"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."
- Roger Bannister
Today I was back at the gym for strength-training. I hadn't lifted in 2 weeks and it felt like it! Being lax with both exercise and nutrition for the past month, I felt like a blob of jell-o trying to get through each set. I knew what I wanted to do. I knew that my body could do it, because it had done it before. So why was it so hard? Conditioning. And I'd been losing it. Just like riding a bike, your body remembers how to do things but, when you've been away from it for a while, it takes time to get back up to speed.
Right now, I hurt. I ache. I'm mad at myself for losing ground. I'm angry at my body for not moving the weights I know it can move. But I am where I am. Beating myself up (any more than the workout already has) won't get me in better shape for tomorrow's workout, and it certainly won't help me feel more motivated to climb on the elliptical. Telling myself that I screwed up with eating all those holiday treats won't erase those calories from my body and it won't encourage me to walk away from those chocolates tucked away in the cabinet.
With days like this, a positive mindset is crucial - and there will ALWAYS be days like this. It's called being alive. I focus on my bodily sensations as a reminder that I have done something positive for myself today. I put aside the "unclean" foods and prepare myself "clean" foods where I can enjoy every bite. The knowledge that I'm feeding my goals can help the well-cooked meals taste even better! Each of these choices is another step along the path of a healthier lifestyle.
Instead of focusing on the pain or the deprivation, I try to emphasize the pattern of long-term self-care that these temporary experiences build toward. Each of these experiences is something that I'm choosing to create for myself. No one is MAKING me do these things except myself. I remind myself of why I'm doing these things - framing my choices in a positive context, focusing on what it's adding to my life. A pro-active stance is a more powerful motivator than a negatively phrased statement - I want to be strong vs. I don't want to be weak.
Instead of focusing on the pain or the deprivation, I try to emphasize the pattern of long-term self-care that these temporary experiences build toward. Each of these experiences is something that I'm choosing to create for myself. No one is MAKING me do these things except myself. I remind myself of why I'm doing these things - framing my choices in a positive context, focusing on what it's adding to my life. A pro-active stance is a more powerful motivator than a negatively phrased statement - I want to be strong vs. I don't want to be weak.
Today is another step in that direction.
Food Log:
- Breakfast
- 4 egg whites and 2 eggs with salsa
- Snack
- Asparagus spears with Mrs. Dash and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
- Almonds (20g)
- Dinner
- Chicken (4oz) with champagne dill mustard
- Asparagus spears with Mrs. Dash and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
- Almonds (20g)
- Snack
- Generous tablespoon of peanut butter (Not really a fan of the Peter Pan creamy peanut butter. Is it because there's no high fructose corn syrup in there or something else? I may have to do some peanut butter research, because I have no problem with the taste of Jif or Skippy. Tend to steer clear of the natural peanut butters just because I make a mess when I stir them.)
Exercise: Total Body Workout with the trainer.
Today's Weigh-In: 151.6 - I typically don't drop 2 pounds in a day and don't consider this "real" weight-loss. Rather this is my body purging itself of the extra food I stored up over the past few weeks. As I get back to eating clean on a consistent basis, I know my weight-loss will taper off and be gradual.
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