"One of these things is not like the other...!" [How an evolving mindfulness practice helped make this the most fulfilling holiday to date]

In years past, I would wake up the day after Christmas a remorseful, bloated, unhappy mess. Instead of reflecting joyfully on the time spent with family around the table and tree, I'd immediately begin plotting how many hours of cardio I would have to do in penance for my dietary "sins."

Needless to say, any relief I could elicit from guilt-exercise was brief to say the least, and left me feeling bereft: Both overindulgence and its resultant guilt left me no emotional bandwidth with which to form pleasant memories of the holiday. Instead of feeling abundance in heart, soul, and mind, I felt emptiness. I blamed myself for my lack of self-control, thus perpetuating the idea that overeating "bad" food meant I was an inherently "bad" person. 

Thanks to lots of conscientious practice, grace and patience, this year was different. I was fully immersed in the celebration of the day; I indulged mindfully and joyfully; and in moments of weakness, I reached out to another human being for emotional sustenance as opposed to turning to food. This represents a huge turnaround for me, and I just want to shout to the rooftops that #moderation365 works!

#moderation365 is a mindset around food that takes time to cultivate and practice. It requires that you discard tendencies to define foods in moralistic terms and just see it for what it is: food. Something benign, but which can and should be both nourishing and pleasurable. When you eat this way, nothing is ever off-limits, which has a crazy way of making formerly "forbidden" foods seem much less tempting. When foods are less tempting, we're much less likely to overindulge in them. The radical notion that we can sample any food that we want at any time makes it easier to eat in a way that supports our physique goals without having to expend as much physical and mental effort. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's not...

Take this photo for example: 

Behold, an accurate depiction of what I've eaten in the past 48 hours. I've sampled my favorite Christmas cookies; pumpkin pie; fancy cheese; stuffing; and turkey skin. I've also helped myself to plenty of protein; brussel sprouts; and #BAS (big-a$$ salads). For me, this is what #moderation365 looks like. Sure, I'm not eating Christmas cookies and stuffing everyday, but on any given day, I work something similar into my diet...something that I would have previously scorned and avoided (only to overeat on more and worse things later on). 

One of my intentions for 2016 is to keep practicing #moderation365, with the hope that it becomes more and more effortless. My wish for you is the same: that whatever health-or-fitness-related intention you have, you practice it with a full heart and plenty of compassion. I hope that you seek out support from others, and remember that I am here and more than happy to cheer you on. #letsdo2016right :-)

My 5 Most-Effective Ways to Avoid Weight Gain this Holiday Season...and Beyond: Tip #5

Today's Tip:

Employ the 10-Minute Rule to stay mindful and present at all your holiday gatherings

Before I became a believer in #moderation365, I had only two dials: on plan and off plan. When I was on plan, everything that didn't meet my arbitrary standard of "health food" was off the table, and I employed willpower to the best of my ability to avoid cravings. Off plan meant that I was free to cut loose and eat with abandon. I told myself that my on-plan sacrifices had earned me the right to eat whatever I wanted for whatever window of time I allotted myself. More often than not, I took this leniency way too far and ended up feeling so stuffed and regretful that I couldn't recall even one pleasurable bite! This was not a way to live, and my metabolism proved that this strategy was doing me more harm than good. 

The times I'd give myself a wide berth were usually around holidays, especially Christmas. With all the parties and gatherings, it seemed impossible to approach this time with any modicum of self-restraint. As a result, when I'd show up at parties and make my way to the food table, it was almost as if a haze descended over me: I would get almost giddy at the prospect of eating as much of the food assembled as I wanted. It was literally intoxicating; it was like an out-of-body experience. 

Like many things, however, the anticipation of the thing was 10x better than the reality of it. I would end up spending all my time hovering around the food, trying not to "give myself away" as the greedy one at the party. I would watch others like a hawk, stressing over whether or not I would be able to get more of "x" dish before it was gone. I would watch resentfully as others helped themselves to a reasonable portion and continued to enjoy themselves and engage others in meaningful and interesting conversation. Since my focus was laser-pointed on the food situation, it left little brain bandwidth to engage my fellow party-goers. And when someone did try to engage me in conversation, I could only half-pay attention because my mind was elsewhere!!!

My 5 Most-Effective Ways to Avoid Weight Gain this Holiday Season...and Beyond: Tip #4

Today's Tip:

Don't ignore cravings, anticipate them! The more aware you are, the more equipped you are to make a good choice

"Deprivation Roads Leads to Binge City"--@hilaryglaus

I came up with this metaphor because it illustrates what happens when we ignore cravings and white-knuckle our way through a strict diet, only to end up binging when our willpower inevitably runs out. We can only rely on pure force of will for a finite period before everything starts to look like a cupcake! You know the saying "When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail?" If you're hungry and deprived and irritable, everything--whether you even like the food or not!!--starts to look like the most delicious thing in the world on account of the fact that it's "off limits." When literally everything starts to look appetizing, how can we expect ourselves not to give in? And when we do, what happens? We feel like a failure, and blame ourselves for our lack of willpower. In such a defeated state, we're more likely to turn to food or some other counterproductive behavior that resets the cycle anew. 

So my fourth strategy to help you avoid weight gain this holiday season and beyond is to anticipate cravings. Yes, that's right; don't presume when you're feeling super-motivated that it's not necessary to establish an action plan. Cravings are a biochemical reality which can't be ignored (not for that long, anyway!), but can be managed effectively so that you're not tempted to throw the baby out with the bath water! 

The best place to start is by playing "diet detective" to determine what foods, consumed in small amounts throughout the day, will help you feel satisfied and less likely to binge. Some examples are bacon and other breakfast meats; heavy cream for coffee; cheese; avocado; charcuterie; olive oil; protein bars, etc. When you're sated, it's also less likely that you'll experience strong cravings. I've blogged before about the 80/20 Rule and how eating 80% of your daily calories from protein, vegetables, and high-fiber sources sets you up for success. It allows you some wiggle room for when it comes to that remaining 20%. Think about it: what are a chocolate bar, a couple cookies, or a slice of cake when measured up against that 80%?! It seems pretty insignificant when you look at it objectively, doesn't it?! This strategy is effective when it's utilized to reexamine how we perceive the way that we eat: when we chose to look at our nutrition from an objective standpoint, we tend to see that what we criticize ourselves for is really only a small drop in the larger bucket of learning to eat in a sustainable way for life.

My 5 Most-Effective Ways to Avoid Weight Gain this Holiday Season...and Beyond: Tip #3

Today's Tip:

Prioritize protein and fiber-rich foods

Protein and fiber-rich foods increase satiety and stabilize your blood sugar. It's a win-win because these foods provide bulk and volume without adding too many calories, so yup stay satisfied longer with fewer dips in your energy levels. You get much bang for your proverbial buck with these foods because it's hard to really overdo it: realistically-speaking, how much chicken breast can you really eat after all?!? The same goes for high-fiber foods, which have the added benefit of keeping you regular (!) If the bulk of your diet (80% or so) is comprised of quality protein and fiber-rich foods, you're well on your way to avoiding the common pitfalls that befall us when it comes to eating in a way that aligns with our goals. 

[Foods that are high in fiber & protein! Sources, clockwise
from upper-left: Greatist ~ Minimalist Baker ~
Nature's Secret ~ Livestrong

Does anyone else notice that it seems as though, right around this time of year, clean protein sources and vegetables all but disappear from peoples' consciousness?!? So while the goal may be to prioritize these foods to get the most mileage out of our calories, this time of year presents a unique conundrum. I've been to countless holiday parties between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I'm pressed to find a green leaf, spear, or bean anywhere! Even protein un-sauced and outside of some pastry shell is hard to come by. And for those who consider raw veggies an alternative for those who choose not to indulge their every tasty whim this time of year: I'm sorry, but plain crudités is just not going to cut it.

If you think the gathering you're heading to will be a vegetable-and-protein desert, there are certain things you can do to ensure that you don't fall prey to overindulgence. Firstly, consider bringing a large dish that fits the bill. This way, even if there's nothing else at the party that you choose to eat, you have something delicious and plentiful, plus you know exactly what's in it. An added bonus? You get to show others that nutrient-dense, physique-friendly foods can be palate-pleasing, too!

Great salsa recipe from JillFit!

Healthy party dishes for your holiday fete! Sources
clockwise from upper-left: Taste As You Go ~ Pinterest ~
HuffPost

Secondly, consider eating a hearty serving of protein and veggies before you leave. That way you walk into the party ready to mingle instead of make a bee line directly to the dessert table. A protein shake with a fiber supplement added could suffice here, and its ease and portability makes it a great option if you're short on time or heading to your party straight from work (or the gym!).

My 5 Most-Effective Ways to Avoid Weight Gain this Holiday Season...and Beyond: Tip #2

Today's Tip:

Ramp up the metabolic resistance workouts and ease up on the cardio

Metabolic resistance training (MRT) is a type of training protocol where you perform a series of resistance-training exercises for reps or for time, resting as little as possible. MRT is an effective way to burn fat while simultaneously building muscle to improve body composition and overall work capacity. Because you are resting very little and moving either your bodyweight or some external weight, MRT leaves you breathless. This is the idea: you should be gasping for air.

MRT can be performed on its own for a short, effective workout, or you can add a session onto the tail-end of a lifting workout as a potent finisher. When you perform MRT, your aim should be to get as sweaty as possible and work as hard as possible. You get the benefits of cardio via the heart-pumping pace of the workout, and spend much less time to achieve the desired effect.

This is me completing an MRT circuit of ME (max effort)
box dips & OH squats

By cutting back on cardio, you will experience fewer negative effects like exercise-induced cravings and hunger. You'll also find that you need fewer calories to get through your workouts because they're shorter, so you'll naturally be less hungry throughout the day. When you improve the ratio of body fat to lean muscle tissue, you will increase your resting metabolic rate so you burn more calories throughout the day. Plus the increased ratio of lean muscle mass to body fat means that your body can withstand a few extra calories here and there without any discernible negative physique changes.

Stay tuned for the next tip! It's going to be a good one!!!

3 Strategies to Help You Avoid Overeating at Restaurants (While Still Enjoying Yourself!)

In the first season of The Real Housewives of New York, Jill Zarin tells her daughter a story a story in which she was out to eat, and in order to stop herself from eating all the french fries on her plate, she drenched them in water. While I disagree with the context in which this story was shared with her daughter, as I believe it underscored Jill's attempt to control her daughter's eating habits specifically and her body more generally, her tale resonated with me. I'm sure it also rang true for other women who've done the same or equally absurd things to keep themselves from overeating when they're out to eat.

Even Real Housewives aren't immune to hot, oily, salty
goodness :-)

Self-Portrait: The Time I Threw Away Half a Cake...and then
proceeded to dig it out of the garbage and eat it anyway

Many women struggle with overeating in general, but it can be particularly difficult to rein oneself in when sitting at a restaurant. First of all, the portions are often very large; much larger than what we would typically serve ourselves at home. Secondly, the food is often prepared with a lot of butter, salt and other flavors that trigger the pleasure centers of our brain, making it hard to stop eating simply because we're full. Thirdly, many of us struggle to reconcile 1) the notion that it's wasteful not to clean our plates with 2) our best intentions to eat mindfully.

It looked appetizing at first...but after bite 1,000, I'm feeling
a little bit ill...can you feel me?!

For me, the struggle not to overeat at restaurants is real. I love dining out and I love food, but I hate the lack of control that I feel when I don't take my time and instead eat until I'm busting at the seams (Having to unbutton your pants after a meal? Not a good look!). To help me stay true to my intentions and my goals, I've come to rely on a few strategies to avoid overeating at restaurants:


1) Don't order an alcoholic beverage when the server first comes around for a drink order: Going out to dinner is exciting! Whether it's date night, an evening out on the town with girlfriends, or a special celebration with family, it's tempting to want to "get the party started," so to speak, as soon as you're seated. When we do this, however, we make it that much harder to remain mindful around food because our mind is already slightly clouded by alcohol. When we order a cocktail or glass of wine right off the bat, it's an implicit invitation to ourselves to disregard our intentions and give into those voices that are telling us to "just let loose."

Don't order a Scorpion Bowl until AFTER they bring your
egg roll :-)

In my experience, that initial drink order will either make or break my evening. I've made the wrong-for-me decision too many times to not have developed an alternative solution which is to wait until my meal comes to order a beverage. By ordering plain or sparkling water to start, I make a conscious choice to ease myself into the evening, stay present and enjoy the whole experience. I feel empowered when I make choices that reflect my goals, and as a result, I am able to fully engage with my company. I'm not worried about whether or not someone is "judging" me for abstaining from alcohol (not that my choice gives them reason to, but it's all about my perception anyway!) because I simply say, "I'm going to order a glass of wine with my meal." Not only am I making a choice I feel comfortable with and that allows me to remain fully engaged in the present moment, but I give myself more time to pore over the wine list (<--see what I did there?!) in conjunction with the menu and decide what wine best pairs with my meal of choice. I stand by this strategy as a way to help me avoid overindulgence because it enhances the entire experience of dining out, and when I am truly enjoying myself, I am much less likely to make a decision that will dramatically alter that course.

From Cranky Pants to Wonder Woman: 4 Tips to Turn a Bad Day Around

I woke up on the wrong side of the best this morning.

IS there a crankier color than brown?! I think not!

My plan was to rise early and make it to the gym for some squats and then hit up a class at my new sanctuary, The Bronx Barbell Club. "If anything's going to get me out of this funk, it's moving my body," I thought positively. In most cases, movement does work to pull me out of the doldrums. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.

I forced myself out of bed earlier than I normally would because I was dead-set on being first to the squat rack. My mind was set on beating one particular dude who I know likes to hog the rack most mornings. Upon finding the rack unoccupied, I gleefully set up for my sets, unable to conceal my sense of victory as the dude shuffled in. Surely this small victory at my fellow gym rat's expense would shock me out of my bad mood, right?

Wrong.

I should have known better than to gloat! Maybe it was all in my head, but my subsequent session was totally off. My right knee kept acting up, I needed longer rest breaks than I normally do, and my mind refused to focus. I went from set to set thinking, "When is this going to be over?" instead of "Wow, I'm so strong and it feels so amazing to squat so much weight!" I completed my sets, and left the gym thinking that the damn cloud over my head just won't let me be...

...and that feeling followed me all the way to work :-(

"Enough," I finally said to myself. I didn't want the rest of my day to be miserable, so I took responsibility. I took a few minutes to think about why I might be in such a foul mood. This exercise was effective because it helped reinforce the power I have over my own perspective, while allowing me the freedom to show myself compassion.

Molly Galbraith's 28-Day Love Your Body Challenge + Sunday musings

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you're enjoying your weekend and gearing up for what will be a fun and productive week. I've had the luxury of spending the entire weekend at home, venturing out solely to hit up the local Target and get my gym fix. Other than that, I've spent my time cooking, reading, studying for my NASM-CPT exam, and watching copious amounts of Netflix streaming :-)

It's been glorious!

In addition to all of that, I've found time to really immerse myself in this wonderful 28-Day Love Your Body Challenge, organized and facilitated by the lovely Molly Galbraith. Today's Day 6, and I've gotta tell you, it's been beyond rewarding. Molly gives us a reason to love our bodies daily, accompanied by a mantra and an action step to complete every day that reinforces some element of self-love as it relates to body image. I've read some amazing stories from women who've overcome such incredible odds: it's just so inspiring. The quotes aren't bad, either :-)

I'm so happy I dedicated myself to this Challenge, and I can't wait to see how my perspective about my body has shifted after 28 days. Already, I feel like the seed of change has been planted :-)

I thought I would share today's mantra, in case you wanna jump on the self-love bandwagon (which I highly recommend by the way; it's never too late!). Reason #6 to love your body is "because it's served you well," and the daily mantra is "I love my body. It may not be 100% perfect, but it's served me well and it deserves love and compassion." How true is that?!

The action step to reinforce today's reason to love your body is take 5 minutes to make a list of the things that you love that your body allows you to do. Then, take a moment to feel what it would be like not to be able to do that thing, and then turn that feeling into gratitude for your abilities. Here's my list:

Do 3 sets of 15 unassisted tricep dips

Perform pushups with perfect form

Speak Spanish

Empower my clients to protect and preserve their housing

Love my family and friends

Become a personal trainer

Do yoga

Have great sex

Taste wonderful foods

Be financially independent

Read and explore new ideas

Cook

Volunteer my time

Carry heavy grocery bags

Move furniture

Travel

Tell people that I love them

Make people laugh

Wow, that was powerful! Seriously, take me up on this and write your own list. I think you'll be amazed and filled with gratitude for your precious body and all it allows you to do, day in and day out. 

Have an AMAZING week, friends!

What I've been up to lately + first Paleo Challenge progress photo

It's Sunday-Funday! One of my favorite days of the week! I love Sundays because they're my day to rush around like hell to do chores, run errands, and prep for the week. While that may not sound like too much fun, I actually feel like my batteries get recharged on Sundays and I'm ready to take on the week.

Uh, yes I think I will :-)

I've been slacking off on regular posts because there's been a lot going on! For starters, I completed my NASM e-course! All that's standing in the way of me becoming a certified trainer is completing a CPR/AED certification and passing my exam! If all goes well, I'll be a certified trainer in the next couple of weeks! It's exciting and nerve-wracking and scary, all at the same time. I can't help but wonder: "Will I be good enough? Will I be successful at this? Will I get clients? Will I be able to make money? Will I even like it? I'm know these feelings are common; I just can't let them hold me back.

My favorite quote at the moment

I should be feeling more confident than I am since my internship is going so well. I've been so blessed to find this gym and to be surrounded by such kind and knowledgable people. The trainers have taken me under their wings and really opened up to me. It's such a great environment to be in; the energy's contagious. I've been lucky enough to assist with group classes and practice instructing exercises, cueing, and progressing and regressing exercises. I've also had an opportunity to work on the gym's monthly newsletter. This month, I contributed an article on the importance of post-workout nutrition. It'll be super exciting to see the article "in print" and know that all kinds of folks will be reading what I wrote. I'm very honored.

As you can see, there's been a lot going on in my life recently. And somehow, in between it all, I managed to start a 21-day Paleo challenge with my brother! I haven't been perfect by any means, but I am very happy with my results so far. I feel energized; I find that I don't eat as much because what I am eating is so satisfying and full of healthy fats; my abs are looking fab! Overall, I'm very pleased and don't miss bread and sugar and dairy as much as I thought I would. I'll admit that it will be nice to have some cheese when all's said and done, though :-)

Totally accurate! I speak from experience!

I took this Friday morning, 5 days after starting the Paleo Challenge

All in all, January was a thrilling success, and February has definitely started off on the right foot! I wish the same for you all!

When "failure" IS an option

I'll be the first to admit it: failing at something sucks. Even if it's something that you didn't really care about; it feels crummy to not be good at something. While such admission shows maturity, it may be one of the most difficult things for humans to do.

This post is about how I "failed" at carb-cycling.While I went into it with the mindset that it was "just an experiment," I did not want to quit before the trial was through. I wanted to try it for 21 days. I was prepped and ready to go. I read up. I shopped. I food-prepped. And guess what? I lasted 12 days.

So true, but so hard to learn and apply!!

 If you read the blog, you know that I recently wrote a post about carb-cyling. After reading all about it, I thought "Hey, I can do that," and the rest was history. What appealed to me most about it was its potential for rapid fat loss. I've been trying to lose some body fat for awhile for aesthetic reasons and thought that this might be the kickstart I needed. If we're being totally honest here, having visible abs is a goal of mine :-)

Most articles I read gave general macronutrient guidelines ("Eat more carbs on days that you train; less on your off days/active rest days"). I decided that I needed something more specific--my first mistake. I was so taken by the idea of carb-cycling that I ignored the fact that in order to have a chance of succeeding with the plan, it would need to be 1) sustainable; and 2) applicable to my lifestyle. Where did my plan come from? A bodybuilding website. Second rookie mistake.

Except, hold the rice (on no carb days)!

This article was very detailed, almost to the point of neuroses. It laid out every single aspect of the plan, specifying high, low, and no-carb days; food lists; macro requirements, etc. In other words, it was a Type-A, control freak's dream! I should have seen the warning signs a mile away, and yet I persisted.

Since the plan prescribed me to eat at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, I had to break up my meals throughout the day. I was eating 6 times a day. I measured out my protein sources, and looked up all my nutrition facts. I packed a cooler to bring to work everyday, which, for a person who works in the field as often as I do, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED FLAG!

Needless to say, the prepping and frequency of meals became a burden and a chore right away. After the first couple of days, the only thing that kept me going were the rapid results. Of course it was likely just water weight, but I swear I noticed a difference after Day 3. "It's working," I said to myself, "I have more defined obliques! I see two ab indents." Yes, these were my progress markers.

I covet Pink's abs!

 So I slogged away. I spent money on food that didn't really taste that good and convinced myself I liked it. I told myself that it was my choice to do this--no one is holding a gun to my head--and could quit anytime. But my ego didn't want to hear that.

It wasn't until the second week that I started to notice some unpleasant side effects. I felt bloated and my skin broke out a little more than usual. I was constipated. It wasn't pleasant, and yet I continued on, fearful of what "failing" at this might tell me about the strength (or lack their of) of my will. Eventually, I started skipping meals because I wasn't able to eat enough during the day. I would come home after a long day at work and STILL have two more meals to eat. This meant that I went to bed many a night feeling like a stuffed turkey. Needless to say, my quality of sleep suffered, which is never a good thing.

Hahaha!

The disturbed sleep, discomfort, and desire for flavorful foods eventually did me in. And by the time I decided to give it a rest, I realized that I hasn't failed. In fact, I'd succeeded in realizing that this particular diet didn't work for me, at this time in my life. I realized that it's not bad to want my food to be tasty AND nutritious, and that there are other ways to eat that encourage fat loss.

What else did I take away from this experience? For one, I am now more aware of how to manipulate my carb intake depending my training schedule. On days that I workout, I need more carbs. I also noticed that I may have a slight dairy intolerance because on the days that I ate a lot of greek yogurt and whey protein, I felt bloated and lacked energy. I also learned to prioritize protein and to eat it with every meal. I was also happy to discover that I didn't miss gluten. I rarely eat it now anyway, but it's since become much easier to avoid altogether. 

Bottom line: carb-cycling, or at least the way that I did it, is not sustainable for folks who have normal schedules. Eating 6 times a day is not very realistic. I also wouldn't recommend it for very active individuals because of the relative carb restriction, so it's not ideal for endurance athletes looking to lose body fat. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with this strict cycling method unless I was training for a fitness or figure competition. I do like the principles, though, and will continue to manipulate my carb intake based on my training schedule.

Have you ever tried carb-cycling? If so, how did you do it?! I'd love to hear your stories!!!

Maintaining fitness while rehabbing a sports-related injury

Sports-related injuries are the worst.

When I started incorporating weight training into my exercise routine, I made sure I'd nailed down the proper form of the exercises before adding weight and more compound movement. Of course I wanted the benefit of resistance training, but I wanted to avoid injury, as well. I learned the value of mobility training and dynamic warmups to further decrease my chances of tweaking something.

And yet, here I am: recovering from a hamstring pull. The truth is, no matter how conditioned we are, we still put ourselves at risk for injury every time we workout. The level of risk increases or decreases depending on the activity, and the benefits almost always outweigh the risks, BUT...my point is, no one is immune and you shouldn't let an injury sabotage your fitness.

I've never experienced a major sports-related injury (knock on wood), but I have had my fair share of sprains and pulls, like the one I'm nursing now. It's only a minor pull, but if you'd told me when it happened how long it would impede my regular gym routine, I would have laughed. As a result of this injury, I can do very limited to no lower-body work, and even something as restorative as yoga has posed challenges. If you're anything like me, these perceived setbacks can take the wind completely out of your proverbial sails, i.e. make you feel totally defeated.

Source

In the past, I've given these setbacks the power to destroy my motivation and resolve to workout. Even the Health-usiast isn't immune to feeling more like a Debbie Downer when faced with a sports-related injury! But I've learned that feeling sorry for myself and giving the injury any form of power over me is senseless. Positivity in the face of disappointment breeds a certain type of creativity, and I've applied it to my workouts. Here's what I've done to conquer the desire to wave the white flag:

Conquering those pesky carb cravings with a 21-day "detox"

Guys.

How delicious does a fresh-out-of-the-fryer apple cider donut sound right now?! Or how about a piece of apple pie, a la mode? Wait, wait: an apple cider donut AND a piece of apple pie, a la mode?! NOW we're talking!

Photo courtesy of carpeseason.com 

So what's the reason I'm sharing these delectable photos? I'll admit it: I've been fending off some serious sugar and carb cravings since I decided to put myself through hell, aka a 21-day sugar "detox".

Photo courtesy of www.health.com

Full disclosure: I'm not following any particular guru's plan, nor am I giving up foods that I consider to be healthy but which most sugar detoxes consider no-nos, i.e. fruit. In fact, I'm not being particularly strict about anything other than the handful of foods that are major triggers for me and would derail my entire program. Those foods are typically of the white, starchy variety:  rice (white and otherwise), bread, cookies, cakes, pastries of any kind, pasta, etc. Now I rarely, if ever, consume white rice or white bread, but for the sake of this 21-day adventure, they're entirely off limits. 

Why am I doing this? Well, the simple answer is that I had a particularly indulgent October and as November rolled around, I started to feel the effects of the excessive amounts of sugar. I noticed that my skin wasn't looking its clearest, I wasn't sleeping as well as I usually do, and my energy levels were dipping too low for my liking. I noticed that I was reaching for sweet treats more often that I was used to, often after both lunch and dinner, and again at that dreaded time before bed when the desire to nosh becomes nearly overwhelming. 

Today is day 5 of the detox, and I'm feeling pretty awesome. The weekend has been hard, as I attended a 3-year old's birthday party on Sunday where there were cupcakes, empanadas, chocolate, and other goodies to tempt me. That night, I had dinner at a friend's house and had to politely decline the delicious-smelling orzo side dish much to my chagrin (side note: I don't even care much for orzo, but when you're 4 days into a detox, anything resembling starchy carbs begins to look like the greatest thing you'll ever eat in your life). All in all, however, things are going smoothly and I'm not missing certain foods as much I thought that I would. To be honest, I think the key is that I'm being compassionate with myself and not too strict. I'm enjoying my fruits and sweet potatoes in limited quantities, and paleo banana bread is proving a more than worthy substitute for any other bread or wrap I could think of!

I'll keep you posted as the weeks wear on...you best believe I planned this detox strategically so that the 22nd day is Thanksgiving!!! :-) Hello, luscious stuffing and decadent pumpkin pie!

Photo courtesy of www.simplyrecipes.com

Have a great week, everyone!

Photo courtesy of www.verybestbaking.com

Fall is a great time to set a goal!

Hi, friends!

Since we're about a week into September by now, I thought I'd take this post to share a big fall goal I've set for myself with you! I've found that it helps to declare my goals--out loud, on paper, on my blog--because it keeps me accountable. When I share my goals with others, I feel a certain level of responsibility to stay on track and share my progress. It really does keep me honest, and the motivation and inspiration I feel from the support others give me is priceless. I dare you to try sharing your next goal with others and see what a difference it makes in the experience of going after it!

This goal was inspired by a photo I saw on a blog I like to read. It's of a woman with strong, sculpted shoulders and absolutely enviable abs. She even has the coveted "v-cut" abs that have positively eluded me since I started weight training! I saw this photo and had on of those "a-ha" moments.

Tara Ballard, trainer over at Jillfit.com, as a self-proclaimed "cardio queen"
and then as a reformed and totally ripped strength trainer!

13.1 and beyond

Howdy, friends!

I ran my second half marathon this weekend! Two friends from college and I ran the Rock 'n' Roll DC Half Marathon this past Saturday, and what an experience it was! Despite the early training runs, late nights when I could think of nothing I'd rather do less than train, and all the aches and pains I developed, I have to say it was all worth it. Crossing the finish line with my two girlfriends was just simply a triumph.

Me, Liz, and Jenny before the race!

Just because I am who I am, one of the things I've been thinking about lately is: OK, you completed your second half marathon...what's next?! If you've been reading this blog, you know that I have been thinking about doing a fitness competition. Now that half marathon training is officially over, I have no more excuses! I'm planning to spend this coming week researching coaches who can guide me through the physical as well as the nutritional part of the process. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to what the next several months have in store for me!

And on that note, I wanted to share a little combination workout with you. I put this together on a whim for a friend who's interested in building strength and guarding against some of the aches and pains whose frequency increases in direct proportion to age (it's such a cruel, cruel trick that nature plays on us!)

Thinking ahead while looking back

Happy New Year, folks!

Thanks for sticking around, despite the sporadic posts and my occasional need to step up on my soapbox ;) I really appreciate you.

I read an interesting little factoid last night: gym memberships increase by an average of 12% every. single. January. Based on the amount of new faces I've seen popping up in the gym, I would have guessed that the percentage is even higher, but 12% is significant. This statistic demonstrates that of all the New Years' resolutions to be made, the one to get healthier and/or lose weight is and probably always will be the most popular. And why shouldn't it be? After a month of pigging out on holiday treats, it's easy to say, "OK! This year is it! The year I vow to get healthy!" What's not easy is sticking to it.

While I'm not here to lecture you all on how to keep your New Year's resolutions, and I don't even know the statistics of what percentage of people keep their "get healthy" New Years' resolutions, I do have a theory. Could it be that the reason people fall off the healthy bandwagon is because there is too much focus on how you're going to change and improve yourself in the year ahead, as opposed to looking back and taking inventory of what happened in the past year to get you to this point? Doesn't all the hype surrounding resolutions encourage us to look at how much better we can be instead of how great we already are? I think one reason why so many of us fail to maintain our resolutions is because we are conditioned to feel defective if we struggle to change our habits the first of January, pathetic and hopeless if we don't have the will power to turn over a new leaf as easily as we turn the page on the calendar.