#24 - The Pay Off

So .....

You mean that if you ...
eat the right amount of calories ...
and go to your workouts ...
and maximize your efforts in those workouts ...
then ...
you ...
lose ...
weight?    

Really?   Remarkable!  

--  Doing the right thing has power.
     -- Laura Linney

I, of course, knew this all along.   However, it seems so confusing that I didn't realize this months ago and turn it all around.

The bottom line is that exercise and reduced calories means weight loss.   But there is a rather big caveat to that bottom line.   It isn't easy.    And more than that, it has a varying degree of difficulty for each person wanting to lose weight.   All those minions at the large chain gyms try to lose that holiday 5 pounds they put on eating whatever they wanted.  They will shed those pounds by merely looking at a treadmill.   For those of us with a lot of weight to lose, it is a bit more difficult.

Food addiction constantly tempts us with foods that are counter productive to our journey.   You may be able to fit a Twinkie into your daily calories but you are going to be hungrier for not having nutrition, protein or something to actually fill you up.   The addicted brain says, "Eat it" "Eat it", but logically you know it will ruin your ability to lose weight.   I wish there were an easy answer to this problem but if there is, I have not yet found it.   I do, however, find that the longer I don't indulge in certain temptations, the easier it is to resist them.

The time involved in losing the weight is also something that works against us.   That yoga yahoo, who had a few cookies over Christmas or a few wings at the bar on New Year's Eve, will be back at her fighting weight in a week or two.   So naturally, a "diet" is an easy thing for her.   I work out with people who have months if not years of work ahead of them.  It takes dedication and determination on a whole different level to get to where we want to be.   The next time someone tells you to just eat less and exercise, you tell them "You just jogged to your car, why don't you just run a marathon?"

-- Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.
    --  Walter Elliot

To my compatriots, I salute you.   We have a tough journey ahead of us.  Perfection isn't an option.   There will be ups and downs.  We just need to keep this roller coaster pointing in a generally downward direction overall.  I am hopeful that my roller coaster is done ratcheting up the steep hill that I allowed it to do over the past few months.   I'm ready for a little free fall right now.

Wow.   Way to beat a metaphor to death.

--  Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.
       -- Abdul Kalam

My thoughts for the week:

Very positive!   I kept my food journal all week.  On top of that, I stayed below that dreaded sad face all week.   I added some extra workouts and tried to push myself harder in each workout.  

And you know what?   It paid off.   I lost 6.2 lbs this week.   Not too bad.  

It isn't all wonderful.  I have a nagging leg problem that is hindering workouts.   And the food issues were neither easy nor perfectly controlled.   I had some indiscretions with my eating but I didn't let them go overboard (calorically speaking).  And for those on the journey, here is the key:   When I ate something I shouldn't, I turned it around immediately.   I am a victim of the All or Nothing thinking.   "I shouldn't have eaten that.  Well, this day is shot.  Might as well eat some more stuff I want."   Why do we turn one minor mistake as an excuse to make a huge blunder?  This week, I didn't do this.   I gave myself a little grief for my poor choice and then moved on.  

Perhaps this is a key element?   There are no irrecoverable mistakes.   So why do we allow them to derail us?   Accept enough guilt to help prevent it from happening again and then move on.   It is when I wallow in my own self-pity or self-loathing over the mistake that I continue to shove unhealthy foods into my mouth.   If you acknowledge the mistake so you can avoid it in the future and then get immediately back on track, there IS ... NO ... FAILURE!    It immediately transforms that silly mistake into a victory!   And we can all use some more victories.  

--  Failure is success if we learn from it.
      -- Malcolm Forbes

Well, this is by no means a trend yet.   But, it can certainly become a trend if I continue to push myself to correct behaviors and extra effort.   I am, however, ecstatic about the results this week and will use it as motivation for the coming week.   It is all hunky dory when things are going well.   I have to store up this good mojo for the tough times.  

Goal for the next week:  Do some shopping and cook at home more.

-- Perfection does not breed happiness.  Results do.
     --  Kevin Riley  ;-)