What does that mean? Food, too many things to do and not enough time to do it in. And unfortunately that can be the downfall to a healthy lifestyle. This year I want to make a pledge....I will continue to make health-ful eating part of my life and I'm going to keep up with activity during this hectic 6 weeks. It's only 6 weeks people, but how do we lose it so damn bad in 6 weeks?
My main goal during the holiday season is to not end up with the "bloated-unbutton my pants-someone kill me if I move" feeling during the special occasions. I have learned to understand my body's signals as far as starving-hunger-not so hungry-full-immagonnadie modes. This has served me well over the course of the years because I don't want to feel the pain. It's kind of like eating fast food. McDonald's sounds good except now every time I eat it my body wants to stab me from the inside out, pretty good incentive to stay away from it, right? That's what I thought :-).
The other thing is time, people get so wrapped up in shopping, decorating, cards, etc... that they forget what the season has come to mean. For each of us, our religious (or not) bent is a different "reason for the season" and all. But in western culture, whether you're Christian, Jew, Pagan, atheist, humanist, etc..., the season means spending time with friends and family, swapping gifts to show your appreciation for each other. It doesn't mean let me use all my time spending money on things I don't need or can't afford (I know there are many things out there that have me in these categories...). And because we're so concerned with the gifts we buy we forget to be kind to ourselves in the meantime.
This season make sure to give yourself a gift, the time and respect you deserve to keep yourself healthy. Don't wait 6 weeks from now to form a "resolution" because 6 weeks from now isn't good enough. You deserve better, we all do. We deserve to do the things for our physical, emotional, and mental well-being right now and always. Too often we forget ourselves in the shuffle of making everyone else ok, making sure everyone else is happy. For once screw everyone else and make yourself happy.
Letting 6 weeks just slide by without being an active participant is in no way good for us. Life happens and whether we're part of it or it happens to us depends entirely on us. Are you going to end 2011 miserable, depressed, up a clothing size or two (it can happen in 6 weeks!), less financially stable, and just an all-around "hot mess" (to borrow a phrase from The Riverton Cooper Clan)? Or are you going to stand up and tell yourself you deserve better and you're going to start making those changes now? And guess what, if you can start making little changes in these 6 weeks, you can survive anything. Focusing on yourself and your well-being is never easy in the holidays, so if you start now you'll end up all the better for it.
Let's make a small deal to help get you started, tomorrow is the US "stuff your face" day also known as Thanksgiving. Take some time to go for a walk (or a run) outside, in the spirit of the day think of a few things you are thankful for while you're enjoying the fresh air. We all have reasons to be thankful, having an attitude of gratitude (I swear I heard that somewhere) makes us happier in the long run. Remember thankful people are happy people. Knowing that our situation can always be worse puts us in a better mood and helps us cope with things that ordinarily would derail us. Research has shown that fresh air and positive thinking help people stay healthy, so 15 minutes while the turkey is in the oven is all you need to start ending 2011 on a better note. I promise to do the same thing :-)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I did it!
The 10K has come and gone. On Sunday morning we woke up early, got dressed, pinned my number to my chest, got breakfast and waited for the train to take us to Camden. Waiting for the start, my heart was pounding. Here I was, about to run 6.2 miles, the longest distance I've ever attempted. Dave was there with encouraging words to get me to the start line. We met up with Julius since he was the reason I was running this race in the first place.
Julius and I made it towards the start line and met up with some of his other Philly Fitters and my nerves were starting to subside. I was already in the crowd waiting for the start, there was nothing else I could do other than run. Julius had just run the Marine Corps Marathon the weekend prior so he was just chilling and enjoying the run so I set a 4 minute run/1 minute walk pattern. I was not going to be able to run the whole course so to try and keep up a more consistent pace I chose a Galloway interval.
The run was hard, I keep finding hard things to finish :-). Having Julius there during the run was positively awesome for me. I remember something he said around mile 4: "We've already done 2 miles twice, so we can do 2 more." It was great to run with him and I was able to set a PR by 20 seconds on twice the distance with relatively minimal residual pain. I call that a win!
It was awesome to finish that race, to be able to add one more thing to the list that I was able to accomplish. That is the most important thing, find something you want to go for, some goal, and go for it. Accomplishing something is more important for us in the long run. Whatever you choose to make your goal, make a goal and go for it. Finishing something breeds pride in ourselves and motivation to keep going.
I challenge you to find something you want to do (big or little) and make your next goal and do it. Don't be afraid, don't worry about failing, just do it. In the immortal words of Yoda: "Do or do not, there is no try."
Julius and I made it towards the start line and met up with some of his other Philly Fitters and my nerves were starting to subside. I was already in the crowd waiting for the start, there was nothing else I could do other than run. Julius had just run the Marine Corps Marathon the weekend prior so he was just chilling and enjoying the run so I set a 4 minute run/1 minute walk pattern. I was not going to be able to run the whole course so to try and keep up a more consistent pace I chose a Galloway interval.
The run was hard, I keep finding hard things to finish :-). Having Julius there during the run was positively awesome for me. I remember something he said around mile 4: "We've already done 2 miles twice, so we can do 2 more." It was great to run with him and I was able to set a PR by 20 seconds on twice the distance with relatively minimal residual pain. I call that a win!
It was awesome to finish that race, to be able to add one more thing to the list that I was able to accomplish. That is the most important thing, find something you want to go for, some goal, and go for it. Accomplishing something is more important for us in the long run. Whatever you choose to make your goal, make a goal and go for it. Finishing something breeds pride in ourselves and motivation to keep going.
I challenge you to find something you want to do (big or little) and make your next goal and do it. Don't be afraid, don't worry about failing, just do it. In the immortal words of Yoda: "Do or do not, there is no try."
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Sleep...mother nature's best medicine....
Sleep is one of the most important things our bodies can do for us. Think about it, all non-essential systems are shut down and our bodies are allowed to rest physically and mentally to rejuvenate us for the next day. What is the thing that helps us heal fastest when we've come down with a cold or the flu? Sleep. It's the body's way of being able to put ourselves back together so we're healthy for tomorrow.
As I sit here anxious over the 10K run tomorrow I will be able to mentally over-power my anxiety by writing this entry so I can get to sleep. Sleep is incredibly important for our bodies, I could link here the many studies I've read over the years and all the side effects that not getting enough sleep can cause, but I'm going to talk to you about my personal plight with sleep. I have never had a problem with getting sleep, but I've often had a problem with getting restful sleep. I have three main problems when it comes to sleeping restfully and some easy solutions I've discovered, mainly in the past year, that has dramatically increased my restful sleep quotient.
I'll start with problems so I can finish on a positive note :-)
1. Restless Leg Syndrome. I have not been officially diagnosed with it but given the way my legs act while I sleep sometimes I believe that I have some degree of this whether in the clinical definition or not. My legs often twitch, shake, or feel like dead weights when I lay down to sleep. I am convinced that my problem is muscular/circulatory in nature so I have come up with a few successful ways to deal with this problem. It has also been linked to iron deficiency or anemia which I am diagnosed with. The random movement of my legs during the night causes my sleep to be disrupted and Dave's as well.
2. Can't-turn-the-brain-off syndrome. This is when my brain is going a mile a minute thinking about something/things. They can be good things or bad things or just things in general (AKA what I have to do tomorrow). When I don't shut my brain down properly I often toss and turn trying to tune out the monologue that's playing in my head. This keeps me from getting appropriate shut-eye and often makes me feel lousy when I get up the next day because whatever I was thinking about I now probably have to deal with.
3. Having to use the bathroom. I'm still a little young for a lot of trips to the bathroom during the night, but I have noticed that with drinking water all day, usually a cup of tea at night now that it's colder, I have to pee in the middle of the night. Now, this one is easy, if I try to fight the urge I toss and turn but if I get up and go I can usually snuggle back down and continue sleeping. However, sometimes waking up can disrupt the night.
So how do I fix these problems? It's actually a relatively easy list of solutions...
1. Set a bedtime routine. I tend to go to bed around the same time every night, I push it an hour or two on the weekends since I'm getting up later, but I'm not staying up until 2am and sleeping through Saturday or Sunday since that will make Monday morning all that more difficult. Brush your teeth, get changed, read a little, whatever you want it to be, but set some sort of routine and keep it. That way your body starts to get that muscle memory that says "hey, it's time for bed" and it learns to do it without too much extra help.
2. Get extra electronic devices out of your room. There have been studies to show that electronics in the bedroom disrupt sleep patterns. Turn your phone to airplane mode (or off) so it's not buzzing during the night. Even if you don't wake up to the vibrating spam email that came in to your smart phone at 3am, your body heard it and has been disrupted by it. Also, electronic devices like TVs and computers in the bedrooms have been shown to wreck havoc on your system with blinking lights, whirring fans, and whatnot that can contribute to un-restful sleep.
3. Exercise. Not right before bed because that'll drive your heart rate up and make it harder to go to sleep, but regularly as part of your daily routine burns off excess energy caused by foods ingested so your body isn't "twitching" when you lie down. I've noticed on days when I complete regular activity I fall asleep much easier and sleep better over all and wake up better. Also, as part of my exercise routine, I include elevating my legs. I spend most of my day standing so gravity does it's thing and drops blood into my legs and feet where it pools. So I've found that elevating my legs for 10-15 minutes as a stretch helps drain the blood and reducing how restless my legs are when I lay down to go to sleep.
4. Clear the headspace. Spend time writing down or meditating on the problems/thoughts/to do lists that would keep your brain active when you try and get to bed. Making a list, writing down thoughts, or just sitting quietly meditating helps my brain slow down so when I close my eyes I don't have my brain still buzzing with all the things I didn't get done today, all the things I have to get done tomorrow, or whatever is rattling inside my head.
Sleep is an incredibly important thing for our body. Ok, I'll touch on it, but people who don't get enough regular, restful sleep are at risk for many physical problems (obesity, immune system problems, cardiovascular problems, and potential for car accidents) and mental problems (anxiety, depression, mood swings, and trouble concentrating) and we all know how I feel on the relationship between mind and body. So if there's a treatment that can help you physically and mentally you should use it. And one of Mother Nature's best remedies for what ails you is sleep :-).
Sleep Foundation
As I sit here anxious over the 10K run tomorrow I will be able to mentally over-power my anxiety by writing this entry so I can get to sleep. Sleep is incredibly important for our bodies, I could link here the many studies I've read over the years and all the side effects that not getting enough sleep can cause, but I'm going to talk to you about my personal plight with sleep. I have never had a problem with getting sleep, but I've often had a problem with getting restful sleep. I have three main problems when it comes to sleeping restfully and some easy solutions I've discovered, mainly in the past year, that has dramatically increased my restful sleep quotient.
I'll start with problems so I can finish on a positive note :-)
1. Restless Leg Syndrome. I have not been officially diagnosed with it but given the way my legs act while I sleep sometimes I believe that I have some degree of this whether in the clinical definition or not. My legs often twitch, shake, or feel like dead weights when I lay down to sleep. I am convinced that my problem is muscular/circulatory in nature so I have come up with a few successful ways to deal with this problem. It has also been linked to iron deficiency or anemia which I am diagnosed with. The random movement of my legs during the night causes my sleep to be disrupted and Dave's as well.
2. Can't-turn-the-brain-off syndrome. This is when my brain is going a mile a minute thinking about something/things. They can be good things or bad things or just things in general (AKA what I have to do tomorrow). When I don't shut my brain down properly I often toss and turn trying to tune out the monologue that's playing in my head. This keeps me from getting appropriate shut-eye and often makes me feel lousy when I get up the next day because whatever I was thinking about I now probably have to deal with.
3. Having to use the bathroom. I'm still a little young for a lot of trips to the bathroom during the night, but I have noticed that with drinking water all day, usually a cup of tea at night now that it's colder, I have to pee in the middle of the night. Now, this one is easy, if I try to fight the urge I toss and turn but if I get up and go I can usually snuggle back down and continue sleeping. However, sometimes waking up can disrupt the night.
So how do I fix these problems? It's actually a relatively easy list of solutions...
1. Set a bedtime routine. I tend to go to bed around the same time every night, I push it an hour or two on the weekends since I'm getting up later, but I'm not staying up until 2am and sleeping through Saturday or Sunday since that will make Monday morning all that more difficult. Brush your teeth, get changed, read a little, whatever you want it to be, but set some sort of routine and keep it. That way your body starts to get that muscle memory that says "hey, it's time for bed" and it learns to do it without too much extra help.
2. Get extra electronic devices out of your room. There have been studies to show that electronics in the bedroom disrupt sleep patterns. Turn your phone to airplane mode (or off) so it's not buzzing during the night. Even if you don't wake up to the vibrating spam email that came in to your smart phone at 3am, your body heard it and has been disrupted by it. Also, electronic devices like TVs and computers in the bedrooms have been shown to wreck havoc on your system with blinking lights, whirring fans, and whatnot that can contribute to un-restful sleep.
3. Exercise. Not right before bed because that'll drive your heart rate up and make it harder to go to sleep, but regularly as part of your daily routine burns off excess energy caused by foods ingested so your body isn't "twitching" when you lie down. I've noticed on days when I complete regular activity I fall asleep much easier and sleep better over all and wake up better. Also, as part of my exercise routine, I include elevating my legs. I spend most of my day standing so gravity does it's thing and drops blood into my legs and feet where it pools. So I've found that elevating my legs for 10-15 minutes as a stretch helps drain the blood and reducing how restless my legs are when I lay down to go to sleep.
4. Clear the headspace. Spend time writing down or meditating on the problems/thoughts/to do lists that would keep your brain active when you try and get to bed. Making a list, writing down thoughts, or just sitting quietly meditating helps my brain slow down so when I close my eyes I don't have my brain still buzzing with all the things I didn't get done today, all the things I have to get done tomorrow, or whatever is rattling inside my head.
Sleep is an incredibly important thing for our body. Ok, I'll touch on it, but people who don't get enough regular, restful sleep are at risk for many physical problems (obesity, immune system problems, cardiovascular problems, and potential for car accidents) and mental problems (anxiety, depression, mood swings, and trouble concentrating) and we all know how I feel on the relationship between mind and body. So if there's a treatment that can help you physically and mentally you should use it. And one of Mother Nature's best remedies for what ails you is sleep :-).
Sleep Foundation
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)