Uncategorized

Pick Your Battles

Today, I stood on the sidewalk, my running route ahead of me, with pain in my hip-joint. My choices were to either turn around and walk slowly back home or steam ahead and damage myself. Rest now and heal or go forth and end up hurting myself.

I chose the smart option.

As I walked home (or rather limped home) I thought about the moments when the reward is far less than the risk. I would’ve burned hundreds of calories today on my run but then I would be ruining the rest of my week. It’s very easy to want to go full steam ahead. You think, “No pain, no gain, right?” However, most of the time, I think the thought should be, “No pain, awesome, that means I’m doing it right.”

Know how to pick your battles. Know when rest will reap more reward than risk. Don’t hurt yourself.

Take a Break, It’s Not Going To Kill You

I’ve been really going at it at the gym and I’m going to pick up running again. I’m feeling the energy and I am pumped to run today. My body however is trying to tell me otherwise.

I should take a break. It’s been three or four straight days of training this week and although I could handle it today, it would perhaps be best to take a break. Muscles need to relax and grow, my system needs to reboot, and my energy could use a bit of replenishing. Still, it feels kinda crappy not working out today.

Once you get into a routine and you begin to even see some changes it’s hard to give your body a rest. All you can think of is “Don’t stop! Don’t stop! I need more changes!” That’s not always a good state of mind. Your body, although thankful for the better lifestyle, needs a chance to catch up. If you overwork it, you’ll only be doing harm. 

I still feel a little guilty today, so, to counter that, I’ll still head outside. My girlfriend and I are going to go out and have a nice day, maybe even a romantic dinner. I’m sure by the end of the night I’ll be tired and satisfied with what I accomplished today. You should always give your body a day to enjoy itself. Walk instead of run, swim instead of hitting the weights. The confusion to your body can also do wonders to your overall strength and progress. 

You’re working out? You’re being active? Awesome! Just remember to take a break, it’s not going to kill you to do so. 

Never Underestimate the Power of New Gear

Keeping up on fitness sometimes turns into a game of finding new motivations every few days. It’s hard to keep going on just a thought alone. What really helps is enjoying and being inspired by the little things.

Yesterday I finally received my new running shoes. I say finally because it has been, I don’t know, a year or more since I’ve had a great fitting running shoes. Let me tell you, the motivation to run I received just from putting on new shoes was incredible. I had to actually put them back in the box because it wasn’t a running day yet. You should never underestimate the power of new gear. It can be new pants, new outfit, new headphones, anything really, and it should give you a boost. 

If you ever feel low on energy, buy something new to add to your fitness routine. You deserve it!

Working Out? Rage Helps!

Today was an interesting workout to say the least. Let me start off by saying that determination, goals, and discipline, they are all great for keeping you motivated to workout. However, these can be violently trumped by the fiery emotions of anger, rage, or just straight up being pissed off. If you vent your frustrations in your workout then, boy, do I feel bad for the weights that stand in your way.

Now, of course, everything is good in moderation. I’m not saying someone pisses you off and you go so hard at the gym that your arm falls off is the right way to go. Not at all. What I am trying to say is that if things aren’t going your way, or someone has made you upset or angry, use that emotion when you are starting to give up on your workout. 

I felt like crap at the beginning of the workout. Just angry with no outlet. Then I got on the cycle and hit it hard for an hour. Working out can be therapeutic after a while. Your mind will start to relax or it will only focus on the task at hand meaning bye bye bad thoughts.

But when you feel yourself slipping or slowing down, reintroduce your mind to what you were upset about and watch your muscles kick into action. Can’t get ten more reps? Think about that guy who always pisses you off. Need to go one more minute? Remember the time you were skipped on a promotion? Yeah, your legs don’t. 

When you use your rage for good, then you truly feel like you are burning those calories. 

Chocolate Milk Is Good. Chocolate Milk Is Bad.

There was an article that I read last year about the great effects of chocolate milk after an intense workout. I was, of course, ecstatic to hear that and quickly jumped on the bandwagon. I believe it helped a lot.

This year I’m getting back into working out so I’m thinking “Chocolate milk here I come!” But lo and behold the Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde aspect of the internet. I can find ten articles saying chocolate milk helps and I can find ten more saying how terrible it is. It’s incredible how many things we thought were great last year are terrible this year. 

I can understand that fitness science is like any other science – run a test, create a theory, release results, and test again. This method is how most things are proven or disproven. However, this can get quite frustrating to a person wanting to lose weight and pick up new working out tricks. 

You have to just test things yourself. No one tip helps all. It could help many, but not all. That’s why today I drank chocolate milk after my workout and tomorrow will give the results. Doesn’t mean it will instantly help you, but at least I can give a eye-witness account of if it helps or not. 

I must admit though, it being chocolate milk, I’m probably going to keep drinking it regardless!

You Cheated On Your Diet? So what?

You see it on the internet, on reality television, maybe your friend does it, maybe you do it, but the shame remains the same. If anyone walks in on you doing it, their image of you changes forever.

I, of course, am speaking about cheating on your diet.

There is such a harsh negative stigma attached to breaking a diet for a moment or day. It’s as if you are committing a crime. Don’t get me wrong, I see the importance of creating a punishment for not following a regime. If you can do whatever you want, it wouldn’t be difficult and wouldn’t change anything.

But is beating yourself up the answer? I think not.

I’ve been eating better and better. This weekend I was by my little brother. Games, movies, and fun was involved and so some junk food had to be involved. It is nearly a law to do so. This means that I cheated on my diet.

First off, if I cheated on my diet, I would be doing something to achieve better results sooner. That is how I see cheating. If you cheat on a test, you have a piece of paper with answers on it so you can ace the test without much effort. If you cheat on a diet, you eat bad and that sets you back. Anyway, I’m going off on a tangent, that’s not the point.

I don’t care that I ate junk food. I don’t feel bad, I don’t regret it, it felt great, and I’ll most probably do it again soon. That’s absolutely alright and here’s why. In order to keep up with eating right, you need to feel right. In order to feel right, you need to keep away from wrong. It’s probably more complicated than that but the simpler you see it, the easier it is.

Don’t go overboard and completely lose track of the path. Just stay on it as much as you can and don’t fear stepping off it now and then. And if you feel bad, here’s a trick. Cook up something healthy. I can almost guarantee that you will feel better because you’ll know you’re back on track.

Had some fun and skipped out on the diet for a little? Cook or eat something fresh and healthy. Add lots of greens and leave out the regrets.