I don't need to loose weight, really. And for the most part, I eat fairly healthy. But, like everybody, I have lapses.
Take that dinner from last week: Little Smokies and whiskey. Probably not the best choice. Grazing on cookies? Not the best choice. When sweet food (cookies, candy, bagels) comes into the shop, it takes a lot of effort not to eat it all.
Why? Because it's there.
On one of my freelance assignments from the newspaper, I interviewed a UNO professor who focuses on health and fitness - specifically on women's health issues. Like most good health professionals, she advocates making lifestyle changes, not diet changes.
At the core of that is the decision-making process. Healthy choice or unhealthy choice? Good or bad?
Little Smokies and whiskey? Bad choice. A run the next day, no cookies, no excess calories? Good choice.
More importantly, if you make a bad choice - not riding, not eating right, whatever - don't beat yourself up and feel crappy about it. Fix it at the next opportunity.
So for the last two weeks, I've been thinking about the good choice/bad choice dynamic. Last night at supper, we had burgers. I usually have two, because ... well, because they taste good. I make damn fine burgers. But I had one.
I've been leaving soda out of my lunch bag. I only have one a day when I have it, anyway, but I've had one in the last few days total. Beer? Haven't had one since New Year's Eve. No ice cream since Christmas.
Eric and I were talking about the guilt factor yesterday on that ride. With so much internal motivation to be good at something - to work hard at it - it's only natural that you'd feel bad if you miss a day or don't perform to expectations.
But you know what? That guilt is misplaced. We all make bad decisions, sometimes fairly regularly. Just fix it the next time around. Pretty soon it's more good than bad.
6 comments:
My dietitian says that beer (in moderation (which is subject to interpretation)) is way better for you than soda.....not great for you, but better than soda.
Whiskey and little smokies? that combination has killed like half a dozen rock stars over the years.
where they the one's with some cheese inside ? and was it single malt of blended whiskey?
Actually the thing I love about the paleo diet books, and some others i've seen like eating for your blood type all encourage 1-2 "cheat" meals per week. It not about eating excessive but allowing the "bad" things in moderation to avoid those temptations which cause you to fall off the wagon. I find spending my entire week planning my cheats make me enjoy it all the more and survive the cheat days guilt free. This week will be either pancakes or a huge muffin. And maybe a burger.
Stamper, I saw something similar the other day which actually showed scientific evidence that wine drinkers, primarily those that have a little red wine in their diet are thinner than those who don't drink at all ever.
I read somewhere a while back that for someone who exercises a drink a night is actually better for your heart. Trick is, of course limiting it to a drink, and not many drinks.
joshua - I have a problem with sweet things, though. It's way easier for me to moderate beer than soda. I'm getting there, though.
rd - if it was the cheese-filled smokies, I'd be dead. It was Templeton Rye, whatever blend/malt concoction that is.
jer - pancakes and a muffin? Sounds good to me ... every day.
SS - If I have more than one drink, I don't have room for food. I like food better.
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