How Good Can I Be Today?

I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, the Motivation Mondays aren't going all that well for me. Well, that's not strictly true. I'm much better about being in bed by 11.....ok, heading upstairs at 11 to start getting ready, so in bed by 11:15 maybe. Still, it's an improvement. And I've not made that every night, but certainly much more often than before, so I'm calling it progress.

As for the strength-training every day? Yeah, not so much. Actually, not at all. Why do I never remember it? No idea.

But there are other areas I'm better in than I planned; I'm already doing some of my future MM goals, even if only halfway. I'm eating fewer carbs, more regularly replacing all-meat options with veg/beans/meat combination options, drinking more water, etc.  And it all comes from asking myself one little question:

How good can I be today?

I'll be the first to admit I don't have a lot of willpower when it comes to food and drinks. I love them. My brain is consumed almost 24/7 with thoughts/plans for the upcoming meal(s). Sometimes I think I should seek therapy for that, or at least an MRI to find out just how disproportionately large the food-planning part of my brain is. Yes, it's that bad.

So when I'm passing the designer-Swiss-dark-chocolate-with-raisins-and-hazelnuts bars in the grocery store, and I just know I won't be able to pass it up.....I don't. I allow myself to have it, and not feel too bad. Hey, recent studies have shown dark chocolate is good for us, right? So I'm making a healthy choice. As far as I'm concerned, it's damn near a vegetable, so whatever.

But if it's a day where I feel 'Hmmm, that would be nice' I walk right past them. If I can avoid it, I do...because I know damn well the day will come (most likely in the not-to-distant future) when I won't be able to avoid it again, and I might as well save the fat and calories if at all possible. On days when I absolutely cannot face the prospect of running, I don't. If I just sorta don't feel like it, I shove my un-motivated feet into those shoes and get moving. If I desperately need that Cherry Coke (like I will tomorrow when we go out for luxury burgers and fries), I drink it. If I just wish I had it (like tonight for Family Movie Night), I skip it. It's all about being completely honest with myself and my ability to choose better options, and I plan on the scale tipping more and more in favor of healthy decisions as I progress.

I will keep setting MM goals, and slowly, eventually, step-by-teeny-tiny-little-step, I think I'll get there. Today, it's almond pastries for Movie Night, but no Cherry Coke. Tomorrow, it's running a 10k (6miles) in the morning, then burgers and fries for lunch, most definitely with Cherry Coke (it's a required drink with both burgers and pizza.....I'd be breaking international codes of moral conduct if I skipped it, in my opinion). At every turn I try to be as good as I can, while still honoring the fact that I'm human and will have weaknesses. One day, my good choices will outweigh my bad ones. I have utter faith in that.

So how good can you be today?