Urgh.....boys are gross!

The thing about having two teenage boys is that they can demolish an incredible amount of food in a very short space of time. When the weekly food shop comes it's like feeding time for a school of piranha.

Shreds of plastic bags float through the air as crisps are demolished. Empty juice cartons are strewn about. Biscuits are devoured in seconds. Yoghurts barely touch the fridge shelf before being wolfed down by ravenous beasties.

The delivery man always leaves bewildered and slightly traumatised knowing he's probably going to have to come back the next day to restock.

Okay I am exaggerating, but they do eat a lot. I mean a lot! They are still lean so it can't be a bad thing.

My eldest is very active and sporty. My son with mental health issues is also eating a lot more than he used to. Not always the right things, but still I take it as a good sign. That and he is trying his hardest to reintegrate back into school, with varying levels of success.

With great appetite, comes great use of crockery. This lead to war. A battle of will that lasted a full two days. While they refused to bring their washing up down from their rooms, I refused to wash up.

They fought their best fight, using mugs for cornflakes, tupperware for baked beans or soup. They even resorted to drinking fizzy out of shot glasses they found in the back of the cupboard.

They are my boys though. They got their stubbornness from me and I've had longer to hone my skills.

Eventually, inevitably, they caved and brought all the dirty dishes, cups, cutlery, bowls, and plates back to the kitchen.

My kitchen did look like a secondary school science fair for a little while, and it took a lot of scrubbing to get it straight again. It was worth it though. I won the battle and the war!

I now have the boys organised and following some simple rules to help me keep the house straight. My youngest is happiest to help, the older two much grumpier but still acquiescent.

Now the house is starting to run as it should, I have decided to complete one reorganisation task a day (such as repurposing the extra space we have or sorting out the wall unit display). I will also complete one DIY task each saturday to help turn our old house into a new home.

In regard to my mental state, my pills are settling in and I've stopped drinking almost entirely. I am also forcing myself to eat, even though the tablets have stolen my appetite.

Each day I plan to eat Weetabix for breakfast, a fruit and protein smoothie for lunch, and a main meal. My plan doesn't always work out, but I am trying.

Having a plan and implementing a routine is helping greatly and feels like I'm improving quickly. It also helps me fulfil my responsibilities with work.

I expect to crash at some point, but if I do it will give me another opportunity to succeed.

My exercise regime is also starting to get back on track. I'm running (plodding) 5km at least every other day, and I've started lifting (staring at) weights again.

I'm on a roll, for now at least!

Current weight: 188 lbs (- 3) / 85.3 kg (-1.3)

Current 5km time: 29'04" (-1'37")