Days 50-52: list of definitive changes and list of changes underway

I keep thinking about how profound an experiment PCP really is. When writing about the changes I'm experiencing, I've always been a bit hesitant, doubting that perhaps the PCP effect will fade sometime after day 90. This thought, far from pessimistic, is a way to tricking myself into reflecting on what I'm doing and therefore be able to put a pin on changes that I think are more definitive while keeping track of others that are possibly still not as well rooted. So here's a list of A) things that have changed for good and a list of B) things that are still changing:

A) DEFINITIVE CHANGES:

- No more salt. If I'm invited to have dinner by friends or family, I won't be a pain in the ass. But at home, I'll make it rule to cook salt-free food.

- Eat food. Perhaps this should be in the first place, but I'm making the list as it comes to mind. I'm enjoying so much eating food that I just don't want to ever eat anything else. Again, life puts us in all sorts of situations but as much as it is possible, I choose to say no to processed foods.

- Vegetables (a lot), protein (enough) and carbs (a little). That's how I want my plate to look like from now on.

- Fruit. I can't say I won't indulge on occasion with a small piece of fine chocolate or a delicious dessert, but only if they're worth it and only every once in a while. Otherwise, I will always prefer fruit for snack and I'll eat fruit every day.

- Whole and complex carbs. As much as I can. Specially when it comes to bread. This is a habit I have since before PCP (whole grain bread) and I intend to keep it.

- Fat-free cooking. I don't miss butter at all. A bit of olive oil is enough. I'll try to avoid excesses of fat in all their forms.

- I want to eat cheese again. But I want to know how to approach this more thoughtfully.

- Milk, yogurt and egg whites. I just love these.

- Eating 5-6 times a day. My body is asking for this like clockwork now. I won't starve it.

- The rope! Excellent habit. I never thought I could be able to exercise 10 days in the row, much less 52. Now 90 doesn't seem difficult. I'm not going to do strength training workouts every day like we are doing right now, but I don't mind jumping every day. I know Patrick has this covered for us.

- Teaching our son how to take care of himself. He is only one years old. For now, my wife and I are making his choices. But we will make sure he eats food and cultivate in him (and his brother/sister whenever that happens) healthy habits. We'll make sure he understands the reasons behind leading a healthy life.

- Exercise and active lifestyle. No need to say more. Except perhaps that I feel confident about this being a definitive change because I've learned how to do it. Exercising without knowing how is not only hazardous but also boring and autistic. Boredom leads to desertion and deserting leads to a myriad of frustrations. So I will exercise but I will mostly also lead an active lifestyle.

- In line with the above, I'm determined to keep a juvenile attitude towards life. I'm kind of an old person in the body of a young man. Always too serious, wearing a tie and growing a belly at fancy restaurants. PCP made me change this. I want to stay young forever and nobody can tell me otherwise. I've seen those pictures of elderly people in Osaka climbing trees and showing off their 100-year old muscles and find no reason why that can't be me. Being too 'serious', too 'adult' and too 'corporate'-looking, will only drive me away from the type of life I want to lead and the type of person I like being most. PCP has shown me that I can do my work even better, not just because I'm eating well and taking care of my body through exercise, but also because training shoes and outdoors clothing are far more comfortable than a suit, a tie and wooden-sole shoes. Those are for very special occasions. Otherwise, I will take advantage of the fact that I can afford dressing comfortably where I work, and that what matters is what I say, write and do, an not so much that the knot of my tie is perfect. Just standing straight and being lean is doing so much more for my image than looking fat, tired and wearing a grey suit. It projects strength, energy and confidence, kindness and well-being,and people seem to react better to this than to the usual burocrats they must deal with.

- Eating in. Restaurants, good or bad, are an enjoyable experience if it happens every once in a while and for a reason. My first indulgence was having lunch out with my wife as if on a date. This was so cool. Making restaurants a first choice or a predominant habit is unhealthy, expensive as hell and takes all the magic away from eating out (I know this because this was the trail I was following before PCP). Plus, for some antiquated reason I'm still convinced that one of the things that makes a family a family, is that father, mother and children seat together at the dinner table together.

B) CHANGES UNDERWAY

- Alcohol. I don't know what will happen after 90 days of no alcohol. I've never been a drunk, but before PCP there always were cold beers in the fridge and wine and spirits in the bar cabinet. Good wine with food, a glass of whisky in a cold night and good talk, a cold beer in the afternoon... What's not to love about that? But I also have to say that as pleasant as that is, I haven't missed it once. In fact, I feel so good to not have a hangover the next day and to be naturally satisfied, without crutches. So I guess I won't drink alcoholic beverages as I used to (without thinking twice about it), but as much as I find it rational not to drink, a beer or a glass of wine or fine whisky do lubricate social events much better than water. And that is also important.

- I'm considering applying for the Fung Fu Body later this year. But I'm still not totally sure. From an individual point of view, PCP has been great. But like all if you, I don't live by myself. There are some good side-effects at the family level of following a strict training programme such as this one. My wife, for instance, has become sensitive to too much salt and likes eating egg whites perhaps more than I do. But working out every day takes a lot of time and dedication. Sometimes there's a conflict of schedules (not really an excuse), sometimes it would be great just to eat the same food without restrictions. I could think of many more examples, but ultimately what I want to say is that maybe it is easier family-wise if we are all relaxed and spontaneous instead of rigorous and stuck to some regimen. So, if I choose to do the KFB and if I am really to commit to a life of activity, exercise and healthy food, I need to make some sacrifices like waking up early and finding a time and a method that I still haven't established (even after 52 days of doing it) which does not conflict with family life. Living better shouldn't make people around you miserable.

- Perhaps getting up earlier in the morning... Mmm? This is tough for me. Not that I'm lazy or that I wake up late. I just find it difficult to get up at a fixed time. Our son is still not sleeping through the night (not really an excuse), and waking up and getting up earlier for me means getting out of bed at 6am instead of 7am. I'll try.

- Finally, changing without obsessing. I must admit I'm of the obsessive kind. PCP is one of the most rewarding things I have done with and in my life. Results are so encouraging that they feed my obsession to keep things right. But it is also important to be able to lead a healthy life without having to obsess about it. Obsessions are not as sustainable as reasons. Reasons are not as sharp as obsessions. Being obsessed is in a way easier because you are hyper aware of what you're doing all the time. Obsessions are, if you wish, more visible and loud inside your head. Yet, obsessions tend to be ephemeral (I'm still talking about myself). It happens to me when playing the piano. I work hard until I'm finally able to play a given piece. Then I tend to over relax and sadly, I end up often forgetting how to play it. So, all that hard work for what? Reasons are quieter in my mind, I'm not always seeing my reasons as much as I see my obsessions. But whenever I'm needing to clear my head and put my ideas in order and set out to do something new or differently, I resort to finding my reasons and revisiting them. So let me recap. PCP has made me also reflect about my behavior and about how my mind works. This is something I knew but hadn't really wanted to address. I must invert the order: reasons first, obsessions later. It will take me farther and at a steadier and smoother pace.

- Ok. One more. I'll try flossing every day!