“How’s your food diary looking?” my PT Zack asked during my session this morning.

“Okay” I replied.  “I indulged over the weekend.  Lots of chocolate and Haribo and pizza and crisps. I must’ve gone well over my calorie count”.

“How about the last couple of weeks more generally?” Zack enquired.

“All good.  I’ve had a few lighter days too”.

“Perfect” Zack replied. “A lot of people think that having a daily calorie count is like a cage.  That it traps you.  But it’s not.  It’s freedom.  You can eat as much as you want on any given day so long as you stay balanced over the long term”.

Of course, Zack’s right.

Having a daily calorie limit sometimes feels restrictive.

But actually, it’s freeing.

I can grab a cinnamon swirl from Pret or order a last minute lamb bhuna whenever I want.

As long as I keep things balanced over time, the calorie limit leads to freedom.

Which got me pondering: if limits do lead to freedom, why did the defined limits of working between 9 and 5 every day feel the opposite of free?

I think I’ve figured it out.

Thing is, even though I was contracted to work 9 to 5, that wasn’t the reality.

Some days I worked 9 to 6, or 8 to 8. 

And other days I started working at 9, almost hit 5, and then a last minute request meant I stayed at work for another 3 hours.

So the goalposts kept changing. 

It would be like Zack setting me a daily 2,400 calorie target, then Whatsapping me at 9pm asking me to quaff another 2,000 calories before midnight.

I don’t think I could ever get used to this.  It would be too disruptive and unreasonable.

But I did get used to the façade of the “9 to 5”.  I shrugged my shoulders and made a choice to go along with it. 

And this wasn’t the only choice I made at work.

I chose not to delegate work…

I chose not to push back on last minute deadlines…

And I chose to put work ahead of other parts of my life.

At the time, it didn’t feel like I was choosing.  In fact, it didn’t even feel like there was a choice to make.

But looking back now, I can see there was.  I could’ve chosen to act differently.

And sure, there might’ve been consequences.  But that doesn't mean there wasn’t a choice.

So what I see now is that defined limits and boundaries do mean freedom…

(whether it’s in the gym, at work, or anywhere else)

…but only when I’m choosing how I operate within those limits and boundaries.

Might sound like I’m stating the bleedin’ obvious.  But this idea eluded me for 13 years!

And now I‘ve grasped it, I’m making more choices in all parts of life.

Not just to make things happen rather than passively accept things...

But also to enjoy the freedom that comes with making choices.

That's it for today.

Catch you tomorrow.

 - Tom