Day One Hundred and Fifty-Nine - Preventing a Comeback

The Atlanta Falcon's blew a twenty-eight to three lead in the Super Bowl last night.  Immediately they went from everyone in the country's favorite team to their least favorite.  They went from the team who was going to beat the New England Patriots to the team that gave Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their fifth Super Bowl victory.  How in the world does a team blow a twenty-five point second half lead?  By not having a proper game plan.  All everyone could talk about today in the sports world was the decision not to run the football and set up a victory sealing field goal.  The Falcons called the wrong plays, which left an open door for the Patriots to come back and win the game.  The fact is the Falcons didn't close the door.

When you are making a life change, there will always be an old lifestyle trying to sneak it's way back into your life.  Maybe it's a bad habit or laziness.  Maybe it's poor time management skills or a gluttony issue.  It doesn't matter what it is, but just because it is gone for the moment, doesn't mean that the old you doesn't want to make a comeback.  The moment you leave the door open, that old lifestyle will step through and try to make itself at home.  So how do we avoid this?  What can we do to keep our old lifestyle from making a comeback?  You shut the door.  When you make the change, close the door on the old you.  If your change is weight and food related, you have to remember that this isn't a seasonal thing, it is a lifelong journey.  If you stop, even for a brief moment, that door will open and all of your old habits will come back.  Look at the number of people you know who have lost weight or made a change in their life, only to regain all their weight (plus some) when they stop the processes that helped them in the first place.  I know that in order for me to keep from putting weight back on I will always be counting calories and exercising.  It isn't just a one-year journey.  There is a reason we call it a life change.  It lasts for the rest of your life.  These processes have helped me in making this lifestyle change, but the best part is that they will help me maintain it after I've lost my butter half.

My calories today were pretty good.  I had a delicious salad for dinner (with leftover smoked chicken from last night), but E and I enjoyed sharing a small snack of gummy bears later on.  I need to be filling those extra calories with fruit and veggies, not gummy snacks (but they are just plain fun to eat!).  My workout wasn't as intense as I like, but I did break a good sweat for the last half.  I know I'm needing to add crunches and push-ups to my workout, I just can't seem to bring myself to starting.