Daily writing prompt
What are your biggest challenges?
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I’m not sure how to write this one today. It’s January 21th, and a whole new world in the USA with our “Gulf of America” president in office.

#ohgoodness

This is that time for resolutions. Weight loss? Excercise? Writing? Reading? Self-care?

This isn’t the time for challenge, right?

#yeahsurewhateveryousay

Well, this year, we’ll discuss challenges first, then how to deal with them.

My biggest one this year is weight. This has not been something I’ve hidden. At the start of the 2022 school year, I was at 206. At the start of the 2024 school year, I was at 235. The last two years have been highly stressful, and our next school year already has a stressful vibe to it.

I eat my feelings, I know this about me.

I also know that from mid-October through mid-December, I don’t get to work out because of basketball.

Solution: Start now. Tonight was the 5th 30 minute walk in 7 days. Being a teacher on break, I wanted to destress and detoxify out of school. I feel much better heading back mentally, but physically, ick.

So, higher protein, 30 minutes of walking minimum a day, at least three workouts a week, whether that’s swimming, biking, weights, or a combination, it needs to be done for my physical health.

My next big challenge, stress. Teaching is a high stress job and I come home most days mentally and physically exhausted. When I’m stressed, I eat, so if I’m going to eat, have something there that fills me up with fewer calories. Like I said above, I eat my feelings, which is never easy.

Solution: I will have carrots, grapes, bananas, peppers, or something handy when I get home so I don’t dive into snacks. I will also need to figure out how to deal with my stress without calories. This is one of those things that will be a work in progress because this one is hard for me to deal with.

My last challenge (for now), diet. Left to my own devices, I’ll eat like a 14 year old boy just done with his second football practice in 12 hours. The problem with this scenario? I’m not 14, not playing football, and that metabolism is slowed to a turtle’s pace.

Damnit, it’s all related, isn’t it?

#yesitis

Solution: Stop eating like an idiot? Stop eating your feelings? Stop eating like you can withstand that onslaught of calories? This one is tough for me because unless challenges of stress and weight are worked on, eating will always be an issue. I don’t have much support in any of these, so it’s improving my own mental health along the way.

So, challenges and solutions. Easy right?

I’ve read that if you write things down, it helps to get you where you want to go. We’ll see. I’m not very confident right now, but am trying to keep my spirits up with Pop-Tarts and Diet Coke.

#what

I’m kidding. Seriously, I’ve eaten more apples and oranges in the past week than I have in the past year and we have apple trees! Start slow and move forward. I did not do this to myself overnight, and it won’t be solved overnight as well. Day by day.

Just keep the faith.