Thursday, January 27, 2011

Day 16 Update! And, the 6Ps!

Only 16 Days until the Photo Shoot!


Exercise:
Bootcamp (50 minutes)
Glutes and Leg Burn (50 minutes)
Billy Blank's Boot Camp (55 minutes)

Eating:
5:35am Zone Bar*
8:38am Spinach Omelet with oranges
12:20pm Zone Bar*
3:45pm 3.5oz chicken, spinach, and Crystal's Sweet Potato Delight
8:25pm Shrimp and Tomatoes and Lettuce Salad with 1/2 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinaigrette

*A sad note on my beloved Zone Bars---I will stop eating them come tomorrow am.  They claim to be "natural nutrition bars" but are full of all sorts of fakeness. I was duped. You live and you learn.  I'm on the search for a truly natural protein/meal replacement bar that TASTES GOOD!  I'll let you know what I find! :) 

Drinking:
160oz h2o

How I feel today:
I will say that since I have been eating 5-6 small meals a day @250 calories a piece, I am NEVER starving.  Sometimes I get very hungry if I eat after my four hour limit, but I never enter the full starvation mode.  This is a good thing.

So, in yesterday's post I shared that I have been able to achieve my health and fitness goals due to my decision to remain consistent in my actions regarding eating, drinking, and exercise.  Today, I'd like to share with you what allows me to stay consistent:

PLANNING

Many of you may not know, but in high school, I was a member of the NJROTC.  A favorite mantra of one of my master chief petty officers was the 6Ps:

"Prior prudent PLANNING prevents poor performance!"

Additionally, many of us have heard several variations of this such as "Fail to plan, plan to fail." I can not understate the importance of planning when it comes to making consistent, healthy choices. It is paramount.

I am a planner.  I am always planning my next move, thinking about where I am going to be tomorrow, next week, and next year, AND how I am going to get there.  Although I spent so much time thinking and planning every other aspect of my life, before my lifestyle change I never gave much thought to planning my meals or exercise, more than the day before or, in some cases, the day of.  However, now, if I want to stay on track, I can not afford not to plan.  I can not just wake up and expect things to fall into place.  Sometimes you have a day like that, but that's rare.  Everything that happens today is a result of what you did yesterday and in most cases, what you did long before yesterday.   Why not apply this same principle to your nutritional life?

Now, I plan my eating, exercise, and drinking at least a week in advance.  I think about what I want to eat, drink, and exercise and then I ACT to make my desires happen.  Specifically, I put together meals I would like to eat, write grocery lists, and go grocery shopping so I have everything I need on hand.  Additionally, the way my gym works, although I can take up to 10 classes a week, I have to pre-register for them.  This means that I have to, again, think about what classes I want to take beforehand and sign up well enough in advance so that I register before the popular classes get full.  Again, this requires planning and advance action.  Since I am a planner, I relish in this.  And, this planning has helped me prevent "poor performance."

Another part of my planning process is thinking about and planning for (not trying to avoid) possible moments when my plans go astray--as they sometimes will.  For example, this past weekend I was out.  I brought one meal/snack to eat and thought I would be home in time enough for the next.  When the snack/meal time came, I knew then that I would not be home in time enough for the next meal.  I decided to split my meal/snack in half so that I wasn't completely empty-handed.  By the time I got home, I was hungry but I did not stop and buy anything nor did I overeat at my next meal.  So, while I had planned to be home, something prohibited me from being home BUT because I thought ahead, I was ok and not forced into "poor performance."

So, if you want to be consistent with your eating, drinking, and working out, don't leave it chance! Make plans and carry them out!  Don't use "busyness" as an excuse not to plan. In fact, the busier you are, the MORE YOU NEED TO PLAN! :)

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