I needed to visit the supermarket after work for canned dog food and dog treats. I walked out with canned dog food, dog treats, toilet paper, coconut water, fresh pineapple, yogurt, baby carrots, kale-carrot-spinach chips and a pack of chocolate M&Ms.
Yes, I was having a huge chocolate craving. It didn’t register until I got home that I bought the double serving “Sharing” pack of the M&Ms. Right. Like sharing a pack of M&Ms has ever been a serious possibility. This purchase was a clear example of craving and compulsion trumping common sense and recovery.
I came home and took out the pups for a mile plus walk. I then heated up some of my home made kale-quinoa-chorizo soup for dinner. The whole time I pondered how I was going to handle the M&Ms. I knew from MyFitnessPal that I was well under my daily calorie intake, even without factoring in the amount of calories I’d already burned today with my early morning bike ride, two dog walks and other activity. So, having a reasonable portion of M&Ms was not going to throw off my program.
Two servings? Not a good idea. Since I’d already accepted that I was going to eat some of the candies, I needed to figure out how to be smart about it and not eat the entire bag. This is not a challenge for most people but it really was something that required strategy on my part for portion control. I opened up my cabinet and took out one of my small ramekins. I then carefully measured out a serving of M&Ms. I took them over to my chair and proceeded to eat them one by one and, on some, half of one by half of one. I’ve never eaten M&Ms so mindfully. Previously one by one meant a handful at a time, not a single candy. I did it and was completely satisfied. I also twisted the bag shut and stuffed the remaining portion in my fridge. As I write this, three and a half hours have passed and I have not returned to the refrigerator to retrieve the second portion, nor will I tonight. For a compulsive eater, believe it or not, this is a victory. I prevailed.
Late last week, while browsing Amazon, I ran across a new workout production by Leslie Sansone. I’ve spoken of her Walk Away the Pounds Express in-home walking DVDs before. It sounds so simple, but whether one, two, three, or four or more miles, the combination of simple steps and brisk pace really does provide a calorie burning workout. When it’s too windy to ride the bike in the morning, the DVDs let me get in some early exercise.
This new DVD is called Walk it Off in 30 Days. I admit, the name caught my attention and as I read on, I decided I needed to check this out. That it was less than 10 bucks with free shipping sealed the deal. The program alternates two 30 minute programs. Three days a week, you do half an hour of power fitness walking. The other three days, you do a firming session of strength training using dumbbells.
I did the firming session tonight and was very happy to realize just how much my body has improved in the last year. I could keep up with the exercises and did better with things like abdominal curls than I expected. My right knee hampers me a little with lunges, but not at all with squats, so that’s good. I feel like I still got a workout in the 30 minutes. This makes me very happy. I’ve felt the need to add some sort of strength training to my fitness efforts but, honestly, I hate the idea of joining a gym. This program will fill the need for a while. Right now I’m only using three-pound dumbbells because that’s what I have in the house. I’m sure that as I continue to do this program, I’ll be able to step up to at least five pounds and continue to challenge myself.
One of the appeals of these programs to me is the 30 minute duration. Whether I do it in the morning or sometime in the evening, I can always find 30 minutes in a day! I’m even going to take the DVD with me on my holiday vacation so that I can keep up with the plan.
So, that’s how my day was today. Active, balanced, energized. What are all of you doing?
Weighty Matters 
I just started running again! I signed up for a race this summer, so I need to keep up my training or I’ll never finish. I keep meaning to drag out my kettle bells and start using them, but I haven’t.
What Cathy said. When I was doing my morning exercises (really need to restart that; maybe this afternoon and make it as easy to succeed at as possible), I did push-ups against the counter, because I didn’t have the strength to do pushups from the floor. You can position yourself at different positions against the countertop, putting more and more weight on your arms as you build strength. Also, do then in reps of 3. I got up to 3 reps of 30 each. Of course, I still put off trying them on the floor! 🙂
Eating candy (or anything) the way you ate your M&Ms seems key. Not only do you give your body time for a satiation reflex to kick in, you also give your mind time to register the treat and because enough time passes, your mind seems to think you are getting as much as if not more than the amount of satisfaction you’d get if you ate by the handful. I’ve experienced this too and it’s amazing how much satisfaction I’ve gotten out of a single truffle eating it slowly and in tiny bites; way more than a whole back or bar of chocolate!
I’m happy for you and your successes!
The new workout program includes some plank-like moves. I’m impressed that it hits all of the muscle groups in 30 minutes. The 30 minute cardio gave a good workout too!
I think the strength training will be a good thing to add variety and give you something new to keep your interest up. Have you thought of push-ups and planks for upper body and core strength? You don’t need equipment and get a lot of benefit from basic exercises.
Congratulations on reigning supreme over the M & Ms.