Risk and Rewards

Yesterday was so good!

The sun was shining and it wasn't too cold outside so I went for a two mile jog and then came back and did some more cardio with a BL dvd. I was down almost 3 pounds today! Obviously staying away from the junk and working out is what my body needs - as if I didn't know that already!

I successfully resisted the candy bowl at work. I did go to the gas station for a free soda (had a coupon) and managed to ignore all the candy that was screaming at me - but I'm not doing that again. It's too hard and since I know that that location is a trigger for me, I cannot go in there until I am sure I don't want junk food.

I had a really small lunch yesterday. I used fiber cereal and yogurt like I know some others do and I added a chopped fresh strawberry (a giant one). I also had a banana and an apple - though today I am doing vegetables. It actually worked and my stomach didn't growl again until I was about to leave for my run - so I ignored it :) I think this is going to be lunch from now on and leave the real meals to breakfast and dinner. It will also keep me from going to the staff lounge where people usually put out the free treats.

Speaking of treats. Newman's Ohs were on sale at the grocery store this week so I HAD to buy some. They are even better than oreos, I swear, probably because they aren't quite as dense. The cookie part is actually a little crumbly. I was very good and only ate two on Monday and 1 and a half yesterday (to keep in my calorie limit). They are all in snack sized ziplock bags - a serving is 2 cookies, but I put 3 in each that's just about 200 calories (130 for 2 cookies) and an acceptable 20/80 treat to food ratio : )

One of the things I learned from Kessler's book was about using food as a reward. We think we deserve a treat, or we eat emotionally and use the food as a pick me up for what ever mood we are in. But it's a false sense of reward because later we regret it (if you're eating to excess that is). So substituting with non-food rewards is a good way of getting out of this habit. Exercise is a good one because it stimulates the same dopamine response as emotional eating. 

I know that I was doing exactly that these past two weeks. Instead of coming home and exercising I was coming home and binging on candy and other snacks up in my room. I was doing it for a number of reasons, not least of which I was hiding from my mother and eating what I shouldn't to spite her (even though I didn't want her to know - oh the depths of the human psyche!)

This week I have been exercising instead before and after work. I love feeling strong. I have upped my number of manly push ups to 7 and I was feeling it this morning!!
Exercising gets some of this stress out while making me feel good afterward, unlike food which makes me feel like an out of control loser after eating. I go back to dance lessons next week too for a show in August and possibly another competition in September.


The Numbers 
April 12, 2011; Weight: still to high to mention; Calorie goal: 1200


Oatmeal 100
Raisins 65
Walnuts 100
Coffee (3 creams) 60
greek yogurt 80
cereal 160
strawberry 15
banana 120
apple 80
pita 180
humus 60
veggies 70
Cough drop 5
1 1/2 Newman oh's 98


Total = 1193
Exercise= -889 (30DS lvl 2 + 2mile jog + 30 min BL Cardio dvd)


Net = 304
BMR = 1300
Calorie Deficit = 996 (YAY!!)