Day 10 and a couple of lessons learned

First......HELLO DAY 10!!!!

One third down, two-thirds of the challenge left.  The last 10 days have been eye opening for me and I've already learned quite a bit about my body, my needs, and wasting time.

So, about those lessons learned.....number one is I need to eat a big breakfast.  I was in a hurry yesterday morning; I had to help in the 3rd grader's class and I had baked muffins because we had a house guest and wanted to have a little something different for them.  I looked at the clock and realized that I was running out of time AND I had not eaten, so I threw half a banana, some berries, some walnuts, and some coconut in a bowl and ate that.  By the time lunch rolled around, I was starving.  I was pretty much hungry all day!!!  And you know that "I could eat fish and veggies" criteria for hunger?  Well, yes, I could have eaten fish and veggies if I had any fish in the house.

So after yoga today, I will definitely be eating something more substantial and filling than fruit and nuts.  I'm sure that the handful of nuts on the fruit wasn't nearly enough protein and that I overloaded my body with sugar/carbs from the fruit.  Lesson learned.

Another thing I learned....I need more sleep.  I've been going to bed around 10 or 10:30 every night since the challenge began and waking up at my usual 6 am.  My pre-challenge bedtime?  Oh, around midnight, sometimes 12:30.  No wonder I was always cranky and hungry!!!  I really need those eight hours of sleep and I'm trying to make it a point to get into bed by 10.  It makes a huge difference in my day and I've also noticed that I don't have any cravings when I get adequate sleep.  I've read about this for years, but I'm stubborn and don't want to take advice.  Ok...second lesson learned.

Finally, I was drinking entirely too much wine.  That nightly glass of wine was my best friend.  Truthfully, some nights it was more like 3 or 4 glasses.  But all of that wine was interrupting my sleep patterns, making me fat, and causing me to waste time.  Instead of drinking a glass (or more) after work now, I've been reading and knitting and ironing and prepping food for the next day.  It's amazing how much more productive I've been!  Now, after the challenge is over, I'm sure I will still have an occasional glass with friends or for a special dinner, but one glass will be it from now on.  I don't like mixed drinks and beer upsets my stomach, so only wine for me.

Now off to yoga and then to my good breakfast!!!