Balance, Priorities and The Gambler

Last week was a super tough week for our family. Our little guy was having some pretty serious sleep regresions, and needed a lot of nighttime support. This lead to several nights of five hours of sleep or less. My body was exhausted from the sleep deprivation, and my mind was exhausted from the stress. This, coupled with an extra busy "stuff" week (meetings, appointments, rehearsals, etc.) led me to feeling completely overwhelmed. I knew that I couldn't do it all...so I decided not to try. 

A year ago, I decided to make my self-care a priority in my life. And I think that I have been largely successful at this. But self-care is so much more than just eating right and working out. Self-care is also about feeding the mind and soul, and ensuring that all our body needs are met, physiologically and psychologically. 

For me, that meant that I needed to back off of something this week- and that something was my exercise routine. 

I tend to work out between 60 and 90 minutes a day, with at least two days a week exceeding the two hour mark. That's a really intense schedule to maintain and an awful lot of calories burned off in a day (an average of 3500 calories a day).

I do this because this amount of exercise seems to be what my body needs to function at an optimal level. Doing less doesn't give me the same hormonal boost, and doing more is too much for me to maintain. But around 12-14 hours a week of intense exercise seems to be my happy number, and I have adjusted a lot in my life to get there. 

However, there are some weeks where this simply isn't realistic. And on those weeks, I get discouraged. I am very much an 'all or nothing' person- if I can't do it ALL, then I don't do it AT ALL. 

So my goal this week was to aim for moderation. I wanted to make sure that I did at least thirty minutes of exercise a day, and make sure that I hit at least 12.5K steps a day. But otherwise, I was giving myself permission to not work as hard. My body couldn't handle it, my mind couldn't handle it and frankly, there just weren't enough hours in the day. 

It was a tough week- again, my 60-90 minute goal really is about finding the right amount of time to feel my very best. 30 minute sessions just didn't cut it the same way. BUT I also knew that it was the best that I could do, and that it was only a matter of time before things balanced out again. 

The truth is that life often throws you curve balls, and that it is very difficult to do everything you want to do all the time. You have to prioritize, and find the rhythm that works best for you and your needs. But the thing about priorities is that they can't be set in stone. They change, just as events in your life change, and we need to be flexible to adapt to these changes on a daily basis. 

I do not feel like I let myself down this week, even though I didn't hit my fitness goals, and even ate a lot more liberally than I usually like to. Instead, I am really trying to focus on the fact that sometimes we need to know when our body and worlds are simply too overwhelmed to take any more on. Sometimes, we need to look in the mirror and say "Today, we are 'pausing'. We will hit play again tomorrow, and that is ok."

I am learning to understand that that is the key to long term sustainable health and wellness. 

As 'The Gambler' tells us, you gotten know 'to walk away, know when to run."

Once you figure out that relationship, you find the balance that works for you. 

#MythBusting: All About Calories

It is almost impossible to engage in the conversation of health and wellness without coming into contact with myths regarding calories. Not only do people seem to understand what calories are and how they work, but most people operate on completely inaccurate premises of what an ideal calorie intake should be and how they relate to a person's weight and energy levels.

In this series of three posts, we'll look at some of the most common misconceptions surrounding calories and calorie intake, as well as attempting to provide some hints for how to make these units of energy work for you instead of against you.

Myth: Foods that are high in calories are bad for you.

Fact: Calories are fundamentally indispensable to your health.

They represent the amount of energy that your body has available to it in order to operate all of its systems.  How many calories you need in a day depends entirely on your body's composition and your metabolic rate. Eating too many calories in a day, or too few calories in a day, can cause your body to have difficulty in meeting its basic functioning requirements. This can result in weight changes, as well as other negative impacts in terms of sleep, energy and the health of your organs.

But calories themselves are relatively neutral. There are many high calorie foods that are extremely good sources of energy (and vitamins, minerals, etc.), just as there are many high calorie foods that are poor sources of energy. Conversely, there are many low calorie foods that are poor sources of energy, and many that are excellent sources of energy. The trick is to seek out the best sources of energy and an optimal calorie intake for your body composition and metabolic rate.

Sub Myth: People should aim for as little calories as possible, ideally not exceeding 1200-1500 calories a day, to lose weight, and 2000 calories to maintain their weight.

Fact: The amount of calories required to lose weight in a healthy way varies by person, and is dependent on your body composition, metabolic rate and activity levels. 

Every single human body is different. As such, we all require different things in order to function optimally. For the most part, if you want to lose weight you need to create a situation of calorie deprivation: where the amount of calories that you take in is less than what your body uses in a day. The commonly quoted ratio is that 3500 calories is equal to a pound of fat, so if you deprive your body of 500 calories beneath what it is accustomed to needing every day, you will lose approximately 1 lbs a week.

But here's the thing: We all burn calories at different rates. So creating that optimal calorie deficit level really depends on what your daily burn rate is. People with high body masses will burn more calories during activities (even sedentary ones) than those with lower body masses. This is even more true for those whose body mass has a high muscle to fat ratio, as muscles have higher energy requirements and use more calories.

But human bodies require basic amounts of calories in order to function optimally, and that basic amount isn't a static figure of "1200-1500". It really depends on your daily needs. Athletes and those who have very high caloric needs can (and should!) take in more calories to compensate for the extra energy that they burn off throughout the day.

A drop off calories that is too significant can cause massive issues (including hunger, headaches, irritability, difficulty sleeping, low energy levels, and poor organ performance). It can also actually inhibit weight loss by putting your into a calorie starvation mode, a state in which your body conserves all of its excess energy and makes it extremely difficult to lose any excess fat. So, while you want to lower your calorie intake in order to create a deficit that can lead to weight loss, you want to make sure that you are lowering it by a healthy and realistic amount that takes into account not only your current weight, but also your age, gender and activity levels. There are several online calculators that can help you find your healthy calorie number.

Sub-myth: It doesn't matter how many calories I eat. I work out, so I can eat whatever I want.

This is a very dangerous game, unless you are a very intense athlete. For those who are hoping to lose weight or maintain their current weight, it is important to understand the ratio of how many calories the activities that they do actually burn in a day.  Research has indicated that people are more likely to underestimate calories eaten and overestimate calories burned.  Unless you have a realistic idea of how many calories you have burned (something we will cover in my next post), it is hard to work out enough to compensate for eating 'whatever you want' without gaining weight.  Diet is a significant component of a healthy lifestyle, and accounts for the majority of all weightloss efforts.

Sub-myth: It doesn't matter what I eat as long as I get the right amount of calories in. I'll still lose weight. 

Sigh...this is a tough one. It's technically true. You can eat whatever you want, and if you stay within a reasonable calorie deprivation ratio, you will likely lose weight. In many cases, it comes down to portion sizes.

But this is where I would state that we need to move the conversation away from 'weight'  in general. Honestly, the health risks of being overweight or obese tend to be more correlations of lack of exercise and an unhealthy food regimen. I will be doing an entire post on "BMI" and the massively flawed tools we are using to evaluate obesity and weight, but suffice it to say that what you weigh is much less important than how you use your body in an overall sense of the word.

The ultimate goal here shouldn't be to be thin. That is often a consequence of a healthy lifestyle, but is also impacted by factors of genetics, race/ethnicity, ability level, and culture. Not everyone has the capacity to be 'thin'- and perhaps that is the greatest "myth" of all.

But we do all the have the capacity to make the healthiest choices we can to live as optimally as possible.  We can make changes in ensuring that we are eating foods that make our body feel good and fuel it with healthy vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins, all of which are indispensable to operating at our fullest capacity.

Most of us can move. No, not "all" of us...there are many people who have severely restricted or non-existent independent movement. But most of us can. How much we can move is dependent on many factors: physical limitations, culture, lifestyle and self-esteem all play huge roles in our ability to move our bodies optimally. But most of us are able to make small and steady changes to how much we move in a day.  Whether it is adding a 5 minute fix to our day, or doing a half marathon, adding more movement in our every day living is a positive thing overall.

Wellness is about so much more than just calorie intake and output. And the way that we have elevated calories, calorie counting, diets, restrictions, calculators, etc. puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to look at the whole picture of wellness.

Calories are your energy. They are good for you. But they are meant to be used. They are not meant to stay in your body indefinitely- which is were they can convert into fat and can result in weight gain.

The long and short of it is simple: Eat as many calories as you need to in order to feel energized, strong, healthy, and full of stamina! Over eating and under eating will affect those things and will work against you.

Use these calories as efficiently as you can by adding movement into your day. Generally, the more movement you add, the better you will feel. But the more movement you add, the more calories you will need to find the healthy balance between input and output.

Finally, start thinking beyond the 'calorie count'. Ask yourself: Is this food good for me? Does it contain healthy vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins and sugars? Is it going to make me feel better or worse?

This doesn't mean you should avoid foods that make you feel worse at all costs. But you may want to adjust the rest of your day accordingly.

You only get one body. Calories are how you fuel it. My recommendation is to opt for the highest grade gasoline you can find. Your body is worth it!

Happy Living!
Zita

Five Minutes Fixes!

Pressed for time? Unable to commit to hour long fitness schedules or meal preps that take over your fridge and kitchen? Scared that you are just too busy to do anything to improve your wellness?

What if I told you that you can make HUGE changes in your life in just five minutes a day?

Here's this week's list of "Five Minute Fixes"- simple solutions for every day wellness. 

1. Have an extra glass of water!

I am going to keep hammering this point home. Water is critical to your overall well-being!
Here's an article that tells you why!

2. Steam your veggies and opt for spices instead of butter/oil. 

Did you know that just dropping 1 TBSP of butter from your diet a day can result in a loss of 10 lbs of fat a year? Spices are an amazing way of making your vegetables taste great without packing on extra calories.

3. Start your mornings with a stretch!

Wake up your muscles and your metabolism by doing a quick five or six minute stretch routine every morning. Not only will your body love the extra oxygen and movement, but you will gain more strength and flexibility every day!

4. Park at the end of the parking lot, and walk the extra five minutes to work!

Even a short five minute brisk walk can be enough exercise to get your metabolism boosted and make you feel more energized! This is especially helpful if you work in a sedentary environment.

5. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

Did you know that walking 55 flights of stairs (the equivalent of 500 ft) every week can vastly improve your mortality rate?  Stair climbing is particularly helpful for post-menopausal women and those who suffer from osteoporosis, as stair climbing has been proven to help improve bone density!

There you have it! Five minute fixes that can help improve your overall health and wellness without compromising your tight schedule!

Have other ideas? Share them in the comments!

Myth #1: "Being Healthy Is An All Or Nothing Game"

Kicking off my March Myth Busting Series, is one of the most harmful, most pervasive health myths out there:  That being healthy is an all or nothing game.

If you are like me, there was at least a period of time in your life where you were told, whether by a doctor, parent, teacher, friend, or just media in general, that you needed to change your 'lifestyle' and become 'healthier'.

What that means exactly may have been different for each of us, but 'health preaching' is the new social religion, and it seems that there are never any shortage of health prophets ready to give you exactly the right type of sanctimonious coaching and guidance that you need to "become a better person".

For some odd reason, other people feel completely entitled to commenting on your  body and your life as long as they can somehow draw out how it pertains to your overall health...and if you ask a panel of 20 people what you should change about yourself in order to become "healthy", you're likely to get 20 pretty broad answers.

"Do more cardio"
"Do more muscle training"
"Eat less calories"
"Eat more calories, but only the 'good ones'."
"Drink water"
"Get more sleep"
"Quit {smoking, drinking, eating meat, eating GMOs, eating carbs, eating gluten, eating dairy...etc}"
"Meditate"
"Have more sex"
"Drink more wine"
"Just relax"

The list could on forever.

But the advice is almost always the same: If you don't do this, you will never be healthy.  Because you either "are" healthy, or you "aren't" healthy. 

And that's a lie.

While some activities may easily be classified as 'healthy' or 'unhealthy', a person's actual health lifestyle isn't so easily broken down. Most of us fall somewhere on a health spectrum, and move up and down this spectrum based on the decisions that we make over the course of time.

Health is often a vague term that we use when we compare ourselves to who we were or who we could be. Alternatively, it is a term that evaluates where we stand as compared to the rest of society.
But there is no 'one size fits all' definition of health.

And pretending that there is is a big part of the problem.

Generally speaking, people aren't "healthy" or "unhealthy". We talk about them as if they are- "That girl runs every day...she is so healthy!" or "That woman is so fat...I can't believe she let herself become that unhealthy."-  but the truth is seldom that simple.

You see, that woman who runs every day...she's a smoker.

Suddenly not so healthy, right?

And that obese woman you see there? She just finished biking a 180 km bike race for MS last month, and may have already lost sixty pounds.

And yet, she is fat...so unhealthy...right?

Wrong.

When we try to oversimplify the human body, we create false dualisms: You either 'are' or you 'are not'. This is the case, not only with health, but with many aspects of our society including wealth, education, intelligence, ability and even gender.

Breaking down these nonsensical categories is the first step to understanding the complexity of 'wellness'.

You, as a person, are neither 'healthy' or 'unhealthy'. You may have characteristics or traits that make you more or less healthy, but you likely do not exist firmly planted in one category or the other.

If you consider that health is a spectrum, as opposed to an all or nothing unchangeable state of being, you will begin to recognize that every single choice you make can affect how you feel in terms of your overall wellness.

You begin to realize that you have the power to be healthier, or less healthy, at any given moment in numerous different ways. 

That is where empowerment comes from. It comes, one decision at a time, often in tiny baby steps that together can add up to leaps and bounds.

You are not bound by one, two or even fifty unhealthy decisions. And you do not have to change everything about yourself and your life in order to become 'healthy' overnight.

Health is an ongoing process of improving and maximizing your body's functioning, and it can be improved in a myriad of different ways including increasing your physical activity, seeking a new mental challenge, or doing things that promote your sense of emotional and psychological well-being.

Many people who decide that they want to change their lifestyle by way of increasing their fitness and reducing their body size report feeling overwhelmed, intimidated and completely helpless at the enormity of the undertaking.

I remember feeling that way. I really do.

I remember feeling that the distance between 'desired' weight and 'current' weight was so far apart that there was simply no point in starting....so I didn't, for a very long time.

And then I made the decision to not care about weight.

Instead, I made the decision to just move and to focus on loving myself enough to dedicate a little extra time to my own self care.

Move a little more each day. And do something just for "me" every day.

Soon, fifty extra steps turned into thousands. And those thousands turned into miles.

And fifteen minute baths turned into hour long runs- opportunities to be alone, with myself and with my thoughts every day.

And with every extra step, I was healthier than I had been the day before.

And with every self-care goal I achieved, I felt happier than I ever had before.

It took a long time before I was ready to integrate more healthy decisions in my overall wellness routine. Diet, better sleep, more water...these are all steps that I took over time, when I felt ready and comfortable in doing so.  I quickly learned that trying to change too much too fast resulted in feeling discouraged and in my momentum seeping away too quickly.

It also took a really long time for my healthy choices to translate to a body size and weight that others would see as healthy.

So I was the fat lady at the gym, being jeered at by size 2 19 year olds...and then enjoying them watch in awe as a I dashed my way through a steady 10 km run.

My heart knew it was healthy before my waist line did.

But it was not an overnight transformation. I needed to take the time to process and interalize every small change until they were no longer 'changes' but instead had become habits.

I am not really 'healthy' now....but I am on a positive journey towards living a healthier life.

And that journey is more important than some imagined destination of "health" could ever be.

It's not an all or nothing game. If you don't think you can do everything overnight, you are right. You probably can't. But you can probably do 'something'- small as it may be.

And sometimes, something is everything.

Wellness: A work in progress

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of my decision to start finding ways to improve my overall wellness.

You'll note that I say "wellness" here, as opposed to "fitness" and "health". This is not accidental.

When I started this journey, neither 'fitness' nor 'health' (in the medical sense of the word) were my goals. Sure, I suppose losing weight and being overall more in line with what we define as conventionally healthy was important to me. But it was not my motivating factor.

What prompted me to take on this change was the unquestionable fact that I was, slowly but surely, losing complete sight of a balanced self-care.

Between two kids requiring a fair amount of support, and working a full time business, I was burning the candle at both ends.

I was tired.
So very tired.

Even if I slept a full night (which was rare between a young baby and chronic insomnia), I was tired.

And every day, I was feeling that tiredness setting in on my spirit and on my body. It became heavier and heavier, in the very literal sense of the word, until I was finally struggling to carry my 30 lbs preschooler around for longer than a minute or two.

And that was a pretty significant problem.

As my kids get older, and their needs evolve and change, it is very apparent to me that I will need a lot more physical strength in order to be able to keep up to them. Not being able to carry my children when they need me became a very real and tangible fear.

Something needed to change, and quickly.

I needed to get 'stronger'. 

That was it. That was my goal. Not weight loss. Not a dress size. Not even social acceptance.

I just needed to be able to carry my 30 lbs preschooler and my 20 lbs baby in my arms and on my back as needed, sometimes at the same time, without feeling like I was going to die.

So I started to google...which of course led Facebook's targeted advertising to start showing me fitness ads in my feeds. All of these turned me off. I wasn't interested in being told that I could have "perfect abs in just six weeks" or that I could be "bikini ready" in just three months.

I was 100 pounds over my target BMI weight, a tool that I know too much about to put any stock into, and there was just no way that these promises were anything more than flat out lies.

I didn't have the energy for goals I couldn't achieve.  I didn't have the energy to be shamed, or to look in the mirror every day and see nothing but a body that was interminably obese. My self-esteem couldn't handle it.

Also, and this is the kicker: I didn't have an issue with my fat body. I wasn't ashamed of it (gasp!) and reducing its size was simply not a priority for me. So I wasn't interested in becoming part of the weight loss craze. I wanted more for myself than a smaller waist.

But then, in the chaos of all of these false prophets, I saw one ad- posted by Lauren, a personal coach who represents Beach Body products, that didn't shame me. She talked about being stronger. She talked about doing something for "me" because I deserved it. She talked about "Positive and Healthy Living".

This message resonated with me. "Positive" and "Healthy Living". That's what I was looking for.

So she set me up with a program that she said would help me get stronger. And it did. A LOT stronger.

But it also had some unexpected results: better sleep, a desire to eat very differently because I was craving different foods (mostly protein), and an overall sense of self-worth and achievement!

I admit it. I was hooked. 

I became addicted to taking care of myself. 

I started finding little ways in my life where I could make changes: walking more every day, choosing stairs, going for walks to get some vitamin D, eating foods that made me feel good and discarding ones that did not.

Tiny changes...huge results.

But not the kind of results you'd expect at first.

I didn't lose any 'weight' for almost four months. I lost 'inches', but noticeably. On the surface, my body didn't really look all that different from where I had been before I started.

This was a little discouraging- but only because I kept falling back into the nasty habit of defining my success in relationship to my waistline. It took constant refocusing to bring me back to the bigger picture.

This wasn't about reducing my size. It was about increasing my capacity, in multiple different ways.

Now, a year later, I can tell you that there has been a size reduction and it is not insignificant.

But the biggest change by far is that I feel better about myself. I like my body and what it can do. I like feeling like I have accomplished something at the end of every day. I like taking the time every day to do something for myself and to make small improvements to my life.

I like being a work in progress.

And I like having both my kids in my arms. That's the kind of weight that I'll never complain about carrying.