikeyrowlands

That said, I still did 6k steps yesterday. Not bad for not really thinking about it.

When I commute to work normally, it's 5/6k steps to and from the bus and whatever I do in the office.

walkintofit

Mikey thats great you are getting a handle on the eating and getting steps in! keep it up. Get those dumbells out ad do some arm curls to get that manly physique going on. If needs be when watching the tele. Any movement counts. yes I said any! You are layering your workouts. Its good. mix it up so you don't get bored. yoga, walk workouts, yard work, shadow boxing. To get some good punches in I think of that annoying co worker.. ya gettem!!!
I started to add some protein powder to breakfast.. I mix a scoop in a jar and I add milk and a cup of coffee. shake that up in a jiffy. slug it down and head to work. I haven't ate a real breakfast in years. I didn't die! I like brunch the best but its hard to get working in a retail environment. I did slip on monday night I drank too much and didn't eat supper, got in a snack though. Did the due diligence and tracked it. so 950 calories for the day.. I'm pretty sure just sniffing those fresh baked bread from subway is that amt of calories. Their killin me.
Just remember peeps what u do today affects your tomorrows. Keep on moving.

mikeyrowlands

I love that quote greaterthanlife "what you do today affects your tomorrows"

I was thinking yesterday about the zen feelingI enjoy so much when I'm away and I couldn't figure out why it was so specific to those Mornings.

When I normally commute to work, I wake up tired and go for the bus, the bus is busy, the walk up to the office is busy, I get to the office early and make a coffee, within 5/10 mins other people are joining me and it gets busy.

My day is generally non stop interruptions or calls. I pop out for lunch and its busy as we are the outskirts of city centre.

I finish and head for the bus which is mad busy and takes twice as long.

By the time I get home, I'm mentally exhausted from the constant input and busyness.

In contrast when I travel, I generally enjoy a good 40 mins to relax with a coffee before a short walk to the office, it's the same at the end of the day.

I need to find a way to replicate this zen so I can reduce the mental drain at the start and of the day.

walkintofit

Your brain needs the quiet to turn down the volume in the brain. Too much input for anyone to handle it for very long. This is what is different from when I was growing up. Kids rode bikes played games after school. No cell phones. Parents sat outside in the evenings, sometimes visiting with the neighbors.
I am going to start having no phone/tv for a couple hours everyday to see if I can replicate that zen time.

sadaffaheem

Same! I am happy to also do this, ever since they got rid of the status option, which I used to use to reflect on my progress. It is day 3 of me attempting to do atkins inspired diet. Im doing good! Im trying to eat clean especially til Thanksgiving. I've been excercising (minus yesterday) regularly everyday, ever since I got an elliptical. Jumping on for even 10-15 minutes daily has made me feel alot healthier. Protein shake everyday after waking with coffee, salad w some kind of protein for lunch, probably garlic herb shrimp today (which reminds me i have to pick some up), roast or sauteed greens for dinner with cajun spiced fish filets, roast tandoori chicken etc, snacks or after dinner eats if necessary are ratio yogurt and chia seed pudding or hot tea,sugar free gum and other no calorie drinks and channelling all my anger and rage into this. When I study for finals if i get stressed which triggers an oral fixation of biting nails or eating, i keep gum and drink sugar free/low cal drinks, or snack on veggies. Blocking apps on my phone, sleeping at a reasonable hour. Its okay to have bad days, but right now im all about stacking good days! its okay to not do everything everyday! I'm putting this stuff at the top of my priority list for now.