Archive for the ‘Rest & Relaxation’ Category
The Dilemma:
After a 5am gym appointment, why on earth did I come to work and want a cookie? (Or 2?)
It might have to do with the fact that
1. It was THERE
2. I was tired. My previous conditioning was that when I felt tired, I would react by eating. Especially carbohydrates… simple carbohydrates. Aka the ‘s’ word.
3. It’s sugar.. sweet, tempting, and so willing to jump right in and wreak havoc on your insides.
The Analysis:
So here’s my thought process when trying to recondition myself and stop an undesirable behavior.
1. Do I really want this? (Am I being present?) This is the hardest thing to determine. There are a wide variety of factors that cause you to reach for food to ingest that is detrimental to your body.
2. Is this part of my cycles? Be sure to track your physical and emotional cycles. These cycles include emotions, stressed, tired, or overwhelmed; transitions; disruptions in daily rhythms and routines; hormonal (i.e. time of month). Knowing your cycles and finding cues to remind yourself in moments of weakness is key; it is the first step in mastering your behavior.
3. What part of me wants this- my body, my mind, or my spirit?
A. BODY: Truly hungry- experiencing hunger pains, fatigue/sense of passing out, lack of energy due to low fuel source
B. MIND: Mental dialogue is saying you “SHOULD” eat. Maybe after a workout, or you “haven’t had enough” today. This type of urge is spurred by outside influences- like an article you read or something you heard. You hear your inner chatter giving you reasons and excuses.
C.SPIRIT: Something is missing, and you’re trying to fill a void. What you really want may be peace. Maybe you have something else you want to accomplish.
D. EGO: Deep down there is a part of you that wants to stay stuck in your same cycle of habits. That part of you wants to stay conditioned because it’s easy- it’s not fulfilling, or joyful, but it’s easy and it doesn’t take a lot of discipline, self-awareness, or critical thought. This part of you justifies that you “deserve” it, but doesn’t take into account your goals for becoming your highest self.
4. How will I feel after? Will I feel pleasure, more energetic, guilty, out of control? A typical cycle may be: pleasure at first, then a sense of being out of control, then guilty, then later experiencing a sugar crash. You may convince yourself you can eat just one, but your body may get primed and want more junky “food.”
5. How will I feel if I take the opposite/higher action that is in line with my values and goals? Disciplined, clean, healthy, guilt-free, free from conditioning, one step closer to my goals.
6. More importantly! Assuming I am not actually physically hungry, and I don’t want to struggle with this anymore…
What can I do to make this better for myself the next time around? How can I replace this behavior with a better one that lines up with my goals– how can I recondition myself?
This is an opportunity to choose a new behavior. Many suggestions include choosing a better food– but we’re going to take it to the next level, push our discipline, and use this for growth. Challenge yourself to choose an action that has nothing to do with eating or nutrition. Instead, use this as an opportunity to make progress in another realm of your life. Meditation, Yoga, stretching, doing pushups, squats, lunges, pullups, reading, prayer, writing, studying, finishing tasks and tackling things you procrastinate on, playing a musical instrument, and catering to your relationships can all help channel your energy into something more productive. Any activity that you see in line with your highest self is a fruitful endeavors that will give you a sense of accomplishment, and help you to fade out the unwanted behavior.
Slowly but surely, by choosing new behaviors in your minor day-to-day struggles, you will makeover your lifestyle to align with your goals.
The Facts:
Just to pound it home, sugar is not the solution.
Current emotional constructs surrounding sugar are as follows: happy happy joy joy, smiling children, colorful foods.. the media has hyped up high-sugar content foods because they are CHEAP and they are ADDICTING.
Sodas, candy, and other packaged confections are a cocktail of chemicals and highly processed “food stuff.” White sugar adds calories, while non-calorie sweeteners make chemical changes in the brain resulting in desire for more sweet foods at the most innocent, and migraines and cancer at its most heinous. Just because they are in foods doesn’t mean they’re innocent: Aspartame was rejected multiple times before finally getting slight approval, and that’s only because the person trying to pass it got into the organization.
Nutritional life is much easier when you steer clear of sugary foods, and the habits and influences that had you eating them in the first place.
Suggested Readings:
Skinny Bitch – Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Food Rules – Michael Pollan
http://www.womens-wellbeing-and-mental-health.com/Premenstrual-Cravings.html
Rest Days and Varying Workouts
Posted on: September 18, 2012
My sister suggested I do a post on the importance of rest days and varying workouts.
Rest Day
As long as “Rest” Day does not imply the same as a “cheat’ day, I think it’s great to listen to your body and reduce stress. Make sure to choose activities that go WITH your goal: a bubble bath, meditation, reading. Always eliminate practices that you know will reverse the effects of your workouts and induce guilt (i.e. Rest day should not be synonymous with junk-food day). Instead, use your rest day to replace one or more of your unhealthy habits with other relaxing, cleansing activities. Still continue to eat clean and mostly raw fruits and vegetables and do light exercise if you’re up to it.
More than a day of literal resting/laziness, I think it is more important to listen to your body, get adequate sleep, and be CONSISTENT.
For practical reasons, and for most of the people I know who aren’t working out like bodybuilders- a rest day is not necessary for the body, but more for the mind. It offers a break in the week where you know you don’t HAVE to do anything. (You may find yourself at a point where your daily routine incorporates exercise into your every day life- stretching, pushups, squats, lunges. Once working out becomes your stress reliever, a rest day will seem unnatural ; ] )
Recovery
I do think Recovery is important– It does not necessarily imply that you are resting. Recovery can be as simple as making sure you consume protein after a workout (protein shake, lean meat, eggs) and also using your breakfast the next day to further your recovery process. 24 hours after a workout, your body is still healing itself so a protein-based breakfast will keep the healing going (eggs, protein shake).
Varying Your Techniques
We’ve all heard it before: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
If you continue to do the same thing, it’s like continuing to do the same math problem every day and expecting to learn more math. Muscles grow and adapt to your workout routine. If your routine is running 3 miles a day, that’s fantastic at the beginning. You’re building endurance, you’re burning calories, and you are strengthening your cardiovascular and pulmonary processes (heart and lungs). However, after some time, your body gets into the routine and stops building and burning as much. You still burn some calories, but not as many. You still get a workout, but it’s a little ho-hum- and you’re neglecting all the other beautiful parts of your body that want attention, too.
The point here is not to “throw your body off,” it’s to work different muscles. Keep yourself and your muscles interested by pushing yourself a little further: Do more repetitions, try a workout class, watch people in the gym, go to Discoveryhealth.com or Youtube.com to check out new exercise videos.
Take Home Points:
1. Listen to your body
2. Vary Workouts
3. Keep building
Suggested Resources:
http://www.bodyrock.tv (AWESOME workouts under 15 minutes)
Discovery Health
Insanity or P90x Workouts
Headstrong Health: The Psychology of Getting Fit 