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).

Say Yes To Stress

This is going to be short and sweet because I have so much to do tonight.

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. 

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.

Does stress turn you into a cookie monster or an extreme machine?

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.

Ok, that's all I have time for. Happy Memorial Weekend!