tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21664097537935668922024-02-18T17:33:06.812-08:00The Non-Diet LifeHealth and happiness are a journey, not a destination. Depriving yourself is no way to enjoy all life has to offer! Follow along as we explore the best of food and fitness.MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-23516712648142183412012-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:002012-08-17T21:06:34.189-07:00The Day After The Cleanse - Fail. Epic Fail.So, today was the long-awaited (well, three-days-awaited) day to return to "real" food. The BPC authors made a point to stress that, just as it was important to prepare for the cleanse, it's important to ease out of it. And that's pretty much what I didn't do.<br />
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I was sooooooo excited to eat real food. And I kind of let that carry me away. I started out ok, green juice then smoothie with yogurt. I know they said fruits and veggies, but I really missed yogurt and it had to return. Then blended soup and grilled zucchini for lunch. And then the rails came off. Trail mix, cereal and milk, peanut butter. God, I was so hungry!<br />
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Of course, I feel awful now. Not just physically, but my stomach is strained. I feel foggy, my head just isn't clear. And I don't want to undo all the good results and hard work I put into this.<br />
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So tomorrow I plan on going back to more juice. I don't have this balance thing down (let's be honest, I never have). On the juice, I felt in control, like I knew what I was doing. Yea, I know, I can't do this for a long time, but I feel terrible right now. I'm thinking the "Juice til Dinner" plan to ease back into food.<br />
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What I'm saying is, they're serious about having an exit plan. I wasn't, and now I'm paying the price, mentally and physically. MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-75052383066173967952012-08-17T12:16:00.004-07:002012-08-19T09:53:46.397-07:00Blue Print Juice Cleanse - Complete: Final ResultsYay, I made it through! And the final verdict is: down 2.5 lbs. Sweet! But, more importantly, I feel pretty good. And I have a new tool to add to my regime. I feel like I could go on (if I had to), but thankfully I don't. I'm excited and nervous to go back to real food. Excited because, obviously, real food is awesome, but nervous because I don't want to slip and go back to my old ways. And I suppose I could have lost more weight if I had worked out harder, but I wasn't sure how the cleanse would affect me and I didn't want to be super hungry (or even hungrier, as it was). <br />
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Last night was definitely tough though. I went out with friends and really struggled not to eat something, anything. We were at a Mexican place and, god, it smelled good. I had about 5 chips before I started getting a little queasy. They were so salty and greasy; it was a shock to the system.<br />
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I woke up this morning and made a green juice. I do actually like the way it tastes. And there's no way I'm eating that much kale on a regular basis. But I had some soup for lunch, and man, that was good. So many flavors! And so savory. I'm pretty happy. The cleanse authors warn about jumping back into real food too quickly, so I think I'll make some juices later.<br />
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While I, um enjoyed might not be the right word, but you get the idea, I don't think I'm going to take this as far as the authors do. Raw, vegan, food combining is not going to fly with me. I like hot food, and dairy, and lots of things all together. I do think I can come back to juice when I need to. And next time, because I'm sure there will be, I'm going to do more green juices.<br />
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I'm not really sure I "felt" any cleansing though. I did have a bit of a break out on my cheek, so maybe that's all there is. I certainly don't feel any awesome energy burst or great clarity. Maybe because it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be? I don't know. Maybe next time... <br />
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Just one last thought, and this goes back to the beginning, I think one thing that helped me was taking the preparation phase fairly seriously. I was nervous that this would be unbearably hard, and the authors cautioned that jumping right into the cleanse could be a shock to the system, making it all the more difficult to stick to. Even though I was at a wedding over the weekend, on Sunday and Monday I made an effort to stick to the pre-cleanse plans. I think doing that made it easier to transition to the cleanse. And I felt really ready for it to start.<br />
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But, now I'm ready to get back to real life. We'll check in later and see if this really sticks!<br />
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MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-86468990563245174162012-08-16T08:49:00.002-07:002012-08-16T08:49:59.142-07:00Blue Print Cleanse - Day Two: A Cashew Allergy?There's less to add today. I felt pretty good when I woke up, not starving, but as the day progressed, I got hungrier. Today was scheduled to be all juices, no smoothies, but I had to make something more substantial, so I blended up an avocado-banana-rice milk smoothie. Um, gross. Talk about an appetite suppressant, haha. I got about a third of it down before I gave up. It was pretty satisfying though.<br />
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Also, I may have cheated - just a bit! I had a spoonful of almond butter. And it was awesome. I don't even feel bad.<br />
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Most importantly, I think I'm allergic to cashews. Last night, after I drank the cashew milk, I had a bit of an itchy feeling in the back of my throat and nausea. It wasn't a big deal, and I chalked it up to "cleansing" (and possibly drinking the beverage too fast). But tonight I had the same feeling. Almost as soon as I felt it, I knew it was an allergic reaction. I had the drink about an hour ago and even after taking an allergy med, I still feel bad. This is a total bummer because I love cashews.<br />
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The weird thing is, I eat a fair amount of nuts, and I've never had a reaction like this. I'm wondering if it's due to the large quantity of cashews. I almost never eat this many nuts in one sitting. And I've never had a reaction to walnuts, almonds or pistachios. I'll have to do a bit more research about this. <br />
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I was able to get more out of my leafy greens today. I left them a bit damp after washing, balled them up and put them in the chute with a juicer fruit. I think they got better traction going down today, so that was nice. There definitely seems to be a lot of waste with juicing. I wish I could compost or something, but I can't while living in my urban jungle. I suppose if I weren't cleansing, I could save the pulp and do... something with it. Any ideas?<br />
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I'm excited tomorrow is the last day. This hasn't been as hard as I thought, but it is cramping my social life. I skipped out on happy hour with friends because I knew I'd be too tempted by food and drinks.<br />
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I'm pretty excited for the third day. I feel like I'm in a groove and can really make it, but I'm also pretty excited for it to be over. I've been craving sushi, of all things, and I think I can see that in my plans for this weekend. MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-15915764369552844412012-08-15T19:45:00.000-07:002012-08-15T19:46:53.838-07:00The Blue Print Cleanse - Day One CompleteI have so many thoughts swirling around right now, so I'll try to be clear and concise. I was hoping to get this done earlier in the day, but I didn't have time. <br />
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I know, the first things you want to know is - did I cheat? And the answer is: No! I definitely thought I'd be tempted, but I really (surprisingly) wasn't. Yea, I'm kind of hungry (we'll get to that in a minute), but it's important to me to succeed at this as intended. I don't want to have an asterisk next to the fact that I completed this three day cleanse. I know, the authors don't stress perfection, so I don't feel any pressure from the design. It's mostly for me.<br />
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I would say that I feel good. Not great, but not terrible either. I went for a long walk this evening, but I don't think I would feel up to a long run or a CrossFit class.<br />
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As for the hunger thing, well, it is what it is. I went out to run some errands today, but they took longer than planned (as usual), and let me tell you, by the time I got home, I was STARVING. I was ready to eat anything. The funny thing is I didn't want to eat just anything. I really just wanted my next juice. The good thing about the Renovation cleanse is that there are smoothies. Thank God! That smoothie really held me.<br />
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Overall, the juices are pretty good. I'm wishing I had a masticating juicer to get more out of the leafy greens because it seems like they're just passing through the juicer, but the green ones are definitely still green. All the juices are actually pretty sweet/tangy, even the green juices. I'm a person that tends to crave salty food, so I feel like I might need to make a more savory juice. Either that or I'm going to eat that pureed mushroom soup (drink the soup?). Well, it's only a few days, I'm pretty sure I can make it.<br />
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Also, I wish I had know that you have to peel bananas before freezing them. That was a gross mess that I didn't plan on dealing with.<br />
<br />MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-74486034344663683412012-08-14T08:33:00.000-07:002012-08-14T08:33:51.129-07:00Juice Cleanse - Day One, Drink OneHas anyone else jumped on this bandwagon and done a juice cleanse? Well, I finally have and today is my first day. I've just been feeling so awful lately. I was traveling and got sick, gained some weight, and just haven't been able to stick to my workout routine. I also watched the movie <a href="http://fatsickandnearlydead.com/" target="_blank">Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead</a>, in which people take control of their health through juicing. So, I decided to go for it, and here I am on the first day of a three day cleanse.<br />
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I did some research and decided on two things. First, I decided to purchase a juicer and make the juices myself. There are companies that will ship you the juices every day, but wow, those are expense. Plus, I feel like I can continue to use my juicer in the future, even when I'm not cleansing. Second, I decided to use the plan set out in the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-3-Day-Cleanse-Drink-Skinny/dp/0446545716" target="_blank">The 3-Day Cleanse: Drink Fresh Juice, Eat Real Food, and Get Back into Your Skinny Jeans</a>. This book is written by the founders of The Blue Print Cleanse, and there's a good amount of information on preparing to cleanse, after the cleanse, answers to the questions you might have along the way.<br />
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I was pretty excited to start today. I went out an bought all my supplies (except the parsley, which I forgot and need to get later). I got up this morning and went to make my juice... and realized I bought zucchini instead of cucumbers. This is so me. I don't pay close attention at the store and end up with random foods. Luckily there is a new farmer's market near my place this afternoon, so I hope to get my cukes there. The book doesn't talk about substitutions, but I threw some carrots in there instead. And let me tell you -<br />
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That juice is pretty freakin' good. I was dreading it, thinking it would taste like dirt, but it was really good. Maybe this is due to using the wrong ingredients, but hey, I feel like I'm off to a good start!MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-13310152056966233582011-06-27T19:12:00.000-07:002011-06-27T19:12:16.971-07:00I Hate Running, So Why Do I Run?I hate running. I'll be the first person to admit it. I feel like every step I take is torture, and I constantly think to myself "I cannot go on." I signed up for the 2011 Cherry Blossom 10 miler because I thought maybe it would make me learn to love running. Wrong. I got to 6.5 miles in the training and I was like "not another step."<br />
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So why have I gone running twice in the past two days?<br />
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I can't explain it, but sometimes I just feel like I need to run. Admittedly, yesterday I was procrastinating. Even so, a walk would have sufficed. Today I was so frustrated over this mess that has become my tuition and the GI Bill that I felt like I would go crazy if I spent one more second in my apartment.<br />
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It was like Forest Gump, and I just needed to take off running.<br />
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I just felt like I had so much energy and frustration pent up that I needed to get it out. There's something about living in a small apartment that can make you go stir crazy. Luckily the weather's been nice enough (not too humid) so I can run without succumbing to heat stroke in 10 seconds.<br />
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But, there's also something about running for yourself. When I was training ("training") for the race, I felt a lot of pressure to follow the exact schedule. And I felt like a failure if I didn't. Now I'm just running when the mood strikes and it's actually kind of fun. Kind of.<br />
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I do like the idea of exercising without so much of a regimen. I think a lot of people probably feel the way I did and quit when they feel like they've fallen behind or gotten too far off their over-ambitious training plan. Now I just plan to exercise most days per week and I'm happy with that. Although my quads, not so happy right now...MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-32692191417724686442011-06-26T19:25:00.000-07:002011-06-26T19:25:14.318-07:00Don't Let the Bastards Get You DownMy friend's husband sucks. Even though I only met him last night, I'm confident in my assessment of him. Of the many reasons why he sucks (his need to be the center of attention, his dismissal of her friends, the fact that he's a party pooper) there is one reason why he really sucks is this: he thinks it's ok to judge other people for what they eat. Out loud. Well, more specifically, he thinks it's ok to criticize the food choices of women.<br />
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Not cool, bro.<br />
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First off, let me say, I know we all judge what other people eat. We all inspect who's eating what when. But it takes a special person to actually say something out loud to someone they don't actually know.<br />
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Let me set the scene: Sitting outside at a lovely Greek restaurant on a very nice night in DC. A third friend and I are first to arrive (by at least 20 minutes, and we know this), so we order drinks. I also order hummus because a) it's delicious and b) I'm hungry. Also, last time I checked, hummus was not a food that generally garnered disapproving comments. So I thought...<br />
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People start to arrive. Above-mentioned d-bag arrives. Other people order food and drinks. Hummus is offered to the table. Here's where things go wrong. I am eating my hummus with the bread provided and there's approximately 1/2 a pita left in the basket. Out of two originally brought. I am, I think, minding my own business when friend's husband says snidely "Do you want us to get you more bread or are you done eating."<br />
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EXCUSE ME?!<br />
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I say "Do you have a problem with what I'm eating?" Then, trying to lighten the mood I add "I do love carbs, haha."<br />
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He goes "Yea, that is a lot of carbs." And then casts that side-long judgmental glance at my plate. Then, and this is where it gets good, I say "Well, that sangria has a lot of carbs. Are you saying that's better?" And he simply says "Yes, yes I am."<br />
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WTF dude. I don't even know you. And you're going to (stupidly) tell me that booze (not just booze, sangria) is better for me than hummus. Who is this guy??!! Anyone who's ever thought about dieting knows that alcohol is worse for your your diet than almost any food.<br />
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But, more importantly, what man, no, what person, thinks it's ok to judge someone else's food choices to their face. I'm not training to be an elite athlete or trying to be a movie star. This guy isn't anyone to me. So why would he think this is ok?<br />
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I'm mad just thinking about it. But it also makes me think about whether I judge people's food choices. Now, what this guy didn't know was that I hadn't eaten dinner. I'd been on a semi-awkward date where we split an ahi tuna appetizer. So, considering what I'd already eaten in the day, a nice hummus dish was perfect. That guy had just come from a steak dinner, so maybe my dish didn't appeal to him, but I certainly wasn't asking his input on it.<br />
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There's always extenuating circumstances. I didn't feel compelled to explain mine to him, but maybe before I judge other people, I'll think about what I don't know. And keep my opinions to myself.<br />
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And, yea, I finished the hummus.MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-45614438959374126042011-06-13T17:59:00.000-07:002011-06-13T17:59:15.516-07:00Some Bike Safety...Please!Sorry for the hiatus. If you live in the eastern U.S., you know how hot it was last week. It was too hot for almost everything, even blogging, haha.<br />
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But, I'm back now, and I want to talk about something important, especially in the summer. Since I consider myself a bike commuter (and new cycling enthusiast), I have to say, some people are truly atrocious cyclists. So, here are my points for people looking to have a fun and safe biking experience, this summer and beyond.<br />
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1) <b>Wear a helmet.</b> Seriously. You wouldn't get in a car without wearing a seatbelt, so why would you ride a bike without a helmet? You're afraid of looking like a nerd? This isn't middle school, get over it. I see people biking morning and night, and I don't think anything about people wearing helmets, but the people who aren't wearing them, I think "WTF?" This is the single safest thing you can do while biking.<br />
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2) <b>Don't listen to music. </b>Maybe this is just me, but as someone who rides in and out of traffic, and in crowded areas, I think it's important to be able to hear your surroundings. I'm trying to let you know that I'm going to pass you, and you're jamming to Train (yes, Train. Because I imagine that's what idiots listen to).<br />
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3) <b>Hydrate. </b>I made the (probably) dumb decision to bike a little bit extra after work last Wednesday when it was approximately 10,000 degrees and 200% humidity. That's what it felt like anyways. But, stupidly, I didn't bring a waterbottle with me. Obviously, this was a bad choice, and I was cramping within 15 minutes of starting. I know biking seems easier than running, but summer is still a time when heat can be dangerous.<br />
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4) <b>Invest in extra safety equipment as necessary.</b> If you ride at night or at dawn/dusk, get a headlight. As for me, I just bought a mirror and bell. I've been commuting now for a few weeks, and I realize that because of the volume of traffic and roads I ride on, I need more equipment to make my ride safe. Do what's right for you.<br />
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5) <b>Finally, you are not Lance Armstrong. </b>You are not training for the Tour de France. I understand if you want to bike for fitness and are a fast biker, but you need to share the path or road. Sometimes you might not be able to zoom around as quickly as you like. But, that's the price you have to pay. Share the road and we'll all be happy.<br />
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Ok, these are my bike safety suggestions. You should search your local government's website for more specific laws regarding cycling. Have a fun and safe summer!MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-36172953576413648622011-06-06T17:42:00.000-07:002011-06-06T17:42:28.830-07:00The Dieter's ParadoxThere's a bit of a Catch-22 when it comes to all this. If you truly love and accept yourself, how can you want to change yourself? Aren't these two ideas complete opposites?<br />
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I guess the shortest answer is: it depends. It matters what your desires to change are based upon. If you look in the mirror and say "I hate (insert body part)," then you aren't actually accepting yourself. If you look at a magazine and think "I wish I looked like (insert celebrity or model)," then your desire to change is not based in improving yourself.<br />
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I think that if you do really love yourself, the idea isn't so much about change, but about preserving and improving. You want to be the best version of yourself. You want to push yourself to be better, not just more fit. It's why we continue to go to school, earning bachelor's and master's degrees. It's why we sign up for marathons or Italian lessons.<br />
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The thing we absolutely don't want to be is stagnant. You'd never set about trying to compose a masterpiece when you don't know how to play the piano, right? You accept that that's not one of your skills. You accept that you're better at math than writing. You can accept all different aspects of yourself except your appearance. That doesn't make much sense!<br />
I strongly believe that you can't succeed in change if your desire to change is based on outside forces. It has to come from within. That's why it's so hard. Think about the people that are told they have high cholesterol or blood pressure or diabetes that then go on to change their lives. They do because their health is at risk. It's no longer about aesthetics, it's about survival. <br />
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If it were easy to change because we want to look good on the beach, then we'd all have done it by now. One of the reasons it's not easy is because we haven't accepted ourselves and, therefore, our goals are all off. I'd love to have legs like Gisele, but that's not going to happen. Ever. First of all, I'm 5'5". But, does that mean I can't have fit legs? No way. I just have to accept who I am and make a decision about what fit legs means for me.<br />
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Of course, I'm always going to push myself to do more, to be more. I keep coming back to the idea of balance. I have it in so many places in my life. This is one area where it's hard for me, but I'm gaining perspective. Sometimes the harder thing is easing up.MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-47224674036679136912011-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:002011-06-02T19:24:45.177-07:00Fighting Back Against ClonesI guess this shouldn't all be about food and exercise. That would be pretty boring. This is about life and living life to the fullest. And, sometimes that involves reflecting and changing course.<br />
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I've been taking a class about conflict management and negotiation. You might think that really doesn't have anything to do with this blog, but hear me out (or at least keep reading). Today we talked about recognizing when you've gotten into a bad situation and how to get out. I think that can be applied to a lot of areas in our lives, relationships, financial endeavors, and even our diet and exercise plans.<br />
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Think about it. How focused are you on reaching a certain weight? On eating a certain number of calories? On running a certain distance? You've thought a lot about these things, but what do they really mean? And if you get there, what happens next? The fact is, most of us forget about being healthy in an effort to be "perfect."<br />
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And this is my next point. How awful would the world be if we were all "perfect?" I think we often get lost in the thoughts that people will only accept us if we meet these incredibly high standards that we only hold ourselves to. Physical standards, anyways.<br />
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When you think about what you like most about your spouse/partner/bf/gf (whoever), is it their rockin' bod or something else? Is it their smile, their thoughtfulness, their work ethic or sense of humor? Or are there even more intangibles that you can't quite describe because they sound dumb when you say them out loud ("he just gets me, ya know??"). It's pretty obvious that the things we value most in other people are not biceps and abs.<br />
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If we just took a moment to recognize what we like about other people, and think maybe, just maybe, people value those things about us, I bet we'd all be a lot happier. And a lot less hard on ourselves. The world would be terrible if we were all the same, so celebrate the individual gifts you have to offer.<br />
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Being in good health is important, no doubt. And, it's something that's achievable. Part of my whole plan is to focus on the things that bring me good health, like fitness and eating fruits and veggies. But not killing myself in the gym or making foods off-limits. Balance, commitment, and sustainability are what I'm after. So I'm not going to be so hard on myself (and I won't be hard on you either, I promise).MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-42931466702035698852011-06-01T08:39:00.000-07:002011-06-01T08:39:34.678-07:00I'm Not A Hipster, I Just Bike A LotNothing against those that ride bicycles ironically (whatever that means), but there are those of us that really enjoy riding bikes. Or, as my former US Cycling Team coworker would say, “cycling.” “Biking” is for nerds and the uninitiated.<br />
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I recently started biking to work. Well, I should say that I restarted biking to work. Back in 2008, when I lived in San Diego and gas prices were sky high, I didn’t see the point in driving three miles to work, so I bought a cheap bike and rode in. Unfortunately my bike was stolen shortly after I moved to DC (surprise).<br />
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I’ve decided to start again for a few reasons. First, people think it’s hot in DC in the summer, but have you been in the metro in the summer?? It’s a raging sweatfest. At least when I’m biking, sorry, cycling, I’ve got the breeze. Plus, my bike commute is 18 minutes door to door. Can’t beat that even with the bus and the train! I lock my bike outside the building gym, shower, change, and I’m in the office at about the same time. <br />
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But, more importantly, I was getting lazy. One of the best things about living in the city is walking, but once I realized there was a bus stop right outside my apartment, I would just head there in the mornings. <br />
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Biking to work is a great way to feel energized in the mornings. I am by no means a morning person, but a quick burst of activity, plus a feeling of accomplishment really makes me feel great. <br />
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I’ve always heard that morning exercise is the best, but I never seemed able to do it. I hate waking up early (and going to bed early). And too much exercise just drains me by lunch time. But this is just enough to get me going. Obviously, there are hazards (DC traffic), but that keeps you on your toes, haha. <br />
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I do wonder if there are negative effects from breathing in so much car exhaust. However, I’m too paranoid to google the question because I don’t really want to know the answer (if I’m going to get lung cancer, don’t tell me!). <br />
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Also, now that I’ve started biking, I’ve found out a lot of my friends own bikes and want to use them. We’ve got some great rides planned for upcoming weekends. Isn’t it interesting that once you start doing something, you find so many others looking for the same thing?<br />
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I keep stressing the idea of balance and fun. I’m not a morning exerciser, there’s no way that could ever happen, so I don’t fight it. I don’t try to make myself do something I hate. Biking to work is fun, fast, and a better commute. It’s the perfect balance for me.<br />
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Now, biking home, sometimes that just sucks, haha. At least I don’t live uphill. There are supposed to be terrible storms this afternoon, so fingers crossed for me!MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-85210733968528920052011-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:002011-05-31T18:10:46.856-07:00To Deadline or Not To Deadline...that is the question.<br />
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Life is full of deadlines. They help keep us on track, get our work completed in a timely fashion, and make decisions in a reasonable amount of time. But when it comes to "getting in shape" do they help us or hurt us?<br />
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Everyone has something coming up in the future. A wedding, a reunion, a vacation (or some combination of those), and we all want to be the best we can be, but do setting our fitness goals based on these dates really help us get there? Lately, I've been thinking "not so much."<br />
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Life is a series of important events. And because of this, we can always push our deadlines back to meet the next one. In that way, we're never focusing on being happy and healthy, but instead focusing on our outward appearance for the next event. You can say that you want to lose 10 lbs. before you head to the beach. And you might (or not). But what comes next?<br />
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Being truly happy and healthy, and living life to the fullest, requires a commitment all the time.<br />
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Notice I didn't say it requires being on a diet all the time. That would be awful.<br />
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You are who you are, so let the events happen when they may. Set more commitment-based goals (I will exercise 4-5 days per week, I won't eat when I'm bored, I'll drink plain water instead of soda or juice). Soon you'll feel better than ever, and be happier, too. Why? Because you gave up the cycle of deadline dieting and started living. It's definitely better.MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-63614733749047770822011-05-26T18:45:00.000-07:002011-05-26T18:45:06.991-07:00Say Yes To StressThis is going to be short and sweet because I have so much to do tonight.<br />
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I was running around all day at work, and when I was on my way home, I had a mini-revelation. I was so busy all day that I didn't have time to sit and dwell on food. And, knowing I still had so much to do over the next few days, I saw eating as an opportunity to really use food as fuel. <br />
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So many times people use stress as an excuse to eat poorly, but it's really a chance for us to give ourselves more of the healthy foods we need. When we know we have to be in a million places at once and burn the midnight oil, we should be turning to healthier options. Stress puts us in a situation of giving maximum output, but we won't be our best unless we fuel ourselves the right way.<br />
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Does stress turn you into a cookie monster or an extreme machine?<br />
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Also, on another quick note about challenges, it looks like I won't have an opportunity to work out much (if at all this weekend). I usually dread these times because I look to burn off some of those extra calories by hitting the gym. But, I think this is a chance to see how I do eating mindfully. If I'm not stuffing myself, I should be a-ok. Not that I advocate giving up fitness for any length of time, but realistically, a 30 minute workout only burns a few cookies. If I'm living the non-diet life, I should be listening to my needs and not my wants.<br />
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Ok, that's all I have time for. Happy Memorial Weekend!MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-37721869542423073102011-05-25T18:44:00.000-07:002011-05-25T18:44:58.530-07:00Eating While HungryI'm not really sure what to write here. My thoughts? Struggles? Insights? Tell me what you think!<br />
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Did you ever notice that the worst time to eat is when you're hungry? Or really, the hardest time to keep your resolve is when you're hungry?<br />
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That happened to me today. I was *trying* to run some errands after work today. After getting turned around, "accidentially" driving in the HOV lanes (I was real low on gas, I couldn't afford to sit in traffic), finding the most expensive gas station in the DMV (seriously, I checked, it was outrageous), spending more than an hour driving three miles through the city to get a gift at a place that turns out not to carry it, I was starving.<br />
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And I was across the street from McDonalds.<br />
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So I went in.<br />
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Yea, you read that right. That's what this is all about.<br />
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I messed up in planning on zipping around town during rush hour and getting everything taken care of in a few minutes. I knew I'd be hungry around 5-5:30, but didn't have anything in the works or in my bag. I didn't know how long it would take me to get home, but I knew I'd be unstoppable once I got there. <br />
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Fast food doesn't have to be terrible. I didn't have to order everything on the menu. Or supersize my meal. Or even get a meal. I just had to get enough. But I didn't get a salad (I hate salads, more on that in the future). I got a 6 piece nuggets and a small smoothie. Because it's about listening to yourself and thinking about what you want.<br />
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Hunger can really overwhelm the signals. A 20 piece nugget meal sounded great, but that really wasn't practical. Or reasonable. <br />
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Reflecting on this, I probably should have gotten a water. I was really thirsty and that smoothie didn't do anything to quench my thirst. But this is a learning experience.MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2166409753793566892.post-36924520685581371302011-05-25T08:19:00.000-07:002011-05-25T08:24:31.568-07:00Welcome to the diet-free lifeI've been on a diet almost my whole life. I've struggled with my weight almost my whole life.<br /><br />Recently I've just become so tired of it all. It has to end. I have to get a grip over it. I have to be in charge of the food, not the other way around.<br /><br />Do you have those friends that seem to eat whatever they want, when they're hungry, and stop when they're full? They don't agonize over menu choices. They eat what their bodies need. I want to be like that. I want to be in control, to have moderation.<br /><br />I thought I could do this all on my own, but I realize that I do need to write about it. For me, I need to get some thoughts down on paper ("paper" haha). And maybe what I say can help someone else. It's a journey, but we all need guidance once in a while.<br /><br />So, welcome to my journey.MBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05759619228344470340noreply@blogger.com0