Have you ever found yourself wondering if you ever beat your old habits, then opportunity gives you a chance to test your fears?
That's exactly what happened this week.
I've been home for a week since I stopped working.
I twisted my knee, then popped or tore a tendon in the back of my knee, so it was difficult to walk.
When resting it, I had to stay on the couch with it elevated and stay in bed longer than I wanted.
And then the weekend happened. But let me go back a bit here.
I used to spend my days staying at home, not getting much done and parking my carcass on the couch for much of the day, watching videos and eating. I didn't move much and didn't want to move much. And now, here I am, back on the couch, looking at the clock and wondering how long I will last before I break my fast, and if I stepped off the ledge and am now going down that slippery slope smack into all of my old bad habits.
Sound familiar?
Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
There were two big exceptions. I wasn't eating until my window opened, and I actually wanted to get off the couch. Small but powerful changes. I felt that I could handle the changes as long as I wasn't stuck in a chair all day.
And then the weekend happened. My husband and I went on a trip to help his mens' group do some work on a farm where their mens' event would happen in a few weeks. It was all outside landscaping prep work, and for the first time ever, I'd volunteered to help. I almost didn't go, but the guys convinced me that there would be something for me to do once we got there.
There wasn't. I also had to open my eating window wide because their breakfast was early, and their dinner was late. I felt I could throw caution to the wind for one or two days because I thought I could do something active. But my leg hurt, and I couldn't walk much at all, so I had to stay in one spot and put my leg up-or at least not move it much.
Because I also have an analytical mind, I planned for this. I brought books (since there was no internet), and brought a really comfy camping chair and a water bottle, and sat out in the sunshine, gently flexing my leg as I read and chatted with passers-by. It was peaceful.
The only true slide happened at mealtimes. The food was excellent, and I had seconds on more than one occasion. I never ate until I was stuffed, but I did eat a lot more than I normally do. On the trip home, I wondered just how far of a slip I'd made and if I messed myself up for the month.
Three days of eating isn't going to destroy thirty-four weeks of work, I had to tell myself. I still need to rest my leg, but I'm more mobile than I was before, so as long as I don't go pole-vaulting anytime soon, I can work at a slow pace and rest when I need to.
And I still want to do things. That's important too.
As for the eating, The first few days are going to be hard since my body really liked an open window and those yummy seconds, so I just had to make sure to stay upstairs until my husband came home and drink lots of water. Keeping busy won't be an issue since I have to unpack and still do my daily and extra decluttering chores, like unpacking boxes of books and putting them on my new bookshelves.
I'll never be bored.
No guilt. I enjoyed the food and the company. I even got some sun on my face. I haven't sat and read a book in so long, I forgot how much I missed it. All work and no play make Beth a not-so-happy camper.
Today is a good day because it's fresh and new, and I can get right back into my good habits without feeling angst about the weekend. Now that I'm home, I can also plan better menus for the week when I need to sit down.
It's going to be an awesome week!
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