You guys. When you write and publish stories every day on your blog for thirty straight days for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month), you’re going to have some days where you post non-sensical, shallow, silly stuff. Stuff that is really quite…well…boring and uninteresting. You know – for your own sanity. I just can’t dig deep into my emotional well all the hours of the day. It’s exhausting!
So, today is one of those days.
I arrived in Chicago this afternoon for the Storyline Conference. When I used live here, one of my favorite guilty pleasure places to eat was Portillo’s. After landing, grabbing my rental car and fighting my way through the infamous Chicagoland traffic, where do you think I went?
Yep. Portillo’s.
You know, right, that I had already found the closest one on Google maps, before even arriving here today. And I knew I would have NO RESTRAINT going there. And I didn’t even care. Because OMG. It’s Portillo’s.
And you also know I’m all about being honest and authentic on this blog. So here you go. This is what I ordered. And nope. There’s no one else here with me. Just. Me. And ALL THE FOOD.
Why do you think I go to the gym so often?
Here’s the thing. I hold myself to an 80/20 rule on my eating. Eighty percent of the time, I eat healthy. Twenty percent, I indulge and am a bit less careful. It’s what works for me.
This past July and August, when I was training for my my weight lifting competition, in which I’d opted to drop a weight class, I was incredibly focused on eating well and clean, ALL of the time. But after the competition, I loosened the reigns and holy hell…I was like a kid in a candy store. Wait. Maybe I was in an actual candy store. Anyhoo…
The point is, after eating clean for that long, I just wanted ALL THE FOOD after the competition. Bring on the pizza, the chips, candy, dessert, crackers, steak, and on and on and on. I was a bit out of control in wanting all of the things that are bad for me. I allowed myself to indulge, but it was like I just couldn’t stop myself!
Now with the next lifting competition coming up in Vegas in two weeks. I opted to stay at my ‘normal’ weight class. Which means…the 80/20 rule when it comes to food. And that makes me much happier and far less HANGRY. YAYYYYYYYYYYY!
While I’m focused on being fit and healthy, I’m most focused on being the strongest, best version of myself. And that means I give myself a little grace here and there. I’m a much happier me when I allow myself indulgences here and there. Except that usually…they’re not this much all at once.
I enjoyed tasting a bit of everything pictured (there’s even a chopped salad in there). And don’t worry, I didn’t eat it all. Okay, okay…I DID finish the cake.
Who wouldn’t? It’s cake!
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