Time: 05:21
I continue to start my day early every morning, telling myself, “The hardship of the morning is better than the goodness of the evening.” Even though it can be difficult at first, once certain things become routine, you begin to do them almost automatically. There’s that so-called 21-day rule—things you repeat consistently for that long supposedly become indispensable parts of your life. I’m not sure how accurate that is, but it’s true that I feel guilty when I skip something that has become part of my routine. Routines are always good; they keep a person alert and alive.
Yesterday, I pushed myself further than usual during my daily walk. Of course, there were times in the past when I exceeded this step count, but since starting this current process, it was the first time I reached nineteen thousand steps. Considering that I also danced for sixty minutes, it seems I’ve accelerated my fat-burning process. I’ll dance again today, though I’m not sure if it will be for sixty minutes. Still, once you start exercising regularly, your body begins to crave more.
I stopped by my friend C.’s place. He’s moving his office. From the beginning, it was a mistake to share space with his client’s office. The move should be completed by the end of the month. His wife has been diagnosed with stage three body fat accumulation, and the next stage is apparently cirrhosis. Because of this, they’ve collectively adopted a healthier lifestyle and are focusing on losing weight. Their main issue seems to be eating late at night. Add carbohydrates on top of that, and it becomes a recipe for weight gain. I told my spouse about this in the morning and suggested adjusting the habit of eating late. He agrees with me. Eating close to bedtime negatively affects the body.
For example, yesterday I had breakfast around 10:30 in the morning and wasn’t hungry when I left the house. I felt slightly hungry on the way to choir practice, but since singing on a full stomach isn’t ideal, I didn’t eat. By the time I got home in the evening, I was very hungry, but I just had some mineral water and went to bed. I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately. Sometimes I go nearly twenty-four hours without eating, and when I feel hungry, I suppress it by drinking water. I don’t do this to lose weight, but because of my stomach and intestinal issues. Dinner should ideally be finished by five at the latest so that a stomach that struggles with digestion and enzyme production can function a bit better. Sometimes not eating is better than eating—this is something I’ve personally proven.
In the mornings, I start my day on an empty stomach with coconut oil, and about two hours later, I drink my buttered filter coffee. This keeps me full for a long time and also gives me energy during dance sessions. Recently, I’ve been having breakfast earlier, and I try to finish dinner by three at the latest. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, especially if breakfast is delayed, but I pay special attention not to eat late.
For dinner, I ordered chicken. Normally, we had bought five roosters from my spouse’s relatives, but those are more suitable for boiling. Since I got tired of boiled chicken, I’ll have oven-baked chicken today. I’m also thinking of having chicken broth as a kind of soup. I’ll make rice pilaf for the rest of the household. No potatoes today—although baked, they still cause water retention in the body. Especially during weigh-in week, I don’t want any bloating that could affect my motivation. Even though I’m dealing with IBS, I want to maintain the weight loss I’ve already achieved. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have lost fifteen kilos in four months otherwise. I consider that the one positive side of this condition.
My son is going to his grandmother’s today. I plan to stay home and read the books for my book club. There’s a meeting for one of them on Monday, so I’ll prioritize that. The start time overlaps with choir, so I’ll listen to it on my way home. There’s another meeting on Thursday, and I need to finish that book by Tuesday and return it to the library. I should get through both books over the weekend—at least to the point where there’s very little left.
Now I’ll have my morning coffee and then start dancing. Tomorrow is a rest day anyway. Rest is essential for muscle recovery. On Sundays, the whole household is at home, and between family breakfast and everything else, there’s usually no time for dancing. The weather looks nice today; maybe I’ll go for a walk in the evening. But first, I’ll complete my morning routine—then I’ll see what comes next.