Ok, I start class (9-noon daily) on Monday, and have been holding on to that as “restart day”. (Because let’s get serious, life is really about trying to minimize time between these restarts sometimes…)
But why not today?
“Because I don’t wanna.”
But you’d be one day closer
“Because half of today is already gone. What kind of start would it be in only half a day?”
So?
Alright. Argument won. I will get off my butt and accomplish something.
Fuck losing weight.
Fuck it all.
My new goal is to get my athlete back. The person who can walk around holding her head high, knowing that she could take any comer.
Last week, I went to yoga every morning, and ran 2 miles to and from CrossFit each day. Best week ever. This weekend I’ve been working hardcore on giving myself more stretch marks with all the junk I’ve been stress-eating as I study for finals that are this Tuesday and Wednesday, but that’s life.
I know I need routine. I know I need to push myself. Week after this one, I start a “Maymester” intensive class that’ll be three hours of class per day. This just begs for order, schedule and routine. Sweeeeet. Also, I’m not going to buy a parking permit, so it’s either take the bus in or ride my bike the 9 miles. Hopefully I’ll be doing the latter more often.
I’m going to get this book on my Nook. Or, maybe audio if it’s available, and then I can listen to it on the bus on my iPod (yay technology!).
I read about processed foods a while back, and it certainly got me thinking. Most baked deserts you buy in a package aren’t even baked! They’re just the result of a chemical reaction.
This is a great interview that further encourages my increasing skepticism of any food in packaging that will last longer than the broccoli in my fridge…
Best question: “In the book, you write about visiting a plant that mines phosphorus, an ingredient used in explosives, matches and artillery shells. Why is it used in a Twinkie?”
…I will eat with purpose and planning all day. This includes cooking a meal for dinner, not eating microwaved turkey bacon and cans of green beans and beets (ahem, last night).
…I will complete a room before and after.
…I will abstain from all television and movies.
Zucchini spaghetti!
New favorite paleo dinner.
Slice up a zucchini into “noodles”, put into boiling water for one minute, then rinse with cool water.
I added pasta sauce and some ground turkey for yum-yum-yumness.
Ok, so after taking the recovery time I needed (turned out to be more than I wanted it to be, but in hindsight about what I should have expected), things coming back on track.
The big thing to accomplish this week is getting the house in order. So tomorrow my goal is to do a before-after of one room in the house. Embarrassing as it may be…
When I screw up, I punish myself with food. It’s a little bit comfort eating, but especially now, it happens because I reach a point where I feel like it’s what I deserve.
I’ve put on 2-3 pounds since Thursday as a result of this + no exercise + stress/depression.
But I’m not going to beat myself up. I’m still ahead of where I was in January, and I didn’t suddenly lose a huge amount of fitness in 5 days.
Tomorrow, I go to the doctor in the morning, I embrace the busy schedule that means my only choice is to eat my planned food, and I exercise.
What’s done is done, right now I need to not blame myself for letting this happen, but learn and move forward.
Learn, and move forward. Always forward.
Listened to this as an audio book- definitely the best way :)
So, after a great week last week, I landed flat on my face this weekend.
Found out my fiance’s cousin was in Vail for the weekend, from New York, so we headed up there for Saturday and Sunday nights to visit. Decided to take the weekend off.
Unfortunately, ran out of my depression medication on Thursday (I’ve been on it for clinical depression since I was 14, not normally a significant part of my life in any way). The confounding factor was that I’m out of refills, and haven’t had a physical recently enough for the doctor to re-prescribe. Trying to enjoy food, I underestimated how much I had adjusted to smaller portion sizes and paleo, and made myself pretty overstuffed/sick right off the bat. From there, it was downhill. Today was the worst.
Luckily, I have a doctor’s appointment Wednesday, so I should be back on the meds and taken care of soon. In the mean time, I’ve planned out all my meals for the week, including the weekend and planned indulgences.
On a happier note: I found sandals to wear with my wedding dress :)
Whole Wheat Bread:
One hundred percent whole grains are high in fiber and help to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Unfortunately, many bread manufacturers are adding too much salt in their recipes, negating the bread’s health benefits. Slices can average from 260 to 400 mg, and considering most people have 2 slices at a time, the sodium can add up. There are brands that provide less than 170 mg per slice, which should be the maximum amount per slice.
Breakfast Cereal:
A high fiber bowl of cereal with low-fat milk and berries is a healthy way to start the day. On the other hand, if you aren’t careful, it could be the start to a high sodium day. Many people check the cereal’s food label for calories, fiber, and sugar and rarely look at the sodium content. With ranges approximately 170 to 280 mg per serving, this nutrient should not be overlooked. Hands down your best bet to avoid sodium in cereal is to look for shredded wheat brands and plain oatmeal.
Cottage Cheese:
Whether you have it with fruit salad, as a topping on a baked potato, or in place of regular cheese, this versatile food is known as a good source of calcium and protein. But with an average of 400 mg sodium per ½ cup serving, it can change a healthy dish into a high sodium one. Choose no-salt-added cottage cheese for just 60 mg sodium per serving.
Nut Butter:
The only ingredient really needed to make peanut butter is peanuts. Yet, so many companies add sugar, palm and hydrogenated oils, and lots of salt to enhance the taste. An average 2 tablespoon serving of nut butter can have as many as 125 mg of sodium. Get into the habit of buying a no sodium added nut butter or break out the food processor and make your own.
Salad Dressing:
Salad should be a staple in your diet because of the endless health benefits of greens and veggies. Also, eating salad with dinner helps to fill you up so you’re less likely to overeat. Beware though because your salad dressing may be sabotaging your good intentions by adding a giant dose of sodium to your meal. Be on the lookout for dressings that range as high as 230 to 550 mg per serving. Follow this simple step-by-step guide to making your own vinaigrette.
Tomato Sauce:
Opening up a can of tomato sauce and preparing an antioxidant-rich pasta dinner is a simple, go-to dinner. However, many brands of tomato sauce are as high as 670 mg per serving. If you can’t find a low sodium brand in the store, try making your own.
When/if whole wheat tortillas make their way back into my diet, this looks… yeah :).
(via crossfit-finesse)
Ok, so at the moment I am running as slow as molasses. But ah don’ cayre :)!
I listened to Born to Run on the treadmill, and yesterday moved on to The Widow Clicquot, about the female founder of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagne (it’s my favorite; in fact we’re using their trademark yellow as one of our wedding colors this summer) in the early 1800s. So far, seems pretty interesting. And
audio books on the treadmill? AWESOME.
Unlike outside running, I have trouble focusing/getting in the zone on a treadmill, and listening to a book makes it soooo much easier. Now I just have a favorite spot I stare at on the wall opposite in the gym, and go in to zen-zone-out for like five minutes at a time.
So, I’ve made it clear that while I may find benefit in eating paleo for periods of time, I think it is an arbitrary and unsupported set of rules. When people ask if I would recommend that they try it, I usually say no. Without doing it as part of a group, I think there are better ways to get the same benefits with less cost and less risk.
That being said, I am all about discourse :). I don’t mind listening to things I disagree with, as long as they get me thinking. So while this specially selected group of “experts” will almost certainly all be more pro-paleo than you average industry expert, I bet they’ll have some points I agree with. And in the end, that’s my health goal.
I want to feed my body the food that will allow me to live a healthy life, accomplish my goals, and make me happy. I may end up following some rules from paleo, some ideas from the vegan-encouraging “Forks Over Knives”, some advice from my parents on Weight Watchers. Maybe Tosca Reno will have some thoughts that will be useful as well. I’m not looking for A way to eat- I’m working on MY way to eat.
So, I didn’t make it to WOD or strength yesterday. M-W-F I go to the 11:30am WODs, but on T-Th I have to go to the 5pm. Yesterday I got home from class and was too overwhelmed by all the things to do around the house, that I spent an hour cleaning (seemingly barely making a difference) instead of working out. Then I devoted some time to getting wedding ideas together to send to the planner.
I was/am sad about it, but in the the end I’ll just do my best to get some progress in this weekend, and be glad the dishes are done and I have clean towels now. I also got all our plastic bags to the recycle bin at the grocery store, and a big bag to Goodwill. So yay for that :).
And, I got enough done wedding-planning-wise to get to sleep feeling on top of it all. Even if it meant spending several hours doing seemingly (and a little actually) unproductive bridal magazine flipping looking at things like this:
However, worth noting that I am TOTALLY ON TOP OF IT with my eating this week. Aside from Wednesday’s adjustment for the chocolate hearts, I have eaten exactly as planned, and felt completely satisfied the entire week. I plan on trying to be conservative but unplanned for the weekend and then planning ahead next week the same way I did this week.
But I know myself. The temptation will be there to relax just a bit too much and let things like portion control and good decision making slide just often enough to take a step or two backward. I should probably impose some guidelines, or come up with a way to keep my brain on track. Anyone have good ideas on how to keep focused and not end up treating the weekend as a “days off” free-for-all?
They’ve infiltrated virtually every supermarket, convenience store, gym, yoga studio and even sporting goods stores. Energy bars are synonymous with healthy, quick and energizing food for these modern times, relied upon by millions for a fast, waxy-cardboard-esque-quasi-tasty boost of calories, protein and carbs. But before you power through your next Power Bar, have you considered these five reasons to ditch energy bars?
Protein isolates: One of the most common ingredients in energy bars is isolated protein. Whether soy or whey, protein isolates are often extracted with chemical solvents like hexane—a polluting toxin linked to cancer. Soy, often genetically modified, contributes to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and can have negative effects on hormone levels. Many conventional whey proteins have been found to contain heavy metals and toxins resulting from antibiotics, hormones and other drugs routinely fed to dairy cows.
Sugar: While they sound healthier than, say, a cookie, energy bars can contain as much—or more—sugar than common snack foods. For example, one Luna bar contains almost as much sugar as three Oreos!
Fractionated oils: Stabilizers are common ingredients in energy bars. Fractionated oils can contain nearly 90 percent saturated fat. While not as bad as hydrogenated oil, it is an unhealthy option; and fractionated palm kernel oil is often sourced from conflict regions where slave labor is common.
Preservatives: Fact: Freshness means “not preserved,” but processed foods contain preservatives to produce a fresh-tasting and “un-stale” product… confusing, right? And what’s worse, certain preservatives have been linked to allergies, neurological and behavioral issues, and certain types of cancer.
Packaging: While a little foil-wrapped bar might appear convenient, packaging waste takes a huge toll on the planet, sucks up resources like fresh water and contributes to pollution.
So… instead of spending $2-$4 every time you need a quick energy boost, try sating yourself with super protein rich and energy-packed nuts like almonds, walnuts or Brazil nuts. Or, make a quick chia seed porridge, which will keep you feeling full and energized for hours at a fraction of the cost of an energy bar. Nature also makes a number of tasty energy “bars,” although they come in much more exciting shapes and colors like Orange, Granny Smith Green, Blueberry or Nectarine. Dried fruits are also an easy, yummy, munch-on-the-go snack that can fuel you with flavor and fiber. And making your own energy bars from scratch with seeds, oats and healthy proteins like hemp can be a fun way to make sure you get pure energy… and nothing else.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
For me, it’s the last paragraph that really hits home. There are so many other options requiring less money and no additional effort!
Bars of all sorts are INCREDIBLY OVERPRICED, because so many people are willing to pay for convenience. Companies put “healthy” or “all natural” on the label to convince us that this UN-natural processed substance counts as food. Besides, since so many of them have significant sugar, I end up craving them like I would real Oreos!
Ironically, I’ve chosen to actually pay more in order to buy Larabars, which I keep in my gym bag and cupboard but reserve for emergencies only. For a while I was in love with the new Balance Nimble bar, with balanced macros, but had to ditch them when I realized they were exacerbating my love for sugar (in addition to all the other downsides of bars).
It's small actions and small decisions that eventually build big accomplishment!Top
