Let's All STOP!

Before I get on to my post, I should report that the scale LOVED me today... to the tune of 4.2 pounds!!! Holy crapola I can hardly believe it... its rare, if ever, that I've seen that large a number. I stood staring at the scale having one of those moments of "how the heck did that happen? am I sick and don't know it?" Then I thought how different this past week was from the few previous and I calmed my not-so-little self down.


So the report for week one: I had a loss of 4.2 pounds, which brings me down to 194.4. My calories ranged from 1190-2500ish during the week. I had restaurant food on three days, but on the third day kept it within the calories of my planned meal. Exercise was a real struggle, which I wrote about yesterday. I got in a tad of cardio... I think about 3 miles walking is all; two core workouts and one general strength training workout.


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Okay, now on to what is really on my little mind... something that has been lurking for a few days and has gotten to the point where it is nagging at me the second my mind starts to wander to blogging.

Remember, last Thursday I took The Boy One to Applebees for his school fundraiser... and proceeded to add quesadillas and a margarita to my planned meal. I think that meal is where this thing began nagging at me. Since then, I've seen or heard several people in blogs, on FB or in text messages practically begging for forgiveness for little indulgences such as candy, chips, ice cream, an extra dollup of sour cream, etc. That night, as I was eating, I texted Melissa and told her I was committing "foodicide." Her response is something that I want to repeat to every person I hear or see admonishing themselves.


DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT!!!!!


She didn't shout it like that, but those were her exact words to me... and they are my words to you should you happen to have a few M&Ms, a little bag of chips, an extra piece of bread, a scoop of ice cream or whatever.


By now you probably know that my philosophy is to live a healthy lifestyle & lose weight in terms that I can sustain for the long haul... meaning its not going to be perfect from a nutritional standpoint and its not going to be so strict that I snap one day... meaning its going to have highs and lows... means its going to adjust within reason for the other areas of my life. This is why when I do a gym challenge, I increase my calorie intake so that I don't lose weight too rapidly... because I know that while I may push myself beyond my normal levels to finish a challenge its not something I can do day in/day out for the rest of my life.


When it comes to food, the same rules apply for me. I eat mostly nutritious, healthy things. I feed these same foods to my family. I know what is and isn't beneficial for my body. I also know that some things which are definitely not beneficial happen to be mighty tasty. I know that, for me, it is unreasonable to expect that I will never again eat a donut, fried cheese stick, croissant, etc. For most of us, we have spent a good portion of our lives eating foods that were not good for us, but we surely enjoyed the taste... and its probably not likely that we will never have them again. And being perfectly honest, there are certain foods that I feel are worth every minute I have to spend in the gym to compensate for them!


Instead of beating ourselves up over "giving in" to temptation or having a "slip up" by eating that ice cream cone, we can turn it into a positive and say something like "I choose to incorporate foods I truly enjoy into my plans." Or something like, "I can choose to eat anything I want... if I plan for it and if it is worth it to me use the calories that way."


I know there are people out there that have problems with binging and I recognize that a simple bite can lead to an all out binge for you... and for you I know its often better if you just stay totally away from certain foods. This I understand... and I commend you for having the mental fortitude to avoid foods that are triggers for you.


For the rest of us, though, I say....


Let's all STOP beating ourselves up over the occasional treat & remember that living a healthy lifestyle does NOT mean we have to be perfect with every morsel that passes our lips.


And even if you totally fall off the train for a day, remember this... its not what we do once in a while that is going to make or break us in our efforts; its what we do consistently - day after day - that will determine our success.


Plan for success!