What One Victory Can Do

Wars are never one event. They are a chain of battles. Before you can ever win a war, you have to win battles. But while battles are the smaller part of war, they can play such a big role. Momentum is gained or lost in each battle. And even lost battles can serve as a learning experience. But the battles are what wins the war. What can one small victory in a seemingly small battle do? Oh so much. Success breeds more success. Attitudes begin to shift, willpower becomes stronger, and resolve is strengthened.

Yesterday at the gym, I had one whale of a workout! I did 15 minutes on a walking program on the treadmill, 13 minutes of jogging, and a 2 minute cool down. I headed directly from the cardio workout to the newly added strength workout. I did a back workout yesterday. But now rather than shooting for heavier weights, I do lighter weights, more reps, and shorter rest periods between sets. Yesterday was the first time I recognized that I am getting stronger and have more endurance! I didn't leave the gym, completely wiped out! I was still half wiped out, but that is a 50% improvement!! So I spent the day yesterday feeling pretty good about myself (which is a great feeling!) Then this morning, I was getting dressed for work and put on a pair of jeans I haven't worn in awhile. Last time I put them on, they buttoned but it took a little effort to do it. Today, not even a little resistance!!

I say all that to say this. Today, our office is going to an event called Taste of Crawford County. As you can imagine by the name, it is a collection of food vendors that come together and give samples of their cuisine. I'll be perfectly honest and tell you that I had no intention of engaging in any kind of smart plan for this event. I was going to just go with the flow. But that one small victory this morning has led me to decide to be smart about my intake. I am not going to be able to come up with accurate calorie counts but I think just being conscious of wanting to restrict myself, and then actually restricting myself, will be a big step on such short notice. I think my plan will be to walk around and see what all is offered, and then limit myself to selecting the top three samples I am interested in. Wish me luck!!