WEEK 14: Progress Report

The report is progress is good. So far.

I've made it to the gym every day this week but it's been hard. I feel as if I'm just going through the motions in my classes, and that's not going to do me much good. Is it boredom? If so, it'll be a challenge to find new (and effective) ways of exercising.

Instead of completely revamping my exercise schedule, I think I'll start with some small changes. A while ago, I picked up an at-home exercise system, so maybe it's about time I took it out of the box and tried some new exercise!

The second part of my goal, keeping my eating under control, has hit a small snag though. I was doing well until a birthday dinner the other night. I was great at the dinner and resisted the delicious birthday cupcakes with no effort whatsoever. But I made those cupcakes and still had half the batch sitting at home. I had counted on them being as easy to resist as the last times, but I was wrong. Last night, I decided that one cupcake wasn't going to hurt me, and that seemed like a fine idea. But then a second one seemed like a fine idea too, and it was down the hatch before I'd even stopped to think.

So I stopped to think: 2 cupcakes were more than enough and it was time to stop. I put the rest out of sight (hoping for out of mind). I also reminded myself the first contest weigh-in is a few days away and the momentary pleasure of a cupcake wasn't worth losing $25. I even thought of Dr. Beck's teachings: a small mistake is better than a big mistake.

Still, I went back and had a third cupcake. I don't know what got into me! It's been a long, long, l-o-n-g time since my will power so completely evaporated. But I've managed to get back on track, so that's the important thing. After that third cupcake, I flossed and brushed my teeth, and then I wrote out a food plan for today. I didn't want history to repeat itself!

I even considered throwing the remaining cupcakes away, to ensure they wouldn't tempt me, but that seemed just too wasteful. It is true that it's better to waste food in the garbage than in my body, but I'm hoping it won't come to either one. And so far, so good. I'm sticking to my food plan, and this is the first I've thought about those cupcakes. And I'm not even tempted!

Now, that's progress.