Why the Thigh Gap?

Have you heard of this? That having a thigh gap is desirable? 

Apparently this is a thing with some people-  It is somehow important that they can see daylight between the tops of their thighs. 

First of all, I'm trying to figure out why....... That makes about as much sense to me as an armpit gap being a sign of superiority. It's bizarre and I just don't get it. 

Furthermore, aren't big butts a thing now? Has it occurred to anyone that the two might be mutually exclusive? 

At any rate, I think it bears noting that thigh gap has about as much to do with anatomy as it does with body fat. Possibly more. 

I know teeny tiny people who don't have a thigh gap and never will simply because of the way the top of their femur bone sits in their hip socket: If the socket is shaped so that the bone settles into it facing slightly out, they're less likely to have a thigh gap because the thighs are naturally (and healthily) closer together. 

On the other hand, those with femur's that turn slightly inward will naturally have more of a gap between their thighs- Sometimes even when their body fat is higher than is healthy. I know this, because I am one of those people. 

At about a dozen or so pounds above my idea weight, I will finally have a thigh gap. It's one way I know that my body fat is going down, even if my scale weight is not. It's a signal to me that I'm getting close to where I need to be. 

But it is in no way something that makes me superior to anyone else. Quite frankly, I'd rather NOT have the thigh gap and have the narrower hips, because it would be easier to find pants to fit. 

I know this blog isn't of much consequence. It's just something I've been pondering for a while now. 

I guess the moral is this: Just do you. 

Be the best version of you that you can be. 

That's all. And that's good enough. 

A New Resource for Exercise Wear!

First of all, the link to the company:

https://curvesncombatboots.com/

Secondly, my daughter's discount code that will save you 10%: maddox_flute

Because we all want the good stuff first, right?

Secondly,  I am in not paid or compensated in any way by Curves and Combat Boots or any other company I have positively blogged about. I just like helping people! My daughter is not paid, either, although she does get perks with the company if someone uses her code when they checkout (So please use her code 😀  ) . I am sharing a story that involves the owner of this company in a deeply personal way: 

Lane was an awkward kid growing up. Always very tall (at 21 she seems to have finally stopped growing at 6'1" if that gives you an idea), very thin, and with a not-so-small nose, she was the target of bullying and being the kid no one wanted to hang out with throughout most of her elementary, middle, and high school years. 
 

Here she is recently with her three biological siblings (there are 7 kids, total). Bear in mind that she is the youngest here: 
 

As a mom, this was really hard to watch. I saw the beauty in her- The pretty eyes, the full lips, the gorgeous hair, and the grace that came from dance lessons, making her elegant instead of gangley. But she did not see this in herself. As she aged and matured into high school, she stopped trying in every way she had tried before. Her formerly high grades took a sudden nosedive and she just didn't seem to care about herself so much anymore. Her depression was clearly evident. I got her into counseling, but as someone who'd also been bullied in school is very excruciating to watch my own daughter go through the same thing, 

If she didn't love playing the flute so much and hadn't set her sights on the Marine Corps Band for her vocation........ I don't know......... 

After she graduated high school we moved here to Indiana, where she is a student at Indiana University. She has just entered her senior year. Lane's heart's desire has never fluctuated from becoming a Marine Musician. Every choice she has made in college has been with that end goal in mind. 

She LOVES the armed forces: Her mom (me) is prior Air Force, her Dad is a retired Air Force fighter pilot, and one of her brothers was in the Marine Corps. He stepped on an IED in Afghanistan. We thought he might have died. Thankfully, he did not and is (mostly) Okay today. Two of her sisters married active duty military men, and our family's military service record goes back generations. She has done fund raisers for and given herself from her limited college funds to the Disabled American Vets. Since both her Dad and brother are disabled vets, it's a cause close to her heart. 

So when she found out that there was a company that made exercise-wear called Curves and Combat Boots, of COURSE she had to get a pair of the leggings! By this time she was heavily training with the Marine Recruiters and had already sworn into the Marine Corps on the Delayed Entry Program. (She leaves for boot camp after she graduates with her bachelors in US History [of course!] next May.) She needed leggings that could hold up to the tough workouts she was being put through. 

As SOON as she received the leggings, she started excitedly talking about them. She took pictures and posted them, tagging the company's owner, Sarah. Sarah is an Air Force Reservist and her hubby is full time Navy. This further endeared Lane to her. Sarah and Lane developed a bit of rapport and Sarah, bless her heart, started giving Lane positive feedback. 

Turns out that when someone you respect who is NOT your mom compliments you, you take it much more seriously.  

Almost immediately I saw my daughter's countenance change. She was putting more effort into her appearance. She was putting more effort into her workouts. She was putting more effort into herSELF. 

 

And over time, she started to believe what I knew all along: She is beautiful. 

Because, as it turns out, when you get more positive input than negative, you start to believe it. 

And what they say about beauty coming from the inside is really true. 

She now is, as I stated above, a Brand Ambassador for the company. Consequently her Instagram following has grown. I think Sarah and her husband saw her passion for both her country and the company and made an exception for her. (Her instagram ID is maddox_flute,the same as her10% discount code, if you would like to check her out.) 

I now possess a couple of their bras and a pair of leggings. I have to say that I HIGHLY recommend both, but especially the leggings. They are high enough and thick enough that I don't fear squats (i.e. they don't become see-through when stretched), they have pockets on each leg plenty big enough for a cell phone, a pedometer, or whatever else you'd like to keep with you, they smooth out my "bumps", and the saddle-back stitching is extremely flattering. 

As someone who is big-busted I appreciate the bras- I love the cute laced-back design, the cut-out at the base of the band to help with ventilation, and that they aren't too high in the arm pits- They don't get in the way of lifts like chest press. With my daughter's discount code I can get a bra with shipping and tax for less than $40. Anyone who knows workout wear knows that's a deal! 

Personally, I like supporting small American established companies. I like supporting the one that helped my daughter even more. :-)

But more than anything, I am grateful for the support Sarah has personally shown my daughter, then a complete stranger, and what she has done for Lane's self-esteem. Sarah was, and continues to be, a gift from God. 

And may God bless America! 

Middle Age is No Excuse!

This is going to be a controversial blog.  I already know this, and am prepared for the backlash.  :-)

I have arrived at the conclusion that losing weight after 40 isn't really that much harder than losing weight when we are  younger.  I believe the challenge comes in where our mindset is, not what our bodies are doing.

I don't know about you, but at the age of 50 I'm not as compliant with an eating program as I used to be.  I'm not as likely to follow rules.  I'm more set in my ways.  And I've seen many other people middle aged and older who are the exact same way.

I seem to think that I can put an extra half serving on my plate, not account for it, and not have it affect my weight loss goals.

I want to have ice cream when the rest of the family has ice cream, darn it.

I don't want to work out as hard as the people on the DVD I'm following.

Sound familiar?

Look, I understand that science has proven metabolisms slow down, muscle decreases (slowing metabolism down), and fat displaces as we age.  But I truly don't believe this is the main reason many see the "over 40 spread".  I think it's because we are more likely to be noncompliant.

So go ahead, bring it on..... I'm ready for ya!  But I'm willing to bet this wakes a few of us up and gets us looking honestly about our habits and making some changes that FINALLY get us moving towards a better body.

Sitting With Intention

When I was recently in California taking care of my mom for her knee replacement surgery I noticed something- She would just "drop out" when she sat down. About halfway down, she'd release all of her muscles and simply fall back into her seat. I knew it was because of her knee, but I pointed it out and told her that after surgery we were going to work on quads to help regain lost muscle.

Anyhow, this had me paying attention to my own sitting habits and you know what? I sometimes "drop out" of my lowering, too! I think this may be a getting older thing- As we age, we tend to naturally become less flexible and lose muscle. The lower you get into a sitting position, the more the quads have to engage (muscle) and the more the hip flexors stretch (flexibility). I don't want to be one of these older people with imbalances- It can lead to falls and injures later on in life. So I've been trying to pay more attention to sitting down with intention; Staying in control all the way down. Such a small thing, but something I think is worth paying attention to.

What do you think? Do you sit with intention?

Banishing Post-Exercise Fuel Paranoia

A lot of lifting types are concerned about eating the perfect thing pre and post workout to enhance muscle building.  The common thought process is complex carbs, protein, and fat before a workout and fast-digesting both carbs and protein after a workout.  This usually winds up looking something like this:
Before workout- Oats with coconut oil and egg whites
After workout- Whey protein and a piece of fruit

Certainly nothing bad will happen to someone by following this protocol, but I'd like to propose that maybe, since the carbs and protein we just ate are already digesting and feeding the muscles DURING the workout (and at a good pace to continue fueling them, I might add, because the complex carbs and fat both slow the digestive process), the need to fuel them after is slim, if needed at all.

Let me say this another way- If you eat complex carbs and protein before your workout, they're giving your muscles all the stuff they need during the workout to build muscle and recover.

The need to fuel right after a workout is, in my opinion, very important in only two instances:
1) You worked out on an empty stomach, and/or
2) You are prepping for a competition.

In the case of #1, well....... of course you can see the reasoning.  After tearing down tissue with intense exercise, your body needs something to build stronger muscle to meet those demands next time you work out.  And, honestly, you'll probably be starving afterwords, anyhow.

In the case of #2, it's splitting hairs when someone eats both before and after, which isn't relevant in every day life. But when prepping for comp, especially as you get closer to showtime, the littlest things can make the difference between taking home a trophy and not.

But since most of us aren't prepping for competition, let's not worry about that.  Okay?

Instead, let's concentrate on eating clean foods, and in moderate amounts particularly if we are trying to lose weight.  For a poorly-video-ed blog (I'm sorry), about that subject, you can click here.

And remember to take Bites that Build a Better Body!

Baby Got Back (Muscles!)

I had a request from one of my faithful blog followers, after seeing my last entry with a weighted ab routine, to do a blog with a back routine. I'd like to apologize in advance for this being so long- I simply like to educate as much as possible for those who want to learn. If you just want to get to a sample routine, scroll down to the bottom of this blog!

One thing my follower pointed out is that it seems you hear a lot about rows for back, but not much more. So the first thing I'd like to do is break down back movements and the muscles they involve:

First of all, you have your upright pulling up or down exercises. The granddaddy of these is pull-ups, which is probably the best back muscle developer out there. The other exercises in this group would be all variations of machine pull-downs (to include my personal favorite- Strait-arm pull-downs), as well as pull-ups on the assisted chin machine and dumbbell pullovers on a bench.

Regular pull-ups are almost impossible for most people, yours truly included. There are ways to graduate yourself into doing unassisted pull-ups, the most effective of which I think is using really big bands. You secure then band on the pull-up bar, then place your foot or knees into the hanging end of the band, which then helps to propel you up. The advantage to these is that they keep the same path and range of motion as an unassisted pull-up would use, which develops the muscles to get you up there more fully. The thicker the band, the more of your body weight it assumes and the easier the exercise. This does not, however, mean they are easy! Even banded pull-ups can be really difficult.

The downside to banded pull-ups is that, particularly with the thicker band, you will probably need assistance getting your foot securely in there, particularly if you don't have a lot of upper body strength to pull the band down (which you probably don't, since you are using the thicker band).

Also, the grip on pull-ups greatly affects their difficulty. Palms facing you, hands close together, is the easiest version as it recruits arm muscles, as well as a little chest, to assist in the lift. This, by the way, is technically called a "chin up". The next up in difficulty is with palms facing each other, if you can find an apparatus that offers this feature. And the most difficult is the traditional "Pull-up", where your palms face away from you and your arms are just wider than shoulder width apart. To make these easier to start, you can fold your legs at a 90 degree angle, with your heels behind you. Legs strait is the most difficult to perform, as it places weight farther away from the lifting hinge, therefore making your body heavier. (It's a gravity thang!)

Regardless of the type of motion you do in this position, all of these exercises work mainly the latissimus dorsi (aka "lats"), which is the big wide muscle at the sides of the back that make the impressive "wing span" on big bodybuilding types. Building this muscle for everyone, male of female, goes a long ways towards making ones waist appear smaller in comparison.

The next general movement for back muscles is a rowing motion, where weight is pulled towards you from the front. These exercises always target the muscles in the middle upper back, but as a general rule the wider the arms on this motion the more the lats are brought into the move, such as in wide machine pulley rows.

These exercises include bent rows of all kinds (where the upper body is parallel to the ground), as well as upright machine and cable rows where you are pulling the weight in towards you.

And lastly we have extension moves, where the upper body hinges at the hip to go from strait to a bent position, or from bent to strait, in the instance of machine back extensions. They also include moves where the back moves behind the body into a semi-arched position, as is the case with supermans. The point is that the movement is coming from the hip area

These extension moves target the very important lower back muscles and include all types of hyperextentions, back extensions on the machine, good mornings, all kinds of deadlifts, cable pull-throughs, and all variations of supermans. And all of these moves, save the supermans, have the added benefit of being great for glutes and back of the legs, as well.

A back routine will typically include at least one of each of these levers, to effectively hit all areas of the back. If you are a more advanced lifter, two or more exercises of the pull-down and rowing type can be incorporated into your routine.

After a thorough dynamic warmup, I usually try to start with my pull-down/pull-up motion. It tends to be the most difficult of these lifts and strongly recruits every muscle in the back, as well as arms and shoulders. Consequently, it is wise to hit those moves while muscles are fresh and at their strongest.

Then I move on to my rowing motion, and finish off with my lower back movement, since these small muscles need less weight to be stimulated and won't recruit so much of the upper body muscles to assist in the move.

Here is a sample back routine for a beginner. All of these are to be done with moderate weight, so that at the end of the last set you feel that you could perform 2-3 more repetitions:

- Machine Lat Pull Downs- 3 sets of 15 reps. Here's a really good demonstration.

- Single-Arm Dumbbell Bent Rows- 3 sets of 15 reps. The only thing I would add to this video demonstration  is that you don't want to just drop the weight down into the extended position. Instead, continue to maintain firm control of the weight and lower to a count of two. This will not only give you better muscle definition in the long run, but it's also safer.

- Supermans- 3 sets of 8-12. Here's a video of it, but I'd like to add that I really don't like the way the guy just drops down to the mat from the top of the move. Stay in control in both directions! You lose half of the muscle-building potential when you leave out the releasing half of any weight lifting move.

In the case of all exercises, make sure to give the muscles rest in-between the moves, whether this means not moving, stretching, or working on a different muscle group is entirely up to you.

Back muscles get recruited when you work other body parts, as well, so once a week is adequate for a back-specific workout. Additionally, I would not advise doing the same routine with the exact same exercises for more than 4 weeks. As with all muscles, eventually they adapt to the movement and this slows progression. Likewise, don't be afraid to switch exercises, even as often as each new workout. Rarely do I do the same routine twice in a row.

Back has always been my favorite body part to work on. I love the way the exercises feel, and I look of a strong back, male or female. You may not see those muscles, but your body will function better for working them, and the rest of the world will get a treat every time you turn around:

A Manly Ab Routine

I was advising a young man on how to get his abs to show the other day. Now, before we go any farther, let me clarify something: You can't spot reduce because you don't get to choose where your fat collects, or where you lose it. But there are some things you CAN do to make muscle more visible.

The first thing I advised him to do is cut out all the refined carbs (namely while flour and all forms of sugar) possible. This can really help a person look less "spongy". He is young and has a relatively low level of body fat, so while most people's waistline will respond favorably to this change, the younger and leaner you are the more dramatic the results from reducing refined carbs will generally be.

The next thing I advised him to do was add in weighted ab moves. Reason? With a lower body fat level, one thing he can do to increase the visibility of the ab muscles is actually increase the thickness of them. Now, I know this idea freaks a lot of people out, but the truth is that most people aren't going to increase muscle thickness in their abs enough to make their waist bigger- It's just going to give more definition.

Another benefit, given his male status? Weighted moves tend to look more impressive in the gym. Plus, guys, and some of us girls, like picking up heavy stuff.

I know a plethora of ab moves involving weights (I have been called "The Ab Nazi"), but here is a trio of weighted ab exercises that can be done in the same workout, making you look like a beast AND leave your abs aware that they did something:

First off, start with Barbell Floor Wipers. Here's a Quick Video.

A couple of things I want to point out about this. First of all, the guy in the video, I feel, could use a heavier weight. See how it's swaying around a bit? If the weight were heavier he'd have more stabilization through the upper body and be better able to concentrate on his abs. Trust me, holding the weight up in the air like that isn't the hard part. It's getting it there and back down to the ground that's tricky. I do them with 45's on each end, if that gives you any idea. The amount of weight isn't the important thing here- It's the movement.

This leads me to my second point about this exercise- If you are doing this with free weights, unless you know a means to press the weight up from the ground, as well as lower it back down, without crushing yourself, you are going to need a spotter. If no spotter is available, do them on the Smith machine, making sure to raise the bar out of the hooks and hold it up, not simply hang on. It's not quite as effective as doing it with free weights, but still a great ab move. Do two to three sets of these, resting between sets, and don't be surprised at first if you can't get out more than 5 per side at first. These are NOT easy!

Now that we've worn out your obliques and lower abs, and as long as we are on the ground, lets move on to upper abs. For this, pick up a dumbbell or plate that will allow you to crank out about 15, and do two to three sets of weighted crunches, again resting between sets:  Click here to see a short video.

And now we'll stand up and finish with one of my favorite weighted ab moves; Barbell Rainbows (or "Landmines").  He does a good job of explaining what's going on with them in this video., but keep in mind that you will need a corner of some kind to stabilize the lower end of the barbell.  Keep your abs sucked in really tight the entire time you do them, and start with just the bar.  They are harder than they look and your arms and shoulders might wear out pretty quick, especially following Rainbows and Weighted Crunches.

Lastly, consider adding in two to three sets of a targeted lower back move. The lower back knits in with the ab muscles, making a cinching effect on the ab area. They are, in effect, the other half of your abs. Also, adding low back work in is just generally good for spine stabilization, posture, and overall health. They are, in my opinion, one of the more critical muscles in the body to keep strong. The trick with lower back moves is to keep the weight relatively light. Too much weight too soon on this vulnerable area, particularly if you are already weak there, can make your lower back health worse, not better. So increase very gradually. Some good lower back moves are: Hyperextensions, Good Mornings, Stiff Leg Deadlifts, Supermans, and Machine Back Extensions.

As you can see, these moves involve other muscles besides the abs, which also increases calorie burn. That's a win-win, in my books!

What About Those Days You Just Don't Want to Exercise?

I know you've been there.....
You've scheduled your workout time,
You got your backside out of bed, brushed your teeth and your workout gear on.
You are headed out the door, or plugging the exercise DVD in,
but you just do NOT want to exercise today.

Ugh!  What to do?

Hey!  It happens to all of us. 

Here's what I tell myself "I will just get through the warmup.  If at that point I still don't feel like exercising, I can quit with no guilt."

And you know what happens, don't you?

Yep.

I stay and finish the workout.

Every time.

By then my blood is flowing and I'm in a better place. And, heck!  I might as well, since I've come this far.

And often these wind up being some of my best workouts, full of energy and strength.

Some days it's harder to get going, but that doesn't mean that you are doomed to a rotten workout or a downer day.  Give yourself the opportunity to try, first!

Bariatric Surgery: Not For Cheaters!

You know how people say that getting bariatric surgery is cheating in the weight loss game?  I disagree.

I have a very good friend who underwent bariatric (gastric bypass) surgery several years ago.  And let me tell ya:  It's no walk in the park!

Since she was going to stay with me for several days post surgery, she had me read up on the surgery and it's risks.  Holy healing, Batman!  This stuff was serious!  And scary!  The risks involved were downright frightening, the lifestyle changes seemed to be truly daunting, and the healing process was going to be difficult and painful, to put it mildly.

Furthermore, she couldn't just go trippin' in fur surgery as soon as she made the choice.  No sirree- She had to actually lose weight and follow strict dietary guidelines (the same ones she would be following after the surgery) for many months before her surgeon would qualify her for gastric bypass.

This, of course, naturally leads to the question,- Why go through the surgery at all?  Why not just follow those procedures until the weight is lost?

I asked this same question of my personal trainer at the time.  He seemed very sympathetic of those who chose bariatric surgery as a weight loss tool.  His answer was "Because they just eat and eat and eat and never get full".  At that point a light bulb went on in my head and I got it:  At morbidly obese weights the stomach is distended and the feeling of fullness never happens.

If you are going to stay at a healthy weight, it's very helpful to have some physical type of signal that it's time to stop eating.

I admire people who can go from morbidly obese or even super morbidly obese (which she was) to normal weight without surgery.  But I also support those who elect to have it, since I have seen first hand the sacrifice and self discipline that losing and keeping the weight off with bariatric surgery requires.

I had a front row seat to her healing process and I can tell you, it was terrible.  I felt so bad for her.  Moving was hard.  She dreaded it.  Eating was worse.  I actually had to talk her into it a few times.

As she healed, she developed complications that set her back and worried us all.  It was touch and go there for a while

She'd already lost quite a bit of weight on her own, but after the surgery weight seemed to just fall off.  She got smaller and smaller, to the point where I had a hard time finding her in a crowd.  It used to be easy- Since she was short I just looked for the widest space in the mayhem.  Now, I had to hunt her down like a bloodhound.

To her credit, she also went to the gym regularly.  She lifted weights and did cardio.  She wasn't just smaller; she was fit.

This all then, of course, made yet another problem:  Huge amounts of loose skin.

And so a year after the gastric bypass, when her doctor was convinced that she was set in her new lifestyle, he performed a body lift (removing the skin around her middle).  And again, she stayed with me for the first few days out of the hospital.   I think the healing from that was even worse than from the gastric bypass.  There were little plastic bags hanging off of her for drainage, and with an incision literally clear around her middle she had no comfortable way to sit or lay down.  But thanks to taking proper care of herself, she healed quickly.  Now she is glad she went through the whole process.

She still works to keep her health in check.  She did it right, and so many people do not.  If you are considering bariatric surgery and know you won't be committed to a true and permanent lifestyle change, I'd advise against it.  But for my friend, she was ready to do whatever was necessary to save her own life and ensure her future grandchildren have a grandma.  If that's you, do your research and then make your decision.

And for those of us who have lost weight by more traditional means (or not lost weight at all), we need to not make assumptions and instead be supportive.  Everyone has their own path to wellness.  This may not be yours, but it could be lifesaving for someone else.

Pillows and Purses

So I've griped on here (and just about everywhere else) about my bum shoulder.  I fell many years ago on the ice and severely injured it.  Then I further did it in by bench pressing with too much weight and no spotter.  Enter torn rotator cuff and months of rehab.  It got a lot better, but THEN I had a distance trainer (read: not with me personally) who urged me to do a rear delt flye with heavy weight while carb depleted. That did it.  Like a dummy, I listened to him instead of my own niggling thought that it was a mistake.  This was my fault, not his.

Needless to say, that shoulder has not been the same since.  I've been in and out injury (often to the point of being bed-ridden) ever since then.

This past year I found a trainer (in-person, thank you very much!) who has very slowly and gradually helped my shoulder recover.  He's been a blessing.  But I'd still feel that familiar tweak frequently and know it was time to ease off on the weights a bit.

Then, one day he said something to me that clicked:  "Nancy, don't wear that heavy purse on the same shoulder all the time."  A light bulb went off in my head...... Hey!  Maybe a clutch purse would do me some good!

Easy, right?  Not so much:  I am picky about purses, and, because I have a bunch of crap I truly use and need to carry with me, I need a fairly big one.  This started the months-long hunt for a roomy clutch.  It was not easy, but one day I happened across one that would work. (And in my favorite color, burgundy, to boot!)

My shoulder started recovering even more rapidly.  Hallelujah!

And then, another blessed thing happened:  I got a new pillow.

After the rear delt flye debacle, I'd frequently and suddenly wake up from a sound sleep with aching, throbbing pain deep in my shoulder. I'd wait for either the pain to dissipate (sometimes it took hours, or pain meds, or both), or to pass out again from the pain.

I'd had a suspicion for a long time that my regular pillow wasn't helping anything.  The reason I didn't buy an ergonomically correct one?  They stunk.  I mean, they literally smelled really bad.  It was chemicals.  I didn't think sleeping on chemicals was a good thing, but that was actually secondary because I was already sleeping bad enough:  Adding stink into the equation wasn't going to help anything.

After much searching I FINALLY found one with good, non-stinky reviews on Amazon.  I put it on my wish list and my husband gave it to me this last Christmas.  I've been sleeping like an injury-free baby ever since. Here is a link, in case you're curious (or convinced!).

The packaging advised to let it air out for 24 hours, which I did.   There is no stink.  And great comfort.  And sleep.  Blessed, solid, deep sleep. Not once since then have I woke up in the middle of the night with my shoulder throbbing.

I'd urge every woman I know to switch to a clutch purse (or a backpack, if that's your style), and every person to invest in a good-quality pillow designed for your sleep style. Good heavens, can these things save you a lot of physical grief!

So exercise and rehab for injury prevention and healing?  YES!  I am a believer!  But sometimes complete healing comes with small, common sense tweaks to your every day life.

It's Paid For Whether You Eat It Or Not.

It's probably my most-used catch saying: "It's paid for whether you eat it or not". I say this when someone says they feel like they are wasting food by not eating it.

Just a few minutes ago, after cutting off a big chunk off for my skinny teenage daughter, I put half of my husbands triple-layer frosted cake that I made for his birthday down the garbage disposal. Neither he nor I want it sitting around tempting us. But as I did so I was thinking to myself "My mom would think this is such a waste!". (Who can identify?)

However, what is a waste to her is an investment to me.

As my kids were growing up they were never required to finish things like french fries or dessert, even when I was flat broke and a meal in a fast food restaurant was a big treat. There's not much nutritional value in those foods, and the lesson they learned about listening to their bodies was worth the investment of purchasing the food.

And yes, I would say to them "It's paid for whether you eat it or not."

Next time you want to finish something simply because it will be thrown away if you don't, ask yourself "Is the feeling of not 'wasting' this worth it's negative effect on my body?" If the answer is no, save the thing a few steps and just throw it right in the trash.

If you are with someone else who paid for it and thinks it a waste, thank them sincerely, ask for a to-go box, and throw it out on the way home.

Because regardless of whose dime it's on, it's still been paid for whether you eat it or not.

Your Trainer Did WHAT?

Even wonder if what you trainer is doing is acceptable, or even grounds for letting him or her go? Here's my short list of what I feel you should and should not accept from a personal trainer, as well as what you can do to rectify the situation:

- Your personal trainer should make a plan according to your goals, not pull out a workout plan she's used with dozens of clients before you. This doesn't mean the trainer shouldn't have a template: We all do. It means your program doesn't look exactly like every other person your trainer works with.

- A personal trainer should push you. Not to the point of injury, but to the point where you walk away feeling like you accomplished something.

- Your personal trainer should be watching you all of the time. They may need to speak with someone quickly, but you are their main focus for the entire session.

- Your personal trainer should treat you with dignity and respect. Period.

- Your personal trainer should change up your program no less often than every 4 weeks. Part of what you are paying them for is to see change. Bodies will eventually stop responding to the same routine after a few weeks. And if you say you are getting bored, they should modify to help keep you interested.

- Your personal trainer should ask questions if you say something hurts. This will help them determine if your pain is from muscle fatigue (which, honestly, you need to accept will often happen in order to have an effective training session), or something more serious. If you know what the trainer is asking you to do is going to hurt you, the trainer should modify or change the exercise.

- Your personal trainer shouldn't be on their phone. I have kept my phone with me to use the timer on it, but as far as texting, calling, checking Facebook, or any other purpose not related directly to YOU, phone usage is not Okay. You are paying your trainer to train you, not communicate with others. (Exception: There is a potential emergency and the trainer truly does need to know right away if it happens. This should be an extremely rare occurrence, and the trainer should ask you if this is Okay with you at the start of the session. To give you an idea of how rarely this should happen, in over 10 years of being a Personal Trainer, I have had a phone with me for this purpose exactly three times.)

- Your Personal Trainer should never, ever, ever flirt with or make an overt pass at you. You might be surprised how often this happens, particularly with male trainers. Many consider getting very personal a job perk. Trust me, if he's trying it with you, it's been successful with others. It's easy, and actually quite normal, to get a "Trainer Crush". But don't be another notch in his belt loop. Even if you don't give in, is it worth other trainers thinking you are one of his conquests? (Because trust me, he's not as discreet as he claims to be.)

In many cases you can speak with your trainer about all but the last of the above issues and see if he or she is willing to fix the situation. If they aren't willing to make some changes, it's time to break up with your trainer. They may even suggest another trainer to you. Don't take this as an insult! Honestly, it just makes it easier for you. In the case that you have prepaid sessions you can ask nicely for a refund, but it's more than likely that you signed a contract. So you may be stuck working with that trainer until the paid sessions are up if you are the one initiating the break up.

If, however, it's the last point (the trainer coming on to you) that you are having an issue with, calmly and firmly offer to talk to their boss if they won't refund you by a specified time (I'd give them 3 days) for the unused sessions. And you may want to talk to their boss, anyhow.

If he or she doesn't have a boss, offer to tell your friends. Chances are you'll see a refund quickly. Even if you don't, whatever you paid him or her is not worth the loss of dignity and, quite possibly, reputation.

Managing Pushy Hostesses

You know how it is- You are at a dinner somewhere, and a well-meaning hostess decides that you just MUST try her special Batter-Dipped and Double Fried Shortening that she ONLY makes for this particular occasion.  You really don't want to derail your healthy eating plan at this particular moment, but this gal is just not giving up.  How to handle it?

The natural inclination is to tell the truth: "No thank you.  I am trying to be careful with my eating right now."  I encourage you to try this tactic first.  But as we all know, so often it does not work and the hostess seems even more dogged in her determination to have you try her fabulous delicacy, even if it means informing you of all of the virtues of her dish.

In this case, I have found two very effective solutions to this delimma, neither of which involves lying:

Solution #1- "That looks so delicious.  It looks like you put a lot of time and effort into making it. But I am simply too full right now to enjoy it.  Can I take a rain check?"  One thing I know, being a bit of a food pusher myself, is that what you most want is to feel appreciated.  This covers that base, as well as leaves hope that the person will still sample your dish.  Besides, what's she going to do?  Say no?  

Solution #2 (I only use this in the event that, for some reason, Solution #1 does not work)- "I am so sorry, but I have an adverse effect to that type of food."  This is true.  It makes me fat. If asked what that adverse effect is, you can simply answer "It's too personal to share".  Of course, the person is going to think that it makes you have massive amounts of horrible intestinal issues, but you aren't lying because, quite frankly, I'd rather not discuss this at a party, anyhow.

As a parting note, keep all of this in mind when YOU host an event.  Be sensitive and don't push when someone tells you "No, thank you."

If It's Working, Don't Change Anything!

Anyone who has read my Spark Page recently knows that I have gained more weight than I am comfortable carrying, and that a lot of this came from stress eating. But in doing the self-examination that comes along with the Spark Coach Program (which I highly recommend), I have started to think of something else that helped with my weight creeping up: I let the opinions of others change how I worked my maintenance plan.

This was really pretty stupid of me, since I am acutely aware of my own limitations and have warned others to respect theirs, as well.

I guess the reason I listened to these other folks is because they were people who had accomplished tasks fitness-wise that I really admired. I respected them. But they don't live in my skin.

The key things I stopped doing were tracking my food and weighing myself at least several times a week.

I felt like it displayed weakness if I logged my foods and didn't trust my own appetite. I saw that many of the more advanced fitness people don't need to track- They cam be accountable on their own. Surely I was at least that advanced. Right?

And I was listening to others opinions that weighing regularly was being a slave to the scale, thereby putting the emphasis in the wrong place- That the scale was a liar and didn't tell the truth.

For some people these tactics work. For me, they were borrowing trouble.

And honestly, it's no surprise that in the near-absence of these things, I began to gain weight when extreme stress hit.

The truth is, as I've written in blogs past, that my personality is one that does better with regular food tracking. I do this in a written food log. Writing things down makes me face the facts about what I am eating. This works for me, even in maintenance.

As for weighing, I really do believe that the scale is the least accurate of the gauges that we use. But it also is the most immediate source of input I have. It takes time for my pants to get tight, but the scale tells the tale right away if I overate brownies recently.

Knowing I am going to have to face the numbers on the scale frequently keeps my head in the game when it comes to my eating habits.

And the fact is that if I get much over 155, size six just can't be maintained, no matter HOW much muscle versus fat I am carrying.

So while no one should live and die by the scale, it DOES give me a very useful snapshot of how things are going.

One good thing that this recent weight gain has taught me is that I would rather be considered weak using these accountability tools and looking fit, than considered emotionally strong not using them and viewed as overweight

I don't believe that tracking and weigh frequently is for everyone. What works for you is what you need to do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

As for me? I'm back to tracking and weighing. It's going to be work getting back to where I was, and even more work to stay there. But I remember how feeling great about my health was so very worth everything I did NOT eat. And this time, my opinion of how I need to stay there is the only one that counts.

Selective Amnesia

Yesterday, or more specifically last night, I went off the rails with my eating. 

The problem started because I was genuinely hungry later in the evening.  All  I could think about was carbs.  One trick I have to keep myself from eating once my daily food has been consumed is that I brush my teeth and put my retainer in. (I had braces a few  years ago and am very interested in keeping my teeth strait!)  I had done this, but the hunger was getting to me.  So I did something I NEVER do and took the retainer out to eat a little something.  Well, a little something turned into a LOT of something.  Ugh.

This morning I was trying to figure out what to do with my Weight Watchers Points.  In case you don't know how Weight Watchers works, you get a certain amount of points for the day based on your weight.  And then you get an additional 49 "flex points" that you can add into the week as needed. 

Yesterday was day 1 of my tracking week, so I had all 49 Flex Points still available to me at the end of the day.  However, I know that if I subtract as many as I approximate I ate last night, that won't leave me enough for the days when I go to the gym and genuinely NEED more food.  (I get ravenously hungry when I lift weights.)

I sat there and looked at my points, and thought of what I ate, and considered what I could do.  I was starting to get pretty stressed. 

It finally occurred to me to take a look at my "Good Health Guidelines" from yesterday.  These ensure that you hit certain dietary goals each day for maximum health.  And I realized that, despite thinking I'd eaten them all, I had only eaten 3 of my required 5 servings of produce.

Hmmmmm.......... Maybe if I'd of filled up on veggies I wouldn't have been so hungry.  Ya think, Nance?

At that point, I realized that to expect myself to be able to try and somehow make up the calorie difference in the following 6 days was setting myself up for failure.  I have a big appetite.   My body needs fuel.  And if it doesn't get enough I am very likely to go off the rails again.  One "blow it" this week was more than enough.

So I have made a decision to have selective amnesia.  The part I am forgetting?  What I overate.  The part I am remembering?  To check my Good Health Guidelines before I allow myself to go into my Flex Points.

As for my Flex Points, I did subtract 7, since that is the average daily amount (49 Flex Points divided by 7 days in the week equals an average of 7 points per day).  I am just going to proceed through the rest of the week like the overeating didn't happen.

In some ways I feel like I am starting over with my weight loss.  I am re-learning things I learned before and assumed I already knew.  This is really discouraging.  I get impatient with myself, because I've been here before- I should have this down, right?

But then I realize that if I continue to berate myself, I am doing nothing to help myself move forward. 

For me, this requires selective amnesia. 

And the fact that the gal in that photo has the type of body I'd like doesn't hurt anything, either.

A Few Quick Oatmeal "Recipes"

I love oatmeal and eat it almost every morning.   But I also like variety, and have found ways to spruce it up and make it a complete meal with protein powder.  The only brand I use is Beverly International, since I know their quality is sound.  And for my oats I use their UMP (Ultimate Muscle Protein), which is mainly casein.  I am sure other brands of casein protein would work, too.  Casein works much better with heat than other protein powders. 

Anyhow, here are a few of my favorite "recipes".  I usually make these with 1/3 C of dry oats, but sometimes I'll got down to 1/4 C or up to 1/2 C, depending on my carb targets for the day:

- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 scoop of vanilla UMP
     * pinch of salt
     * 1 peach, diced with skin on
     * 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional, but I like the flavor this healthy fat adds) OR 1 teaspoon butter (if you use salted, omit the salt)
Put in an microwave-safe serving bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds to heat it back up, as the peaches will have cooled the oats down.


- Oatmeal Peanut butter Cookie Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
     * Salt to taste
Mix well to distribute the peanut butter evenly.  Then stir in:
     * 1 Scoop Vanilla UMP
     * 2 Tablespoons raisins


Chocolate Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 teaspoon coconut oil
     * pinch of salt
     * 1 scoop chocolate UMP
     * 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (optional, and when I use this, I often add a teaspoon or so of calorie-free sweetener to help offset some of the bitterness of the cocoa)
- If you like, substitute 1 T of natural peanut butter for the coconut oil.


Snickerdoodle Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder).  When done, stir in-
     * 1 scoop vanilla UMP
     * 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter (if the butter is salted, omit the salt)
     * 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
     * pinch of salt


Apple Pie Oats:
Place oats in the pan you are going to cook them in.  Cut up an apple into very small pieces and add to the oats.  Put in less water than you would usually cook the oats in, as the apple will cook down and add to the liquid.  Cook oats, stirring often (unless you do them in the microwave, then just let 'em cook), until done.
When cooked, stir in:
     * 1 scoop Vanilla UMP
     * 1 teaspoon butter (if it's salted, omit salt)
     * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
     * pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
     * pinch salt


I'll be that as you start using more variety with your oats, you will start coming up with your own combinations.  I'd love to hear what you create!

Only Undertake What You Know You Can Maintain

One lesson I have learned the hard way in my fitness journey:  Don't take on anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do on a permanent basis.

If you do a bunch of nutty stuff to lose weight, you are very likely to gain the weight back once the nutty stuff is ceased. Why?  You didn't learn a darned thing about how to exist in your real, day-to-day world. 

I've been heavy and I've been very thin, and here is what I know: The stuff you did to lose weight is the stuff you will have to continue to do to maintain it. 

The fact is that the difference between weight loss and weight maintenance for me is about 300 calories a day.  Maybe.  This is two cookies.   So keeping up the weight loss methods, with a cookie or two (or whatever else equals 300 calories) added in, is what I must do to stay at my preferred weight.

Consequently, before I give up carbs after lunch, I ask myself:  Can I live like this for the rest of my life? 

Do I really want to live without ever eating sugar again?

And before I go to two workouts a day, I have to be honest about if that's something I can keep up after the weight is off.

If it's not, I don't do it.  Maybe it means carrying around some excess weight a bit longer.  That's Okay.  I'd rather find and adapt to liveable solutions than go through the frustration of gaining back some or all of weight I'd sacrificed so much to lose.

It all goes back to that overused term "lifestyle".   You will need to make changes, but find methods that fit into your lifestyle, or that you can build a new lifestyle around.  Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of frustration this way.

And, honestly, I think taking on methods that can't be maintained is the main reason there is such a discouragingly high percentage of weight regain.

The difference between maintaining and gaining is separated by a VERY THIN line.   Make sure you don't make it even thinner by setting yourself up for failure with changes you can't maintain.

My 4-M Method of Goal Setting

When it comes to fitness and weight loss I have learned that if I have a specific and measurable method of both setting and looking at my goals it not only helps me with achieving and believing I an accomplish them, but also with visualizing and staying encouraged along the journey.  I call it "My 4-M Method of goal setting".  With this method, I break my goals down into four categories:  

Micro
Mini
Moderate
Max

For the purposes of this blog, and because I'm currently trying to lose fat (again!), I will give examples of weight loss.  But you can adapt this to whatever goal you are trying to achieve, be it a level of musculature, running a marathon, or even something non-fitness related like getting a degree.

Let's cover them one by one:

The first goal, Micro, is something that is easily acheivable and very much within reach.  For me this is every 2 1/2 pound mark.  So at my current weight of 170,  "Under 170" is my micro goal.  After I get there, it will be "Under 167.5", then "Under 165", etc.  When I can tell I am getting very close to my Max goal this will get narrower, since I lose much slower when I get leaner.  I'll probably set my micro goals in 1-lb increments at that point.

The next in line is the Mini goal.  Mini is something that is juuuuuuust out of reach, but you can see it's attainable.  Usually for me this is the 5-pound mark (Under 170, 165, etc.). Mini lets me say I did something that would be worth mentioning to others.  "I just lost fifteen pounds" sounds so much more impressive (and less weird) than "I just lost twelve and a half pounds".

The second to biggest goal, Moderate, is something that isn't quite as easy to achieve and is a fairly impressive milestone. With weight loss, for me it's usually the next size down.

Now for the biggest goal: Max. In short, max goals are where you want to see as the end result of your current fitness journey.

Often at the beginning of the journey I'll have more a a general idea of what this goal might be.  For instance, right now I know I want to have a figure something like the actress Tamara Taylor's:

Isn't she stunning? 

This is a fairly general goal for several reasons- While I believe I can achieve a look very similar to hers, I am NOT her. Specifically I am more muscular than her, have a (much) bigger bust-line, and we are of different ethnic backgrounds. But "Tamara Taylor More Muscular" is not an unrealistic look for me, since we have similar bone structures, height, and age. It gives me a general shape to keep in mind.

Another reason this is a general goal is that I don't know at what exact weight, body fat percentage, or even size (although I suspect it's my coveted size six) I will look like this. Nor am I sure of how long it will take to get a similar look. When I get closer to being there I will be able to narrow it down more, but for right now saying I want to look like her sister, sans skin tone, is about as specific as I can get.

All of these goals are fluid and move as I progress, with the possible exception of my Max goal. But even it is subject to change if I get close and realize it's unrealistic or I'm not expecting enough of myself.

I guess my reason for categorizing goals like this is that it gives me reasons to celebrate alone the way, instead of just trudging along until I get to my ultimate goal. And I DO celebrate. Even if it's just to take a minute to sit alone, smile to myself, and feel truly proud that I made it past another goal. The more I do this, the more I am encouraged to press on.

Miraculous Menopause!

In case the title wasn't enough, any men reading need to be informed that this blog is about "the change".  Should male-types choose to continue reading, consider yourselves warned.

In November or 2013 I posted  this blog on not having the horrible side-effects of menopause since getting into shape. Today's blog is "The rest of the story".

A year and a half ago I had my last cycle.  They'd been sporadic for years, and even though some doctors tried to tell me I wasn't in pre-menopause, I knew better.   I'd had signs since I was 34 that menopause was going to come early.  I couldn't have been happier when I hit the one-year mark for being period-free last November, making me inarguably through menopause by medical standards.  I did a little dance of joy.

I had someone once wonder aloud if my lack of cycles had something to do with my leanness and activity level.  No way.  During the 11 years leading up to the cessation of my cycles I was both obese/sedentary, and extremely lean/active.  Right now I am about 20 pounds over where I want to be.  And my cycles are gone.  Kaput.  Hasta la vista.  Buh-bye.  So obviously, it has had absolutely nothing to do with my fitness or body fat level.

Between menopause and aging I have found some wonderful benefits:

- I'm a lot nicer on a regular basis.  I had cycles from hell- This is not much of an exaggeration.  They were horrible.  To the point where my family wanted to get away from me.  I understood because I would have left me alone, had that been an option.  I would go into rages, cry at the drop of a hat, and be inconsolable.   It was terrible.  I did get some relief from taking iron pills (turns out my heavy cycles were making me iron deficient), but it never completely released me from my hormonal torment.  Now that I don't have those massive hormone surges going on any more I am more "level" and therefore better able to manage my emotions.

I read somewhere once that an early menopause can  mean a shorter lifespan.  I can say with utmost honesty that if that is the case I would much rather live a shorter life happy than a longer life miserable.

- My cycle was really heavy to the point where sometimes I wondered if I was hemorrhaging.  My sheets were very familiar with the washing machine, regardless of how much I "reinforced" myself.  Not having to deal with that anymore is fabulous.

- I get to use moisturizer!   May sound like a silly benefit, but up until not long ago I was always an oil slick.  People would talk about how good moisturizer felt and I didn't get it.  All it did was make me slimy.   I love that I can put a moisturizer on, feel it sink into my skin (which would now be classified as "normal"), and enjoy that feeling.

- I no longer have to wash my hair every day, since reduced oil production means it no longer looks like a bunch of greasy strings less than 24 hours after washing.  I can go every-other day before it looks that way now.  Big time saver!

- Zits are (almost) a thing of the past.  The occasional pimple still sometimes rears it's ugly head, but as for the multiple volcano zits I used to sport on a regular basis?   Gone!

- I can go without foundation and not look horrible. After 30+ years of slathering the stuff on I am no longer a slave to it. I either had to wear it before to cover my horrible acne or combined it with powder to soak up the oil from my face.  Now I can just wear sunscreen and feel good about the way my "real" skin looks.

- When I do wear foundation, it's a moisturizing formula.  This is cool because moisturizing foundation doesn't stick to my skin and dry before I am done blending it like the oil-absorbing varieties did.

- My body fat is distributing a bit better.  I'll always be bottom-heavy, but now when I gain fat I get a bit more in my upper body.  This is nice because I don't feel quite as disproportionate any more.  My shadow on the ground more resembles and hour glass with more sand on the bottom than a bowling pin.  I like that.

- I'm not so concerned with my appearance these days.  I'll never be someone who is Okay with looking sloppy.  But needing every hair in place and worrying about people seeing spider veins on my legs?  Nah.  I'd rather let it go and just enjoy myself.

Getting older isn't that bad, it turns out.   In a lot of ways, it's beneficial.  I'm happy to be 47 and through menopause.  Now if I could just lose these blessed 20 pounds again.......................

Sugar is NOT My Friend!

I won't say I gave up refined carbs for Lent, since I am not Catholic.  I will, however, say that I gave them up for approximately the 6 weeks before Easter in an effort to become more of what I believe God created me to be.

I'm a firm believer that God calls me to be a good steward of this body He has entrusted me with.  The truth is that I hadn't been doing a good enough job of that in the eating department. I didn't particularly like the idea of giving up refined carbs (white flour, sugar, white rice, etc.), but I really did feel that to do so would do nothing but good things for my health, so I relented and committed.

I found myself surprised by a bunch of things in the process, and have arrived at a conclusion as a result. (You will probably guess the conclusion, but I'll save it for the end of this blog, anyhow.)

Surprise #1- Giving up refined carbs was not as hard as I thought it would be. I was anticipating/dreading horrible cravings and withdrawal-type symptoms. Really, these were minimal. This was a relief.

Surprise #2- I lost NO weight in the process. I thought by giving up such non-nutritive food I might have a weight loss to report, and I do not. I am EXACTLY the same weight that I was at the beginning of the 6-week period. Turns out, you can get ample calories without processed carbs. Imagine that!

Surprise #3- My joints didn't hurt as much. I have arthritis in a knee, and some aches and pains in my upper right side due to past injuries. (These have nothing to do with weight lifting, by the way. I always hurt myself by doing normal stuff like walking down the street or talking on the phone.) Anyhow, I started noticing about a week into my "no refined carbs" period that I wasn't aching as bad. It never went away entirely, since the arthritis and injuries will always be there, but dang! Did it get a LOT better! I started doing some research and turns out that arthritis is a inflammatory condition. As a matter of fact, most prior injuries are aggravated by inflammation. Refined carbs are inflammatory foods. So it makes perfect sense that my condition improved.

Surprise #4- There is sugar in all sorts of stuff I normally eat and consider healthy. Case in point: I was munching away on the organic whole-grain bread I always buy. Suddenly it occurred to me that it takes some kind of sugar, whether white or molasses, to feed yeast so that it can rise. I took a look at the bag and, sure enough, "Organic Cane Sugar" was listed in the ingredients. Dang. This meant that bread also exited my diet.

Surprise #5- Sugar-free "treats" (i.e. candy) give me gas. Not worth it. 'Nuff said.

Surprise #6- Fried foods don't necessarily contain refined carbs. I had pretty much given up fried foods prior to my "no refined carbs" implementation, but suddenly I found myself gleefully filling in the carb gap with french fries. Thankfully I was able to identify this as problematic and knock it off in fairly short order, but I can see where that could have caused me to emerge from this whole thing with diminished health and a higher body fat percentage.

If you are paying attention, you have noted that in addition to the refined carbs, I also wound up giving up bread, sugar-free "treats" (which really left me nowhere to go at the movies but water, since I also don't drink soda), and fried foods. My very satisfying consolation was that I knew none of these "sacrifices" were bad for me. 

Surprise #7- My sleep improved. A LOT. I have often had issues with waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep for an hour or more. The only bonus to this is that I got a lot of recreational reading done. A few days into giving up refined carbs I was sleeping like a baby every night, not needing naps during the day (I used to nap like I was 85), and loving it! You know how much more you can get done when you aren't staggering through the day and have an entire extra hour in the afternoon to accomplish things? I didn't associate this with sugar until last night, which I will explain in the next paragraph.......

So, on Easter I allowed myself to eat refined carbs again. It actually kinda started the day before, because I was baking for Easter dinner and took a few licks and tastes. I could feel I was starting to mentally "let go", knowing that the next day I could eat whatever I wanted. That night I wasn't sleeping as soundly as usual and woke up several times aching where those old injuries are. I didn't make the connection until last night. I'd eaten plenty of goodies over Easter Sunday. My upper body was aching so bad that I went to bed thinking maybe I should have taken a Tylenol PM. I slept fitfully and finally woke up for real at 1:30am KNOWING I should have taken a Tylenol PM. The pain was easily twice what it had been the night before, and I was simply NOT sleepy. I read for at least an hour before I was able to go back to sleep.

And, turns out that when you haven't had refined carbs for a while they cause gas, too. I am certain that didn't help my sleep state, either.

And now I sit here, aching as I type, occasionally stopping to rub out or rotate my shoulder. I was hurting so bad when I woke up this morning that I foam rolled first thing. I almost lost my cookies when I lifted weights this morning, and all I had to eat for breakfast was the smallest bowl of oatmeal imaginable. I'm pretty sure that this is my digestive system continuing it's rebellion.

Conclusion? I'm going back to my "no refined carbs" rule. I've always been able to reason myself out of things like drug use and bulimia (neither of which I have ever done) because I could see nothing truly good that would come of it other than momentarily pleasure or relief. The negatives far outweighed the benefits. And now I see the same applies to refined carbs. Now, I'm not going to go checking Organic whole grain bread labels.  But when it comes to things like desserts and white bread, it will do nothing but benefit me to cut them out of my diet almost completely. If something is new, or it's a holiday and I know I won't see this food for another year, I'll try taking just a bite or two and leaving it. Honestly, I could have done that yesterday and been just as happy and a lot less miserable.

My point is not that everyone should give up refined carbs. We each have our own fitness path to walk. But maybe my experience can give someone else an "aha" moment and help them to not hurt, too.