"Temptation Challenge"

If you ever watch The Biggest Loser, you'll regularly see 'temptation challenges'.  Basically, they put the contestants in a room with a bunch of food and give tempt them.  There's always prizes involved, and the whole idea is that these people need to learn how to lead healthy lives outside the ranch.  When they're on the show, they have easy access to a gym and good food, but what happens when they go back to the real world?

I bring this up because, when you're eating well and trying to lose weight, there will always be those situations that throw a wrench in your plans.  You can either avoid those situations entirely, or you can accept that temptation will always be a part of your life.  So you can deprive yourself, or you can make those situations work for you.

Yesterday, I had my meals all planned for the day, with a couple of calories to spare.  I was doing SUPER well, fourth day in a row of eating well!  (I'm really taking it one day at a time.  Over the past two months or so, I'll have two or three days of good eating, but then I wind up  having a BAD day, which negates the work I'd just done.  This is fine, if you're looking to maintain but not good if you want to lose like I do.)  For dinner I planned on eating chicken breast, brown rice and mixed veggies (which is pretty standard fare for me). 

Then my mom called me in the afternoon and said she and Kelly (her husband) would like to take me and the boys out to Dairy Queen for dinner.  I could meet her at her place, then we could walk down to meet Kelly after fire practice, then walk to the restaraunt together.  I thought, hey, that would be fun (because Steve is on Graves and asleep when I get home, and it's hard keeping the boys quiet).  I knew the boys would enjoy the walk and the treat- but I was worried for myself.

This is where planning comes in handy.  I went online, and looked up Dairy Queen Nutritional Information.  I decided in advance that I would have the grilled chicken salad and a small vanilla cone- and I logged the calories at MFP.  Perfectly planned- the calories fit in my 'budget' with 35 to spare.  Boo-yah, that's how it's done!  So when I went to DQ, I knew exactly what to order and that I could have ice cream without feeling guilty.  It was awesome.

I wore my HRM when we walked.  In 90 minutes, we walked 5.5km and I burned 545 calories.  Because I'd burned so many calories (I was at about 300 when we got to DQ) I decided I could 'afford' to have a crispy chicken salad instead of a grilled chicken (it's my fave).  Dinner was DELISH- and the exercise was fun.

Consumed: 1537kcal (-200 nursing calories)

Burned: 545kcal
Total deficit: 1244kcal
Target deficit: 811kcal

In the end, while I'd had DQ and everything (and hadn't been hungry all day!) I could have stood to eat a bit MORE than I did.  An extra apple or salad , some nuts, maybe a yogurt.  I'm finding it hard to get the perfect balance between calories consumed and burned, even after all this time- but it's definitely something I'm working on!

The only thing is, regardless of how healthy even the grilled chicken salad is at DQ.... their food has SO MUCH DAMNED SODIUM!  It's ridiculous.  I'm already retaining water with my TOM around the corner.  I'll be drinking extra water today to make up for what I ate yesterday.....

Anyhow, that is all.  Will check back tomorrow!