For most of my life, like most people, I was an onlooking on the world of running. From where I was looking, and my little experience inside the world, it was terrible. It was a painful, exhausting, tedious thing that was really just there to talk negatively about - all the ways it bores you, why you can't do it, the injuries it causes, blah blah blah.
If you're not a runner, you know exactly what I mean. You do it, too. We talk poorly of it. We justify why we can't do it, and why it's not for us. And we're right. Right?
Sure. Runners are skinny little beanpoles who don't get bored or injured. They're not humans. They're probably crazy. That's it. Right?
And then I read Born to Run, and let my mind open a bit. I was so smitten by the book and drawn in by the way it portrays running that I had to give it a shot myself. Running isn't painful, monotonous and dangerous in the book. It's enlightening, joyful, freeing, and - if done right - pain-free (or minimally painful, and no more so than other exercises).
I tried it myself, and followed the minimalist style, and it was all it was cracked up to be. I say "was" because I'm currently nursing a torn meniscus (not from running), so I'm sidelined for the time being (but not forever).
Once I got into it, I realized how great it was. And then I subscribed to Runner's World. That's when I saw running from inside the world of running. It's amazing how different it looks once you step in. People love it. They are uplifted by it. They support each other. They find it exciting.
It just hit me today when reading an article in Runner's World from a college student who suffers from a condition that seems to greatly limit her life. She can run, and it's become this amazing source of empowerment and freedom for her as it's one of the few places she's not encumbered by her condition or inferior to others. You'd never see that if you had stayed on the outside being judgmental.
Another thing I read in Runner's World was a reader question from a high school cross country team member who gets made fun of by the football team when they run by the football practice. The advice ended with suggestion the runner get a t-shirt that says, "My sport is what your sport does for punishment." That puts it in perspective - you're a bad a$$ for running, not a wuss. Unfortunately, it's still a negative way of looking at things (and the author suggests as much, calling it not the ideal approach, and rather advocates the "ignore them and enjoy your run" approach instead).
This ties in beautifully with the teachings of Shawn Achor in The Happiness Advantage (you can get the 12 minute digest via his TEDx talk here). It's all about how we see the reality we're in, and how that perception can lead to better outcomes - people who think positively and look at things in a positive light do better. It's not Hippy new age thinking. It's actual, scientific-research-proven fact.
All this positivity and support within the world of runners is akin to a cult. Everyone believes. Outsiders don't understand. I guess red Gatorade can look a lot like Kool-Aid, too. But if it's a cult, it's a really good one, and I'm ecstatic to be a member. Really, I feel honored and lucky to have found what running can really do. As soon as I'm cleared by my doc, I'm ready to get back out there.
So, stay on the sidelines. Judge running negatively. Stay unhealthy and boxed in. Or, open your mind. Try it again. Perhaps try it a different way that might work better for you. Smile. Have fun. Be positive and supportive. enlighten.your.body.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Cheating Too Often -> Cheating Too Often
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
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
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.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
The Contextual Fat Kid
Growing up as 'the fat kid', I struggled when I lost weight and got in shape to see myself another way. I was in high school, and everyone around me knew me as the fat kid. It manifested primarily in a lack of self-confidence that pervaded my life, and was strongest at parties where I couldn't approach girls because I knew they thought I was unattractive. Surely girls from my school didn't think of me 'that way', but when there were girls who didn't know me at a party, I couldn't fathom the idea of looking like anything but 'the fat kid' to them. When one of them would approach me and show interest, I'd blow it off assuming it couldn't be real and that I must be misreading things.
For me, I carried that feeling through to college, and either hung out along the back wall at parties, or opted to stay in my dorm room instead of going out. College was a very similar setting to high school in terms of the types of people and situations I was in, so it wasn't a surprise that I felt and acted the same. The weird thing is, I was and always have been pretty outgoing and extroverted. So this wasn't just my general personality at play here. This was an outdated self-image stuck in my head from the past overpowering my natural outgoing nature.
It actually took spending a summer in China where the context I was in was so markedly different that I was able to see myself differently. Because I stood out so much from my surroundings, people noticed me instead me of passing by me to go talk to the football team star or basketball team captain.
At the same time as all of this, a high school classmate of mine was seen as shy, quiet, and nerdy yet not brainy (most people thought they were a bit of an airhead). That lasted all four years. Then in college, they took advantage of their new context, and created a new self image that they portrayed out. Popular, but not into cliques; smart but not in a socially awkward way; outgoing; friendly. A near 4.0 student who everyone knew and liked, they consistent made really sharp comments in class. It was literally night and day from high school. Of course, they didn't spend the summer between senior year in high school and freshman year in college in some intensive course on how to be smart, witty and outgoing. The underlying person was always the same, but something in high school was stifling it, and they succumbed to that pressure. High school is weird and does things like this, but it was great to see how they broke free of that to be who they were meant to be when they got to college.
The lesson here is the power of the context in which we live, and how we frame our self image in that context. For me, I was unable to break free of my original context when it changed a bit, and really needed a major context change to be who I was supposed to be. For my friend, they broke free sooner and blossomed.
What I've come to realize is that context isn't something you are subject to so much as the creator of. I was able to shift my view of myself and my health over the past year and half in the exact same context because I decided to look at myself differently. It was literally a light switch being thrown. Just because your surroundings are the same, the people viewing you haven't changed, etc, doesn't mean you can't grow, reshape yourself (literally and figuratively) and blossom. Whether you're in the same situation or not, you can enlighten your body. Knowing this is a contextual shift enough to make it happen. Now you just have to stop fighting it and go for it!
For me, I carried that feeling through to college, and either hung out along the back wall at parties, or opted to stay in my dorm room instead of going out. College was a very similar setting to high school in terms of the types of people and situations I was in, so it wasn't a surprise that I felt and acted the same. The weird thing is, I was and always have been pretty outgoing and extroverted. So this wasn't just my general personality at play here. This was an outdated self-image stuck in my head from the past overpowering my natural outgoing nature.
It actually took spending a summer in China where the context I was in was so markedly different that I was able to see myself differently. Because I stood out so much from my surroundings, people noticed me instead me of passing by me to go talk to the football team star or basketball team captain.
At the same time as all of this, a high school classmate of mine was seen as shy, quiet, and nerdy yet not brainy (most people thought they were a bit of an airhead). That lasted all four years. Then in college, they took advantage of their new context, and created a new self image that they portrayed out. Popular, but not into cliques; smart but not in a socially awkward way; outgoing; friendly. A near 4.0 student who everyone knew and liked, they consistent made really sharp comments in class. It was literally night and day from high school. Of course, they didn't spend the summer between senior year in high school and freshman year in college in some intensive course on how to be smart, witty and outgoing. The underlying person was always the same, but something in high school was stifling it, and they succumbed to that pressure. High school is weird and does things like this, but it was great to see how they broke free of that to be who they were meant to be when they got to college.
The lesson here is the power of the context in which we live, and how we frame our self image in that context. For me, I was unable to break free of my original context when it changed a bit, and really needed a major context change to be who I was supposed to be. For my friend, they broke free sooner and blossomed.
What I've come to realize is that context isn't something you are subject to so much as the creator of. I was able to shift my view of myself and my health over the past year and half in the exact same context because I decided to look at myself differently. It was literally a light switch being thrown. Just because your surroundings are the same, the people viewing you haven't changed, etc, doesn't mean you can't grow, reshape yourself (literally and figuratively) and blossom. Whether you're in the same situation or not, you can enlighten your body. Knowing this is a contextual shift enough to make it happen. Now you just have to stop fighting it and go for it!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Sweet N' Spicy, Burning Coffee
What a title, right? How appetizing does that sound? Well, it's actually really good (assuming you enjoy coffee). I rely on this flavor addition to black coffee to make it enjoyable, but also use it as the flavor basis for my unflavored casein drinks.
There are four things about this that make it good for getting the most of the Slow Carb Diet:
Cayenne and other hot peppers can also juice your ability to burn (Tim discusses its ability to spike the thermogenic response). The key with this is to use as much as you can tolerate without going nuts. I typically put in one shake from a little glass herb container of the stuff I buy at Wholefoods, and I tend to get the organic kind. Yes, it costs more, but an extra dollar becomes a negligible amount when the entire bottle lasts you several months.
Stevia is a godsend. It's natural, and very sweet without tasting like a laboratory. Black coffee can be stark and sharp for many folks used to a creamy, sugary cup of Joe. Stevia makes a big difference, especially when you consider that all other options either are essentially sugar (agave) or chemical (sucralose, aka Splenda, for example). Tim goes into the negatives of the chemical sweeteners given their impact on lab rats and the potential they have to lower your insulin sensitivity. Stevia suffers from none of that. Just note that it tends to be sweeter than sugar ounce for ounce, so if you are a two-scoop-of-sugar person, don't assume you need as much stevia.
Tim also talks at length about the fat burning effects of coffee (caffeinated). I won't rehash them, but it really does help burn fat/sugar, and is a staple of a smart Cheat Day strategy. Power it up with these two burn boosters, and throw in the sweetness of stevia, and you've got a delicious and effective weapon on your side.
Hopefully this helps some of you who really feel the need to add milk to your coffee. Milk isn't allowed on the SCD. You could add almond milk, but I find it introduces too strong of an almond flavor without really impacting the creaminess of the drink, so it doesn't really achieve what I'd be going for in adding milk or cream. The cinnamon adds interest to the flavor, and takes quite a bit of the edge off black coffee. The cayenne is largely unnoticeable, but adds a little dimension to the flavor. And then the stevia just adds the right sweetness for me.
Of course, if you drink black coffee today, you can skip the stevia, but you should consider adding the other two since they will benefit you. Enjoy. enlighten.your.coffee.
There are four things about this that make it good for getting the most of the Slow Carb Diet:
- Cinnamon
- Cayenne Pepper
- Stevia
- Coffee
Cayenne and other hot peppers can also juice your ability to burn (Tim discusses its ability to spike the thermogenic response). The key with this is to use as much as you can tolerate without going nuts. I typically put in one shake from a little glass herb container of the stuff I buy at Wholefoods, and I tend to get the organic kind. Yes, it costs more, but an extra dollar becomes a negligible amount when the entire bottle lasts you several months.
Stevia is a godsend. It's natural, and very sweet without tasting like a laboratory. Black coffee can be stark and sharp for many folks used to a creamy, sugary cup of Joe. Stevia makes a big difference, especially when you consider that all other options either are essentially sugar (agave) or chemical (sucralose, aka Splenda, for example). Tim goes into the negatives of the chemical sweeteners given their impact on lab rats and the potential they have to lower your insulin sensitivity. Stevia suffers from none of that. Just note that it tends to be sweeter than sugar ounce for ounce, so if you are a two-scoop-of-sugar person, don't assume you need as much stevia.
Tim also talks at length about the fat burning effects of coffee (caffeinated). I won't rehash them, but it really does help burn fat/sugar, and is a staple of a smart Cheat Day strategy. Power it up with these two burn boosters, and throw in the sweetness of stevia, and you've got a delicious and effective weapon on your side.
Hopefully this helps some of you who really feel the need to add milk to your coffee. Milk isn't allowed on the SCD. You could add almond milk, but I find it introduces too strong of an almond flavor without really impacting the creaminess of the drink, so it doesn't really achieve what I'd be going for in adding milk or cream. The cinnamon adds interest to the flavor, and takes quite a bit of the edge off black coffee. The cayenne is largely unnoticeable, but adds a little dimension to the flavor. And then the stevia just adds the right sweetness for me.
Of course, if you drink black coffee today, you can skip the stevia, but you should consider adding the other two since they will benefit you. Enjoy. enlighten.your.coffee.
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