What Worked: If you bite it, write it!
My diet journal saved me this week. I’ve been out of town beagle-sitting for my folks. Not being at home and in my own routines lead to some undisciplined choices, meals out, pizza with my niece and nephew and absence from the gym. Writing it down, I had to see that since I’d already had “treats” for breakfast and lunch, I’d better make it a salad for dinner and there would be no skipping the evening walk.
I’ve talked about how journaling helps before, but I couldn’t get over how much difference it made in being out of town. The truth is, I’m not always going to pass up snacks or trim down big meals, but facing it makes it easy to balance with exercise and keeps away the cranky feeling when I can’t have what I want.
What Needs Work – Back on the wagon.
This week will be all about getting back to the gym. I had a nice time on the walks with the dog, but she is an old girl and couldn’t keep up with a run so my activity level wasn’t what it needed to be last week. Gotta keep my eyes on my goal if I’m going to make that 10k in September.
There’s been a lot of conversation in my circles this week about starting diets, fitness programs and such. Not surprising really, new year and all that but there is a common thread of misconception that you have to launch into exercise like a montage in a Rocky movie. I’m all for getting fit and healthy, but if you start too big too soon, you’ll get discouraged, bored and even hurt if you’re not careful. The great thing about exercise is that you can ramp up. Aim small, miss small. That’s why pedometers are so much fun. I think it’s important to have a bigger goal in mind, but if I’d started my program by trying to run 10k my first day… oh, that would have been sad, sad, sad.
Also, I think some extra greens and smaller meals wouldn’t go amiss.
