Taming the Inner She-Jerk

INNER SHE-JERK SMASH!

One of my biggest challenges is the mental part of getting healthier.  I can go for days on a positive swing but the day I have the slightest misstep, I turn into a raging jerk who really loves to stomp all over myself. I hold myself to higher standards than I would an employee and I know my own weaknesses, so I'm pretty damn effective at being mean. 

In an effort to make my weight loss maintainable from a mental health standpoint, I modified an idea I saw on Pinterest.  I've been writing the things I have to be proud of (decisions, accomplishments, etc) on little pieces of paper and dropping them into a vase. When I start going into self-hate mode about my "failures," I can present myself with evidence to the contrary. 

I had initially intended to fill the vase with fun and positive memories from the year since I have a terrible time recalling the little moments.  I'm kinda glad I didn't because I'm really excited about this modification! I think it is a great way to remind myself that one misstep doesn't undo months of progress.

This morning I got to add "Went to the gym by myself when I had an excuse not to go." to my vase.  That's a big one! I burned a lot of calories and got some much needed teyie-time.  I don't want to lose sight of what an accomplishment that is when I am faced with a situation that challenges my goals. 

What do you do to stop the negative inner voice?

Working Out is Totally Working Out

My 30 days are up and I am feeling AMAAAAZING! Now I get to break it down and see what works, what doesn't work, and how I'm going to up my game for the next 30 days. 

Findings:

• Tuesday and Thursday workouts before work totally work.
• Saturday walking has about a 50% success rate.

I know I'm burning a solid amount of calories and getting stronger; I'm not nearly as sore after TRX (even though I'm able to complete more of the exercises!) and I dropped a little over 10 pounds in the last 30 days. I'm sure diet is a large part of that, but I can't discount how much easier it is to eat a reasonable amount of calories when you've just witnessed how hard they are to burn.

My next 30 Day Challenge is going to include some elements from a challenge the YMCA has posed for their employees in the month of April. I'm not an employee and it doesn't count for any kind of reward for me BUT they are some solid tenants to maintaining a healthy body weight.  The scoring is really simple.  Give yourself a point for each time you complete one of the items below in a day and try to earn as many points as possible.

1. Eat a serving of fruit or vegetable
2. Eat a healthy snack during the day instead of junk food
3. Start your day with a healthy breakfast
4. Track your daily caloric intake
5. Prepare a healthy dinner
6. Share a healthy recipe with a co-worker
7. Avoid junk food. Get one point each day you go without eating junk food. 
8. Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day
9. Replace your soda with juice or water
10. Eat a salad

I'm already doing most of this stuff which only reinforced the desire to play along. That being said, I, teyie the amazing, do commit to the following in the next month while earning at least 9 points every day.

Monday- Workout with Mr. Husband
                 6:00 am at the Gym
                 Cardio - at least 30 minutes
                 Strength - at least 20 minutes

Tuesday - Workout with Megan
                 6:00 am at the Gym
                 Cardio - at least 30 minutes

Thursday - Workout with Megan
                 5:45 am at the Gym
                 TRX - 25 minutes
                 Cardio - at least 15 minutes

Friday - Workout with Mr. Husband
                 6am at the Gym
                 Cardio - at least 30 minutes
                 Strength - at least 20 minutes

Saturday - Tentative date to walk with Megan
                  5:45am at various locations

If you did last month's challenge, how did it go? What are you goals for the next 30 days? Are you going to try the YMCA's employee challenge?

Best of luck in completing your "experiments" in working out! I hope you learn a lot and are able to adapt to what really works for you!

Supplement Your Diet with Snake Oil

Things have been simply awesome lately.  I've been doing more than I expected to be able to do at the gym and that has made eating the right foods pretty easy! Losing weight on easy mode feels almost like cheating (in the best way, of course!).

I'll have the bunny with the dressing on the side, please.

I sampled Chia Seeds recently and fell in love! Admittedly, I have an eclectic palette, so tiny little seeds that turn chocolate soy milk into pudding are right up my alley AND (if I'm being truthful) I was predisposed to liking them. Do you remember that weird kid who ate her chia pet like it was a home-grown salad kit? I was that weirdo before it was cool.

I'm not hopping on this for the weight-loss claims, mind you! Chia Seeds are being incorporated into my diet for their nutritional benefits and not for some bogus weight loss theory. So far, they've simply made for a tasty snack and have helped me to reach my macronutrient goals with how densely protein packed they are.

The claims that eating seeds will miraculously cause you to have a reduced appetite and effortlessly lose weight had me thinking about supplements. The most popularly taken supplements generally have value to one's diet but have had their true abilities exaggerated for increased sales.  Sometimes this is completely based on anecdotal claims, sometimes pseudo-science has a hand in it and sometimes this is based on marketing to a broader audience.

For example, B12 deficiencies can cause fatigue, depression and poor memory.  Most healthy omnivores have enough B12 stored to last them years before a deficiency could occur.  Vegans, on the other hand, may need to supplement B12 because they don't get it from the rich sources of dairy, eggs, meat and fish.  Sales increase if you leave out the bit about how unlikely it is for your average person to need a supplement and they increase further if you spin it into a supplement that gives energy, improves mood and improves memory.


I had intended on getting into the nitty-gritty of the most popular supplements, but I think it would be more helpful to simply direct you to this amazing chart. If you're more of a reader than a looker, take a peek at their data document.  The real take-away from my own research  was to make sure I'm taking a supplement for the right reasons before sinking money into what could be a costly long-term investment. I'll continue to take my vitamin B complex every morning, but I'll be doing it because I care about my heart and migraines (and not for any supposed boost in mood!).

What supplements are you taking?