Mantra Monday: Discipline

Yesterday I couponed again like a mad housewife.

Today I discarded the fact that I am not a morning person and worked out at 5 a.m. anyway. Usually by the time I get there, I am awake but I am definitely awake when our trainer starts kicking our asses which is within the first 30 seconds of arrival. My pits no longer hurt but my crotch does from riding 30 miles yesterday which I haven't done since November (you're welcome.)

After our workout for an hour, I was showered by 7. (Edited to update: that was the goal. It's good to have a goal. That's the problem with posting ahead!)

I love being showered by 7, it makes the whole morning go so much more smoothly than mommy running around like a madperson with crazyhair trying to get out the door.

I dropped the kids off at 9.
On paper, I am in control.

Actually, on computer I am in control.

On paper, as in, "food journal" I am in control until the weekend o'birthday parties hit and things go astray. I would be just fine with eating if only I were a recluse and spent all my time behind closed doors within 20 feet of my OWN PANTRY! I apparently need to work on being out in society. Because out in society everything looks good.
It is a lot of work to stay in control of my health!  Dammit.

Anyway, randomly noting that this week is my anniversary and my husband (shockingly) said to me a couple of weeks ago, "I want to take you dancing! How bout we go out to dinner and dancing for our anniversary?"

(Can you hear the squeeing from there?)

A man totally after my heart.

I don't know about you but my life has become such that a night out of dancing barely makes it into the quarterly rotation in a year but not much can bring me more excitement and glee than the prospect of dressing up and shimmying and grooving with my eyes closed on a crowded dance floor with a cocktail in my hand.

I usually look like some new-age raver doing circles with my arms wide open like you do in the song Dancing Queen when I dance but that's because the music moves me. And I'm over 30 now so I don't even care what I look like, it's not like I'm out nookin pa nuv (lookin for love).

I swoon at the thought of a night out dancing.

What does this have to do with discipline, I don't know. Probably something again about being among society and being able to stop after one cocktail while dancing and eating a "sensible" anniversary celebration meal.

Six years ago, pre-marriage, I'm not sure the word "discipline" was even a thought in my head. I didn't have it, I didn't want it, I didn't think of it. I had a planner I didn't use, was usually pretty fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants with credit that's seen better days because I thought "Money? I can't take it with me! So whatever!" and I was 20 pounds overweight and could barely run a mile if I wanted to. (The 20 pounds overweight was before the 30-something more that I packed on after the babies.)

Anyway, now I revel in structure and need it.

I wrote a post about my fitness goals and my eating goals and what I am doing right now and I might repost it here but here is the link if you are so inclined. All I know is that in order for me to reach those goals, I must maintain some level of discipline, i.e. mealplanning, making my workouts and finding balance in between.

Is it possible?

To find balance, I mean?
More importantly, is it possible to maintain a level of discipline without being obsessed?

I'll let you know but based on my trip to Outback for date night Friday and the hour I took looking up the calories of the different steaks on Livestrong.com before I eventually ordered, it's not looking good.

Discipline, young grasshopper, discipline.
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So what's your mantra this week?