Two posts in one day?

As with any exercise, diet is important; It's doubly important when you suffer from digestive issues like I do. You need to make sure you eat the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. You can't do that with ready meals. No way. No how!

Friends are constantly amazed that I don't own a microwave. It's not that I am living in the dark ages. I used to have one but used it so little that I decided not to bring it with me when I moved. Why not?

We'll mainly because I can cook as quickly using traditional methods as most people can using the microwave.

For example, take dinner on a training night; normally lots of boiled rice and turkey in sweet chilli sauce. How long does it take to cook rice in a microwave? about the same amount of time as a pot, and whilst thats being done I chop up the turkey, and griddle it in a hot dry pan. The heat ensures that the turkey is sealed on the outside leaving all the protein, and fats sealed within it. lastly, chuck some vegetables in a pot of boiled water and leave them there for 2 mins. Drain them and dunk them in cold water. Add the vegetabled to the turkey and cover in sweet chilli sauce, shave some ginger on to it. Drain the rice and serve...sorted. Total time: 18 mins.

Ok so if you used the microwave you have to throw a tiny plastic pot in the bin whereas with my method you have to do some washing up, but I know exactly what I am eating and I control my portions; so I can increase the protein/carbs as needed.

Secondly, cooking gives you time to relax, you can work out some stress whilst you are battering out the turkey; you can deep breathe whilst stirring the rice...its almost catharcic

Feel free to leave a comment!

Motivation...or lack of

This weeks been pretty bad for me mentally, I've not been able to get myself motivated at all. Even though I cycled to/from work once this week and was on a little high, I've since found it really hard to get myself into a state of mind that will help me train.

I think the mental effort of work (I do a job where I am constantly having to think about ways to get around very strict and limiting rules of the products we use), the stress of my inability to manage my personal time properly and the lack of energy caused by a particularly bad week (healthwise) for me has taken its toll.

I know I SHOULD do some housework; I should be doing that extra bit of work documentation; I should meet friends and family and be a little more social. Instead, all I can be bothered doing is sitting with my feet up doing as little as possible yet getting annoyed with myself.

The strange thing is, as soon as I start ANY of the chores I need to do I get so engrossed by it time seems to fly past.

And thats the same for anything, everyone thinks "I can't be bothered" with the Gym; but I bet you that if you get up off your butt and actually go, five minutes into your workout you will be glad you did go; 20 mins later you will be thinking I cant believe I didn't want to come; and an hour later you will be feeling a lot better about everything.

Its a pity we cant get that feeling BEFORE going to the gym. The thing is you can; if you stick to a good routine (and by that I mean getting to the gym not the same exercise at the gym) your body and mind will adapt and actually cause you to look forward to getting there. So much so that you may well find that you are feeling better about going before you even get there.

Feel free to leave a comment!