Cutting

Well, obviously I've failed miserably in the original purpose of this blog - blogging on a daily or near-daily basis. But as I've started to look over how I've been spending my time, I think I can fit it back in. However, I will use it more as a training log (as I started to do toward the last few posts) with the occasional random thoughts sprinkled in.
A week ago, on a whim, I decided to try to "cut." It's something I've never done, just as I've never intentionally "bulked." Sure, I've done routines aimed at putting on muscle mass, but I've never kept track of calories, or taken before/after shots, or even measured anything. Yes, I realize that essentially means I have no idea if any of it worked (and I guess I don't), but since I'm not competing in anything, it's not really the end of the world, either.
But, I decided that I'm tired of the fact that I'm not particularly big, not particularly strong, and not particularly lean. Yes, I am probably all of those things in comparison to the "average" person, but really that's more of a commentary on the general public than a positive reflection on myself.
That said, getting lean takes the least time of the 3 things I listed, so fuck it, I'll go for it. I'm not "dieting" in the classical sense of weighing everything I eat, or even logging any of it. What I am doing is trying to keep my food choices very simple - eggs, meat, protein powder, some dairy, fruit, and veggies - and going with that. I'm keeping meal frequency at about 4 per day (I probably eat closer to 5-6 times per day normally). Will this work? I honestly have no idea, but I've definitely already learned a few things:
1. Dieting is pretty much entirely psychological. I'm hungry damn near all the fucking time. And my diet in the past has essentially been based on "eat when hungry." It's also been "eat pretty much whatever you damn well please, because you're pretty active and won't become a fat pile of shit." However, since that strategy has put me where I am today, obviously something has to change. Therefore, the biggest thing has been resisting the urge to simply grab the occasional cookie or ordering whatever I damn well please when out to eat. While some might say "live a little, you can still do those things on a diet!" they don't realize that I don't "do" moderation. When I indulge, I indulge. That said, obviously this is mostly a psychological thing, but you do what you have to. For me, cutting out food groups while doing this is the easiest way for me to do it. Your mileage may vary.
2. You can get used to it fairly quickly. Yes, I'm still hungry all the fucking time, but it's also getting easier and easier to turn down the forbidden fruits. You start to realize that those things you think are "missing out on" will be options in the not-so-distant future. That realization finally hit me this past weekend and helped keep me on track. Luckily, my workouts haven't been suffering, so I don't feel the need to binge, either.
3. Getting back on track can be very easy too, if your head is in the right place. I went off the rails a bit this past weekend, caving and having some brownies and cookies and a few other foods not on the list (again, many would say this isn't a bad thing, but fuck you, I'm doing it this way). Normally, and for most, that is cause to scrap it all together. However, I was able to put it in perspective and simply get back to the list. End result? Minimizing the damage.
I realize there are others far worse off than myself in terms of where they are, how much they have to lose, etc. But that doesn't mean the same principles don't apply. And if all else fails, when you're hungry and thinking about going off script, I try to remember what Paul Carter says - "so what, it's not cancer. Deal with it, bitch."