January 21, 2011

I'm a Mess; I Confess

The past few weeks have been what I'll call "ideal zone" in the realm of my healthy living adventure. You know what I'm talking about. I've had an unusually strong drive to exercise. Making healthy food choices has been relatively easy. Everything is just flowing.

But today. ((shakes head))

Well, today we left the ideal zone. Do you know what I wanted?

I wanted this:



Which I would have enjoyed making just as much as I would have enjoyed consuming. But I was a lazy bum. So I got out a mug and made one of my notorious chocolate microwave concoctions instead.

It had all the main players: sugar, flour, egg, butter, vanilla, cocoa...just on a smaller level. I took the thing to bed and ate it while I laid there. In the middle of the day. I laid there in the same thing I slept in (sorry flylady) and ate probably 500 calories that have absolutely no where to lay their sticky little heads on my LiveIt tracker. It didn't even taste very good. But I ate it. Every single bit of it. Am I sick or what!? Yes, I am sick. That is exactly what I am. (For the record--I've never contested that fact.)

So as I sat here today, feeling sick and bloated from all the sugar and lack of movement, I decided to do [what I think] I do best. I analyzed the situation. I asked the questions: Why am I doing this? (Specifically: laying around and eating crap.) What has changed that has moved me from the "ideal zone" into the "danger zone."

1. I have been gone from home for a couple of days and the house is out of control. It is not to the point of no return (when this happens it is not a pretty thing).

2. It is very cold outside and not conducive to my favorite way to exercise: outdoor running.

3. We were (until about 2 hours ago) completely out of quality groceries.

4. Two nights ago I stayed up until 2 in the morning and made up for it my sleeping through my quiet time this morning.

That's pretty much all I could come up with, but this is very useful information to bring to light. 3 out of the 4 insights I have control over and even the one I don't have complete control over is not a deal breaker:

1. I can spend about 15-20 (2 hours) minutes in each room of the house tonight instead of watching the movie I had planned. I will have a controlled household by morning.

2. I can not run outside but I can do a 20 minute workout right after I clean and right before I reward myself with a hot bath an book.

3. Thankfully we planned out our dinner meals for the rest of the week and hubby went to the store for me today (while I napped and read...like I said, lazy day). No more excuses!

4. If I start cleaning at 6 o'clock I should be able to do finish that, my workout, my bath and do a little more reading before a lovely lights out at 9:30 pm.

There. Nothing blocking my path back to the ideal zone.

This I know is true --I am going to continue to make mistakes for the rest of my life. In the past, a day like I have had today a might have set me back a few weeks or even months. That is not reasonable. That is not logical in any way, shape or form.

Here's a little secret for those who give "falling off the wagon" way too much power: You can have a bad day and still have a good week! I've done it before! Don't think that all is lost if you lose it for a minute and make yourself a 5-serving bowl of chocolate cake for lunch in bed. Just snap out of it as quickly as possible and do what you have to do to recover. It's pretty simple.

Sheesh. Glad that is over. I hate these confessional posts! For a second I feel like a hypocrite with no credibility. But then I realize that these posts are precisely what keep me from being a hypocrite with no credibility. (I am a hypocrite, we all are on some level, but you know what I mean).

Okay--gotta clean. Let me know what you are doing to make your immediate environment an "ideal zone" for wellness.
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9 comments:

AJ said...

Thanks for being honest. I had a day last week that it took all my effort to get off the couch and pick my daughter up from school (wouldn't that be awful?). By the time I returned with my daughter in tow, I endured a long lecture from myself and started to move and get chores done.

On the upside, since I didn't leave the couch, I didn't eat excess...yeah, that bad.

Get up and do it now, you can get back to it!

Tammy said...

I love your attitude. You had a slip up, but immediately set a plan to take care of business. Finding excuses to not eat right or not exercise is so EASY for me. I need to always remember, like you mentioned that a bad day doesn't mean it needs to be a bad week.

The house cleaning is a workout in itself. Have a nice evening.

Tara Kieninger said...

Can you give me the recipe for your chocolate concoction?....Just kidding! Don't beat yourself up for one less than ideal day, and I wouldn't even say that you blew a whole day...it was more like 1 meal (if you call cake a meal!). Sounds like you have a plan to turn it around and that's what counts.

Julie said...

AMEN!!! You took the bull by the horns, figured it out, took care of it and set the train back on it's tracks. YOU GO GIRL!!!
I derailed this week, not tons but enough I know the scale will tell me tomorrow. With my TOTM here, I couldn't convince myself to be good. Usually I listen, this week...not.
Take care and havea blessed weekend.

Anonymous said...

I wish I knew the secret to strong days and to why they suddenly end with a crash. Both catch me by surprise and without explanation.

I hope your 'recovery plan' works out for you.

Deb

Virginia said...

I love your honest posts and I love how you analyse things to fathom out how to change things for the better! It also reminds us that your on a journey as well and not just there for our motivation!

Last night (I'm reading this Saturday morning no idea what time it will be in your part of the world now) my hubby decided to make a meal for us to share, little one (little one who am I kidding) was watching TV in the other room and hubby made a three course meal - not exactly what you would think would be helpful in a weight loss program - but no wait, I'd had a low point lunch and he made a weight watcher tea. We had a homemade starter, main course and sweet, we sat and chatted listened to Kings of Leon in the background and enjoyed each others company - it was awesome. I decided whilst he was preparing food that I'd clean - but instead he said leave that til tomorrow and get on your glider instead - so I managed my exercise! got up this morning and started cleaning! Little glimpses of lives but we're all on a journey! I hope you embrace your day back in the ideal zone and far far away from the danger zone!

Hugs

Unknown said...

You're posts are always so fun and honest! Like I'm sitting next to you having a conversation.. Love it!

Everyone has those kinds of days, but it's what happens after that kind of a day that really matters. Do you pick yourself up and get back in the fight or do you lay there and keep getting kicked?? You got up and fought back and made an awesome plan! Way to go Keelie !
You're doing a fantastic job and you do keep it real, that's what I love about you.

Keep up the great stuff !

Have a great day! :)

SkinnyGirlSetFree said...

I appreciate your honesty! It's refreshing - and inspiring! I'm proud of you for just picking up where you left off...

Let's see...my environment. I need to go to the store BADLY. I'm planning that today or tomorrow (can make things work today if needed). That's the major thing in my way. House is NOT perfect, but I will fine tune today.....AFTER I workout! :)

Have a great weekend! :)

Charbelle said...

when you consider where you were last year at this time to where you are this year, you can now process and move faster to get back on track. It's hard, it's so hard to fight the laziness sometimes!! love your honesty and you are absolutely right this does not make you a hypocrite but actually keeps you accountable which means that you are preventing hypocrisy!! happy weekend!!