This post is part of my ongoing “Get Fit” series, an effort to lose a little weight/tone up, and save money by reducing the number of meals I eat out.
The Craving
I’m not sure what happened, but around last Wednesday my cravings went into absolute overdrive. And honestly, I’m having a hard time fighting them off.
Maybe the sweet craving was set off when I went to get my hair cut last Friday. Upon ariving to the salon (No, I don’t go to the barber) this lovely box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts was practically calling my name.
I can’t begin to tell you how good they smelled, but if you’re wondering, I didn’t have one.
After getting my hair cut I made my way to the grocery store and ended up buying that lovely bag of Cheetos you see to the right.
Why did I buy them? Why else… they looked really freaking good at the time. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good they’d taste.
You might not be able to tell, but the bag hasn’t been opened at this point - I’ve thought about tearing it open on multiple occasions, but something has allowed me to resist.
All and all I’ve been doing pretty well with sticking to a healthier diet, but did slip and have fries a couple (one time with a burger, the other with a chicken sandwich) times last week. I guess it’s safe to say I’m struggling with the cravings at the moment.
Workout Slump
My workout routine has been going great, but I did hit a slump last week after picking up inline speed skating again.
Speed skating is something I did a lot in my younger days, but have always valued its strenuous workout and the element of competition. I even committed by buying some new skates (seen to the left).
Think of new skates as a new pair of boots – they have to be broken in. Only, breaking in skates is a bit more painful. Let’s just say I’m letting something heal on my left foot that is preventing me from skating and doing cycle classes at the moment. Speaking of cycle classes, I’ve cut back to three a week (from six) since I’ve picked up the speed skating practices.
Oh, and if you are making a ugly face and thinking, “Really, speed skating?” let me give you some insight. The team I skate with has bred a phenomenal group of athletes, some of which have gone on to become world class athletes.
For example, you may of heard of Joey Cheek (seen to the right), a guy I used to skate with when I was younger. He picked up a couple metals (one gold) in the last winter Olympics for long track speed skating. He and his brother Michael (Who I still skate with today – mostly watching him go very fast) are immensely talented.
Ok, back to the slump.
I’ve been doing some weight training, but I feel like the lack of cardio over the past week or so has hit me mentally. Not to mention, I know it’s what I need to burn some unwanted jiggle (fat just sounds nasty… but I can’t say that jiggle sounds much better). Again, not that there’s a lot of it, but there’s definitely something to work on.
Size Doesn’t Determine the Struggle
At first thought, you might assume that an overweight person struggles with food more than someone that might be considered “thin.”
I think most people would probably put me in the “thin” or “semi-fit” category, but I’m hear to tell you I struggle with food… a lot. As I type this I’m still thinking about that dreaded bag of Cheetos.
What scares me a bit is that the last time I hit a wall like this I was able to quickly process the negative aspect of what I was about to eat and trashed it. The Cheetos aren’t in the trash… but they should be.
Maybe the difference when it comes to those that struggle with cravings is the willpower to resist, or to simply eat something healthier. And if you’re one of those folks that naturally eats healthy… I’m not sure you can understand how hard it is, at times, to resist the craving.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to keeping you up-to-date with my efforts. At the very least, I hope this series can be, in some way, motivating.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Ryan, I feel your pain err pang. Good luck over the rest of the Christmas holidays.
Ryan,
Thank you for posting, I think these posts are great. I have no doubt they help so many people through similar issues. For me, its Doritos. I bought 4 bags last time I went to the store. I ended up eating 3 of them as soon as I got home, but I was able to hold off on #4. It felt great being able to demonstrate that kind of willpower!
I really enjoy your blog and love the motivation it gives me. Have you ever given any thought to becoming a motivational speaker?
Jimmy,
Thanks for the comment, but man, that’s a lot of Doritos! My brain has virtually been programmed so that when you have a sandwich, you have to have chips. Same goes for burger and fries. What I do now for lunch is buy 100 calorie packs of Doritos. It’s worked so far. And yes, after lunch I’m typically still hungry. I’ve learned to wait 10 minutes or and then see if I’m still hungry. 9 times out of 10 I don’t eat anything else.
Thanks for reading!
Ryan
Ryan: I hate this part of the holidays – all the food sitting around, readily available. I can deal with the day-to-day temptations for the most part – but the insanity of the holiday season presents too many temptations.
Case in point: I can probably count on one hand the number of KK doughnuts I’ve had the past two years … but two dozen show up at work on NY Eve and what do I do? Have two back to back. ACK!
I’m so glad JAN is here! Thanks for sharing your story.
Hi, I like your blog. I was just interested in your quest of breaking in your skates — I recently started skating again as well, and decided (foolishly) to buy new skates for the occasion. Not only did I realize that skates are a bit different now (5 to 4 wheels, 80mm to 110mm?!!), but I again, foolishly, took them out without molding them or breaking in the boots at all… hence the two blisters and bruises that I have, and now I have to wait it out before I can start skating.
Do you have any methods that have helped you to break in a new pair of skates? I found an awesome deal online for a pair of Vanilla Flash skates. They seem to be pretty good quallity, although I’ve always questioned the boots… the last pair I had were Bont, and were VERY uncomfortable.
Anyway, if you have any tips, please let me know! It is very painful, and I’m really anxious to get going again, but am trying to find ways of avoiding the blisters and bruises. Lol. Take care, happy skating.
Rachel, what kind of boot do you have? If it’s carbon I’d suggest sticking it in the oven as this heats it up nicely and creates a good mold.