How do I rate?
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 6:46AM The discussion of "how to score" my eating has come up. Originally, I told Foos to not count protein shakes etc as a cheat but then again that gets into some dicey areas. Do you count a cheese stick as a cheat off the paleo diet, yes. Do you count a protein bar? I'd say yes, because there are so many crap bars out there and most are not paleo. So there lies the question... as Shara stated, rarely are we going to see a score of "5", especially consistently. A "5" is a day without excessive fruit and with absolutely nothing off topic including cream in your coffee or your protein shake, just lean protein, veggies and a handful of nuts/seeds. So if you have a great day and you had a protein shake and you feel great, that would be a "4". If you added a beer or two to an awesome day of eating, maybe throw out a "3". If you had a burger with the bun, a piece of chocolate cake, a few drinks... you probably shouldn't even get a "1" but we are scoring 5-1... so throw a "1" on the page, enjoy your meal and start again after you savor every bite of that chocolate cake... then if it was really wonderful, let me know where you had it from so I can get some too!
I know it is a vague system. The point is to be aware. We all like the gold star. By rating our day (without justifications) we are more aware and may limit what we choose to consume.
I get the question of travel constantly. I, personally, do not have to deal with travel for business. When I travel to see family or to go on vacation, I will often make modifications to my diet (and usually feel like crap because of it). I choose to make those modifications. I choose to eat the meal that my mom did her best to accommodate my "picky" ways. I choose to indulge with a drink and dessert with friends because they think I'm a "fitness freak". Personally, I take that as a compliment, although, I don't really think that is the way they mean it. Our clean eating often makes people uncomfortable, guilty, annoyed etc. Don't tell them they are eating wrong, just do your best to eat right.
That, however, is my limited travel... if you travel on a regular basis, you cannot afford to deviate like that. Try to plan ahead. Go to the grocery store instead of fast food. Bring a small collapsible cooler with your to store fruit, meats and veggies. Be sure to have trail mix/nut mix with you. You can easily make that at home and bring it in a bag with you... I prefer my trail mix to anything I can buy. Lunch meat (good quality) isn't something we cook, keep it on hand when you travel. Worst case if you drive through a fast food restaurant without throwing up and order something, try the salad without all the extras and some chicken, throw away the bun and move on with your day.
Reader Comments (1)
Where do I rate? I'm not cheating at all but am eating fruit. How much fruit is or isn't permitted? Thanks!