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I continue to feel energetic, awake and refreshed this week. I'm so grateful for that. Especially when I think back to how I was feeling in December and January. How I was struggling to find the energy to peel myself out of bed in the mornings, and how moving my body felt like having to drag around a heavy piece of lead with me.
Best session so far
Tuesday's session is a success and I get great feedback from my PT. It is my 'best session so far,' he tells me (although, I do wonder if he just says that, to be encouraging and motivational, regardless of how I do). To be fair though, I was feeling great before the session even started and I really did push myself. So I think I genuinely did do really well this time.
Starting to enjoy exercise
I don't want to jump the gun but...
...I think, I may even be beginning to enjoy these exercise sessions. The last couple of sessions have definitely been bordering on enjoyable. Could it be possible that I may eventually become one of these people who likes to work out?
Things take a bit of a turn on Sunday. It is my final session of the week and my energy levels have dropped quite a bit since the start of the week. I'm not feeling particularly energetic or in the mood to do exercise today.
Sadly, my PT has other ideas.
He seems to have decided that it is time to up the pace. A lot.
It is a jogging session and within minutes I'm feeling exhausted. I know I'm a bit tired today but should I really be struggling this much?
I decide to query it.
"I'm exhausted!" I say, between my desperate gasps for breath. "Am I just really tired and feeling it more today? Or are we going faster than normal?"
"Oh, we're picking up the pace a lot today," he says, an evil glint in his eye.
It is an absolutely gruelling session. The pace barely drops and the rests in between sprints are few and far apart. By the end I'm feeling completely smashed to pieces.
Apparently, it is good to smash me to pieces once in a while. Apparently, if I'm smashed to pieces from time to time, my body will adapt to the stress and rebuild itself more strongly, in preparation for the next smashing-up session.
My weekly food diary
This week I have been eating...
Monday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's dukkah pork with plums and charred lettuce (one third of a two portion recipe).
Snack: One orange and two cups of tea, each with a dash of milk.
Dinner: Chicken in breadcrumbs with roasted parsnips, carrots, potatoes and broccoli.
Snack: None today.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. One cup of black coffee.
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix and one banana.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's dukkah pork with plums and charred lettuce (one third of a two portion recipe).
Snack: One orange and two cups of tea, each with a dash of milk.
Dinner: Chicken in breadcrumbs with roasted parsnips, carrots, potatoes and broccoli.
Snack: None today.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix and one banana.
Lunch: Baked beans on buttered toast (brown granary bread).
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's flat iron steak apricot tagine with kale and quinoa.
Snack: None today.
Thursday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. One cup of black coffee.
Snack: Two spoonfuls of grain free granola mix and one banana.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's Mexican sunflower mince buddha bowl (one third of a two portion recipe).
Snack: One piece of brown toast with butter and marmite. One cup of tea with a dash of milk.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's flat iron steak apricot tagine with kale and quinoa.
Snack: One orange.
Friday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix and one banana.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's Mexican sunflower mince buddha bowl (one third of a two portion recipe).
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix. Two cups of tea, each with a dash of milk.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's tamari-glazed pork and baked aubergine with rice.
Snack: None today.
Saturday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: One banana.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's Mexican sunflower mince buddha bowl (one third of a two portion recipe).
Snack: One orange.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's tamari-glazed pork and baked aubergine with rice.
Snack: One cup of clipper organic sleep easy tea.
Sunday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. One cup of black coffee.
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix and one banana.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's salmon, beet sauerkraut and mustard potatoes (one third of a two portion recipe).
Snack: One spoonful of grain free granola mix. One cup of tea with a dash of milk.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's spicy chicken, egg and pepper shakshuka.
Snack: Two pieces of buttered toast (brown granary bread) with marmite.
1. Flat iron steak apricot tagine with kale & quinoa 2. Mexican sunflower mince Buddha bowl 3. Tamari-glazed pork & baked aubergine with rice 4. Salmon, beet sauerkraut & mustard potatoes
Closing thoughts on this week
Could I be at risk of becoming someone who actually enjoys exercise...?
Up next: my weight loss journey week 9
Lisa
