Survival vs Diet and Exercise.

Well today is Wednesday, weigh day and I will be glad to see what has been achieved in the past week.

The last few days have been very difficult because I have been on night duty Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. For all of us who do shift work with nights, there are a few extra challenges that's for sure. My way of coping with it is usually not to sleep on the first day, or just have a late Nana nap, then I have a good chance of sleeping well the next day and I usually only do 2 at a time, mixed with days. This time I had 3, so I knew getting the exercise in was going to be an issue. Survival vs a healthy lifestyle/diet and exercise, has been the focus of my thoughts this week.

When it came to the exercise I decided to go to the gym straight from work on Monday morning, which worked well. I got there just after 0730 and left at 0910, went home and really enjoyed my breakfast then went to bed. The sleep was really disturbed by the neighbour's dog upset by the people next door moving and I had to get up at least 3 times to pee. All that water and I just can't keep it in. So I didn't get the sleep I needed and was back at work at 2100.

I took all my gear for the gym to work again and planned to do the same, but when it came to knock off time, I just had to go home. I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open and I was starving. One thing about nights, there are only 3 meals a day and because I had a short sleep the day before, I had a late breakfast, late lunch and dinner just before leaving for work. I kept the snacks to keep me going through the night, but still had the shakes from hunger at the end of the night. Ten hours is a long time to go when one is working not to have something substantial to eat. I used to always have something around 0400. I really had to think what was most important, exercise or sleep and sustinance. I decided the safest, healthiest thing to do was to go home. I realised I was feeling guilty and thinking I was just making excuses again, but driving when so tired is dangerous and the effort put into the exercise would have been pittyful being so drained of energy. There is a place for practicle thinking in this and I know I'm not falling off the wagon, just surviving.

It is now 0430 on my third night and I don't feel so tired. I did manage to get a good sleep yesterday, between the toilet visits and I didn't have lunch during the day, so have had that for my late morning feast. I just might get to the gym today........ After this I have days off, so maybe I can do an extra session to make up for the one missed.......

I also haven't kept up with week 2's menu. I really wanted a day off on Sunday so didn't make the effort and go shopping for all the new stuff. I had so many left overs in the fridge from week one, I have been repeating the meals. I have decide to do that because it saves time and money. In my house, I am the only one eating this diet, so when I make things for 2, there are extra serves for later, which is great.

Jenny