Off course, out of mindfulness

I've not felt well the last two days - not sick, just not well. So the idea of discipline, of mindfulness of my eating, is way less appetizing. Not enough sleep is one of the big problems. Focused on other things is another issue. How can I keep the focus going and still manage the rest of my life?

One of the skills is simply to keep reading the relevant sections of this blog, to help keep the important focus front and center.  Better, proud, kids.  Remember why I want to do it.  Plan out the day, and don't just do a "what the hell" in the evening. Plan a better strategy for the evening - what is an alternative reward? What is a good distraction?

What was I thinking when I grabbed the chocolate when I got home? I already had a high calorie dessert of cheesecake at my conference dinner. In fact, when I was planning the day's eating, I had planned to cut the dessert in half. But, instead, I ate the whole serving - I simply forgot the plan in the moment. I was talking and thinking of other things.

Then, driving home, I decided to allow a piece of chocolate. Somehow, that turned into four or five. My thoughts seemed to be, "I feel crummy. I want this to feel better."  I ate it while reading, not consciously and deliberately. Helpful thoughts would have been, "I want to feel better. In the long run, that means not eating this now."  A better practice would have been to make myself sit at the dining room table and only eat while I ate my one piece. No unconscious munching while reading on the couch.

Today, at my corporate training event we learned something about motivations and influencing people (including ourselves). It seemed to fit nicely into what I am learning by doing this. There was a video about resisting eating marshmallows, the point of which is "will" can be taught - resistance techniques were taught to four-year-olds!  Other elements include personal motivations to awaken from "moral slumber" (not moral turpitude), and creating a social norm for the desired behavior (hence the need for the diet buddy).  The bottom of the motivational hierarchy was incentives (rewards and punishments) - only after personal and social motivations do incentives come into play.

This weekend I'll plan ahead for the coming week. I'll put a lot of energy into planning a week's worth of meals in advance. I'll also make a goal of time on the NordicTrak. I should be able to accumulate a half hour over the course of the weekend.

CREDIT:  I didn't blow off everything today. I took a walk at lunch. I ate a salad for lunch. And I'm checking in with my DIY Diet Buddy.