Friday 24^th April 2020

I’m a person who needs to have a very strict diet otherwise I suffer. I know everyone has this magic diet that cause a person to lose weight but mine is medical (so please, no diet advice please. I’m glad it worked for you)

I’m not just talking about GI issues but I’ve learnt that if I eat crap (and by crap, I mean food that’s outside my normal diet), it drains the energy out of me. I have energy levels comparable to someone does with a bad hangover or when you’ve had a dodgy belly. As a result, I need a very controlled diet to basically function.

I’m also a stress eater. Chocolate is the quickest way to elevate my mood. They come with a price though,

Over the years, I’ve learnt what works and what doesn’t. My body craves carbs… like all the time… but actually, it’s protein that makes me feel well. I have a strict low fat, high protein diet that makes me feel normal.

Over the last few weeks, like many I’ve encountered supply problems. I have spent a couple of nights this past month or so, trawling supermarkets looking for meat. I’ve had to eat badly (and by that I mean too much carbs, too little protein), and then, because of the ever-persistent stress that surrounds lockdown, I’ve stress eaten.

In reality, this has meant occasional crisps and chocolate snacks, and to some this wouldn’t be such an issue, but it has a huge impact on my energy levels.

I’ve also not done a bunch of exercise. I’m sure I’m no different to others but the vicious cycle I get into is that my body feels drained so I lack the motivation to exercise. I know some people feel increased energy levels after a workout, but I’m not one of those people unfortunately.

I’m not going to be too hard on myself as these have been exceptional times, but now food supplies have started to return to normal, it’s time for me to get back on the bandwagon. I’ve found that baby steps work better for me than a big hard shock, so it starts with next week’s big shop and ensuring that lockdown substitutes are removed for the standard diet.

I also need to start tracking my food again and drinking more water. I would like to try and get out on my bike for some gentle exercise (although I see rain is forecast for most of next week). Once I can raise my energy levels a bit, I can focus on a bit more exercise than just walking.