Everyday Systems

I have been really thinking about the 14 minutes of ANYTHING, and I may have stumbled across another reason it can be more powerful than uberprograms. I see again and again in vlogs, blogs, and forum posts what boils down to, "I trained extra hard/long today, so I blew my diet. Oh, well, after training so hard, I deserve the treat/extra portion(s), etc."

What these folks don't understand is that they didn't earn a splurge at all. First, what are the chances that these folks actually created a significantly higher caloric deficit through harder/longer training than they do through their normal training? It pays to actually look up calories burned during various activities and compare to the calories eaten in food rewards.

Also, I've heard coaches such as Dan John and Mark Sisson discuss that they've seen harder/longer training (especially longer) really increase appetite. So, unless you have millions of dollars on the line or millions of pairs of eyes on your progress (and in-person sessions with militant trainers), your apetite may overcome your willpower.

I think the most important issue is the mistaken idea that harder training is "extra-virtuous," and therefore earns compensatory vice to keep balance.

This is where 14 minutes of ANYTHING comes in handy. Google "Calories burned by activity" and take a gander at the fact that you burned under 300 calories (and maybe under 200) in 14 minutes, regardless of what you did. With that in mind, use Reinhard's enlightened self-mockery tactic, "What did I do in 14 minutes that actually earned me a snack, a sweet, or a second plate?"

Yet, 14 minutes is still enough to preserve or even build muscle tissue, if you apply yourself.

Good thoughts.

Further, the 14 minute rule is one I often apply to things I don't want to do: I'll spend 14 minutes cleaning the basement. If usually turns in to much longer, but I can commit 14 minutes without feeling the need to procrastinate.

storm fox wrote:I have been really thinking about the 14 minutes of ANYTHING, and I may have stumbled across another reason it can be more powerful than uberprograms. I see again and again in vlogs, blogs, and forum posts what boils down to, "I trained extra hard/long today, so I blew my diet. Oh, well, after training so hard, I deserve the treat/extra portion(s), etc."

What these folks don't understand is that they didn't earn a splurge at all. First, what are the chances that these folks actually created a significantly higher caloric deficit through harder/longer training than they do through their normal training? It pays to actually look up calories burned during various activities and compare to the calories eaten in food rewards.

Also, I've heard coaches such as Dan John and Mark Sisson discuss that they've seen harder/longer training (especially longer) really increase appetite. So, unless you have millions of dollars on the line or millions of pairs of eyes on your progress (and in-person sessions with militant trainers), your apetite may overcome your willpower.

I think the most important issue is the mistaken idea that harder training is "extra-virtuous," and therefore earns compensatory vice to keep balance.

This is where 14 minutes of ANYTHING comes in handy. Google "Calories burned by activity" and take a gander at the fact that you burned under 300 calories (and maybe under 200) in 14 minutes, regardless of what you did. With that in mind, use Reinhard's enlightened self-mockery tactic, "What did I do in 14 minutes that actually earned me a snack, a sweet, or a second plate?"

Yet, 14 minutes is still enough to preserve or even build muscle tissue, if you apply yourself.

I use 14 minutes for cleaning, too. And I try to cultivate it as a habit when there's a mess, although I haven't resorted to adding it to my HabitCal. 3 habits are about enough for now.

I came across the small-units-of-time-to-clean concept in FlyLady (which, I think it was NoelFigart who mentioned that there is a lot of overlap between that program and Everyday Systems). She recommends the use of a timer.

But the 14 minute concept as expressed here is what really gets me to stop procrastinating and do it ("smaller than a time slot in your schedule"). I set a timer and then I feel like a kid hearing the class dismissed bell when it goes off!

I like the idea of using the 14 mins for cleaning. i think that I am going to try that.