TGIT

I like Thursdays.

I’ve always liked Thursdays.

And today was no exception.

Today was delightfully filled with…

A 4.5 mile run on this gorgeous trail

[source][/source]

(Obviously this picture was not from today.  Today it was 35 degrees when I started running. :0 )

Kimchee making

Chocolate eating

(Leftover from Halloween, it’s been wrapped in plastic in the freezer and I think it’s gotten even better!)

Gift getting

Good eating

Healthy snacking

 

And just a little dancing in the dining room!

The fun continues with a dinner date with new friends!

As an old boss once said “Thursday is the new Friday”.

TGIT!

Old Truth, New Truth

“If you do what you’ve always done,

you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”

-Anthony Robbins

Lately I have been questioning many of my own “truths” regarding diet and exercise.

What I have “always done” has “gotten” me a body that is strong and fit yet always a little overweight, always desiring to lose those last 5 pounds.  This is hard for me to admit, as a “fitness professional”, but sometimes the hardest habits to examine are the ones that are literally right under our nose-our own!

Old Truth: I need to do cardio nearly every day to burn enough calories to maintain my weight.

New Discovery: I might have a smaller appetite and need less calories if I actually did less cardio, thus maintaining my weight. I need cardio nearly every day to feel strong, help manage stress, release endorphins, get sweaty (which I love), and to maintain a certain level of overall fitness.

Old Truth: Pasta is not enough bang for it’s calorie buck for me, I never eat it.

New Discovery: I ate pasta more than a few times over the last year and it turns out that it’s too high in calories to fit my needs, I just don’t like the taste and texture!  This is not to say I will never eat it again, whole wheat pasta in soup can be nice, rice noodles are slightly better texture-wise than wheat, and whole wheat lasagna is delicious.

Old Truth: Once I start eating sugar I can’t stop.

New Discovery: The reason I couldn’t stop before is that I was restricting it so much of the time that when I got a little taste I turned off my control panel and overdid it.  Feast or famine!  These days I keep a few forms of dark chocolate in the house and eat a sensible amount 4 or 5 times a week.  Before I reach for the sugar I ask myself whether I want it because it’s there or because it is exactly what sounds good.  If the answer is the former than I go for something else or nothing.  The lesson for me is that when I deny cravings they really do stack up against me in the end and it’s harder to practice moderation once I start.

Old Truth: 131 pounds is my “happy weight”.

New Discovery: Here I am at 131 pounds and I still feel like I could easily lose a few more and maintain it.  Don’t get me wrong, I AM HAPPY!  My body feels strong and lean, my stomach has definition, and my jeans fit well.  And, don’t worry, I am not being obsessed with weight or an unattainable number, I am just exploring my options and figuring out what works for ME TODAY.  Not you, not her, not yesterday, not 5 years from now.  Just me.  Just today.

Old Truth: Cheese and butter are too high calorie to fit into my needs.

New Discovery: I love cheese!  I don’t care for butter!  I think part of this discovery lies in being exposed to better and better cheeses over the years.  Run-of-the-mill Cheddar, Provolone, Swiss, or Mozzarella? I still skip it.  Show me some blue cheese or extra sharp white cheddar and I am all over that stuff.  The thing is, when cheese is quality it’s easier to control the quantity because it’s so flavorful.  Cheese is calorie dense though so I prefer to eat it as the main event rather than as one of many ingredients or elements to a meal.

Old Truth: I always eat a lot at night so I need to “save” calories to accommodate for that.

New Discover: Maybe if I don’t “save” calories until night than I won’t need to eat my biggest meal after dark.  (I eat 3-4 meals a day and 1-3 snacks.  I eat every 3-5 hours.  For me “saving” calories in NO WAY means skipping meals. I like to eat way to much for that :)).  For a long time my plan has been to eat a small to medium breakfast, a medium to medium-large lunch, and a large dinner (roughly 400, 500, and 600 calories) and a snack or two (200-300 calories).  There is nothing wrong with this except that I like the feeling of eating a big lunch and having all day to digest and utilize that energy.  This is a very new discovery but I am going to play with it this month, bigger lunches, smaller dinners.

What old “truths” are you holding on to?