I am tired of the six pack-ab being the picture of health. As much as I like being fit, and even working out, you really can't tell much about a person's health by their physique. The only thing that visible ab muscles is indicative of, is low body fat. There is significant research out there to suggest that it is, in fact, indicative of too low body fat for most individuals who's metabolisms don't naturally gravitate towards lower levels of body fat. The rest of us are meant to be just a little more lush, with enough protective padding to sustain us when we're ill, fatigued, or under stress.
The inspiration for this rant was a locker room conversation I overheard yesterday through the vents in the sauna. Eavesdropping at the gym is admittedly bad form, but sometimes people talk loud enough that you can't NOT hear them. And anyway, it's not like I'm naming names. The two guys in question are approximately 25ish, cut, ripped, torn, whatever vernacular you want to use, and they were talking about nutrition. Naturally I was intrigued.
What they were really talking about was lean chicken and turkey breast, protein shakes, pre and post workout supplements, creatine boosters, herbal anabolic boosters, and energy drinks. It's difficult to sound like a dude when your diet resembles that of a starving supermodel. Seeing as I've also witnessed both of them standing outside the door of the gym smoking, it isn't a stretch of the imagination to conclude that what these two live on is a diet of supplements, stimulants, and nicotine with a few bits of food thrown in on "cheat days" so that their digestive tracts don't atrophy completely.
Does that sound like a health to you?
Yet, year after year, the exercise and diet industry makes billions, if not trillions, of dollars on selling products to us, and to these two young muscle-heads, to achieve or maintain a body that most of us just, shouldn't, have. And, I will add, wouldn't expect to have if it weren't for the multi-billion dollar nutraceutical industries. This is not better living through chemistry, it's hooking up a mainline between the factory and our bloodstream.
Yes, I am angry - even outraged - but not for the reasons one might initially suspect. Yes, I'm a forty five year old macro, but that doesn't mean I am jealous of their youth or physique. I am a reasonable person, and I know that some people just naturally retain less body fat than others, and when those people exercise they have a difficult time gaining muscle. There are also those of us who could workout to exhaustion every single day of our lives and never have a waist measurement lower than thirty six inches. My anger stems from the fact that there are millions of people spending billions of dollars in the hopes of achieving unrealistic results, that may only be achievable for a very short period of time by tricking your body with a long list of chemicals. And, when the trick stops working, your left with the choice of either raising the stakes or finding a new trick. You are exactly where the makers of those chemicals want you, dependent on them.
The only way to achieve life long health, fitness, flexibility and balance, is to listen to, and work with your body. It is not the enemy, it is you! Chemicals that produce immediate results, will not produce long lasting results. And, finally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
This isn't rocket science.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Does Sleepwalking Count as Cardio?
So, here I sit with my iPad trying to tap out something meaningful, and finding myself lacking the drive. I think it is finally time to admit I am still in holiday hangover mode. I've been having trouble falling asleep, and once I am, well, we'll just say have the freedom to stay in bed much longer than I should.
Sometimes life isn't fair. I am in the best shape I have been in for years, but that means the differential between my shoulders and hips is even greater, which means I can't seem to get comfortable in my usual sleeping positions. When I do try a new position, every cell of my body keeps telling me "this is not the favored position for falling asleep." Having difficulty sleeping hardly seems like a great payoff for all the work it has taken to get here.
Boohoo. I guess I'll work through it. I wouldn't go back now anyway.
Tonight is my first intense cardio session of the new year. I am looking forward to it, or rather, I am looking forward to how I know I'm going to feel afterwards. It should be interesting considering my iPod is loaded with nothing but Christmas music. Reloading it, with upbeat songs more appropriate for the gym, was on my agenda for today, but got skipped so I could stay in bed just a little longer. Oh well, procrastination is the mother of necessity, or something like that. I guess I'll get to it tomorrow. With the temperatures in the single digits, and a windchill warning on its way, I am also very much looking forward to climbing into the sauna after my workout.
And speaking of holiday hangovers, I discovered - I just got on the scale - that I have put on three pounds over the holidays. This is neither surprising, nor a big deal: it just is. I think I have finally learned my lesson as far as holiday stress goes too. It is just too costly to push myself trying to make everyone else happy, when I could do just a little bit less, and still have time to take care of myself. I have also come to realize that 90% of the expectation is in my own head. And, since I'm the one doing the lion's share of the work, I should just go ahead and do what I want. There is a decent chance that no one is going to notice the difference.
Sometimes life isn't fair. I am in the best shape I have been in for years, but that means the differential between my shoulders and hips is even greater, which means I can't seem to get comfortable in my usual sleeping positions. When I do try a new position, every cell of my body keeps telling me "this is not the favored position for falling asleep." Having difficulty sleeping hardly seems like a great payoff for all the work it has taken to get here.
Boohoo. I guess I'll work through it. I wouldn't go back now anyway.
Tonight is my first intense cardio session of the new year. I am looking forward to it, or rather, I am looking forward to how I know I'm going to feel afterwards. It should be interesting considering my iPod is loaded with nothing but Christmas music. Reloading it, with upbeat songs more appropriate for the gym, was on my agenda for today, but got skipped so I could stay in bed just a little longer. Oh well, procrastination is the mother of necessity, or something like that. I guess I'll get to it tomorrow. With the temperatures in the single digits, and a windchill warning on its way, I am also very much looking forward to climbing into the sauna after my workout.
And speaking of holiday hangovers, I discovered - I just got on the scale - that I have put on three pounds over the holidays. This is neither surprising, nor a big deal: it just is. I think I have finally learned my lesson as far as holiday stress goes too. It is just too costly to push myself trying to make everyone else happy, when I could do just a little bit less, and still have time to take care of myself. I have also come to realize that 90% of the expectation is in my own head. And, since I'm the one doing the lion's share of the work, I should just go ahead and do what I want. There is a decent chance that no one is going to notice the difference.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Depression and The Body
I came across the following article when a friend of mine posted the link below on Facebook:
As I mentioned briefly, I have suffered from anxiety and depression for most of my adult life - most of it undiagnosed - and at one time, or another, have tried most of the leading medications on the market. I have only anecdotal evidence to base my opinions on, I am neither a doctor nor a scientist so, don't sue me if what I'm about to say doesn't hold true for you. Any treatment of moderate to severe depression should ideally involve medical and psychological professionals.
Depression, at least in my experience of it, is of the body. It is not the sole property of one organ either. I believe that we aren't going to find a cure for depression, and many of the other "mental illnesses" until we let go of the Cartesian (Rene Descartes) ideal that our intellect and emotional being is separate from our biology. We are, therefore we think. Our bodies are not mechanical transportation for our intellect, our intellect is as much a function of our biology as the digestion of food. To put an even blunter point on it, our emotional life is as much blood and guts as the rest of our bodies processes.
Philosophies aside, I 'capitol k,' know that when I take better care of my body, I experience a reduction in the duration, and intensity, of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. I know that eating well, and exercising are the reasons I am able to stay away from the pharmacy counter, and all those drugs that have - at least for me - done more harm, than good. I know, as much as it is not my sole reason for eating well and exercising, that loosing 30 lbs has bolstered both my self esteem, and given me more energy to act on any of the pursuits I wish to give my time to.
While research, such as highlighted in the attached newspaper article, gives me hope that one day we might have a better handle on mental illness in general, I am not willing to wait - nor do I think anyone should - until all the evidence has been collected. Any relief from anxiety and depression is evidence enough to continue to eat well - and as cleanly as you can - get plenty of exercise, and even more importantly, plenty of rest.
So I will amend my earlier statement, by saying that any treatment plan for depression should involve a medical doctor, a psychologist, a nutritionist, and a membership to a gym, or at least a good pair of walking shoes.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Forget Pilates, Go Shovel the Snow
In honor of today's weather I will share this: did you know that shoveling snow at a moderate pace burns approximately 400 - 600 calories per hour? Doing some simple math, I'm up to ~1000 calories and I have at least ~1000 more that I'll burn by the end of the night.
All of this is to say, it's snowing here.
And now it's time for another confession. I enjoy shoveling the snow, even on the occasions when I know it's a slightly futile act because there is just more snow coming. I do not like using the snow blower that belongs to my father-in-law because a: it's a beast of a thing that could clear a parking lot, and b: it doesn't do a very good job. It is, I must admit, great for clearing the gravel private road to our house, but for the paved driveway, it kind of sucks. If there is a "c:" it would be because I'm afraid I'll break it.
I like shoveling snow because, while a bid mindless and repetitive, you can actually see your progress as you work literally down to the last shovel width you just cleared. Unlike, say, being able to see your progress at the gym. I like it because it is good exercise, as mentioned above, and I like it because it gives me an excuse to get outside. I like it best when the air is cold, and the snow is thick enough to dampen all sound. I even like the scarping sound the shovel makes as it runs along the pavement.
And that brings me to yet another confession. Sitting for long periods of time makes me unhappy. As much as I will complain when I do not get time to sit and relax, and as much as I am aggravated when common household chores are ALWAYS left to me, I am my father's son, and I get cranky when I'm stuck indoors, inactive.
To me, experiencing the cold and inclement weather, feeling the chill on your skin, the tightness of your bronchioles and sinuses as you breath, and even the ache in your fingers and toes, is part of being really alive. I will harp on this, sometimes eloquently and sometimes not, until I no longer have the ability to speak: it does not do to hide indoors until warmer weather returns.
Or as my father would put it, "yeah, its' cold. So?"
All of this is to say, it's snowing here.
And now it's time for another confession. I enjoy shoveling the snow, even on the occasions when I know it's a slightly futile act because there is just more snow coming. I do not like using the snow blower that belongs to my father-in-law because a: it's a beast of a thing that could clear a parking lot, and b: it doesn't do a very good job. It is, I must admit, great for clearing the gravel private road to our house, but for the paved driveway, it kind of sucks. If there is a "c:" it would be because I'm afraid I'll break it.
I like shoveling snow because, while a bid mindless and repetitive, you can actually see your progress as you work literally down to the last shovel width you just cleared. Unlike, say, being able to see your progress at the gym. I like it because it is good exercise, as mentioned above, and I like it because it gives me an excuse to get outside. I like it best when the air is cold, and the snow is thick enough to dampen all sound. I even like the scarping sound the shovel makes as it runs along the pavement.
And that brings me to yet another confession. Sitting for long periods of time makes me unhappy. As much as I will complain when I do not get time to sit and relax, and as much as I am aggravated when common household chores are ALWAYS left to me, I am my father's son, and I get cranky when I'm stuck indoors, inactive.
To me, experiencing the cold and inclement weather, feeling the chill on your skin, the tightness of your bronchioles and sinuses as you breath, and even the ache in your fingers and toes, is part of being really alive. I will harp on this, sometimes eloquently and sometimes not, until I no longer have the ability to speak: it does not do to hide indoors until warmer weather returns.
Or as my father would put it, "yeah, its' cold. So?"
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Six Stages of Change
The DiClemente/Prochaska Six Stages of Change were coined twenty years ago following the researchers career-long experience counseling individuals, and groups, suffering from addiction. I first came across these several years ago in the smoking cessation group I belonged to at the time, and I personally believe they are applicable to any positive change we make in our lives.
The theory begins like this: change is a process, it is not something we do in the same way we would put on new clothing, or turn on a light switch. It takes time, and self awareness to change, and individuals do not necessarily go through these stages in order. For illustration, I'll use examples related to nutrition and fitness.
The Six Stages of Change
1. Pre-Contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Determination
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Termination
So, the first of the stages sounds rather odd: What the heck is pre-contemplation? Simply put, we are unaware that change is needed.
When it comes to diet and exercise, most of us are - at least on some level - aware there is a problem. However; we may not yet know if, or how, being overweight and inactive is effecting our longterm, and short-term health. We can't assume, for example, that every individual who is overweight or obese perceives it as a problem. In fact, some of us are just built bigger than others and our size isn't always indicative of any of our metabolic markers for health. (blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose etc)
The contemplation stage is, lets be honest here, where most of us find ourselves when it comes to diet and fitness. We know that change is required, but we have no intention of doing anything about it. Many people become perpetually stuck between this stage and the next: determination.
In the determination stage, we have accepted that we need to make some positive changes but what you still need is a plan, some course of action to take. Unfortunately, the diet and exercise industries are usually our, as well as their own, worst enemies here. We are bombarded with so much misinformation and empty promises that it's difficult to make the right ones. We want an answer, and being as over-scheduled and over-stimulate as we are, we want one that is easy and quick. It's easy to get mired, mislead, and lose hope here. Sending us back into contemplation for long periods of time.
We've reached the action stage. We've chosen some plan of action, and we're going to rip the bandage off, and do it. Here is where the choices we made during the determination stage either pay off, or send us backwards, sometimes all the way to back to the contemplation stage. And, that is perfectly normal. No one hits a home run the first time they step up to the plate, and it's unkind to expect yourself to break that rule.
Look at me using a sports analogue...
Lets assume, for the sake of being positive, that we've made good choices and we've found some lifestyle choices we can live with. We are then in what is called the maintenance stage. Relapse is not only possible, it's normal, and illustrative. It may be possible that the choices you've made are not sustainable for you, or are too extreme for your current health and fitness level. It may be advisable to go back to the determination stage, and consider a new plan of action. Most of us will repeat this many times until we finally achieve the last stage of change: termination.
The change has become our new normal.
The theory begins like this: change is a process, it is not something we do in the same way we would put on new clothing, or turn on a light switch. It takes time, and self awareness to change, and individuals do not necessarily go through these stages in order. For illustration, I'll use examples related to nutrition and fitness.
The Six Stages of Change
1. Pre-Contemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Determination
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Termination
So, the first of the stages sounds rather odd: What the heck is pre-contemplation? Simply put, we are unaware that change is needed.
When it comes to diet and exercise, most of us are - at least on some level - aware there is a problem. However; we may not yet know if, or how, being overweight and inactive is effecting our longterm, and short-term health. We can't assume, for example, that every individual who is overweight or obese perceives it as a problem. In fact, some of us are just built bigger than others and our size isn't always indicative of any of our metabolic markers for health. (blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose etc)
The contemplation stage is, lets be honest here, where most of us find ourselves when it comes to diet and fitness. We know that change is required, but we have no intention of doing anything about it. Many people become perpetually stuck between this stage and the next: determination.
In the determination stage, we have accepted that we need to make some positive changes but what you still need is a plan, some course of action to take. Unfortunately, the diet and exercise industries are usually our, as well as their own, worst enemies here. We are bombarded with so much misinformation and empty promises that it's difficult to make the right ones. We want an answer, and being as over-scheduled and over-stimulate as we are, we want one that is easy and quick. It's easy to get mired, mislead, and lose hope here. Sending us back into contemplation for long periods of time.
We've reached the action stage. We've chosen some plan of action, and we're going to rip the bandage off, and do it. Here is where the choices we made during the determination stage either pay off, or send us backwards, sometimes all the way to back to the contemplation stage. And, that is perfectly normal. No one hits a home run the first time they step up to the plate, and it's unkind to expect yourself to break that rule.
Look at me using a sports analogue...
Lets assume, for the sake of being positive, that we've made good choices and we've found some lifestyle choices we can live with. We are then in what is called the maintenance stage. Relapse is not only possible, it's normal, and illustrative. It may be possible that the choices you've made are not sustainable for you, or are too extreme for your current health and fitness level. It may be advisable to go back to the determination stage, and consider a new plan of action. Most of us will repeat this many times until we finally achieve the last stage of change: termination.
The change has become our new normal.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Is it Bedtime yet?
I have been dragging butt all day today. It took me forever to get started, and, while I did force myself to complete the two projects that absolutely had to be done today, the key word is FORCED. I've drank an entire pot of tea - which I must admit is not unusual for me - but it didn't fulfill it's usual restorative promise. Not only have I felt like crawling back into bed for along winter's nap, I actually drifted off to sleep while my husband was pumping gas this evening. Thankfully, I was not driving the car.
So, as if there was much of a choice, I've decided to listen to what my body is telling me, and do my best to get a little extra sleep tonight. This means that I'll be skipping the gym. In reality this is no big deal, but in my head, it is! I keep telling myself that it's still technically the holidays, but really, do I need an excuse? I will be at the gym every day for the next two weeks, and then at least five times a week until I re-evaluate everything in late spring.
There is a very good reason I am tired. Beyond the obvious holiday hangover, I am trying to adjust my sleep schedule to match my hubby's work schedule for next semester. Until mid-December he was teaching at 8:00am and now he'll be teaching until 9:00pm which puts all after work activities off until at least 11:00pm. If I'm being completely honest I still haven't quite gotten into the groove of daylight saving time, so it's swings and round-abouts really. The saving grace of the late schedule, beside it making my night-owl side happy, is that it's generally very quiet at the gym after 10:00pm. I am not a social gym rat, I enjoy my time there, but I like to do my thing uninterrupted. Shocking, I know.
One of the must do project that got completed today was making Granola. I have published the recipe before, and will publish it again here soon. It has become a family favorite and a pantry staple. It is easy to make, and beats nearly everything on the grocery store shelves in both nutrition, and taste.
As for now, there is little point to going to bed too early because I will just wake up all the earlier tomorrow: I will simply have to white knuckle it until then.
So, as if there was much of a choice, I've decided to listen to what my body is telling me, and do my best to get a little extra sleep tonight. This means that I'll be skipping the gym. In reality this is no big deal, but in my head, it is! I keep telling myself that it's still technically the holidays, but really, do I need an excuse? I will be at the gym every day for the next two weeks, and then at least five times a week until I re-evaluate everything in late spring.
There is a very good reason I am tired. Beyond the obvious holiday hangover, I am trying to adjust my sleep schedule to match my hubby's work schedule for next semester. Until mid-December he was teaching at 8:00am and now he'll be teaching until 9:00pm which puts all after work activities off until at least 11:00pm. If I'm being completely honest I still haven't quite gotten into the groove of daylight saving time, so it's swings and round-abouts really. The saving grace of the late schedule, beside it making my night-owl side happy, is that it's generally very quiet at the gym after 10:00pm. I am not a social gym rat, I enjoy my time there, but I like to do my thing uninterrupted. Shocking, I know.
One of the must do project that got completed today was making Granola. I have published the recipe before, and will publish it again here soon. It has become a family favorite and a pantry staple. It is easy to make, and beats nearly everything on the grocery store shelves in both nutrition, and taste.
As for now, there is little point to going to bed too early because I will just wake up all the earlier tomorrow: I will simply have to white knuckle it until then.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Pressure and Patience
There is a weird kind of urgency to January 1st, a sort of, "do it or break a promise you made to yourself," expectation that can be both exciting and scary. The combination of novelty, and pressure makes it easy to keep to our resolutions, but that energy isn't terribly sustainable. True there is nothing quite like the pleasure of playing with hope, but once the new aspiration glow wears off, you're left standing in the grey depths of Winter, craving the comfort of the familiar.
Myself, I've done well on some of my resolutions. The gym is closed for the day, which conveniently lets me off the hook exercise wise, and as far as patience goes, well, today was not such good day. To be blunt, I was fed up before me head left the pillow.
So here's today's confession: I find living with other people to be difficult. It doesn't matter who they are, my husband, his parents, or anyone. Whenever real life butts up against my lists, plans, and schedule, I become aggravated. This is doubly true if things are messy, when tasks take longer than expected, or when scheduled overlapping events don't line up elegantly. Of course, this is an everyday experience when one does not live in a cave on a mountain top. (Sigh, someday!) Life isn't what happens while you're making other plans, life is the thing that obliterates your plans, while laughing hysterically, and tossing your calendar into the bog of eternal flames!
OK that may sound a tad over dramatic. What I can say without a hint of hyperbole is this: it is rare that my plan for the day, ends up being what actually happens that day. And yet, unless I'm very ill, or exhausted, I cannot imagine getting out of bed in the morning without at least some semblance of a plan. Accepting the chaos that just IS contemporary life, without trying unnecessarily hard to control it, is remarkably difficult for me. I accept that the world I live in is chaotic and unpredictable, but life requires structure: meals must be eaten, jobs completed on time, money earned, bills paid etc. Caring for ourselves, and others, simply takes time and must be done in a timely way.
When I was much younger, I liked to imagine myself this free spirit, able to bend and flex with the wind. And maybe, before I had the responsibilities of being and adult that was true. BUT; I've come to realize that I like the freedom of play and creativity, but I can only really enjoy it, if I know all my ducks are lined up in perfectly parallel rows.
This rather circuitous path leads me back to resolutions and patience. Change takes time. During these first weeks of January - particularly these first few days - it's important that we're all kind and patient with ourselves. Making time to, for example, increase our physical activity, can be deceptively convenient when our focus is so keen. It is normal to slip back into old habits, in fact it's part of the process of change, but it is also important to get back up and remember why we wanted to make the change in the first place. A set back cannot obliterate our intentions.
To sustain our interest in, and adherence to, new routines we must have a clear and concrete idea of what it is we really want. Do we really want to be one size smaller, or look better in a bikini, or do we really want to feel better about ourselves, and live longer - more active - healthier lives?
For example: no one around me is particularly affected by me loosing my patience and becoming stress out. OK yeah, maybe they are because as human beings we have a tendency to share our stress and displeasure with others, even unintentionally. However, compared to the damage done by cortisol and other stress hormones to my metabolism, muscle, joint, organ, and metal health, they aren't remotely affected by it. The only one that gets hurt when I'm upset and stress out is me.
So, my first bit of advice for 2015: whatever your resolutions for the New Year is to take the time to think about your reasons for change, and make those reasons as personal to you as they possibly can be. There aren't any wrong answers here, as long as it means something to you.
Good luck.
Myself, I've done well on some of my resolutions. The gym is closed for the day, which conveniently lets me off the hook exercise wise, and as far as patience goes, well, today was not such good day. To be blunt, I was fed up before me head left the pillow.
So here's today's confession: I find living with other people to be difficult. It doesn't matter who they are, my husband, his parents, or anyone. Whenever real life butts up against my lists, plans, and schedule, I become aggravated. This is doubly true if things are messy, when tasks take longer than expected, or when scheduled overlapping events don't line up elegantly. Of course, this is an everyday experience when one does not live in a cave on a mountain top. (Sigh, someday!) Life isn't what happens while you're making other plans, life is the thing that obliterates your plans, while laughing hysterically, and tossing your calendar into the bog of eternal flames!
OK that may sound a tad over dramatic. What I can say without a hint of hyperbole is this: it is rare that my plan for the day, ends up being what actually happens that day. And yet, unless I'm very ill, or exhausted, I cannot imagine getting out of bed in the morning without at least some semblance of a plan. Accepting the chaos that just IS contemporary life, without trying unnecessarily hard to control it, is remarkably difficult for me. I accept that the world I live in is chaotic and unpredictable, but life requires structure: meals must be eaten, jobs completed on time, money earned, bills paid etc. Caring for ourselves, and others, simply takes time and must be done in a timely way.
When I was much younger, I liked to imagine myself this free spirit, able to bend and flex with the wind. And maybe, before I had the responsibilities of being and adult that was true. BUT; I've come to realize that I like the freedom of play and creativity, but I can only really enjoy it, if I know all my ducks are lined up in perfectly parallel rows.
This rather circuitous path leads me back to resolutions and patience. Change takes time. During these first weeks of January - particularly these first few days - it's important that we're all kind and patient with ourselves. Making time to, for example, increase our physical activity, can be deceptively convenient when our focus is so keen. It is normal to slip back into old habits, in fact it's part of the process of change, but it is also important to get back up and remember why we wanted to make the change in the first place. A set back cannot obliterate our intentions.
To sustain our interest in, and adherence to, new routines we must have a clear and concrete idea of what it is we really want. Do we really want to be one size smaller, or look better in a bikini, or do we really want to feel better about ourselves, and live longer - more active - healthier lives?
For example: no one around me is particularly affected by me loosing my patience and becoming stress out. OK yeah, maybe they are because as human beings we have a tendency to share our stress and displeasure with others, even unintentionally. However, compared to the damage done by cortisol and other stress hormones to my metabolism, muscle, joint, organ, and metal health, they aren't remotely affected by it. The only one that gets hurt when I'm upset and stress out is me.
So, my first bit of advice for 2015: whatever your resolutions for the New Year is to take the time to think about your reasons for change, and make those reasons as personal to you as they possibly can be. There aren't any wrong answers here, as long as it means something to you.
Good luck.
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