Day Seven: Things I've Learned

I've been through this dieting crap before multiple times. There really shouldn't be any surprises. Unfortunately, there were a few things about getting back on the wagon that I sort of...forgot.

 

1. Be Prepared to be Unprepared

 

The day before I started my diet/workout regiment, I thought I bought enough food to last me a couple weeks. I was wrong by half. I bought two bags of apple slices and some greens. I went through them in less than seven days which is just as well since-big duh-these items were perishable and wouldn't have lasted long anyway. Still, this kind of sucks since I was counting on getting paid right before my next grocery shopping trip. I have canned alternatives, but mostly it's the kind of healthy junk that I'm not too fond of or the bad stuff I'm saving in case of the zombie apocalypse.

 

If I'm living in a post-apocalyptic world, there better be ravioli in it.

A quick trip to Costco for some emergency supplies with my husband proved to be a temporary solution. On the plus side, I won't be running out of garlic roasted green beans or tuna anytime soon. Too bad that emergency food run made a big dent in our household budget, which brings me to my next item...

 

2. This Dieting Shit will Cost You Money

 

The problem with healthy food is that most healthy food is perishable. The problem with perishable food is that you're constantly replacing it. Replacing it requires money. I'm not saying it's so expensive that it isn't worth doing, but you will have to stretch your budget a bit. I took this past Monday off because it was my husband's birthday. Had I known I was going to have to raid the sofa cushions for food money, I would have requested a change of shift instead. I'm going to have to be very careful about pinching pennies for the next few months. Either that or get used to eating most of my meals out of cans.

 

3. This Dieting Shit will Make you...Well, You Know...

 

Fun fact: Insoluble fiber attaches to waste in the body, which makes waste bulkier and easier to pass. This is a refined way of saying roughage makes you poo more regular like. If your body isn't used to eating rabbit food and you're suddenly Bugs Bunny in overdrive, be prepared to spend a lot of time on the porcelain goddess.

 

"Insignificant peons! All will squat before me!"

 

4. Be Mindful When Scheduling Workouts

 

As I mentioned before, I have an app on my phone that allows me to keep track of dietary intake and workouts in advance. I have my workout schedule set up for the entire week, and I was careful to set aside Thursday and Sunday as days of rest since Thursday is my game/writer's meeting night and Sunday is my long work day. Too bad I forgot how hard it is to exercise on Fridays. I work the late shift on that day. The plan was I would go in and work my shift from 3pm-9pm, change into my workout clothes after work, and workout in the fitness center next to the spa. I only had one or two clients scheduled when I went in, so I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. I didn't count on all the walk-ins. By end of shift, I was almost too exhausted to walk the length it would take to get to my car. I've since revised my Friday workout routine to start before work, at home, where it's harder for me to weasel out of it.

 

5. To Cheat or Not to Cheat, That is the Question...

 

This is one I didn't think of until just the other day, and I'm still debating it. I do a reblog of other blogs and other interesting things I find on the internet every Sunday on my Doomtown blog. Last Sunday, I did a reblog of Quirky Chrissy's take on New Year's resolutions. I sent her an email letting her know what I was doing and that I would be careful to include links to all her stuff. She emailed me back letting me know it was quite alright and wished me luck on my yearly endeavors. She also advised me to include a weekly cheat day that consisted of alcohol and/or desert, and I'm wondering if she might be right. The last time I lost the weight, I refused to allow myself cheat days because that was usually how I fell off the wagon with my other diets. I would have a cheat day set aside, and that day would be extended to the next. And the next. And...well, you get the drift. My last attempt at healthy eating/living lasted close to two years and didn't really go off track until I was laid off one job and had to get used to another. If I had already incorporated a cheat day into my diet, would it have made things easier for me, or would I have just gained the weight back quicker? I don't know, but I'm giving serious consideration to allowing myself a monthly cheat. If I do, It won't be an all day binge fest. Either one alcoholic beverage and one desert. Or, either or. I'll give it a try at the end of this month and see how it goes. Hopefully, the monthly progress picture will keep me on the straight and narrow.

 

Bam! Instant incentive.