Who Needs Sleep?

Date: 3/30/2012
Weight:  213lbs (insert grumpy face here:____)

Sleep is a fickle thing isn't it?  Comes and goes as it pleases for some of us and never really at convenient times.  When you have the time to sleep in, either you cannot or you have this absurd amount of energy that you prefer not to waste and you're running around like a crazy person.  Just sitting in bed, eyes wide open or like me, watching trashy lifetime movies and browsing pinterest.  When sleep comes easy to me, I almost always without fail, have to be up in 5 hours.  I just get a good sleep momentum going and then beep, beeP, beEP, bEEP, BEEP! TIME TO RISE AND SHINE!  So frustrating!

What I have found though, is the sleep or even just rest in genera,l is key to my weightloss and overall health.  I find I need around 7 hours at least to be a very productive individual.  Last week the office was closed for Spring Break and it was my turn to stay there and answer the phone.  I worked shorter hours and enjoyed the extra time to get caught up and ahead on my tasks.  With this lighter schedule, I found myself getting home earlier, giving me time to cook a good meal, take Piper for a walk and still be able to watch my shows.  Normally I'm doing all 3 at one time at 7 or 8 o'clock at night.  This way I was getting to accomplish the things I wanted and got to bed at a decent time.  This made it easier to get up at 4:30 to meet Kevin at 5am for our workout.  Then!  I even got to get in an hour workout on my own before I had to be at work.  My body was rested and my mind was rested!  I made smarter choices and thought about food less.

This week, on the other hand, was a slap in the face.  Back to the hustle and bustle of a full office and schedule.  I found myself staying up later to get everything in, still getting up early but being dead tired.  Then throughout the day, I am grabbing at straws trying to find something, ANYTHING to get me going.  I drank less water, thought about food all the time and made poorer choices....obviously it shows on the scale.  When the alarm went off on Thursday morning, I texted Kevin to let him know that this morning I was opting for rest.  1 hour of sleep vs. stressing myself out by trying to do everything.  I never cancel a training session, so having the thought even cross my mind that I may need rest, probably meant I needed it.  I do not condone giving into your desire to sleep every time you think I'm too tired to exercise, but if you have been giving it hell all week and you find yourself completely exhausted and wondering what day it is....allow yourself the break, just this once and rest a little.  It does wonders.

Piper is clearing reaping the benefits of rest on a daily basis.  She eats well, drinks a lot of water, exercises (and loves it) daily and sleeps all the time.  She is one of the happiest creatures I know......hmmmm maybe she's on to something. 



Be Happy ~ Be Well
Katie