Monday, January 31, 2011

The Lazy Planner

I'm too old to not know my own habits!  I know I need to change, yet I continue to think I'm going to wake up and suddenly be struck with this amazing motivation to eat right, go to the gym, and have this unbelievable stamina to just run like a gazelle and  swim like a dolphin.  I know.. I live in a fantasy world!



I've always been jealous of those people who remember every birthday and send cards.  I mean to, sometimes I buy cards but they just sit on the table, oh how horrible I feel when that happens.  I'm thankful for facebook for that alone;  just the ability to say "Happy Birthday."   I know the card is nice, but at least I'm not a COMPLETE jerk anymore! 

I always say, and this isn't a cliche, I really always say this.. I'm successful because I'm lazy!  I don't want to do something over and over again so I find ways to make things easier!   I'm a geek, I design processes and code at work to make things easier, because I DON'T WANT TO DO THEM!   I eliminate steps, I  live for the simplicity, especially when it comes to planning my food.  I believe this is my downfall.   

I've tried every diet out there over the years.  The stupid to the expensive and not scalable and everything in between.  None of which have worked for me simply because I'm a lazy planner.  Slimfast, Jenny Craig, Atkins, Weight Watchers, etc.  I know that I need to plan my diet, not only for the simple math  to lose weight and gain muscle, but I also need to account for how I am going to fuel my Ironman dreams here or risk injury.

I know what I need to do, but life is going by so fast, and its so easy to just pick up a bagel or just buy an oatmeal for breakfast.  I'm using my new smoothie maker but I don't always have the fresh fruit!  I feel like I'm having an argument with myself "I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW.. "

The last few months have throw my whole planning cycle off in general but I'm ready to get back in the game!  I find that preparing my food ahead of time also helps.  I have to prepare my breakfast, but I know I can't change my laziness habits! For example, I make quiche using a 9x13 pan, egg beaters and I cut it and eat it like a donut in the car on the way to work.  I know it would take 3 minutes to eat it at the table but for some reason I won't.  Some things won't change so I won't try .... I guess it's up to me to figure out what I can change, and it's up to me to figure out what personality traits I need to work around.

The funny thing is I'm very, VERY anal! Im a Type A to the CORE!  -Just ask my husband, or anyone who has ever lived with me!   I LIKE to plan, I like things planned out! I just can't seem to get it straight on my food!   Maybe admitting this will keep me honest.

Now to go MAKE the quiche for the week so I stop buying the bagels!



**I'll post the Quiche recipe in the Facebook page**

ADDED 2/1- I thought I'd add Coach Alexis comment directly to the blog post because its most excellent.. see the comments for more details.

The smartest thing to do is take it one step at at a time. (Not sure if you read my newsletter yet.)

Meal prep is great...eating in the car so-so, but if it's a healthier meal, fine. Don't worry about having fresh fruits, buy frozen for a few reasons:
1. You'll always have some available
2. You'll still get the vitamins you need
3. They won't go bad
4. You don't have to thaw them out, just pop them in your blender

5 comments:

  1. What are the odds that we both posted about laziness today?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Laura,

    The smartest thing to do is take it one step at at a time. (Not sure if you read my newsletter yet.)

    Meal prep is great...eating in the car so-so, but if it's a healthier meal, fine. Don't worry about having fresh fruits, buy frozen for a few reasons:
    1. You'll always have some available
    2. You'll still get the vitamins you need
    3. They won't go bad
    4. You don't have to thaw them out, just pop them in your blender

    I know we need to be building a base right now, but focus on your PT and weight loss now. PT is going to make you stronger and by losing the weight now, you'll automatically be a little faster in the spring and it will be one less thing to worry about once we get outdoors.

    I'm not just preaching here. I've been logging my food intake for three weeks now. Yes, I have made a few poor choices, but overall I have more energy (especially at night) and it's helping to stay focused. Keep up the good work, I want you there with me training and racing! BTW, I want that recipe too. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Habits That Make You
    What are your habits?

    Do you eat the same thing for lunch, go through the same exercise routine, and fall into bed at the same time each night?

    Or maybe you've made a habit out of eating whatever looks good, avoiding the gym, and staying up as late as possible.

    John Dryden famously said, "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us."

    And Aristotle noticed that, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

    It's pretty clear that the habits you adopt will shape who you are.

    When it comes to your body, the two habits that define your physique are your eating and exercise habits. In fact, everyone that you know who is in great shape has dialed in these two important habits.

    If you aren't happy with your body, then simply adjust your eating and exercise habits. Here's how to adopt a habit:

    Making a Habit
    Use these seven steps to create a life-improving habit.

    1) Decide on the ONE habit that you would like to develop. It's tempting to pick up 3 or 4 healthy habits, but choosing just one new habit is realistic and doable.

    Here are some healthy habit ideas:

    Do not eat after 7pm each night.
    Bring your lunch to work instead of eating fast food.
    Exercise 4 times a week after work for 45 minutes each time.
    Only eat fruits and veggies as your afternoon snack.
    Get up early and exercise for an hour each morning.
    Work with a personal trainer 3 times a week.
    2) Write your new habit down on paper. Also include your 3 main motivators for developing this new habit, the obstacles you'll face, and your strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

    Here's an example:

    My new habit is to work with a personal trainer 3 times each week.
    My 3 main motivators are 1) to feel confident in my bathing suit this summer, 2) to have more energy, and 3) to fit into my skinny jeans.
    The obstacles I will face are 1) not having the energy to go to my session after work, 2) not having enough money to pay for sessions, and 3) not having my spouse's support.
    I will overcome these obstacles by 1) doing my workouts before work instead of after work, so I have more energy, 2) cutting down on frivolous spending to ensure that I can afford it, and 3) asking my spouse to join me so we can get in shape together.
    3) Commit fully to your new habit, in a public way. This could mean posting it on facebook, or simply announcing it at the dinner table. Put yourself in a position where you'll be embarrassed to give up on your new habit.

    4) Keep track of your progress. You could keep a detailed journal or simply make a check mark on each calendar day that you successfully exercise your new habit.

    5) Keep yourself publically accountable. This means either status updates on facebook or verbal status updates at the dinner table. Your friends and family are in a position to offer you support, so don't shy away from those close to you.

    6) When you fail, figure out what went wrong so that you can plan around it in the future.

    7) Reward yourself for your success.

    Once your new habit becomes second nature, usually in about 30 days, feel free to add a second habit by going through the same 7 steps.

    I'd love for my fitness program to become your new healthy habit! Call or email now to reserve your spot.

    Laser Focus
    Focusing on one goal at a time is the most powerful way to achieve it. Taking on more than one goal at a time spreads your time and energy out, making it impossible to accomplish anything. If you have more than one goal on your mind, write them all down and then go after them one and a time until they are all completed.


    Help out your friends, family and co-works by giving them a complimentary issue of my bimonthly fitness newsletter. Just use the "refer a friend" link below to forward this issue.

    Forward This Newsletter - Refer a Friend

    ReplyDelete
  4. These days everyone is lazy, but it’s not a sign of unsuccessful. Lazy person is successful. The recipe looks yummy. Thank you for sharing delicious recipe

    ReplyDelete
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