Day 77 : Fighting the Habit

01/31/2016
steps 4022
water 4
weight 195

Today, like many days, I lost the battle with habit, or appetite, craving or addiction. I'm not really sure where you would draw the line.
After installing a friends hot water heater, good for some much needed exercise, he took me out to lunch as payment. (Mexican)

Right off the bat, I was shoveling in the chips and salsa they give you as an appetizer, only slowing down when my tongue started to burn. When my burrito came out, it was obvious I had enough for 2 meals, but I managed to get it down in 1, even after my buddy mentioned taking it home is leftovers.

Was it an addictive craving for food, or just an extension of the old habit of “cleaning your plate”, another well-meaning but incorrect habit hammered into my brain in childhood.
“After all, there are kids starving in ( name that country), that would love this food.”

Whether habit or addiction, it's going to take a lot more willpower to work my way through.

Remember!
1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 76 : Saturday

01/30/2016
steps 6511
water 6
weight 196

It's not a good idea to watch every pound on the scale. It's quite easy, and normal to go up and down a couple pounds in a day, and taking it too seriously, as some folks do, will only add stress.
Look at weekly averages and push for 5 pound stages.

I've been stable between 194 and 197 for weeks now, so the next step is to look for a small change in eating or exercise that will move that to the next level, a permanent drop to around 190.

This might mean clearing the old cloths off the exercise machine. Yes, steppers, treadmills and stationary bikes have traditionally made overpriced coat racks.

There are 2 things that got us where we are right now.
Too much food, and too little movement.
You don't like exercise, but you do like food, so the choice is obvious. At this stage, cutting back on your food intake is less work than exercise, and since we like eating, the plan is now to watch calories.

If 1 item is half the calories of something you eat now, then if you switch, you could still eat as much as before, but would still lose weight.
So the trick now is to start making those little changes, even a few calories here and there over time will show up on the scale.
Remember!
1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 75 : Friday

01/29/2016
steps 8307
water 4
weight 197

Well, today was a bit of a letdown, 4 days on the road left me dragged out, feeling bloated and just wanting to sleep.
I first morning home and my first shot at a real scale in a week. It's up to 197 and edging toward 198, bummer.
Probably doing some real walking though, getting back to normal. I next stage for steps is 6,000 a day, and 10,000 at least once a week. Not an easy task when you spend your days drawing, writing, computing, and other pleasures that mostly keep you sitting on your ass!

Winter doesn't help much either. Winter is watching from the comfort of a cushy chair, with a hot cup of coffee. Snow is cold and foreboding and ice is something you shuffle across slowly, ever fearful of a fall that could mean a broken hip or worse.

Remember when you were a kid snow is something you dove into. It was like playing in the dirt, except you didn't get dirty. Ice was for sliding anyway you could, on your feet, your butt or your belly. If you could find a hill, that was heaven, even if it was just a snow-covered street.
If it went down hill so did you, as fast and as far as possible, and you didn't go home until you looked like a snowman, with mittens encrusted with ice and your boots packed with snow.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 74 : Thursday

01/28/2016
steps 4612
water 4
weight

Have really let everything slip on this trip. Sitting in the truck for a few days, it's easy to ignore things. The stare out the window and go. But the truth is, life is not as much fun as it once was, and even climbing down in stiffly trudging into the gas station is painful and slow.
Any of what's left, or even be here for it, I have to crack down on the Diet 1. Old habits have to change, and maintenance is no longer an option.
It is a necessity.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 73 : Wednesday

01/27/2016
steps 2673
water 4
weight

Well, after sitting in a repair shop all morning, we got back on the road about noon.
I could've gotten some extra walking in while we were there, but I left my coat in the truck and that was up on the lift. So I just sat there in the waiting room, trying to get some writing done and being pretty bored. Of course I was reminded just how worthless TV was, as like most businesses now it had a lrage flat screen stuck on some sports channel. It still amazes me how many people have their TVs on 24/7. Self-imposed brainwashing.

Nothing but hate, back stabbing and violence, and the news wasn't much better. Plus every other commercial is for some sort of prescription drug. They want people living on a list of pills that not only suck their wallet dry, but have amazingly scary side effects, which of course they post in fine print as the commercial fades to the next unneeded product.
I'm surprised nobody's selling a prescription drug to compensate for the stress of watching TV.

Like most things in life it is always your own choice to participate or not. I'm just glad I got TV out of my system years ago, when it was still friendly, shut down after midnight, and only had 3 channels.

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 72 : Tuesday

01/26/2016
steps 898
water 4
weight

We loaded up 20 collectible racing bikes in Clearwater, Florida, and were out of town just ahead of rush hour. Today was the lowest step count since I started Diet 1. You just don't get much exercise sitting behind the wheel. It rained through most of Georgia and we broke down, just north of Atlanta. I did get a little bit of walking done around the motel, in the rain.

While driving I did come up with another “slow down” trick for eating snacks, the 2 finger rule. It's very simple, just use 2 fingers when eating snacks like popcorn, peanuts and other food you are used to eating by the handful. Yeah, I know, it sounds stupid and of course it's not some high powered diet- hype, but think about it.
You sit there with that bowl of popcorn and it's bad enough that it's soaked in butter and salt and whatever else you add to it, but then you grab as much with one hand as you can get, usually dropping some in your lap. In no time you're out of popcorn and looking for a refill.

Now try slowing down a bit, pick 1 or 2 kernels at a time, munch on them a little bit slower, maybe even thinking about how it tastes tastes, and the next thing you know, the show is over and you're not really hungry for more. You may even quit before the bowl is empty.

So yes, Diet 1 doesn't sound trendy, and it's slow, and boring. But were doing this for a whole year. But when that year is over, you might notice that you can actually see your feet without bending forward, and you just might smile. But what you won't notice is that you are on a diet. All those simple little things you've been doing for the last 12 months, are now habit. You don't get up in the morning thinking “another day on Diet 1, it's just things you do now as you enjoy your day..

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH



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Day 71 : Monday

01/25/2016
steps 1667
water 4
weight

On the road, nonstop to Florida to look at some old racing bikes. I'm not getting a lot of exercise, mostly it's what little bit of extra walking I can get in at gas stops.

Driving 16 hours, the big challenge is to keep the snacking down. For me it's not just appetite, but the act of chewing on something crunchy also keeps me awake. It just gives my brain something to do besides staring out the windshield.

I know everyone says to just dice up some veggies, but it's not something I care to chew on for a whole day. In time, I'll slowly warm up to them, but to me, they just seem cold and wet.

So for this trip, it's mostly popcorn. It would be nice to bring a big bag of homemade, but it usually comes down to what's at whatever gas stop we hit. That means it's usually covered with crap like cheddar cheese and whatever kind of spices they can add to the popcorn to make it sell.

Or you can try a hot dog that's been rolling on a hot server for half a day. If you are one of those folks who think hot dogs are the worst food on the planet, look again. At travel stops all over the US, you will find mutated wieners like “cheeseburger and Taco dogs”. These are not toppings or wraps, these are in the hot dog.
This could really slow your eating down to a crawl..

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 70 : Sunday

01/24/2016
steps 3429
water 4
weight

Cold, but no new snow down here in Springfield.

Gluten Free
I've heard a lot from friends in the last few years about Gluten-Free eating, mostly in regards to joint pain and Celiac disease. So I'm starting to take a look at it.

As always it's in response to aging and the natural down hill physical spiral it brings. Just like cars, when it's new, you just put in gas and go. When it starts getting old and warn, you start looking at any “additives” or “fixes” that might forestall the inevitable.

The problem of course is that for us there is no trade in option. We can replace a few parts, and take better care of the car, but that don't stop the process. And you never know, any little change for the better is always welcome. Even if it's just being able to move a bit easier.

So I'm looking at Gluten-free, and seeing what it will entail. What needs to change and how much. Can I live with out wheat products and every thing they are in? Is it worth the hassle for me? Are there enough products to make the transition reasonable?

Well, for now I'll just be looking and reading. Checking the facts, and fantasies. And just maybe work it into a 7day challenge, or maybe just a slow shift away from some food products.

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!
KRASH


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Day 69 : Sarurday

01/23/2016
steps 6281
water 6

weight 

Down at my other house doing some maintenance, and sending my last Geo Metro off with a collector from Pennsylvania. Now it's just my new Mirage and my old End of the Road van. It's been parked since 2011, but I'm just to sentimental to let it go. It's old and tired, and like me limps a bit, but it still runs fine.

I don't have my bathroom scale down here, so that is off my list till I get back. In a way it works better without one. Not being able to check every morning, I worry about gaining more weight, so I watch what I eat more.
1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 68 : Friday

01/22/2016
steps 5754
water 6

weight 195

Just trying to keep focused. These are the hard times with many more to come no new information or diet tips. No long passages on the wonders of this or that, just counting steps, watching the scale, and trying to follow the rules set down at the beginning. Eating slower, and smaller, work at being more active and slowly backing away from food and eating habits that made my body can no longer tolerate. And as always

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
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Day 67 : Hangin in There

01/21/2016
steps 5058
water 6
weight 195

Speaking of Going Out, I joined Gina and her brother yesterday, in celebrating her mother's 94th birthday.
Yes, I said 94!
She is still very independent and very active, and among other things, she put 5000 miles on her new car last year.
Her birthday wish? A resolution actually, was not to waste any more time thinking about Going Out.
Attitude and genes, an interactive combination.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 66 : Wednesday

01/20/2016
steps 6961
water 4
weight 196

Well, my weight is starting to slip back down to pre-marathon levels, and I managed to get a walk into the post office today.

So far it's looking like dairy products will have to leave my diet, just when I was starting to add them. Milk never was big on my list anyway.
For me it's always been the cheese. I could easily sit down with a block of baby Swiss and nibble away while watching TV.

I remember back in 71, at a market in Augsburg, Germany, seeing a real wheel of cheese for the first time. Several of us joked about taking it back to the room, just for snacks.
Lucky for us we were broke, and also it weighed about 200 pounds.

Yes, among many other changes in 2016, my love affair with cheese will have to come to an end, or at least be toned down a bit.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 65 : Going Out

01/19/2016
steps 3702
water 4
weight 197

Yes, Going Out, a phrase rolling around in my head as I woke up this morning.

Like everyone else of my generation, I'm on my way out. It's a thought that may bum a few folks out, but it's a fact of life you can't hide from. 
Some lucky people I know may take another 25 or 30 years getting to that door, while others have already left, quietly closing it behind them.

That door, no matter how it appears to you, is why I started my Diet 1.
Why I'm writing this blog every day, and maybe why you are reading it.

My Diet 1 is not the whim of a 20 year old hoping to look better on the beach this summer, and it's not a mid life correction to hang onto ones youth.

Diet 1 for me, and maybe you, is part of a personal battle that starts somewhere around 50, to push that door toward the distant horizon and slow the speed at which you are traveling to it.
Diet 1, exercise, vitamins, veggies and fruit, low cal or no cal, pills, prayers, or procrastination, after 60 they are no longer fads, fetishes, beliefs or bull shit.
They are survival !


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 64 : Diet 1 and Snow

01/18/2016
steps 4105
water 6
weight 197

Getting back on track...and only a 2 pound gain after the marathon food fest.
Now it's back to Diet 1...
Not walking a lot, but getting a real work out shoveling snow.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 63 : Recovery

01/17/2016
steps 1608
water ?
weight ?

Sunday morning and the last movie ended at 3 a.m. By 3:30 I was crawling into bed at a friends house, and by 9:30 I was up again.
Yes even after being up nearly 48 hours, I still only sleep 6 hours.

Then I helped Tim break down and move a kiln, and I was finally home around 1 p.m. to recuperate.
I had a bowl of Gina's homemade chili then upstairs for an afternoon nap.
Back up for dinner around 5, and finally starting to unwind.
Now it's time to get back to Diet 1!


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 62 : Movies and Food

01/16/2016
steps 4326
water ?
weight ?

I've been up since 4:30 a.m. Friday.
Today I did manage a walk to Subway just to get some steps in and some fresh air, but mostly spent the day sitting and watching movies.
12 movies in all, from The Blob 1958, to The Martian 2015

Food wise, I managed to wipe out a box of fiber cereal, 2 hot dogs, 4 slices of pizza, 1 bagel, a coke, a Subway sandwich and a small popcorn.
That's all I can remember eating LOL


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 61 : Marathon Friday

01/15/2016
steps 9537
water 4
weight 195

I managed a quick walk with Gina this morning, then it was back to printing shirts for the marathons. I finished around noon, then spent the next 3 or 4 hours getting set up for the trip to Cleveland.
At 4 p.m. it was time to head to the movies, with a couple stops along the way. I got to the theater about 6pm, handed out shirts to a few friends, and the rest to the staff to sell, then settled in for 36 hours of sci-fi movies. I probably won't get too many steps in the next couple days.

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 60 : Move

01/14/2016
steps 3056
water 4
weight 195

Move day, my bimonthly meeting at the VA clinic to check weight and see how the rest of the gang is doing. At the last meeting, Christmas Eve, there was only 2 of us, guess everybody else was gearing up for the holiday.

This is always a bit of a shock, as the scales at the VA are more accurate, and I'm also being weighed with close on. So instead of the195 on my home scale, I show 207 on the VA scale. Maybe I should start weighing myself that home while dressed just keep it closer.

BTW, nearly all my steps in the next couple days are from running around the house printing shirts for the marathons.
Also this post and the next 3, I'm doing on the 18th. I just didn't have time with the marathon project.

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 59 : Constipation

01/13/2016
steps 3056
water 4
weight 195

An unwelcome surprise you might get when changing your diet.

In my case I'm suspecting it's the banana smoothies I've enjoyed for the last couple of weeks. Mostly because of the milk. Dairy products are on the list of culprits, but like most folks I always thought of it as just cheese. Since I normally don't drink very much milk, the smoothies would fall under the major dietary change list.

Also, with all the holiday events, I've probably tripled my usual intake of cheese, all those trays of tasty cheese cubes.

Now we've got to try and figure it out and compensate.
More liquids, water and more fiber, fruit n veggies. I'm also switching to 2 percent milk in the smoothies. Can't quite bring myself to use water, but if I move to skim milk, I'll be as close as you can get.
Exercise
That's a tougher 1 as the snow piles up and I spend my days in front of the computer. Might take Liz's offer of a free treadmill, but whatever I do, I've got to get off my ass!


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 58 : Busy

01/12/2016
steps 6898
water 4
weight 196

Yeah, I'm busy, and falling behind on the Diet 1 posts.

I'm still getting my steps in and working on my eating habits, but I'm down the wire on the Sci-Fi marathon shirts, plus I'm a watching friends building while he's on vacation. For the last week, that means trying to keep the furnace working.

I did finish the design for the shirts today, and I just have to print the transfers, get them on the shirts, and be at the theater by 6 p.m. Friday.

Luckily Big Tim volunteered the basic design Saturday, and all I had to do is add finishing touches, color and lettering.

Next year I plan to convert my printer to a DTG machine, that means printing right on the shirts. Commercial machines are still in the thousands of dollars, but I can convert my printer for about 50 bucks. Besides the time saved, I'll also save the cost of the transfers, about a $1.50 each.

Anyway, still working on the Diet 1 and looking at that 170 pound mark, somewhere on the horizon.


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 57 : Winter's Back

01/11/2016
steps 6856
water 4
weight 196

I'm still hovering around that 195 plateau, kicking a pound over the edge at 194, then stepping back to 196 or 7.
The cold weather doesn't help. Gina and I got a nice walk in light rain yesterday morning, just before winter blew it again, but now it's snowing and 10 degrees outside and I just want to sit by a fire and be cozy.

This is the time of year when discipline at the grocery store is also most important. Stuck inside, you'll have a much stronger urge to snack, and lot more time to do it, so those extra few minutes dodging the potato chip isle at the store will save your ass.
If it's not in the house, you can't eat it, and in this weather, you'll be less tempted to run out and get it.

The toughest part in this weather is staying active. Curled up on the couch with a good book has never been a big priority with exercise programs, and being self-employed most of my life, though great, usually means I have the final say about what I do, so spending cold winter days in the studio, or at a cozy diner has been an occupational hazard, and kept my exercise to a minimum.

This was fine when I was 20, but now it's a major drawback, making it harder every year to keep the pounds off.

So whether I like it or not, it's time to bundle up and head downtown for coffee, just to get some walking in for the day.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 56 : Friends n Food

01/10/2016
steps 8914
water 4
weight 195

Friends are another item you will have to consider as your Diet 1 plan moves along.
Like any change in lifestyle, the people you spend your time with, will not only effect your plan, but be affected by.

A classic example was in the 70's when folks finally started to drop smoking. First, they dealt with jabs from other smokers, then they began noticing the smell of smoke was getting annoying, just as many foods were beginning to taste better, and finally found themselves spending less time with friends that smoked, and more time with those that didn't.

As the 2 sides polarized in the 90's, many friendships and even businesses went by the wayside. Now 40 years later, smokers tend to be the odd man out.

The point of course is that a lot of what you do is with and around other people, and when making changes in your life style, that bigger picture has to be considered.

You may find yourself spending less time around folks who eat a lot, and more time around those that don't. You may find yourself picking up new friends in diet groups, at the gym, or on your daily walk through the park for exercise.

Some of your friends will encourager your diet, and some may even join in, while others may become defensive or hostile.
These are all things you have to deal with when making any major change in your lifestyle.

Remember
In a long life, you will go through many changes, and meet many people, and you should always endeavor to enjoy the trip!


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 55 : Haunted by 1

01/09/2016
steps 2985
water 6
weight 197

When you start a diet blog, you have to watch who you eat with!

This morning I got together for breakfast with some old friends, several of whom have been following my Diet 1 blog.

When the waitress asked for my order, I started with,
“2 eggs over easy”.

“1 egg”, Tim chimed in before I could finish.

“And a couple sausage links” I started to add.

“1 sausage” he said, laughing a bit louder.

After all the laughter died down, I said “no thanks” to home fries and toast, and then had to repeat “no” several more times as a waitress, in an effort to make sure I didn't starve to death, ran down a long list of every condiment and side dish they had for breakfast, from marmalade to pancakes.

As the chuckles and jabs moved around the table, I endeavored to live down the shame of not sticking strictly to my 1 rule, but as I keep pointing out in this diet blog, we are working with habits.
“2 eggs over easy” is a phrase I've repeated to countless waitresses over the past 50 years or so. It really didn't have as much to do with food, as the habit of a repeated phrase.

Also in the mix was the secondary thought cost. Several years ago, in an aborted stab at my Diet 1, I ordered 1 egg, 1 sausage, and 1 piece of toast.
I and the rest of my party were shocked when the check came, and my plate of 1's cost more than double everyone else's double amount of food. This is because normally things like 2 eggs, home fries and toast are the daily special, but my list of single items were “Ala Cart”, like ordering that 1 extra item at a meal.

More about friends and food tomorrow.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 54 : Slipping

01/08/2016
steps 7749
water 6
weight 196

I'm not sticking to my own rules, I've been slipping! 
It's been nice and sunny the last couple days and I've gotten my steps in, and kept up on exchanging water for other less healthy drinks, but I'm still slipping on evening snacking.

The Marathon procrastination is still pulling me back to the couch, but I'm slowly fighting back.
My mornings are seeing less trips to Micky D's, replaced with a fruit smoothie of banana, milk, Flax seed and silly-um husk fiber. You can figure that one out :o)
I like the bananas n milk, the rest is for health.

I also have been slowly cutting back on other junk food. I haven't stopped eating it, and may never, but I consciously cut back on the amount. Yesterday was a good example, as Gina surprised me with a bucket of fried chicken, 1 of my favorites, a reward for working on her car.

In the past I would have simply emptied it in 1 sitting, probably in front of the TV set.
After 3 pieces, I put the bucket in the fridge and only had 1 more last night. That's a pretty big behavioral change for me, and 1 that has steadily taken hold as my Diet 1 project progresses.
I am slowly setting up permanent metal rules, that over time will not only bring my weight down to a healthy level, but keep it down.

So I'm slipping a little bit, but I'm paying attention to it and making corrections.

Remember
If you slip on the ice, you can just lay there, flat on your back, staring up at the world, or you can get back up and keep moving forward.


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
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Day 53 : Deadlines

For last few days I've been battling another old established habit, deadline procrastination.

I've always tended to leave things to the last minute, as this post is a good example, being written the day after its due. I also tend to be more creative, and work better as a large deadline comes down to the wire, but I often blow off the less important ones, deciding at the last minute that they are just not worth the effort.

Right now I've got 100 or so shirts to design and print for the 41st annual CWRU Sci-Fi Movie Marathon on the 15th. That's a week away, and I haven't even started the artwork yet!
I can't blow off this deadline, as I've been doing T-shirt designs for this show since the 70's. Many of the attendees this year were not even born when I started this project.

Someday I'll have to write an article on procrastination, but what it means right now is that I putts around the house wasting time, as I slowly try to get “in the mood” to do the marathon design. This usually means sitting in front of the TV watching old sci-fi movies, stuffing my face with whatever I can find in the kitchen.

Of course, this is colliding head-on with my Diet 1 project, and I have to start cracking down if I don't want to see that scale climb back up to 200.

Today's post is just 1 step in the battle to halt and reverse the procrastination pig out. Another reminder that there is a deadline more important than the marathons.
Another reminder that when I walk into that movie theater in 2017, a year from now, I will not be the same person that's writing this blog today. I will be slimmer, healthier, and will look back on a year of improved habits, and looking forward to an even more productive future!


1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
PlaceMarkBooks.com
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Day 52 : Don't Get Cocky

01/06/2016
steps 5739
water 6
weight 195

Or complacent! We're coming up on 2 months now, and if you have followed Diet 1 even a little, like me, you may be looking at 5 or more pounds permanently gone.
My scales been right there at 194 - 195 for a couple weeks now, and it's really nice to see it south of 200 for change. But this is just the time when you may be getting a little bored, and may start letting some of those new habits slide a bit.
Remember
90 days to nail down most new habits
That 5 or 10 pounds is nothing, just a plateau that you are sitting on. The first layer of pounds that come off fairly easily and often the same pounds, that will come back just as fast if you slip.
This is where you need to give it just a little bit more effort. A little bit more exercise, 1 less slice of toast in the morning, 1 less potato on the plate at dinner.
Keep those 1's in your head, and soon we will be over the edge of that plateau and moving down that lard mountain, to our next level of energy, fitness and maybe even some new cloths.

1 bite at a time, and 1 day at a time!


KRASH
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