Small Victories

    Here it is, about three weeks past the Holidays. I did have a few days of post-holiday letdown, which may or may not have been due to a little holiday weight gain and too much sugar. There is a cure for that though: cut back on the sugar and carbs. Simple enough. Mostly. I have felt a bit out of control over the last month or two, and was beating myself up over it. One negative effect of self flagellation is that it causes more stress, which can lead to stress eating, which leads to more self flagellation, and the cycle snowballs until it is gigantic and gaining speed as it careens down the mountain of guilt and frustration. Fortunately, I caught it before it got much larger than a dwarven snowman.
    A few weeks ago I modified my eating just a bit. Nothing drastic or dramatic, just a few tweaks to bring things back in line. I have cut back the carbs some, not all (I do love my carbs). Went back to my previous dairy restrictions, cutting back on the Greek yogurt now using it mostly for salad dressing and as a mayo substitute. I am not putting peanut butter on everything, as is my wont, but not cutting it completely. Avoiding anything that are empty calories, except for a smidge of raw sugar in my coffee and tea. On the flipside of these minor restrictions, I am letting myself eat as much fruit and veg as I want, which is a lot.
    I don't believe in extreme diet changes or restrictions. They are hard to maintain over time so it increases the possibility of failure. I have done plenty of extreme diets in my past, so have learned this the hard way. I eat clean as habit now, avoiding high fructose corn syrup like the Black Plague. I always eat plenty of fruit and veg, no meat, no fast food, no processed foods. This has been my standard for years now. Which does make it frustrating that still have to watch my weight. But, that is a fact of getting older. Our metabolism changes, we have to eat a little less and exercise a little more. This is just the way of it if we want to maintain our health as we age. Of course, I do refuse to act my age and still have the mentality of a 12 year old boy.
    With the few tweaks I've made I feel like I have taken back control of my health and wellness. I'm down a few pounds and back to pre-Thanksgiving weight. Now, the goal is to get back to where I was 5 years ago when I was going through Fire Academy and training for long course triathlon.
    I am hoping to get back into endurance events this year. I am taking it slow and steady, paying close attention to my knee health. Knee injuries have been my nemesis these last few years, killing my ability to enter any but the simplest of events. Strength training will play a big part, as will getting my weight down so my knees take less abuse. So, down a few pounds and increased training are making me happy with the small victories.