It's Week 5 at my new job, and I'm feeling strangely motivated. I must have unconsciously decided that it's time to get on with my life again: yesterday I came home and danced for 20 minutes, and today I went for a walk at lunch time! It's not much compared to what I used to be able to do, but it's a first step, and I'm proud.
One thing that's not working so well anymore: my food diary. (I also record exercise, cravings and colitis symptoms.) I have it on an Excel spreadsheet which I used to keep on a USB stick. When I was at my old job, I'd update it throughout the day during quiet moments. As hard as it is to remember what I ate and when, it's even harder to remember when I had stomach cramps, etc. So it was great to be able to update it throughout the day. When I got my new job, I knew I'd be too busy to do that, so I saved the spreadsheet to my home computer. Instead, I have a little notebook on my desk, and I write my observations in it. When I get home, I copy them into the spreadsheet. There's only one issue with that! I tend to get very behind on copying the data to the spreadsheet - it's such a chore! But I don't want to give it up. I really do think keeping a food/exercise/symptoms diary is very important. So what other options/formats are there?
The first thing that springs to mind is an app. I love playing around with my ipod and I always have it with me. So that seems like a great solution, right? But! At work, it wouldn't be a good look to be pulling out my ipod and fiddling with it throughout the day. Not to mention, where would I be able to find an app that tracks reflux and intestinal spasms??! Whereas, the method I've already been using - of quickly writing things down in a notebook - is working fine. So maybe I just need to formalise that. The diary is already exactly in the format I want, so I'll try printing out some blank copies and seeing if I can make them into a booklet.
In Unrelated News ...
I came across this website today: My Mind Coach. It's all about the psychological aspects of overweight and weight loss. At first glance, it seems to have some interesting exercises and inspirational articles. I've also downloaded a free e-book: "5 Diet Myths" and recording: "Stop Chocolate Cravings Hypnosis". I'll check it all out and report back!
