Sometimes you need to ignore yourself!
I’ve recently been re-inspired to post something about healthy weight loss.. and how it relates to mental wellness. I’m going to be brief, and I hope you might consider reblogging with your own thoughts!
I believe that a majority of the problems with obesity start in the cavity directly between your ears. The brain is a tricky thing, and has been tuned over many thousands of years of evolution to be the most complex and powerful part of the body. Sometimes you need to ignore it to reach your goals. Regarding weight loss, with a bit of practice you might find that you can get better control with a fairly simple hack.
Every single time you start to put something in your mouth, food or drink, take a few moments to ask yourself;
- Is my stomach grumbling?
- Am I stressed out?
- Do I feel sluggish, maybe its been too long since I’ve last eaten?
- Is there a more healthy alternative?
Be honest with the answers to these questions, and then eat or drink what you were about to. I think that over time you will answer these questions before you have a food or drink in your hand, and the answers to these questions will guide you to making healthier decisions.
DIY: Fix any aspect of your life.
Quite possibly the most comprehensive list on how to fix any aspect of your life you choose. Forget new years resolutions, just read this list every other day.
Still alive and kicking {ass}
Been a little while since I added anything to my blog here.. It’s the time of the year when, historically, I would be overeating and drinking and then waking up the following morning and feeling bad for it.. only to do the same thing a couple days later. Thank god that cycle has been stopped, for good. Wendie and I were reflecting on just this in the car yesterday.. We enjoyed an impromptu party at the neighbors house on Saturday night wherein plenty of sugar and alcohol was consumed. Sunday morning, instead of giving it an iota of self loathing we killed our workout session. Wen started with about 40 minutes on the stair EFX machine while our good friend Kari, and I ran a 5k. Kari had decided that she wanted to set a new PR on the 5k distance as a birthday present to herself, and asked me to join.. and so I did.. and she shaved over 4 minutes from her previous 5k time with a new 27:32 (sub-9/mi!). After a little cool down, we zoomed back to the gym and joined Wen for an hour of circuit training which left us all grunting and sore on the gym floor! There were far too many exercises to list, it was a lot of fun.
What else, you say? Boot camp.
The past 2 weeks have been a lot of fun with me joining Wen and the “Bikini Bootcamp” group led by Amy Krahn in Corvallis. We meet for an hour and get some absolutely killer workouts.. I didn’t realize how under developed my upper body and core muscles were until I started bootcamp. Sheesh! I’m having a blast with it and already signed up for the 4 days a week bootcamp in January. I’m starting to notice some ab definition peeking out from behind the belly fat/loose skin that still remains.. I feel myself becoming a stronger runner, and I’m pushing myself beyond my limits in a way that I haven’t ever before.
2011 has been a fantastic year for me, building on the success of 2010 and sealing the deal on a re-invention of my self-concept. Its taken a lot of will power and hard work, no doubt, but I’m finding that it can be a whole lot of fun too.. so there is a purpose to the pain, and it feels good making progress. I’m looking forward to 2012, I’ve got plenty of plans set in motion and I can see a whole lot of sweat in my future. :)
May 2012 be a year for you to re-invent and refine an aspect of your life, I’m positive that you won’t regret it. Don’t wait for January 1, get started right now. Happy Holidays!
Tired of giving less than 100%
This morning I joined my wife, a few of our friends, and a big group group of ladies in a “Bikini Bootcamp” running session. Wendie had done this workout in a prior month of bootcamp and encouraged me to join and give it a go.. This morning was the OSU Beavers, “Reser Stadium Stairs”;
- 4 laps around the football field
- 5 laps of bleachers (6 flights of stairs?)
- a lap of Reser Stadium (9 much longer flights of stairs)
- 2 laps of bleachers
- a final lap of Reser..
By about 2/3 the way through my final lap of Reser, my heart is pounding at about 160bpm, I’m leaving a trail of steam like some old school locomotive, I’ve got sweat pouring, and the cold crisp morning air is starting to burn my lungs.. Amy, the instructor, calls out that we have about 10 minutes left and to finish strong. Amy and Shawn (well, that’s how I’ll spell her name) are in the lead a little over a half of a flight of stairs ahead of me and I’ve accepted that I will not be catching them this morning.. For a moment I started to think, “I’ve got nothing to prove, I’m having fun and getting a great workout.. I’ve given a solid effort so why not coast my way through the last few flights of stairs”. And then it occurred to me that this is, fundamentally, the root of one of my problems.. My goal for the morning started with giving it 100% of my effort, finishing as close to “on empty” as I could.. and here I am settling with 90% “because I’m not going to catch the leaders”.. pfft.. that’s weak sauce.
I put my head down with a smile, and started to dig.. I don’t have anything to prove, I’m not “the best” or the “the strongest”, but this morning I am not going to settle for anything less than 100%. And I did finish strong, and at the top of my final flight of stairs into the cold sprinkling wind I let loose a roar worthy of a demon I conquered, again, this morning. My legs were wobbly and twitching, but the smile on my face tells you that I’ve started my day off the right way.
Fist bumps (with fireworks) to Wendie, Kari, Chellie, and Cheryl for kicking ass and taking names as well this morning!
Mom and Dad bought Wendie and I a box of True Lemon and I really dig it.. adds just enough flavor to my water! Turns out True Citrus Co. also has several other flavors on the market!
Oh hey, go drink some water!
Obesity genes, pppfft!
Take that, obesity genes!
Active-Isolated Flexibility
Great video, and definitely something I’m going to start doing!
H2o nudge, drink it up Internets!
Reverend, husband of @HulaGirlLove, home brewer, artist, software engineer, and ultramarathoner. While losing 100+ pounds I discovered that I love to run, and now I'm going to see just how far I might be able to go. An experiment of one.
