More Stuff From Mr. Smarty Pants

Change your mindset. Mr. Smarty Pants always posts that. Khris was on a talk show today and they were talking about eating and the host used the word cheating when talking about his diet. Khris said that cheating is the wrong way to think about it.

I was happy to hear that. Ever since I started changing my eating habits in March, I haven't once thought that I was "bad" or "cheating" if I didn't follow my exact diet or if I didn't lose weight in a particular week. I went a few times where 4 weeks went by without losing a pound, but I just kept going and doing what I was doing.

Last weekend when I ate those fries and chips with my dinner, I didn't once think I was cheating or that I ruined anything. I just thought, I'm eating some fries with my French Dip or I'm eating some chips with my turkey sandwich. I picked out the best fries and chips on the plate and ate them.

I didn't equivocate and tell myself I deserved it after all the weight I've lost. I didn't feel guilty and I didn't feel entitled. I just made a choice. I didn't make a deal with myself to do better tomorrow or start over next week or work them off on the bike. I just did it and that was that.

I think you get in trouble when you start attaching too much emotion to your eating in good ways or bad ways. It's too dramatic to think of it as being good or bad. It's just eating. It doesn't make you a good person or a bad person. You don't deserve a drink or a dessert. And you aren't depriving yourself of anything if you make choices not to have things. You're choosing not to have them because you like the way your body feels and performs when you don't eat them.

Khris also said something else that I liked. He said that the host should think that he ate steak because he "wanted" it. I like that idea. It's less dramatic than all those excuses like...I worked hard today or I had a bad day at work or heck with my diet, it's my Birthday, I'm going crazy. You don't have to be so all or nothing. You can just have something because you want it and still not say, well as long as I'm eating bad, I might as well eat really bad and order dessert and eat everything in sight.

I did that on my birthday and on Thanksgiving. I wanted chicken marsala from Armand's on my birthday and I ordered it. I ordered it and I ate it. It was delicious. I didn't order dessert. I didn't really need it or want it, but I wanted that chicken marsala!

On Thanksgiving I wanted the turkey and dressing and mashed potatoes and gravy. I didn't eat the rolls because even though they are good, I didn't need the bread and butter and I didn't really want them all that much. But I wanted the dressing and mashed potatoes and turkey. I also ate green beans and I ate slowly and enjoyed everything.

Then the next day, I went back to my workout and my normal eating.

Change your mindset. I'm ready for the next big burst of big change. I was happy with where I am and I still am, but I'm getting restless now with where I am. I want more change. I'm ready for more. I've settled into this weight. I appreciate how far I've come. But now I really see, I have a long way to go. I hope my body allows it. My mind is ready. I'm over Christmas. Bring on 2018.