Old Habits Die Hard (Day 32)

11/23/2009
Day 32 of 182

I am about 1/6th of my way toward my goal date, which is in early April around the same time as my wedding anniversary as well as the wedding of two dear friends of ours and I was damned if I was going to go to one more friends wedding and have their eternal photographic memories depicting a fat and unhealthy me. It wasn't really the wedding that encouraged me but the thought of one more set of photographs that I couldn't stand to look at was unbearable. I want to feel proud of how I look, instead of cringing while looking at my image in a photograph or a mirror.

I started thinking about habits the other day and how hard it is to change them, especially the bad ones. In hindsight, I realize now how unhealthy a lot of my old habits were, especially when it came to working late nights and getting up late in the morning. Now this is not something that I am proud of, but the old me used to drive through the 24 hour McDonald's drive through on my way home four out of five nights that I worked. You know it is bad when the drive through attendant knows what you are going to order before you say it. (In a rut much?) I would always get a 10 piece chicken nugget and occasionally a double cheese burger. Talk about terrible! I was always so hungry when I got home because I had worked a long shift without eating properly. So, I decided to list a few habits that I have had to change.

Soda: The old me drank soda (usually caffeinated) all night long. I thought the sugar kept my energy up along with the caffeine. The new me does not drink soda. I allow myself on serving of Gatorade a day then drink water for the rest of the day.

Fast food: The old me ate it regularly, as you have read above. I rationalized it by thinking about how hard I had worked that day and a myriad of other reasons. The new me has had fast food once since I began this journey, with the exception of Subway. I have basically eliminated fried food from my diet and rarely have the desire to eat it.

Caffeine: I like a good cup of of coffee or espresso as much as the next person, and I still have it occasionally. The old me needed it in the morning and throughout the day just to get through. Hell, I wouldn't have made it through college without it. Now, I have maybe a cup a day, but more like one every other day. I don't use sweetener and I rarely use milk. I certainly don't drink it in the afternoon or evening.

Giving up these things was hard, absolutely. The first few weeks were tough and I craved sugar. I had to resist the impulse to go to the convenience store and buy candy or ice cream. I hardly think about it now and I am surrounded by temptations every moment of my working day from desserts and sodas to fried and cheese smothered food. I think about the caloric value in everything that I consume in terms of how hard I will have to work to burn it off.

Old habits die hard, but they do die.

Activity:
1.5 miles
1 hour strength training
Biceps
Triceps
Shoulders
Pectorals
Back
Forearms

Meals
Cheerios with milk (1/2 cup with 1/4 cup)
8 oz Gatorade
8 oz Odwalla protein drink
Subway veggie sandwich (6 in)
Baked Lays
Odwalla protein bar
Salad with 4 oz poached salmon (dressing on side)
Hard Boiled Egg
Nonfat yogurt with Grapenuts