Yesterday I broke the chain

by Volker Weber

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Ever since I completed the full year I was wondering what to change. I wanted to continue my daily exercise, but I wanted to take some pressure off. As your longest move streak gets longer and longer, it becomes more "valuable". If you break a 14 days move streak, that's not a big deal. But when you complete a year, holy cow, you get really proud of yourself. And you continue to pile on.

But what is the end game? Stay attached to that game and continue to win? Until you lose an even longer streak? Gamification is nice, but not when it turns into an obsession. The first time Apple slipped when it was supposed to acknowledge achievements, I was not happy. The second time that happened, I did not even mention it.

Even the longest streak will end. Why not do it right now? I was thinking about taking the watch off for a day. And then I decided to just let it slip. Put in a lazy day. But any lazy day still turned out more than 600 cals. Sunday was a lazy day since we had visitors. 870 cals.

Yesterday was the first day I dropped below 600, only if barely so. No perfect week this week, no full month. And no more longest move streak, at least not for another year. Does it stop here? Of course it doesn't. I already completed all of my exercise and a third of my move goal in the first hour since getting up and hit all goals in the afternoon:

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The program is still #dontbreakthechain. That is what works best for me. Onwards to 500 days in October! That is just four months away. Give or take a few days.

Comments

Ich lese das hier immer gerne, hab mich aber auch immer darüber gewundert, dass die Betonung darauf lag, keinen Tag auszulassen. Ist ja kein Beinbruch wenn man mal keine Zeit hat. Freut mich dass Du das jetzt entspannt siehst.

Henning Buddenbaum, 2016-06-21

Physiologisch ja, psychologisch nein. Das ist eine Motivationssache. Wenn man keine Ausnahmen zulässt, dann zählen keine Ausreden. Sonst findet man immer was: zu kalt, zu warm, zu nass, Kopfschmerzen, Zahnweh, ... irgendwas ist immer.

Volker Weber, 2016-06-21

So ist es. Eine gute Freundin brachte das mal auf den Punkt: "There is always a reason for an exception". Deshalb macht sie keine, ackert (positiv und in allen Bereichen, keine reine Businesskasperin) fleissig und schafft auch was ;)

Hubert Stettner, 2016-06-21

I learned this lesson while giving up smoking. For many years I tried and failed - normally because I lapsed when out late with friends. Each lapse would quickly spiral into full on smoking - my brain kept saying - "You're a smoker again". This only stopped once I realised that breaking the cycle for one evening - for one cigarette - did not make me a smoker again and that I should not push aside the many days and weeks of non smoking, these days should be celebrated as a whole. (Of course now I am one of those obnoxious people who have no time for smokers and their filthy habit)

Ian Bradbury, 2016-06-21

Ian, YMMD :) Been there, done that.
Now, if there was a 'Like' button here...

Hubert Stettner, 2016-06-21

Der Trick ist, dass man von Anfang an Ausnahmen einplant, dann muss man nicht enttäuscht sein und das Versagengefühl haben. Dann kehrt man auch viel leichter wieder zum täglichen Workout zurück.

Ralf M Petter, 2016-06-21

most diets include a "cheat day" do handle those exceptions.
The best remark I ever heart on that was from Mike Dolce. His advice was to drop the cheat day and handle it as an "earned day".
If you eat and work out straight for a week, you earned that extra scoop. Don't blame yourself for letting you go, reward yourself and relax.

Kai Nehm, 2016-06-21

Ich hatte mal ein Tachometer fürs Fahrrad, an dem ein kleiner Pfeil nach oben gezeigt hat, wenn ich langsamer wurde. Irgendwann habe ich das Teil abmontiert. Welcher Mensch möchte schon ständig daran erinnert werden, daß er begrenzt ist?

Gerd Gerbert, 2016-06-23

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