I've been head chatting with myself lately about why I have such a solid standing with exercise, but consistent healthy eating alludes me. I've tried to figure this out many times with no luck.
** Bare with me - long and probably convoluted!! **
About 20 years ago, I made a set of rules about exercise and I stick with it super consistently (there are some exceptions, but 20 years later, not a bad go of it!). Why can't this work for eating??
First, here's the quick version of the EXERCISE RULES.
(1) Can't decide the day of the exercise to NOT workout (must do it in advance). Exceptions are sick or injured. Sick as in fever or puking ... not a cold. Injured as in there is nothing I can do instead (i.e. arm lift if ankle is wonky).
(2) Can't take more than 2 days off in a row.
(3) Must exercise enough to break a sweat.
(4) Can't THINK about how much I don't want to exercise BEFORE I start. I can have A THOUGHT, but that's it. No trying to negotiate in my head or talk myself out of exercising. If I can't stop the head talk, then I have to immediately get exercising. The head-talk is often longer and worse than the actual workout.
These all came from things-I-ALWAYS-regret if I do or don't do them.
What it doesn't say is HOW to exercise. The HOW is my current training. That changes all the time. What never changes is that I exercise regularly. I don't fear a vacation taking me off the path or an injury or a stress change. It's part of who I am, what I do and I don't worry in 20 years that I won't have that same mindset.
Sometimes, I'm in training mode and my workouts are hard. Sometimes, life is enough and my workouts are minimal. Sometimes, it's somewhere in the middle.
The bottom line ... I have a solid STANDARD that's on high ground and I don't fall below that standard. Hit that bottom-line standard and fall no further. That's why it's easy to get back up ... I don't have far to go. The standard allows for LIFE. It is flexible enough that it's sustainable, no matter what is happening. Flexible, but still requires effort and work ... it's not a free ride. I can't tell you how many times the alarm goes off and I think of NOT getting up to workout. But I can't and I don't ... because STANDARDS (#1 and #4 above).
Conversely, I have a horrible standard for eating. When I fall, I fall long and far. Basically, I have NO STANDARD. I let myself fall all the way to the bottom. When it's time to get up, it's hard and a long way to better ground. I live up toward the top a lot of the time so it doesn't feel like I have a low standard.
Duh!! I never noticed it because I am often sitting on high ENOUGH ground ... telling myself I have a healthy eating plan and it's working. Until I fall (and I do fall) and then I wonder what happened. I can't stop falling. Life is messy and a rollercoaster and there WILL be ups and downs. I need to control the fall - like I do with exercise.
I need to build a higher eating standard ... solid, high ground ... flexible enough to last, but rules (standards) that guide me. Control the fall. Make it easier to get back up.
It will be personal and just for ME. Built with what I need and not someone else. Built from my experiences and struggles and MY triggers. Built from things I always regret doing or not doing.
The first one might be the no-sweets rule (cake, cookies, candy, etc) that I'm committed to for the duration of Whole30 coaching and Project Healthy Body. Maybe that needs to be a STANDARD. Those type of sweets are food-without-brakes for ME. I never want a bite or a piece ... I want 1/2 the cake. I ALWAYS regret falling face first into sweets. Even if I don't have "too much" it sends me to a huge struggle place - even one cookie. I might win that battle (with tons of effort), but I don't win the war.
I had to give up soda too. I couldn't moderate it. People I've mentioned this to in the past thought it was too extreme, not necessary, but they are not ME!!! They don't live in my head. When I gave up soda 20+ years ago, people said I was nuts (remember this was over 20 years ago - everyone drank soda then). Now most of them don't drink soda themselves - go figure!!
I want to use the Project Healthy Body to work through this and get some guidance. I am hopeful this is a big missing puzzle piece. I'm stuck at the "what" should be the standard. It has to work for ME. Feel right to ME. Feel important to ME. If not, it won't work. It's will be a short-term fix and then I will fall all the way again.
I told my coach (Holly) about this yesterday. She is linking me to another podcast on this very subject. I'm collecting some podcast info and will do a podcast post soon!!!
I'm working on my crazy head space - who knows, maybe I'll figure something out!! Later gators.
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