Minimalist May: Update

It has been seventeen days since I started my Minimalist May challenge. There have certainly been some challenging moments so far. Here is a quick rundown of how the experiment is going for me.

Diet

Of all the things I chose to do for Minimalist May, cutting out the snacks have been the hardest challenge by far. However, I have succeeded. 

One thing for sure is I know my most vulnerable time of the day is directly after work when I know there is a seven-hour gap between meals. I’m starting to think it is comfort eating. 

I have lost over seven pounds in weight. My wife has noticed the difference. To be honest, I have, too. The aid of a belt is needed for some of my trousers because my waist is smaller. I’m not complaining because this is the area of my body where I was more self-conscious about than anywhere else. 

The cakes, biscuits, and sweets are not the things I miss the most. It’s the crisps (chips in the US) I miss more than anything. 

Finance

I have done exceptionally well in this department. I have managed to keep away from spending, apart from fuel and an emergency trip to the shops for some items that were missed off the weekly shopping trip. 

That doesn’t mean I had spent big. I paid off the rest of my trip to Cancun, Mexico, and the rest of my personal loan. 

Next month, I plan to pay the rest of the money I owe on PayPal. Then I will be debt-free. I say debt-free, but I still have my mortgage. I’m not counting that because I know it is fixed and long-term. However, knowing I don’t have additional charges each month is a nice feeling. 

Caffeine

I started this challenge intending to have one cup of coffee per day. I did better than that. 

By day five, I had completely quit coffee. The headaches were intense, and my energy levels were lower than I knew was possible. On day seventeen, I tried a decaf coffee to see what it was like because I feel like going completely decaf is the future for me. 

One aspect I didn’t think about was a lot of carbonated drinks have caffeine in them. I’m not in the mood to check each can/bottle, so I have not had any carbonated drink since day five. I must be crazy. 

I am sleeping better, and my skin is noticeably smoother. Furthermore, I had dry spots on my hands, which have completely disappeared.

Exercise

I have kept up with my exercise routine, which has contributed to the weight loss as well as boosted my mental health.

There was only one day, day 16, where I didn’t fit in a cardio session. I was tired, knowing full well that sleep was more important. The duration of my planks has increased, and I can do more press-ups since starting the challenge.

I love using my Apple Watch for fitness. Collecting the badges through monthly challenges and special events keeps me motivated to press on.

Sleep

I understood my sleep patterns were all over the place. I rarely went to bed before midnight before the challenge. 

For the most part, I have kept to my word and stuck with the earlier bedtime. There were two evenings when I went slightly over my 10:30PM bedtime rule. 

Cutting out the coffee has made me unbelievably tired. Before the challenge, I went to bed because I had to. Now, I go to bed because I want to. 

The only drawback is I have to be intentional with my time because there is so much to do before I go to bed. 

Summary

Each day has been a challenge, hence why it is called a challenge. I am so happy I have put these actions into practice because it has made me realise how I was running on autopilot into an early grave. The experiment has shown me how unhealthy I actually am. Here’s to the next two weeks!

You can follow my progress through the challenge category of my [Scribbles] blog.

As always, thank you for reading my post.

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My post is part of #WeblogPoMo2024. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post.

Mark @ CodeMacLife
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