Forbidden Fruit

Have you ever noticed how badly we want what we can't have?  If someone tells me not to look, I do.  If I'm told I can't go over there, I wonder what's really over there and why can't I go?  I think the same could be said while we're watching what we eat and trying to make healthy food choices.

When we restrict something from our diet that we formerly enjoyed, we tend to want it more now than ever.   That may not be true for EVERY restricted food, but say your favorite not-so-healthy food choice is... a KitKat candy bar.  But you have decided that candy is not conducive to weight loss or a healthy lifestyle.  So from Monday on, (because all diets start on Monday, right?) you won't eat another candy bar until you lose X amount of weight.  And what do we do Sunday night?  EAT A KITKAT!!!  Right?!?  If I'm gonna be deprived of my favorite thing, then by gosh I'm gonna have one NOW!  I don't know, am I the only one this has ever happened to?

Well, Monday rolls around and then Tuesday and I'm still doing ok - no monster cravings - whew!  But then suddenly, for no apparent reason, I start seeing KitKat everywhere.  They're next to the cash register in every store, they're in vending machines, and snack bars at work.  They're in giant-size bars in the grocery aisle and even on stinkin' bill boards.  Next, I start hearing that jingle over and over and over "Gimme a break!  Gimme a break!  Break me off a piece of that KitKat bar!" 

What happened?  I decided I wasn't going to eat candy bars and now it's like they're going out of they're way to tempt me - as if that were even possible!  But here's my thought - by restricting something that I loved eating so much, I've now made it untouchable - precious.  (I hear Gollum now... "We wants it, we needs it. Must have the precious."  No matter how much I know it's not a healthy choice, I want it.

I propose we stop making things "precious".  This is something I remember from the quit-smoking book by Allen Carr.  It applies to anything we have deemed off-limits but still love as much as it applies to smoking.  The trick is to not make the food precious.  Instead of telling myself that I can't have it, I remember the reasons that I don't want it.  As I start associating the not-so-great stuff (high calories, high saturated fat, high sugar, sugar crash) about KitKat bars instead of focusing on what's really only a 5-minute or so guilt-ridden pleasure, I get to a place where I can let go of the forbidden and let it just be a choice.  I can chose to have one or I can chose not to have one.

I have forbidden myself donuts.  It's not necessarily my favorite food or anything, but I realized the other day that I can now smell donuts when I walk into a room that has a box of donuts.  What is up with that?!?  But I'm serious!  Eleven weeks this past Wednesday is how long I've skipped the donuts.  Did I make them precious in the process?  Hmmmm.  Anyway, I will no longer forbid them.

Now on to our regularly scheduled post...

Yesterday's post was so long, I decided to post exercise/goals stuff today:

Cardio intensity was definitely up there.  I was able to hit a HR of 130 and 135 during my treadmill time.  I had to push it up to a 3.0 incline and 3.5-3.8mph to do it, but it finally got up there and maintained it for about a minute or so.  Funny thing is that as soon as I went back to 2.0 incline and 3.0mph, my HR went right back down to 123 and stayed there.  It didn't matter that I was completely out of breath and holding on to the treadmill with one hand, or that my legs felt like they were on fire, my HR stayed at 123.  That's why I only did the 130+HR thing twice.  I didn't think I could do it anymore.  Once I stayed at 3.0mph for over 5 minutes, my HR dropped to 117.  Apparently, my heart is fairly strong, but my body is weak.  Well, and there is the altitude thing too.  Maybe my muscles are burning due to the lack of oxygen?  Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Today was supposed to be an upper body resistance training day.  However, I opted out due to knee pain from yesterday's treadmill experience.  This morning if felt like it was the size of a basketball!!  Oh why oh why didn't I ice it when I was done?

Water intake was much better.  I made it to over 80 ounces yesterday for sure.

Pain level is worse, but I did push myself.  I will just have to work up to this - maybe 130 was too high of a goal.

Sitting too long at work.  It was good yesterday, bad today.  But we're understaffed on Thurs/Friday so I am pretty much stuck on those days.

Core Workouts - didn't do it - again.  Pain - again.

Summary - yesterday good/today bad.  I won't give up.  I'm willing to keep making mistakes and fixing them, keep finding ways to be more healthy and doing them.

Have an excellent Friday!!