Considering I fell off the wagon last week, there was apparently no damage done. The three pounds are still gone and the inches haven't changed either. I attribute that to the fact that I worked myself to the bone hauling furniture all over Kingdom come!
(Speaking of "Kingdom come," I've been saying that phrase since I was little as it's a "southern" kind of thing. It wasn't until I typed it that I wondered about its origin. I suspected it was referring to the Bible, but now I have the definitive answer: It's referring to the Lord's Prayer where Jesus says, "Thy will be done; Thy Kingdom come. . ." How's that for a little trivia?)
Back on topic. I'm maintaining my exercise level so far this week. I haven't been keeping track of my calories (again due to busyness), but will jump in tomorrow with some numbers.
Now, I'd like to address an area that could be a problem when trying to lose weight. Sure, I'm over 40. That alone makes it more of a challenge. Hormones? Check. Too much of a sweet tooth? Unfortunately, yes. But there's another area:
Sleep.
Here is just ONE of a whole lot of articles that talk about the connection between enough sleep and weight loss: WebMD--Sleep More, Weigh Less. I have also read (many places) that the sleep you get BEFORE midnight is more beneficial. Studies have suggested that 1 hour before 12am is equal to 4 hours after 12pm. The Importance of Sleep is a link that talks about that.
I can vouch that I was READY for bed every night last week. There was no 30 minutes to an hour to finally drop off to sleep, either. I was out cold within a few minutes after hitting the pillow--and I was seeking that pillow around 8pm! Interestingly, it was actually easier for me to get up at my usual time between 6 and 6:30, even though I was so bodily tired the night before.
It's 9:49 now and I'm heading to bed shortly. I'm liking feeling more rested. I'm hoping that more sleep before midnight will translate into some help with all this calorie counting and exercising!
So, good night, y'all!
3 comments:
Keep up the good work. I like your attitude about losing weight.
Physical labor does help me sleep as long as I don't ache some place. I've noticed that I don't sleep well after about 2:30 AM. I start tossing and turning and sometimes wake up completely. Oh, the joys of getting older.
I'm so tired every day it's like I'm the walking dead. And it's not like I have a baby that keeps me up at night anymore. Very rarely I can get a little cat nap in before I pick up the kids from school but usually I just wait it out as long as I can and then pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.
I think sleep issues are a BIG thing in our society.
According to the articles I read, people used to follow the cycles of the day and the year and natural rthymns of sleep. One article even said that most people were in bed by 7 or 8pm and up by 4 or 5pm (those pesky cows). Well, that would be between 8 and 9 hours! Most of our society doesn't do that now.
Also, since they did hard labor, their bodies were more than ready to go to sleep. I'm guessing they got into a deeper sleep and stayed there longer than we do with our late hours.
Our conveniences of electricity and electronic entertainment may be contributing to ailments that (possibly) were not as prevalent.
I'm definitely going to think about this more and determine what changes to make.
Packrat--I definitely was sore from all that unfamiliar moving. Even the bones in my hands hurt! I took ibuprofin before I hit the hay, which kept the aching down.
Normally I do wake up in the middle of the night either to go to the bathroom or because my hip or shoulder is sore from my sleep position. Very annoying. I don't know what the answer is, but I suspect it has to do with getting our bodies at the proper weight and strength!
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