Everything in moderation (including moderation).

This week's blog reading music is Temple of Love by the Sisters of Mercy. Some properly old fashioned danceable drum machined goth-rock that actually got old Dan up on the dance floor all the time back in the day. These days the very thought of dancing makes my skin crawl but for some reason fat, drunk, teenage Dan used to quite like cutting a rug in rock clubs - must have been quite a sight *shudder*.  But then if we didn't look back on being a teenager with at least a degree of embarrassment we probably were doing it wrong.  This weekend I started singing the 80s classic Dance Hall Days which led to putting on this 80s pop complication CD and then onto the Sisters.  I love working out to a bit of 80s cheese at 12 Rounds although we tend to get plenty of generic dance music, not my preference but I'm not complaining, we had White Zombie, Nine Inch Nails and The Wildhearts on there last week. Nostalgia aint what it used to be.

¡Ay, caramba!

You've probably heard of the concept of 'cheat day' where people who are actively monitoring their diet take a day out every week or whenever to just eat what they want and forget the plan.  Now this works for a lot of people but I don't have a specific cheat day, I have far too addictive a personalty that if I just left myself have  a couple of slices of pizza and a beer every Friday I'd be off the deep end in a hurry so when it feels like it's time for a cheat day it's just time for a cheat day.  This past weekend was time for a cheat day.  This week started in the gym with a lot of gusto, lots of classes and a good atmosphere including stoopid sports day style relay races, pads, heavy bag and weights sessions but the last few weeks exercise schedule has been a bit full on and by the time it got to this weekend I was feeling sore and tired and it was time for a few days to rest up. My beloved Diana on Friday had just got to the end of doing a 21 Day Fix program which she thought was fantastic and was deserving of a cheat day to celebrate that too.  On top of that we've been having a new bathroom installed recently and because Wickes are so horrendously inept (seriously, don't use Wickes) we've gone 3 weeks without a bathroom and it finally got finished Saturday so we had something to celebrate and celebrate we did *hic*.  So we got drunk on tequila, had dessert, chocolate, even bread (I'm SO not allowed bread these days) and generally had all the fun that leaves you feeling like such crap the the next morning that you just have to have a breakfast that's not really allowed either.

That's not my normal hair.  Really pleased to fit into this
previously far too small shirt this week.

So cheat day was great fun but cheat day comes rarely and this is important. It's important not because I have to stick to being on a strict diet where pudding and beer and bread are not allowed and I have to work out every day, it's important because eating healthy, exercising (and for me at least, not drinking much) is something I want to be a permanent change in my attitude and approach to life.  I'm totally allowed to drink beer and have pizza if I want them, I'd just much rather really want to have them, have them and then leave it behind, not just have them out of habit.  I want a Sunday hangover and feeling bloated and sluggish from eating crap to be an occasional reminder of a Saturday where I indulged myself not the baseline that I'm always fighting to keep myself away from, which it definitely used to be.  I used to drink loads of coffee, like a pot a day, and in the last six months I've drastically cut down to maybe one or two cups a week.  One day this week I drank two strong cups in succession and was buzzing off my head for a morning, I enjoyed those two cups (and the buzz) so much more than all the coffee I used to pump into myself habitually every day.  Everything in moderation (including moderation).

Flourless pancakes with greek yogurt, fine even when it's not cheat day.
Here's the recipe from the awesome Shannon's Kitchen.

Thanks for reading, here's a kitten that doesn't understand lizards and a puppy who doesn't understand hiccups.



Follow me on Instagram for fitness and food based posts.
Befriend me on My Fitness Pal to share your fitness journey.
Or follow me on twitter for geekdom and more cute animals.

For great protein powders and other associated health stuff visit Bulk Powders and use code DB4MY2 for a £5 discount on your first order over £15.

Check out the 12 Rounds Boxing website here
12 Rounds Facebook page
Twitter @12_roundsboxing