The Mess Log

When I signed up for boot camp, I was given a mess log and told I’d need to keep a daily journal of everything I eat and bring it to class every single day. We are supposed to place the mess log face up, at the top of our workout mats so the instructor can walk around and read/judge our food choices.
Ideally, I should eat five to six times a day– breakfast, a.m snack, lunch p.m snack, dinner and optional, evening snack. Ideally, all snacks and meals should be eaten every two hours, to keep the body fueled.
I was actually excited about keeping a food journal for a few reasons. Mostly, because it will keep me accountable for the choices that I make, but also because I tend to skip meals when I get busy. That’s not healthy, especially when one is doing boot camp style workouts.
The first day of my journal was kind of embarrassing. It started out just fine– healthy, even! Cottage cheese and pineapple! As the day progressed, things weren’t looking too good. “Six pretzels, sweet corn cake (a vegetable, no?!) Also? three egg rolls from Jack in the Box.
I had a good excuse for that day– I hadn’t gone grocery shopping! Great excuse because it was true! I went shopping yesterday and stocked up on bunch of healthy, fresh food. The rest of the week’s log is going to look so great!
Here’s the thing. While shopping for all of my healthy, fresh food, I also bought some of those mini chocolate chip cookies from Trader Joe’s for the kids.
Just a few minutes ago, I was sitting at the kitchen table working and that tub of cookies started taunting me. They were all “PUT US IN YOUR MOUTH!”
I reached out to my husband for help.
“I really want to eat some of those cookies, but I don’t want to have to write it in my mess log. It’s hard when you’re held accountable for what you eat, I mean, I could lie…”
He interrupted me.
“What? It’s hard when you’re a CANNIBAL?”
(He’s a good listener! So helpful!)
In the grand scheme of life, eating a couple of cookies is not a big deal. However, I want to make the very most of this experience. I want to make healthy choices so that at the end of six weeks, I know that I did everything in my power to achieve my goals. I know that I will make a few bad choices along the way (I can’t avoid Jack in the Box’s churros forever!) but I plan to be 100% honest about the choices I make. Which is why I just wrote this in my mess log:
IMG601.jpg
My big ass- 1 My mouth- 0

13 thoughts on “The Mess Log

  1. Christine

    I am happy that you are making food choices that make you happy, but promise that anyone who judges anyone else for what they eat just makes them douchey. Also? cookies are delicious.

  2. Darcie

    It’s been a while since I visited your blog and I came back because I got a new camera and was thinking about sites with inspiring photography. I always enjoyed your photos and could really relate to your weight issues. Congratulations on your weight loss and the exercise you’re doing. You’ve overcome a lot already, and I wish you all the best! I think I’d enjoy aerobic dance (I’m not exercising At All) but am not sure what kind of class would suit someone as inexperienced as me (love to dance but have never tried following someone’s instruction). Are you in a particular type or brand of aerobic class and have you tried Zumba or Dancercise?

  3. Wendy

    I am delurking to tell you how much I am missing your posts on “The Boot Camp” (*cue daunting music). You have inspired me in all things fitness for quite a while now, and I’ve actually had a secret desire to try a local boot camp. It was thrilling to find out that you would be giving an inside look at what they’re all about. However, your recent blog silence has me a bit worried–please tell me you are just too busy kicking booty to write?!

  4. Mouthy_broad

    Love the honesty, as always. It IS hard to be a cannibal, at least for me. I hate having to journal about eating people, what a drag. 😉

Comments are closed.