Managing Perception

It's been said that happiness is a choice.  I have espoused that theory myself over the years and I truly believe that we need to make a conscious decision to be happy.  Surely the medical community and drug companies want us to believe that chemical imbalances are to blame, but I think that a VERY small percentage of people have this issue.  My wife and I do love the music in the commercials for drugs like Pristiq and Cymbalta.  I've often thought that the music alone could be a much less expensive antidepressant.  They could just sell CDs with titles like "Mood Music" or "Sero-tunin'".

Just as I believe that happiness is mostly a choice, I feel that we need to control our perceptions on how life's cards are dealt to us.  Step outside yourself and be objective about what the facts before you really mean.  This week, that is my challenge.

Yesterday, I reported that my scale was being a royal pain in the kiester and wouldn't give me results worth a turd.  Last week's numbers were also suspect.  The scale's batteries have now been replaced and the little glass disc is once again behaving.  My problem?  How to manage the information presented to me.

What the scale tells me does not change my actual weight.  That may sound confusing, but if you actually weigh 140 lbs. and the scale tells you that you weigh 150, do you still actually weigh 140?  Yes.  Of course, you do.  That is where I am today.  Psychologically, of course, not weight-wise.   Last week the scale told me I weighed 306.  Yesterday, 306.6.  Today, with new batteries, 309.6 lbs.  I have to decide whether to wallow in the perception that I gained 3.6 lbs. in a week or that my results were flawed and I just have to move on from here.  I choose the latter.  It is totally counter-productive to think otherwise.  In reality, nothing has changed.  The scorecard just didn't reflect actuality.  No big deal.

Cya tomorrow,

M

What I ate today and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ Egg McMuffin and decaf w/milk (The real Egg McMuffin, not my own version.)

Lunch ~ 2 low fat hot dogs (40 calories ea) on a sprouted grain roll w/ spicy Dijon mustard and one of my pickles.  Good food to eat on the run, in the car.

Snack ~ Grande Decaf Mocha Lite Frappaccino and some beef jerky

Dinner ~ A Chipotle Black Bean Garden Burger w/sauteed onions, portobello mushrooms on a multi-grain deli flat and an avocado tomato salad

Exercise ~ None :(