One day at a time

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit.

In my case, this means 21 days of moaning, groaning, sweating and cursing, before I am habituated back to the idea of eating less and exercising more.

Last week I went to the gym on four days, and this week I’ve kicked things up a notch by gymming every day as well as self-propelling myself to work. That is, I’ve cycled or I’ve walked in as well as gone off to work out at lunchtime.

So does that mean I’m seven days into the formation of my habit, or should I count the days I haven’t exercised as well? In which case it’s more like 10 days into my habit.

But I’m not sure that works, because it would mean I’m closer to the total 21-day milestone but have not exercised as much as I would have if we’re counting exercise days only. I’d be closer to my goal, but yet – and this is the true irony of the situation – actually further away.

And can I really count the day I had a wonderfully kilojoule-laden dinner with My One True Love for his birthday, as a day towards the 21-day milestone?

Or the days on which I had some of the yummy Nigella chocolate-hazelnut cake?

In which case I need to take a few days out of the equation, and I probably end up back around 5 days.

But then, perhaps exercise cancels *out* the chocolate-hazelnut cake, because there were definitely days on which I both ate cake, and went to the gym. So I can probably add a few days back in.

But then there were days on which I didn’t exercise, but didn’t eat cake either. What value do *those* days have?

This reasoning process reminds me too much of the iocane powder conundrum in The Princess Bride, and I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it.

Hey, does brain exercise count?? I can add some more days in!