How to outwork a bad diet

Hi, I’m Matt. Welcome to Steady Beats: a newsletter about building the middle-aged life you want in small and steady beats.

How to outwork a bad diet

Today’s subject line is … clickbait.

Sorry.

You cannot outwork a bad diet—especially at midlife.

But over the short run, when you’re overindulging? Maybe you can make the hole you’re digging a bit less deep with a bit more work.

I’ve been trying to keep the hole shallow as I’ve taken in a breathtaking amount of food this holiday season. Ribs. Tenderloin. Chocolate covered pretzels. Sugar cookies. Angel food cake. Wine. Cheese dip. Cheese potatoes. And a few beers.

It hasn’t been pretty. But it has been pretty delicious.

And if we have extra time to eat, we should also have time for some extra calorie-burning, in the form of more Zone 2-ish cardio, right? Lord knows I needed it.

Longer cardio sessions can get a little dull. So I tried some cardio stacking over the holidays. For example:

After an hour on the elliptical, I came home and cruised the neighborhood for a few miles at a 10-minute+ pace.

Yesterday, I felt more ambitious. I jogged to the gym, did an hour on the elliptical, and then jogged home.

But Apple Maps lied to me.

The map said the trip was 2.3 miles each way. No big deal. But it turns out it was 3.4 miles each way, so I got more than I bargained for:

The best part: no exhaustion at the end. The tank was not empty.

The point of cardio stacking isn’t too exhaust yourself. It’s to take in more Zone 2 cardio as you take in more Christmas calories.

A longer burn, not a hotter one.

The evidence shows the older we get, the more easy cardio we need. Cardio stacking a couple of different workouts together is a good way to get a bunch of work in and ward off the boredom.

If you don’t want to “Cardio Stack” as you overindulge, just get your habits right.

It’s ok to go a little off the rails at times as long you know your habits will have you right back on track.

Over the long run, the right habits that matter more than some extra cookies or a few lengthy workouts.

Here’s wishing you a happy and healthy new year—and that you enjoy the trip along the way.

---

Thank you for reading in 2023.

Let’s keep the Steady Beats going. 💚

If you enjoyed this edition, would you mind giving the heart below a click?