Reformation

So you’ve been working out and underwent an eating reformation. When you look in the mirror, you think, ‘damn’. And no, not ‘damn’ with swooping brows and an open jaw. But three snaps in a z-formation ‘day-am’! You feel g-o-o-d! I mean, you’ve recently invested in a full length mirror type of good! You can’t remember the last time you had a simple sugar and you don’t even crave your grandma’s fudge. The earth is finally in alignment. Or so it seems. Then comes time for the family get-together, the office party, or the girls-night-out; no wonder staying away from fudge has been so easy - it hasn’t been in sight! Now, before you - a schmorgesborg of foods of yore – chex mix, fried cheese balls, fondue, cheetos, and…CAKE (which feels like an entirely new concept in your mouth – light fluffy sweet bread with layers of cream). And you fall off the wagon…into a ditch…filled with cream puffs.

The next day you are filled with remorse. It’s the same type of remorse you felt when you first got spanked. You recount the events over and over wondering how it could have been prevented. You swear your waist size has increased. The scale is reading five pounds more than it did yesterday (which is just water weight).

So you decide that it might be a good idea to just eat nothing that day. Calories in versus calories out, right? If you don’t eat anything today, the vast amount of calories you consumed the previous day plus zero calories today will balance everything out and viola - back on track!

WRONG! It’s just about as wrong as midget strippers. It’s wrong on so many different levels – blood sugar dips, a day doing nothing, explosive diarrhea. Wrong.

So how do we avoid the cream-puff ditch? Prepare for the worst and plan for the best. What does that look like? Niece’s birthday party is at 2:00? Have a high fiber, high protein snack around 1:30. As you may have heard from many sources, fiber and protein help keep you full so you can reject those sweet temptations. We live in a society that bombards us with potato chips, ice cream, and fudge. Arm yourself with chicken breasts, oatmeal, and other guilt free food.

Entitlement vs. Willpower

Entitlement is the death of any dieter. It can take many forms. Maybe, a meal was skipped. A person’s natural reaction is to “make up” for the meal. It can also take the form of a “well deserved” treat after an intense workout session. Regardless, its entitlement. Entitlement has created a lazy society. It creates obesity, lethargy, and diabetes.

Lets be honest, we all feel like we deserve a good snack-e-poo after a ridiculous workout session. When we let will power go, our appetite gets the best of us. Willpower is the strength of mind and of will. Willpower is the ability to delay gratification with promise to see the long term goal come to fruition.

The ability to delay gratification looks like this: You come home from a 2-hour workout session and your room mate has cookies. You know you’ve burned enough calories that you can eat the cookies and it will have no adverse effect. Instead, you have your recovery shake because you know it will speed up your recovery rate. Willpower at its finest.

Unfortunately, you cannot magically obtain willpower. But you’re going to need it to get what you want (in most situations). There are little tricks to increase your willpower. Begin with the end in mind. Whenever you begin any new training program, know what you’re getting into and have a clear picture of the end result. Maybe keep a picture of the ‘optimal end result’ hanging around. Do not compromise. Even if it is your niece’s birthday – no cake! Compromising your routine is self sabotage and a great display of entitlement.

Remember, where there is a will, there is a way.