Good attitude helps a lot

I was just reflecting a bit on how big a difference having a positive 'nothing can get me down' attitude can do for your life. When you aren't thinking that way, it's hard to believe you can 'choose' to be happy. I don't know if you can! But I know that I do.

I rode the bus today as we can get free bus passes at work in lieu of a parking pass. This gives me $0 commute costs, which is a great deal. The weather was awful today so the bus was very crowded. One person sitting near me was having a very loud, very inappropriate phone conversation. Here is an excerpt: "You remember that deal we made? To not do anyone else and only ourselves? I've been sticking to it! Only doing myself, rarely. Yes! I enjoy it!" etc, etc, etc. For the entire 40 minute bus ride.

Now I was bemused. I'd rather not be listening to him but whatever. The other person sitting next to him however was very angry and basically told him no one wants to listen to his loud phone conversation and he was going to shove that phone up his &$$. I get that point of view too, but the point is I started my day happy and he started his day angry. While it might have been fun to tell someone off like that, I can not see any good coming out of it for my day. At best I'm just angry, at worst it escalates and I get shot or something.

Stay happy people, it's just easier.

My food tracking blog is up, you should see the link at the top!

Sore muscles and size 40

So I got measured just to see how bad things had become and I'm actually a size 40! That is awful.

On the plus side, I had a full blown back at Judo session and I'm feeling it in a good way today, sore muscles all over the place. Makes me excited to be back training. That will help a lot.

I don't have much fun to say, except I'm starting my new habit (logging all food) on Monday.

Unacceptable tightness

So, prior to Thanksgiving of 2012, I had gotten down to easily fit in size 36 waist pants, sometimes even loosely. I was 212-216lbs consistently. I balooned up to 228lbs over the holidays, and have been eating a lot better yet my weight is not dropping. My size 36 pants are now uncomfortably tight and I wear size 38 at work which are still too tight. Not sure why the weight isn't coming off yet other than I still must be eating too much crap.

As you all know I don't want to dive into stuff too fast an unsustainably, and I had been kicking around adding only one new habit next week so I can spend another week getting my previous changes more solid. Since diet is >75% of fat loss, I'm going to try something new. My new habit will be to log (here) all the food I eat. Hopefully just the act of forcing myself to write it down will help me make better choices. I'm not yet saying that I can't eat certain things, and detailed (read: to the gram) food logging is not sustainable for me long term, so it'll be loose "some broccoli". Sometimes, if I eat out I might not know and the loose log will reflect that. Maybe I'll throw on some pictures! That's my new habit starting Monday. Log all my food for 2013 starting 1/7.

Other (fitness) habits in progress are: * I don't drink caloric drinks * I take the stairs at work whenever possible * I take the bus to work whenever possible (leading to more walking)

(some of this post were lost apparently, there was more I think...I'm still new at this :P )

Carbs

I've been through so many diet attempts that I've lost count. It's over 20. I do great for up to 45 days, lose weight, get stronger (sometimes) and then crash and burn. What I've learned is I can't sustain all or nothing approaches which is why I'm now doing this slow habit roll out.

I did want to talk about my experiences with carbs. I have lost weight working out with a personal trainer in the past on a very normal diet with about equal parts carbs and protein, and about 20% fat. No focus on food quality was really made. It worked but I didn't feel good. I've also experimented with Paleo / Primal Blueprint type diets. Unfortunately I've also taken those to a low carb extreme (they aren't low carb diets) and I feel like superman on low carbs, until I try to do something endurance focused or power focused like Judo. Then I bonk hard on just fat as fuel. The weight loss comes quick and easily with little hunger though. It's pointless if I can't perform athletically.

So, obviously, where I'm headed in the future with my new habits is to take the best of both. Deeply nutritious carbs at a high enough level to support my activity while keeping to paleo principles of no processed, nutrient deficient foods. Practically this will mean ramping up the veggies, and maybe throwing in a sweet potato or two on heavy training days so that I have fuel.

What I don't know with this approach is if I can lose weight easily and without hunger. I'll have to find out! But as with my theme of abandoning all or nothing, I'm going to ease into it. I had some caloric drinks today without thinking but habits take time to build. Overall I've dramatically reduced my consumption. Why this is is I stayed up last night too late, skipped breakfast, then was Ina negative pattern. Breaking out of my habits/routines leaves willpower in the mix which is a bad plan. Much yet to learn, have I.