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."
So why have I gone running twice in the past two days?
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.
It was like Forest Gump, and I just needed to take off running.
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.
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.
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...
Showing posts with label moderation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moderation. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Fighting Back Against Clones
I 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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
To Deadline or Not To Deadline...
that is the question.
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?
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."
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?
Being truly happy and healthy, and living life to the fullest, requires a commitment all the time.
Notice I didn't say it requires being on a diet all the time. That would be awful.
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.
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?
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."
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?
Being truly happy and healthy, and living life to the fullest, requires a commitment all the time.
Notice I didn't say it requires being on a diet all the time. That would be awful.
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.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Eating While Hungry
I'm not really sure what to write here. My thoughts? Struggles? Insights? Tell me what you think!
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?
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.
And I was across the street from McDonalds.
So I went in.
Yea, you read that right. That's what this is all about.
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.
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.
Hunger can really overwhelm the signals. A 20 piece nugget meal sounded great, but that really wasn't practical. Or reasonable.
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.
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?
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.
And I was across the street from McDonalds.
So I went in.
Yea, you read that right. That's what this is all about.
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.
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.
Hunger can really overwhelm the signals. A 20 piece nugget meal sounded great, but that really wasn't practical. Or reasonable.
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.
Welcome to the diet-free life
I've been on a diet almost my whole life. I've struggled with my weight almost my whole life.
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.
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.
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.
So, welcome to my journey.
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.
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.
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.
So, welcome to my journey.
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