Things that help keep me under control

muayqis

Thought i'd post some of the things I've found keep me on track when my motivation is lacking.
Normally i do a lot of training every week, but between work commitments and a knee injury i'm currently not able to get the hours/intensity of training i'm used to.
As result of my massively reduced expenditure I've had to axe the number of calories i'm consuming just to get and keep my weight under control.

Below are some things i know help me get through
(Caveat: i know nothing about anything; but these things help me get through)

EXERCISE:
Set achievable 'minimal' goals:
Commit a number of times a week you are going to train: Make sure this goal is EASILY achievable! If the target is how many times you THINK you 'should' go, and you don't manage it, then you'll sulk that everything's a disaster, and then sit down and pig out, which will probably impact your chance of behaving tomorrow too. With a lower goal you'll feel better about having achieved it. You can always do more once you've hit your target.
Set a minimum session to perform at the gym: I'm used to training for Muay-Thai fights, so i train a minimum of 6x3 minute rounds at a decent intensity. This means that i know that my minimum session takes less than 25 minutes. (It's far less than i am used to(knee injuries are extremely limiting!), but it gets my heart and motivation up, which means i'm more likely to do some more.)
Train early/Earn your food:
I know that if i get my gym session in before i eat, I'm more likely to make good food choices, and generally feel better about myself (I try and get my gym sessions in first thing in the morning, and straight after work).

FOOD:
Eat it all:
I know that i have NO willpower; If i open something, i'm going to eat it all.
To solve this problem i only open what i have a plan to eat in the very near future(i.e that day). If i open a can of kidney beans, there is no chance of me having some today, and some tomorrow. I know i am eating a can of kidney beans. Don't fight it.
Keep It Simple:
This is related to 'Eat It All'. If i try to cook something with ten different ingredients, likely i'll have leftovers of each ingredient, or have created a monster portion of food, which i need to stretch over a few days, which means the food will be sitting tempting me in the fridge for days, which i know will result in me eating it all later today. - To resolve this problem i keep my meals really simple, for example, 2 can of chopped tomatoes + 1 can of kidney beans + 1 can of tuna (Split between lunch and a shaker in the fridge for my afternoon meal). Not very exciting, but i now have no food sitting about tempting me that is not designated to a specific meal.
MIDWEEK TREAT:
Mid-week i go for a meal with my family, either someone cooks, or we go out. On these days i make sure i get in a workout, and pre-log my food if possible, if i go over calories on this day, that's ok too. this helps keep me sane, and gives me something to get me through Wednesday/Thursdays

MISC:
Pre-Log food where possible:
This prevents 'just one more'/ 'it's probably not as calorific as i think' /'who cares/i deserve it' type thoughts
Dead animal:
Eat dead animal as often as possible
Sugar:
Avoid like the plague- Cravings for sugar become really intense. there is no such thing as 'just 1 m&m'
Fruit:
Avoid sweet fruit, this seems to have a similar effect to refined sugars, to a slightly lesser degree.
Protein shakes: a 100kcal shake with plenty of casein straight after my exercise reduces cravings + muscle soreness, and stops me having to panic about what to eat straight after my session


WEEKENDS/days off:
Have a break:
I relax my calorie goals at the weekend, If i eat too many calories at the weekend, that's OK. It's a good chance to make up for some nutrients I've maybe been missing out on during the week(nandos is a nutrient, right?)
Train on days off!
If I've not got work on a day, and i just sit around all day i'll probably make a couple of poor food choices, and then cascade into disaster. If i get a training session in early, then i know that i'll be off to a good start, and continue making some good choices.

SLEEP:
Get plenty when the chance presents itself!


As Said, I Know Nothing About Anything. but those guidelines get ME through most of the time. Not saying you should do the same

Note: Between my midweek Treat, and weekends, this means i am only being really strict with myself 4.5 days a week. So i only need to be good for 2 or 3 days at a time before i get a treat, which seems to have cut down on my desire to overfeed when the oppertunity arises