After a month of back to back parties I am glad to be having a few weeks off the beer and without the late nights to re-cooperate. After all, I'm a twenty-one year old who's starting to look every inch her age...and then some! So as May rolls into play, and with my dissertation, project and exhibition deadlines looming on the horizon, I have had a new burst of "better myself" energy and have made a solid resolution to eat better, sleep more, exercise as often as I can and be more focused on my work.
This all started after I spent Sunday afternoon rolling around on a sun lounger in the back garden thanks to the mammoth hangover I'd induced as a result of three - yes three - 21st birthdays over the previous two days. Although it was the last of them, I entered the new week feeling so run down and under the weather it was unreal. There is definitely such a thing as overdoing it, and that's certainly what I had done.
So, I came home from work Monday, had a decent tea of pasta and meatballs and then scurried off to bed as soon as I could to rest up, and be up bright and early the next day. Tuesday I woke at 8am, went straight down stairs and wrote an article for my final year project and then got stuck in to a good chunk of dissertation writing - and all before lunch. By the time the evening rolled around, I was feeling much calmer and more relaxed, knowing I had done my work and made the most of my day, so I treated myself to a meal out with the boyfriend, followed by a quiet night in.
After complaining about how rough I felt and how run down I'd been to the Mr for most of the night, he made a point of suggesting it might be down to my rather poor, mostly junk-filled diet. I was just about to protest when I realised that he was probably right. I'm very lucky that I can eat whatever I want and barely put on a pound; I've never been on a diet and usually only exercise in the run up to a holiday. But I really don't think I put half the stuff I should into my system, as I'm not a lover of fruit and veg and I don't eat a great deal of red meat either - so there must be some major nutrients and vitamins that I'm just not getting.
So, first step towards a healthier me came with a resolution to eat more fruit and veg. So far I've managed an orange and a jacket potato, but it's a start! Secondly I have decided to get back to the gym more often, although it has been hard with all the work I've had on. I've seen it as being an hour in the gym that could be spent doing my work and therefore I've barely been going, but I did go for an hour-long jog last night and did a set of stomach crunches when I got home - and I do feel all the better for it today.
Further more, I have decided that as there are probably a few nutrients and vitamins that my diet doesn't include very often I should probably give my body a helping hand in that department, so I'm setting out tomorrow in search of general Good Health vitamins to try and balance out what my system is likely to be missing. Don't worry, I'm not going to get crazy and pepped up on diet pills - that definitely is not what I need - but taking some all-round good health vitamins and maybe drinking some herbal tea every day can only do good things for me.
So, the health kick has started once again, and I'll keep you updated on how it goes. I do wonder how long it will last for this time?! But having said that, I'm off on holiday in July and I do need to be looking far better than I am doing right now. Wish me luck!
