I Can Do This!

"I can do this! I can do this!" These were the words going through my head as I did one hour on the elliptical this morning. And guess what.....I could do it! In that hour I did 5 miles and burned just a little over 700 calories. This was a first for me. Never have I been able to do the elliptical for more than 45 min. and even then I thought I was dying. Today though....I did it! Possibly part of the fact that I pulled this off was because as I said Sat., I wasn't very good Friday....and while I did better than fine on Sat., Sunday was a bit of a back slide. Again....even my mishaps are getting healthier and healthier, but still not perfect. I knew that if I wanted to continue losing and not be disappointed come Thursday....I would have to get back at it full force. I did!

I have only used 5 points for lunch today....I am back to my homemade salads. They are smaller than the Dillons kind and require less salad dressing. And today proves my assumption that working out=not as hungry and  I don't think about food. Not working out=starving and looking to graze every chance I get. It seems that the two should be opposite of each other as when I work out.....my body (you would think) would be craving food, but somehow....it just doesn't seem to work that way. I am thinking that the reason I fixate on food when I don't work out is because I feel guilty for not working out....therefore.....I start self-sabotaging.

I was reading this article the other day...don't ask me where (most likely some drs, office as that is usually where I do most of my reading) and it was talking about weight loss. It said most over weight people have become so accustomed to eating badly that going cold turkey from that to healthy eating is almost impossible. It said it sets people up for failure. What the article suggested was that people who were trying to lose....first of all had to get rid of the diet mind set. It was imperative that people look at weight loss as a life style change....otherwise, when the diet is through, so is their healthier eating commitment. And the other thing the article suggested was that people ate 80/20. What's that you ask? I continued reading. Eighty/twenty is eating healthy and conscientiously 80% of the time and the other 20% letting lose a little. The thinking behind this is.....the healthy eating 80% of the time will start showing gradual loss and the individual will undoubtedly like how that feels. It is an easier weight loss because they don't feel deprived, but at the same time.....they are going to want to turn those small weight loss numbers into bigger ones.....thus making better choices...even on the 20% days. Honey....they had me at no diet!

If you think about it....it does make good sense. People are more likely to change things around if they get to treat themselves from time to time. Of course....common sense has to be used on the 20% days. You can't binge 24 hours a day during that time period or else you are completely undoing the 80% you worked so hard for. The article suggested that Mon. thru Friday you eat healthy and then let yourself enjoy the bbq or going out to eat on the weekends. These little splurges help to make you feel less like you are confined to fruits and veggies the rest of your life and more like a normal human being. What I thought was kind of funny is...this  seems to be what my body has been doing naturally for awhile now. I stay pretty focused during the week, but the weekends are my down fall. Using the 80/20 method though.....has actually evolved me to the point that even my bad choices are much better than they used to be and by eating right 80% of the time.....I have learned to read my body and know when it doesn't like my 20% choices. It is all so fascinating.....if you are a healthy lifestyle nerd like I seem to be turning into.

And now we are back! Since last paragraph....I have been to the ER and back. By the time we got out of the ER (Z this time....and all is well) I was too  tired to cook....so fast food it was. I got my fresco burrito and taco from Taco Bell for a total of 12 pts. Tonight I am too tired even for ice cream.....so I guess we will call this day a success. I have eaten a total of 17 pts., burned off 700+ calories and drank all my water. I think this helps make up for weekend indiscretions. Until tomorrow.....have a great night!