Energized

I’ve been experiencing what Fang and I term “bad brain chemicals” lately (and so has he, which sucks, as in the past our serotonin receptors have taken turns being on the fritz). Such chemical blues happen occasionally, and I muddle through, because, as I’ve noted before, I’m a high-functioning depressive–my sense of obligation to others remains stronger than the depression most days.

I’ve also put back on a few pounds–nothing like before, but enough that my clothes were fitting differently.  I’ve been around this block enough to know that depression + weight gain = time to change the diet and exercise regimen (but especially the diet).  I haven’t gone to the gym in, um, forever (note to self: cancel campus rec center membership) because it bores me, and in the summer, when I’m not on campus much, the gym feels very far away.  I do walk, however, and between a longish dog walk yesterday and a 2.5-mile foothills hike with the boy today, I’m already feeling better than I did three days ago.  (Not as fun: chasing a surprisingly fast dog through the neighborhood at a full sprint, for some distance, while still recovering from the latest bronchial plague. Legs = stiff; lungs = seared.)

Also, however, I’m doing the vegan and no-added-sugars-or-sweeteners thing again.  I’ve been mostly vegan since April 2012, excepting the occasional restaurant meal (I’m particularly susceptible to gourmet mac and cheese). While I can’t by any means claim to have kept up my sugar fast, over the past year, I’ve consumed probably one-quarter the sugar I have in previous years.

Goodbye, sweetheart. It’s not you–it’s me.

So, about this go-round: The first 72 hours are always difficult, but I’m in hour 74 now (excepting, I’m remembering now, one sweet non-vegan treat), so things are looking up. A couple more days and I expect the sugar cravings to lessen significantly, and at this point I’m able to resist their siren song because my mood has improved significantly.  Less sugar = less irritation and more energy.

We’ll see if I can make it a month, as I did last time.  In late July and early August, I’ll be in a situation that will make it difficult to stay vegan, but if I can eat vegan and sugar-free and get moderate exercise regularly for 30 days, I’ll be thrilled.

Anyway, I’m putting this post here as a sort of public accountability in case my mood and energy levels take a dive and aren’t sufficient motivation in themselves.  Feel free to use the comments to share your own goals for the same purpose.

Image by Yuichi Sakaraba, and used under a Creative Commons license.