Before my hernia surgery this summer, I was extremely good about cheating only one day a week. I went 'off the wagon' during my recovery, and had things like fruit and bread for a couple of weeks. Since then, I've kept fruit in my diet (not much, but at least a little), and have found myself having 'cheat day' items here and there throughout the week. It was ok for a while because I was doing three-a-day workouts with about two hours of interval cardio (elliptical, running, biking), plus body weight exercises (push ups, sit ups, pull ups, etc). I was burning so much that it really didn't matter (typically hitting 7-10k NikeFuel vs what Nike says the average American who goes to the gym does - 3k).
I warn people about cutting themselves slack because they will just burn it off later as they are changing their discipline around what they eat regularly. Well, I'm no different. What I've come to realize is that I'm craving 'cheat foods' in a way I didn't when I was strict.
That's when it hit me that the piece Dr. Sanjay Gupta did for "60 Minutes" on sugar being toxic was right - it's not only toxic, but it's addictive. If you haven't seen it yet, you absolutely must. You can view it here (Is Sugar Toxic?).
Having a donut, a piece of candy, etc doesn't satiate me the way it would have done on an old cheat day. Instead, after I finish, it's like the old days - I want more or another. Even if I am uncomfortably full, the craving is still there. I strongly believe this is from the slow trickle of the stuff into my system - it's always just enough to tease me and keep raising the threshold of what amount would drive satisfaction.
See, on a cheat day, you go nuts and have so much and feel no guilt for it, so you get really uncomfortable. And your body is so not used to it that you probably wind up sick and swear it off (for at least a week until the next cheat day).
When you have a little each day, you remove the 'special' nature of having it, and desensitize yourself to the idea. Then add in the addictive nature of the sugar, and you're in real trouble.
So, I need to recommit and get back to the concept of a cheat day. Otherwise, the slope will get more and more slippery until it's an oily, vertical plane. Plus, with a (doubly) torn meniscus in my left knee, I can't adjust the angle of that slope very easily at the moment, so diet is my main tool in my health quest.
What about you?
enlighten.your.body
Monday, October 29, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Q: When Were You in the Best Shape of Your LIfe?
Q: When you were in the best shape of your life?
A: Interesting question, and one that I almost answered before the truth behind it all struck me. I just had a birthday (yesterday, actually), which is when this question came up. That's because the past year (when I was 33) was when I launched newbodi.es, started running and dropped to just over 6% body fat (at least for a month before my hernia surgery), so it would seem like that year would take the prize.
The same year also saw me get double hernia surgery, re-herniate a disc in my back, tear my lateral meniscus in my left knee while re-tearing the medial meniscus in the same knee. So, it would also seem that this would not be a podium-finishing-year.
But that's not what struck me. What struck me is how answering that question with a finite year from the past resigns me to view the rest of my life as downhill. That isn't right at all. See, if you are on the path of health and fitness, and are enlightening your mind and body, then each year should be successively healthier than the year before, and you get into better and better shape. Obviously, there will be a point where age overtakes lifestyle, but surely I am not there yet if you look at people like Dean Karnazes (if you don't know his story, you MUST Google him - super inspiring and amazing) and Harold Shaw.
So, if I had to pick a year from my past, it would be my 33rd. I am in the midst of dealing with the tears in my left knee, so I'm not at my peak right now. But I will get through this, just like I did with my double hernias, my herniated disc (both times), and every other adversity that could lead me to sit on the couch and eat Oreos (the basic theme of my childhood). I have a feeling 34 will be a rebuilding year where I take more time than I did after my hernia surgery to make sure I don't get reinjured while building my running mileage back up, and then it will be a nice curve upward from 35 onward.
I was talking to my wife about this on my birthday, and how I want to do a half marathon before I'm 40. If the fittest year of my life has already happened, and I couldn't do a half marathon then, then surely I can't do it in the next six years. But I can. And I will.
When was I in the best shape of my life? I don't know, it hasn't happened yet.
enlighten.your.body.
A: Interesting question, and one that I almost answered before the truth behind it all struck me. I just had a birthday (yesterday, actually), which is when this question came up. That's because the past year (when I was 33) was when I launched newbodi.es, started running and dropped to just over 6% body fat (at least for a month before my hernia surgery), so it would seem like that year would take the prize.
The same year also saw me get double hernia surgery, re-herniate a disc in my back, tear my lateral meniscus in my left knee while re-tearing the medial meniscus in the same knee. So, it would also seem that this would not be a podium-finishing-year.
But that's not what struck me. What struck me is how answering that question with a finite year from the past resigns me to view the rest of my life as downhill. That isn't right at all. See, if you are on the path of health and fitness, and are enlightening your mind and body, then each year should be successively healthier than the year before, and you get into better and better shape. Obviously, there will be a point where age overtakes lifestyle, but surely I am not there yet if you look at people like Dean Karnazes (if you don't know his story, you MUST Google him - super inspiring and amazing) and Harold Shaw.
So, if I had to pick a year from my past, it would be my 33rd. I am in the midst of dealing with the tears in my left knee, so I'm not at my peak right now. But I will get through this, just like I did with my double hernias, my herniated disc (both times), and every other adversity that could lead me to sit on the couch and eat Oreos (the basic theme of my childhood). I have a feeling 34 will be a rebuilding year where I take more time than I did after my hernia surgery to make sure I don't get reinjured while building my running mileage back up, and then it will be a nice curve upward from 35 onward.
I was talking to my wife about this on my birthday, and how I want to do a half marathon before I'm 40. If the fittest year of my life has already happened, and I couldn't do a half marathon then, then surely I can't do it in the next six years. But I can. And I will.
When was I in the best shape of my life? I don't know, it hasn't happened yet.
enlighten.your.body.
Staycation? No, Fitcation
Ah, the "Staycation". It's how Americans spend time off all too often. See, we have it all wrong. I work for a European company, and those guys take 2 weeks off and go rent a villa in Portugal or something. Me, I take a day or half day here or there to get something done - doctor appointments, work around the house, etc. We need to learn to recharge.
But that's not what this is about exactly. No. I'm sort of advocating the mini break that isn't about going off relaxing somewhere. Instead, take a day, and spend it being fit and active. It will recharge you, get you boosted onto the right track, and not dip into your bank of days off too much.
Here's the ideal situation - adjust it to fit your budget and time accordingly. Get a hotel room close to home or, better yet, close to some area you want to work out in (e.g. a good bike path, great running course like a river, etc). Also, pick one with a good gym and a mini fridge in the room. Don't worry about room service too much since you can bring stuff from home. If a hotel isn't in your budget, you can just stay at home, but sometimes the new setting is good in terms of removing you from your day to day a bit.
Use this day to exercise and eat right. Don't set an alarm and allow your body to wake up naturally when it's ready (remember to put out the Do Not Disturb sign on the door). Then go for a morning workout - in the gym, on a trail, along a river - whatever you have at your disposal.
Come back, shower, have a healthy lunch. Find a nice setting and read a bit after lunch while you digest. Pick something empowering, enlightening and educational. I have several great recommendations here. If a book feels like too much, grab something like Runners World and take in a few articles.
Then, go for an afternoon workout. Come back, shower, have a healthy dinner, and then relax a bit. Maybe lay down and listen to some music.
Then go for one last workout. Shower, and get to bed.
I realize three workouts may seem like a lot, but they don't all have to be intense, and you can spread activities out over the three sessions. I did this at home one day, and did my typical morning workout of about 45 minutes of mixed cardio with some body weight stuff (pull ups, sit ups). Then I did a mid-day run. Then at night I did another mild cardio session of about 30 minutes, but not crazy intensity. I finished up with a sauna session and shower before hitting the sack. Awesome day.
That's it. Simple. Healthy. Active. Rejuvenating. Empowering. Enlightening.
But that's not what this is about exactly. No. I'm sort of advocating the mini break that isn't about going off relaxing somewhere. Instead, take a day, and spend it being fit and active. It will recharge you, get you boosted onto the right track, and not dip into your bank of days off too much.
Here's the ideal situation - adjust it to fit your budget and time accordingly. Get a hotel room close to home or, better yet, close to some area you want to work out in (e.g. a good bike path, great running course like a river, etc). Also, pick one with a good gym and a mini fridge in the room. Don't worry about room service too much since you can bring stuff from home. If a hotel isn't in your budget, you can just stay at home, but sometimes the new setting is good in terms of removing you from your day to day a bit.
Use this day to exercise and eat right. Don't set an alarm and allow your body to wake up naturally when it's ready (remember to put out the Do Not Disturb sign on the door). Then go for a morning workout - in the gym, on a trail, along a river - whatever you have at your disposal.
Come back, shower, have a healthy lunch. Find a nice setting and read a bit after lunch while you digest. Pick something empowering, enlightening and educational. I have several great recommendations here. If a book feels like too much, grab something like Runners World and take in a few articles.
Then, go for an afternoon workout. Come back, shower, have a healthy dinner, and then relax a bit. Maybe lay down and listen to some music.
Then go for one last workout. Shower, and get to bed.
I realize three workouts may seem like a lot, but they don't all have to be intense, and you can spread activities out over the three sessions. I did this at home one day, and did my typical morning workout of about 45 minutes of mixed cardio with some body weight stuff (pull ups, sit ups). Then I did a mid-day run. Then at night I did another mild cardio session of about 30 minutes, but not crazy intensity. I finished up with a sauna session and shower before hitting the sack. Awesome day.
That's it. Simple. Healthy. Active. Rejuvenating. Empowering. Enlightening.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Q: Do You Do Life Coaching?
Q: Do you do life coaching in addition to the fitness and health coaching you do?
A: That's a great question that really deserves a deeper response than a simple 'yes' or 'no'.
The coaching I do isn't the same as the coaching you'd get in high school or college if you played a sport, or if you hired a running or cycling coach to train you for a race. Instead, it's coaching to help you achieve your bigger goals in terms of a health and fitness transformation.
To separate that profound of a shift in your life from 'life coaching' doesn't make sense to me. This is for a simple reason - for it to really work, your mind will change. You will view yourself in a different, better light. That will change your life outside of the fitness and health aspects.
Life coaching is about making you better in your own life - being more present, powerful, positive and successful (in a broader sense than just success at work). Health coaching must move your position in your life if it is to work and its results to persist.
So, yes, I do life coaching simply because it's inherently part of being and staying healthier. After all, you can't enlighten.your.body if your life isn't coming along for the ride, too.
A: That's a great question that really deserves a deeper response than a simple 'yes' or 'no'.
The coaching I do isn't the same as the coaching you'd get in high school or college if you played a sport, or if you hired a running or cycling coach to train you for a race. Instead, it's coaching to help you achieve your bigger goals in terms of a health and fitness transformation.
To separate that profound of a shift in your life from 'life coaching' doesn't make sense to me. This is for a simple reason - for it to really work, your mind will change. You will view yourself in a different, better light. That will change your life outside of the fitness and health aspects.
Life coaching is about making you better in your own life - being more present, powerful, positive and successful (in a broader sense than just success at work). Health coaching must move your position in your life if it is to work and its results to persist.
So, yes, I do life coaching simply because it's inherently part of being and staying healthier. After all, you can't enlighten.your.body if your life isn't coming along for the ride, too.
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