I'm on the Naughty List

Hello Friends,

Well this week has definitely NOT gone according to plan. After a stellar workout on Monday and great eating with my diet I fell off the wagon for the last few days.

Things have been really busy at work and at home and I must not be getting enough sleep because even on the nights that I slept for 7 or 8 hours I woke up still feeling exhausted.

I'm feeling better this morning tired wise but diet wise feeling gross. I already have plans for a big workout tonight, tomorrow and Sunday and maybe even squeezing a hike in there too.

I'm not sure what happened but for me when I'm tired I tend to make bad diet decisions and as you can guess by my previous comment about sleep it just wasn't a good week. But then I remembered that every day you make over 200 hundred choices with regards to living a healthy lifestyle. In terms of what you eat for your meals, snacks, whether you walk to work or take the subway. There are so many opportunities to make good decisions. I always try to remember that 1 bad decision doesn't mean the next one I make has to be bad too.  I find that not beating myself up over a bad decision is better for me because the next decision I make is usually a healthy one as opposed to blowing the whole day on bad decisions.

This morning I'm off to a fairly good start. I woke up early, because my body hates me and won't let me sleep in anymore, and hung up some Christmas lights and stockings, wrapped gifts, decorated the tree and made a relatively healthy omelette with a few slices of lean ham for a little protein, all before 8am.....disgusting I know right. My omelette though was awesome! It was also so filling that I didn't bother with toast or anything. These days I have kind of sworn off bread just because is it really worth it??......I've decided no. I'd much rather have a great omelette with all kinds of veggies and protein than a slice of toast so on Friday mornings that's what I've been doing. During the week it's cereal for no other reason than it's easy and quick but that's about it and I have been having lettuce roll-ups where I put in the meat and tiny bit of cheese and roll it in a lettuce leaf instead of having bread. Bread is just so high in calories and seriously....why? It's not even that good. Just empty calories. The only exception I'll make is if I ever take a trip back to Paris. Then I would plan on eating fresh bread pretty much all day long. :0)

I'm hoping that today flies by as I would like it to be the weekend and get some good Christmas-y stuff done. I still have a few things to get but for the most part I'm finished which always feels good. I hate being under the gun before the holiday. The one thing though that I'm in serious need for is actual a present to myself....a new pair of shoes my shoes have totally bitten the dust and they are just plain falling apart. I need to update my goal list now with a new goal for 200 but perhaps I'll think of something fun to do. My Christmas goal, which thanks to this weeks lack of progress is now 2 weeks away, is to hit below 200 which would mean that in the year 2011 I lost 32 + pounds. That would totally be something to celebrate and so would saying bye-bye to 200 + FOREVER! I've already got my holiday shopping list down and my exercise routines for the week I'm with family and friends so hopefully I don't ring in the new year with new weight. :0)

I'm just keeping my eyes on the prize and keeping myself motivated and moving forward.


Speaking of which I was watching this show called Surviving the Cut and holy sh*t do they push those guys to the limit. I was watching and I was almost kind of horrified what they make them do. Although that being said I'd only want the best protecting my country so I get it but good grief. It is absolutely amazing to watch the training these guys and gals go through.

 During the one show though they were talking to one of the instructors who would drive in a car behind the group of trainees who were running and the instructor would use a speaker saying things like, "I have never hurt this much in my life." "I can't do this" "I might as well quit" "I'll never make this" "I'm a failure" and basically follow them saying stuff like that over and over again to get people to crack. The test being whether or not the trainees can tune out the fight going on inside their minds when they are tired and hungry and run down. The whole, mind over matter, "If you don't mind it doesn't matter". The successful trainees were laughing and smiling ear to ear as the instructor was following them while they were running and saying, "Whatever, you just can't listen to that bullsh*t, they are only doing it to see if you will crack....you just have to ignore it and keep going. I'm here and I'm doing it and they can't stop me." The Instructors are hoping for that kind of reaction. They are trying to get them to learn to tame their mind even under stressful situations.

I have written a few blog entries in the past about letting your mind get the best of you and not being able to hit a goal or a challenge because your mind takes over. It has happened to me a bunch of times just at the gym and during my race in September. I let my mind get the best of me and I totally cracked. I liked watching the Surviving the Cut though because they were teaching them how to not let their minds take over and just tune it all out. I started practicing that mind set the other day. Along with my new second favorite quote ever.

During one of the exercises they were putting boats in the surf and they show the captain of the second boat come over to the instructor and let the instructor know that they had finished the exercise and come in second out of 6 I believe. And the instructor just says, "You know what second place is right?" and the trainee just answers, "Yes. Sir,". and the Instructor says, "Second place is the same as first loser." 

 I just turned to look at Paul and was like "did he really just say that?" and Paul just started laughing and was like, "yeah". I went to work the other day with that thought in my head and I have to admit it lit a fire under me and I wasn't even involved in the training. I went home that night and was talking to Paul and I was like "I think there is something to that military mind set about getting these guys and gals to strive to be the best. I was pumped up all day about how I wanted to be the best....and I was just watching the show!" Paul just smiled and was like, "See...it totally works. It's brutal and honest and rough but it works." So with that thought in my head I keep reminding myself that close isn't good enough. I'm in this for the long haul and not hitting the goal is like being in second place....aka first loser. And I have enough competitiveness in me that I KNOW that will NOT happen. Bring it on baby! 

Till later friends.