It's been a relatively quiet Monday, with a slightly later start than usual. As always, I began my day with a black coffee and some fruit. Lately, my go-to has been apples, bananas, and plums, but I think I’ll mix it up a bit when I go shopping on Thursday. I’ve noticed that supermarket fruit has such a short shelf life lately. It’s a shame because the quality of fruit from an actual greengrocer is so much better, not to mention cheaper. Unfortunately, there aren’t many around anymore, which makes it harder to get fresher produce.
After my fruit, I had a bagel and two scrambled eggs, which I’ve really been enjoying recently. For lunch, I switched it up a bit and had pasta, which was quite filling. It’s getting late now, and I’m still full from lunch, so I’ll likely skip my planned dinner of pork chops and vegetables tonight. If that’s the case, I’ll have it for lunch tomorrow instead, followed by chicken and vegetables for my evening meal. This afternoon, I spent some time researching future blog posts and getting a head start on them. These won’t be journal entries, but content I can roll out over the next couple of weeks. It feels good to be ahead of schedule with those. As it’s Monday, it’s upper body day in my workout routine. Tomorrow is leg day, but I’m still feeling the effects of Friday’s session – my legs are still sore. If they’re not up to it tomorrow, I might take a rest day and give my body a chance to recover. It’s important to listen to what your body needs, even if it means adjusting your routine slightly. Later tonight, I plan to catch up on the latest episode of The Penguin. Once I’ve watched that, I’ll get my upper body workout done and head to bed for an early night. I’ll probably watch a bit of YouTube in bed, followed by 30 to 60 minutes of my audiobook before falling asleep. There’s something about the dark winter nights that makes me want to go to bed earlier – maybe it’s psychological, but I do enjoy the cosiness of it. Plus, with a 6 a.m. wake-up call tomorrow, an early night seems sensible. That’s it for today – a shorter blog post than usual, but I’ll be back tomorrow or the next day with another journal entry. I didn’t manage to write a blog post yesterday, simply because I didn’t have an hour spare to sit down and focus. Sometimes life just gets busy like that. Saturday started off as usual, with a bit of light cleaning around the house, followed by my morning coffee and the usual fruit – a bit of an effortless habit now. After that, I made sure to get my water intake in, along with my effervescent vitamin D tablet. I’ve been really mindful lately of making these little health-conscious choices; they’ve become so integrated into my routine that it feels weird if I miss them.
Once all that was done, it was time for my Saturday workout, which focused on core and conditioning. I’m really glad today is my rest day – my legs are still sore from leg day on Friday. Honestly, that ache you feel after a good workout is like a love-hate thing. It’s uncomfortable, but at the same time, it’s a reminder that your body is working hard and adapting. That little soreness in the muscles is a signal of growth, and in a way, I welcome it, because it feels like progress. I have to say, I’m much happier with my new streamlined workout routine. While it still manages to hit all the muscle groups, it’s a lot more manageable, with fewer exercises to fit in each day. That makes it easier to stay consistent, which is key for me. After the workout, I had my first proper meal of the day. Lately, I’ve been a bit on and off with eggs. There’s just something about poached or fried eggs that sometimes puts me off. But I’ve found that scrambled eggs are perfectly fine – I can manage them easily. So, I made scrambled eggs on a bagel with a little drizzle of BBQ sauce. Bagels are a fairly new addition to my shopping list. I never used to buy them, but since my daughter likes them, I’ve started picking them up more regularly. It’s funny how our shopping habits change, adapting to the people we live with. After breakfast and a nice hot bath, I had a bit of time to myself. I decided to spend about an hour playing Xbox, which is something I don’t get to do too often. It was a nice little break before the day got busier. My dad texted shortly after to let me know he was on his way over. We hadn’t been to the pub for a couple of weeks – mostly because the weather’s been pretty miserable lately. But surprisingly, Saturday was quite mild for this time of year. It wasn’t exactly warm, but warm enough to sit outside comfortably, so we made the most of it. There’s something nice about having a little catch-up in the fresh air, just enjoying a couple of drinks and good conversation. As I get older, I’ve come to appreciate these moments with my dad more and more. Our parents won’t always be around, so it feels important to make the time for them while we can. Life can get busy, but I always remind myself that these are the things that truly matter. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine and forget to slow down and just enjoy spending time with family. While we were at the pub, my daughter texted to let me know she was on her way home after staying out on Friday night. By that point, my dad and I were both getting hungry, so we decided to stop by the chip shop on the way back to mine. I was good with sticking to my 90/10 diet all week, so it felt nice to have a bit of a treat. We both ordered kebab meat and chips in a tray, while my daughter had a cone of chips. I’ve learned that balance is key, and the occasional indulgence keeps things sustainable. It’s all about moderation, and when you’ve stuck to whole foods most of the time, these treats feel like part of the bigger picture of staying healthy, both mentally and physically. Once we’d finished eating, my dad headed home, and I settled down for a quiet evening. I watched a bit of TV before heading up to bed. I wasn’t quite ready to sleep, so I decided to watch A Bronx Tale – an old film I hadn’t seen before. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a pretty good film. I love it when you stumble across a classic you hadn’t seen before, and it turns out to be a gem. After the film, I listened to my audiobook for about half an hour before finally drifting off to sleep. Today, being Sunday, I’m looking forward to a much-needed rest day. The house is all in order after a good clean yesterday, and since Sunday is my designated rest day from working out, I can fully relax. The weather is awful outside today – the kind of day where you just want to stay indoors, get cosy, and not venture out. It feels like the perfect excuse to unwind, recharge, and enjoy a slow day at home. I’ve been thinking about meals for the next couple of days, and I think I’ll keep it simple. I’ve got pork chops and some veg lined up, which should do for tonight and tomorrow. Then, I’ll switch it up to chicken and vegetables for the following two days. I find that eating these basic, whole food meals really works for me. It keeps things easy and straightforward, and I feel better when I’m not overcomplicating things with processed foods. This way of eating has definitely made a difference in how I feel day-to-day. Looking ahead, Wednesday is my daughter’s 17th birthday, and we’ve got a family meal planned at a restaurant next weekend to celebrate. It’ll be nice to have something to look forward to and enjoy together. Time seems to be flying by these days, and moments like these feel more important than ever. As for tonight, I’m not sure what I’ll watch, but I’m sure I’ll find something good to relax with before heading to bed. I think a quiet Sunday is exactly what I need to recharge and get ready for the week ahead. |
Archive
January 2025
Categories
All
|