Am I out of focus?

My first day of being 30. So far, so good. I’ve been wondering what to write about this time. It’s been a couple weeks (sorry, I had to make a detour to Washington, D.C. and didn’t have the chance to get a post in) so I’ve had plenty of time to consider the direction. Should I reminisce about my youth? Should I ponder the stresses of getting older? Should I throw convention out the window and just celebrate this milestone by eating an entire cake? No, I don’t think I’ll do any of those. I think I’ll keep myself focused. Focus, as it turns out, seems to be the driving force behind a true lifestyle change.

There are many challenges in life and many opportunities to succeed. One challenge is certainly the vacation, especially when you’re trying to be healthy. Vacations, by their nature, are designed to be relaxing and comfortable. Time to unwind. Let your mind and body recharge and energize. Blah blah blah. All of that marketing jargon translates into eating fare that you normally wouldn’t go near. After all, you’re on vacation and you need to have some excitement. But what happens when you stay focused? You succeed.

Case in point: in D.C. I didn’t try to be an immaculate eater. I have the pictures to prove it (note: you absolutely must try Ray’s Hell Burgers in Arlington, VA). I normally don’t eat completely awful food anyway, as I’m not a fan of most creamy pasta dishes, fatty meats, etc. I might try a bit now and again, but mostly that type of food doesn’t work for me as a meal. However, I certainly wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity for a large, juicy burger from the place that served President Obama. The focus part comes in with everything else. The majority of my trip was spent wandering around the city looking at the buildings and museums. I spent the better part of each day on my feet and moving. To me, it was a clear solution. I knew that I would be eating more than normal, so I had to exercise more than normal. I admit that I didn’t hit the gym like I could have, but I think I did enough to cancel out the extra calories.

Focus also means that you can’t keep sliding. Most of the “diet” plans available suggest a cheat meal. Weight Watchers has the flex points, for example. Again, in order to make a life-long change you need to learn through rewards and not deprivation. Deprivation leads to craving, which leads to binging, which leads to an overall mass consumption of something that you could have actually eaten in a reasonable amount had you not completely denied yourself to begin with. So, when you go on vacation just cheat a little bit. But when you get back, focus yourself on maintaining your healthy lifestyle.

Unfortunately, my timing was awful in that a week after D.C. I decided to have a birthday. So here I am working my way back after eating a little too much at my party last night. I would like to congratulate myself on not getting another hotdog. I was tempted, but knew it would have been too much. As it stands, I now feel pretty good today and will certainly get in a workout. For me, that’s what it’s all about. I had my fun, now it’s time to focus. I think I’m going to like my 30’s.