Decency

I've mentioned many times in this blog that I have a really hard time committing to a diet/exercise routine long term because I'm such an extremist. I'm either operating at a very hard-core 120% or eating everything in site (because if I can't operate at a very hard-core 120%, what's the point?).

This has made it very difficult for me to be totally committed to OA. Part of the program is picking an eating plan and sticking to it. Well, whenever I have an eating plan I have to be totally hard-core (tuna, cottage cheese, protein powder, lean meats, and very little else) because anything less than this would make my inner-critic have a field day. Can you blame me for postponing this step? I'm actually afraid to go on a diet because not only am I so critical of myself, I also ALWAYS fall back into anorexia eventually.

So what's a girl to do? My friend and I were solving the world's problems over many glasses of wine a few evenings ago. She has been following the Weight Watchers plan for a while now and has been really successful. I've always been so envious that she is able to be happy with her success and not kill herself to be a size 0 (something I've never been able to do). She can just live her life, eat right, exercise, and be in good shape without becoming anorexic or constantly battling an inner-critic. What is her secret???!!!

She told me, and it was seriously life changing.

"I try to have a decent day, everyday"

It's that simple. She doesn't KILL herself at the gym, but she goes several times a week. Every workout doesn't have to be the most balls-to-the-wall workout she's ever had, it just has to be decent. Every meal doesn't have to be the perfect combination of lean meat, "good" carbs and "good" fats, it just has to be decent enough to fit into her daily Weight Watchers points allowance.

WHAT!? I can just be decent? Really? That's INSANE!

This concept has seriously turned me inside-out (in a good way).

So what did I do with this amazing pearl of wisdom? Well, I went home, joined Weight Watchers, had a decent day of eating and completed a decent workout. Imagine what I can accomplish after months/years of decent days.

I am forever in her debt.