The photo above was inspired which one of the following things:
a) the overwhelming sense that I looked like a high school wrestler.
b) the overwhelming desire I had to prove that that lid was down.
c) the realization that everyone's legs look awesome when they squat.
d) all of the above.
If you guessed D, you would be correct.
Welcome to Move More, Eat Well for November 2011. I am coming to you today from a place of recovery and that place is my own home and the recovery is from an veritable food orgy involving numerous brands of fun-sized candy bars.
Sigh. Halloween, you know not what you do to me.
Here's the deal: when Halloween comes, I heed the call. Not only do I adore this holiday (no gifts, no big meals to prepare, no stress, and a chance to wear the bee costume), I fully participate in the guilt-free eating of candy on Halloween. I may have once been very black and white in my approach to Moving More and Eating Well, just as I have been with most things in my life, but part of being in therapy has helped me to see that life can also happen in the grey areas. If I'm solely black and white, there's a lot of life—and candy—to be missed.
So I gave myself a total free day on Halloween. I started eating candy at 10 a.m. and essentially didn't stop until bedtime, more or less. Aidan hosted a party for her friends, so I knew that being hopped up on sugar wouldn't necessarily harm me in any way. Afterall, I needed my strength! The weird thing was, while completely high on miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cups, I made the cutest scrapbook page ever. I felt like I was running with an extra battery pack. It actually reminded me of the few times I've quit smoking only to resume, and the absolute manic energy that comes from reconnecting with your addiction.
Interestingly enough, the 5 days leading up to Halloween saw me each day ingesting zero added sugar. I decided to remove all added sugar (minus what is found in fruit, of course) from my diet for one week. I didn't quite make the full week, mind you, but it was interesting that I found myself with more energy after the first two days.
Most days, I'll have a yummy Trader Joe's granola bar as a sweet treat after dinner. Inevitably, I feel like I could fall asleep at 8 p.m. I started making the connection that although Trader Joe's stuff can be moderately more wholesome than some brands, it's still packed with sugar and that sugar can knock you out.
There's definitely a part of me that wishes I could become someone who completely eschews sugar and comes back here to report: PEOPLE, I HAVE FOUND THE TRUTH!
But there is still a part of me that is normal and human and likes to know I'm going to get to indulge in fun-sized candy every so often.
You know, it's that addictive part.
Let's take a look at my page for this month.
JOURNALING READS: What is it about this before and after that feels less dramatic to me? Maybe I’m just not in the right frame of mind as I sit here and type, but the overall but shape ain’t that different. Oh well. But I think the thing that is different? My overall attitude about taking care of myself is improving all the time. My goals are multi-fold. It’s not just about getting below 150 pounds anymore (although there is a tiny bit of that one lingering.) As always, I’m a work in progress.
This month has seen very steady running, walking and swimming. I backed off my runs to add a swim day and I’m feeling really good in the pool these days. I’ve even been spending a bit of time watching stroke improvement videos, to see if I can’t find a way to pick up the pace a bit. As always, I remains slow but steady with my workouts. I know there is something to be said about mixing in some speedwork, both for the running and the swimming, but for some reason, I’m still adverse to the idea of going faster. I think there is definitely a part of me that fears failure. It’s as if I’ve finally made fitness a part of my life, but if I mess with it too much, I might find myself right back on that couch again.
This month also saw me test out no added sugar for a week (not surprisingly, the energy I had improved) followed by two solid days of absolute Halloween candy coma. But I will tell you this: I’m not giving up some of that culinary guilty pleasure. I really don’t want to be a robot in this process. I am moving more and eating well a large majority of the time. Everything doesn’t have to be black and white.
This notion of black and white is really on my mind these days in all areas of my life. I won't lie: I have made it work to my advantage more often than not. But sometimes, life isn't always about gaining an advantage, now is it?
How has your month gone? With Halloween under the belt, it's just one food holiday after another for a while. Do you have a plan of attack in mind? Are you going with the flow and embracing the grey that comes with the change of seasons?
By all means, do tell.
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A few months back, I offered a free download of the new logo for Move More Eat Well. Click here to find that post and download the new logo for your templates.
Want to learn more about Move More Eat Less 2011? Click here to learn more about the concept.
I've also started a flickr group for Move More Eat Less. Feel free to start sharing your pages. You will find the group by clicking here.
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Check back here tomorrow afternoon for a cool announcement about a new workshop I'm offering at Big Picture Classes. This one? It might be right up your alley. It's definitely up mine.
