Wow! Welcome back. That welcome back is to me, as I took a few days off from working out and following my eating plan. I got a little lazy, but I snapped out of it before causing any real damage. It was only three days off, more than I usually take, and honestly, I think it was good for my body to get some rest.
I got back in the gym, absolutely dreading it, but I did it anyway. It's so weird. On my way to the gym, it feels like working out is the absolute LAST thing I want to do. It is the first real thing I do in my day. But once I am done, I feel so great. Which brings me to today's topic: Quieting the voice that tells you it's OK to slack.
We all have those little voices: "It's OK, one piece of cake won't hurt." Or, "So what if you already at dinner? A midnight snack of nachos isn't as bad as it seems." And of course, my favorite, "Missing a day at the gym isn't so bad." And the truth is, those little voices aren't completely wrong. One piece of cake won't hurt, so long as it really is ONLY ONE piece of cake over a period of a few weeks or even months. A late snack isn't so bad, so long as it isn't nachos, and so as it doesn't become a habit. And, no, missing one day at the gym won't hurt. As a matter fact, many trainers and fitness gurus will tell you that it's just as important for your body to rest as it is to engage in physical activity.
My general rule is to not miss workouts spontaneously. I plan ahead the day or two days of the week that I won't work out. This way during the other days, it becomes part of the day, not an optional activity such as getting my eyebrows waxed or going to the mall. Once I have taken "choice" out of the equation, the little voice no longer has a say. And as far as food temptation goes ... I know all about that. I find that when I am faced with the option of eating something really bad that I absolutely love, I almost lose my breath because I want it so bad. But here is where reframing comes in. I am borrowing this term from the Weight Watchers context. Over at WW, they talk about reframing in the sense that by looking at something differently, we can psych ourselves away from temptation. Really all it involves is changing perspective. For example: John B., the sports editor at my office, brings in a homemade pound cake that his wife, who just so happens to own a bakery, made. The cake is for everyone to share. I walk over to it. It's sweet aroma tickles my nose. I can almost taste the icing. But then, I take a deep breath, and think, "Wow, eating high-calorie, high-fat cake would pretty much cancel out my training session with Amy today. And damn, she worked me really hard. I would hate for my sweat to be for nothing." Then I walk away. Does this work every time? Not always, but at the very least, it gets me to think outside the food about the consequences, and puts that in perspective. Try it next time you are faced with temptation. See if you can't find another way of looking at something Delicious. Other perspectives are: "XYZ food won't feel me up, so why bother snacking on something unhealthy if I will still be hungry?" Or, " I am going to XYZ restaurant next week. I was planning on splurging a little there, so I don't want to get ahead of myself by eating this."
Just remember, if you can silence that little voice in your head, then you have control. So tell that voice to shut up because you have some weight to lose!
Happy losing!
K
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