Soupaween



One of the things I want to learn through this journey is tying the connection between actions and consequences. This past week was my birthday. We went to the Yard House for dinner, where most meals are over 1300 calories. They do have a lite menu, to which I opted for a grilled pork chop and roasted veggies - 700 calories. And it was delicious.

That following morning I weighed myself and came in 0.8 pounds lighter. A choice that led to a desired outcome on the scale without sacrificing flavor.

The following evening was date night with my wife. We went to sushi, my absolute favorite where we ordered our usual four rolls. I experienced an eating win. We came to the end of dinner and there was still five pieces left. Rather than pounding them, I was able to feel that I was full and we took the leftovers home.

Even with the win, the scale reflected the extra sodium of the soy sauce: up one pound. A consequence of my choice.

Then it was Halloween night. We do a tradition in my family called "Soupaween." We make several different kinds of soup and enjoy them while passing out candy. I am a soup fiend and over the course of the night consumed many ladlefuls of macaroni and tomato and broccoli cheese. I also grazed on a large bag of popcorn.

The following morning's weigh-in showed the result: three pounds heavier. I am quite certain the sodium content of the soup caused the gain. While the number bothered me a bit, the thing I really didn't like was the bloated feeling. I purposed to eat smaller portions that day. I mostly did it. Still downed the bag of popcorn faster than I should have, but was pretty good with everything else.

Even with the fluctuation in weight, I still managed to end the week with a loss. So from the scale perspective, this week was a win.

Even more than the scale, I think it was a mental win. I was able to enjoy my birthday and Halloween, celebrate with family, and didn't feel deprived. I simply started the plan again the following day. If there was anything I would've changed, it would be lightening up on the soup and slowing my roll with the popcorn, only because I think I would have felt better.

The scale this week was a tool to show me the connection between action and consequence. Some people get obsessed with the number. I look at it more as a general target. If I can aim for a 1-2 pounds loss, I can keep an eye on the scale to check my actions and adjust.

The best thing I felt was empowered. My choices actually matter. There's little we can control in the external world and we'll get discouraged and depressed if we try. What we can control is our thoughts and actions. My trainer told me that she tells her athletes they don't control the outcome of the game, just the work they put into training. All we have is our thoughts and our actions. Everything else is out of our control. We will be much happier if we focus on our choices and let the rest go.

Down 3.8 pounds.

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