Cutting back

So, yesterday was Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/The Beginning of Lent. Now, as a recovering Catholic, I don't participate in Lent for the reasons I used to. Still, I do think it's nice to use it as a period of time to try and cut back on something that may have been a bit in excess.

Couple that with the fact that I've put on about 2 or 3 lbs...I know, it SEEMS like it's not that much, but believe it or not, I can really feel it - in every way. I FEEL heavier. I don't have the same appetite I usually do and when I do eat, it just doesn't feel the way it normally does. I feel fuller. It's amazing how, if we are really in tune with our bodies, they really do tell us when something is off.

I'm not surprised; I drank a ton of beer in Mexico (drank it like water!), didn't exercise as much as I normally do, and enjoyed a hell of a lot of meat and Mexican food. In general, my diet is usually full of veggies, good carbs and a small amount of protein. Of course, there are the usual bad suspects that sneak their way in, like oh-so-delicious cheese (I LOVE CHEESE) and oh-so-fine wine (I LOVE WINE). But because I tend to eat well enough and consume in moderation, everything usually stays in balance.

Now it's out of balance and it's my responsibility to do something about it. I suppose it's always good every now and then to practice cutting back, and our bodies are kind enough to give us the right reminders when we need to make some changes.

My proposed changes for the next 40 days (well, at least 30 - they say it takes at least 30 days to create new habits):

1) Cut back on the wine. Since I don't drink a ton in excess, it's tricky on where to cut back. However, on weeknights when I have wine with dinner, I'll tend to drink 1.5-2 glasses. On weekends when I'm out with friends, it will generally be about 3-4. Also, I don't drink every single night; probably have wine 5 out of 7 nights.

The goal: Stick to drinking 4-5 nights a week, on weekends limit to 3 glasses; on weeknights limit to 1 glass.

2) Stop buying cheese. If I don't buy it, I won't eat it. That doesn't mean I can't have it in a sandwich or with dinner or something. However, in the past, I've found that when I just didn't buy it, I didn't eat very much of it. I will very guiltily say that it is SO HARD when you're at Trader Joe's/The Cheese Board to NOT buy cheese. It's all there, so well-priced, so many different varieties of delicious aged cow/goat/sheep's milk that is just waiting to be tasted with the multitude of food items that can accompany it; crackers, apricots, bread, wine...oh the list goes on. I'll stop now.

The goal: Don't buy cheese! One exception: skim-milk string cheese to pack in my lunches. :-)

Those are pretty much it. The rest comes easily for me. I don't have a sweet tooth, I tend to stop eating when I'm full and I don't snack unless I'm physically hungry. I don't drink soda (well, I do have a once/week Diet Coke habit!). I think what it really was was the Mexico trip. By the time I came home I was craving vegetables like you wouldn't believe. I still am, actually.
So, that's all for now. Had some amazing workouts this past week and am looking forward to next week as the final prep before this 5K!