The Difference is in the Differences

My goal for this week is to steer clear of calorie overages. So far, so good!

Although keeping track of my caloric intake at FitDay is helpful, convenient, and chalk-full of reporting options, it doesn’t seem to alleviate my need for quick ‘n easy numbers. Instead of throwing caution do the wind and ‘dealing’ without the numbers I am most interested in harvesting, I have created a spreadsheet that has allowed me to not only view my calorie totals for the week, but also how much I exercise and how often I go out to eat. I am able to use this data to my advantage and make educated assessments as to how my body reacts to changes in energy consumption and energy output.

Tapping into this data has solidified my understanding of small victories and how important they are to the culmination of a bigger, brighter picture. If I continue to make good choices 95% of the time, I will continue to be successful. In other words, that ice cream sandwich I ate last night probably won’t make its way onto the scale this weekend. Indulging every now and then is no reason to sound the alarms and no reason to spin out control or dive headfirst into a binge-fest. Granted, I probably shouldn’t have ate something that contains trans-fatty badness, but it is what it is. I have officially alleviated my four-day craving for milk/dairy and I probably won’t want to take another trip to Ice Cream Mountain for some time.
A big factor to my current state of success is becoming more and more obvious to me at this point: I’m keeping it real. Instead of pretending to be someone I’m not, I am tailoring my menu to my tastes, my interests, and my skill-level. I’m not trying to become an all-star chef or a hardcore veg-a-holic right out of the gate. Instead, I do my best to incorporate better food choices into my diet without forcing myself to eat shit I am not all that crazy about.

I’ve been at this for a little over three months now and I have yet to encounter a single moment of deprivation. When I want something that is not conducive to my journey, I simply remind myself why it’s not a good idea to partake at this juncture in my life. I refuse to tell myself I ‘cannot’ have something. Restriction = rebellion. Instead, I reason with myself and tell myself that I will soon come to a time and a place in my life where I can indulge in these things in moderation. I hope to arrive at a place where these foods will no longer play a role in my life, but I am realistic in my endeavors.

Friends, I encourage you to remain true to yourself during your journey. While we all share many of the same physiological caveats, we are all very, very different in our own way. I encourage you to embrace your differences and make them work for you.

If anyone wants to check out how my February shaped up, you can take a peek here.