I did not write this article, it came in an email. I can’t find a source to credit.
MSG’s and why we all get fat so easy.
http://variablethoughts.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-we-cant-lose-weight.html
Something everyone should know
Just one question.
I received my final exam for my personality psychology course today. It has one question: What is Personality? Well, I just read a text on the subject so should be able to come up with some sort of an answer. Then I was thinking, what part of personality makes us go out and exercise, eat properly and take care of ourselves for a little while, and then let us slide back into old habits when the going gets rough. By rough going I mean the weather is too hot or too cold, an injury happens, time gets hard to find, or new responsibilities come along. They all sound a lot like excuses. Some people don’t use them at all, they run no matter what.
Is it extroversion that causes these oddities to run when the rest of us are inside keeping warm? Is it biological – are they just tougher? Could it be that they are more conscientious about their health? Was Freud right, and there is an id inside each of us that causes us to do the things we do?
I suppose you could make an argument for any of these ideas. My favorite theory is motivation. I believe some people are more motivated to run every day that others. With that motivation they have surrounded themselves with people who support their healthy life choices. When running becomes a habit, it is easier to keep it going, rather than stopping and having to get motivated to start again. The endorphines that come from running are in themselves a powerful motivator. The problem seems to be finding what motivates you in the first place, until it becomes a habit.
Some of the things I have tried are posting photos of obese people on the fridge and computer desktop . That didnt work for long. Then I made a slideshow of fit people running and doing yoga, and set that as my screensaver. It reminded me of what I want to do but I didnt go do it. New running shoes are motivators, for some people. A few new tunes on the iPod assist others in getting started.
For me, it’s the latest 5 lb wieght gain that was supposed to be a 10 lb weight loss. Now my clothes are too tight and it is uncomfortable. I feel the extra pudge and am very self conscious about it. However my latest excuse is still overriding my first run of the year – the weather. The piles of snow are starting to melt and the sidewalks are half water half ice. The trails are sloppy and the wind is still fairly chilly. By the time my final exams are over in a couple of weeks, I will have run out of excuses and hopefully run down the trails!
Until then, I better get back to the books and sort out how Locus of Control and Field Depedence are going to fit into my answer for the personality question.
Yoga
Last fall I took a few months of Yoga class. It was beginners yoga, which does not resemble the yoga I see in magazines. Our teacher was an older lady and she taught us how to move a little to stretch a lot. In most cases we were stretching muscles that never get stretched. It felt really good and improved my posture a bit too. We started doing some of the poses with names and I discovered that even though I am not very flexible, I could do most of the easy ones. I am sure that my hamstrings are about 2 inches shorter than they should be!!
The benefits from yoga once a week were a calmer mind, more relaxed body in general and healthier muscles. When combined with running, the yoga is an excellent way to keep muscles supple and helps prevent some injuries. I highly recommend that if you are an runner, or lift weights, that you take a yoga class and stretch all those muscles you are building up. It will make you feel fantastic physically and mentally.
Get it Running Again
This past winter has been busy yet lazy. I have been working very hard at my studies, but stopped running. The winter here has been long and cold and full of snow. The paths are snow covered ice. Not really ideal running conditions. There are those tough runners who ignore all these excuses and go for a run anyway. My toque goes off to them!
In the meantime I sit at my desk trying to remember what I just read while munching on chocolates. Not the best diet! Why is it that we have better eating habits when we exercise regularly? I managed to lose a few pounds earlier, but have gained that back along with some extras. Now I have more work to do to lose the weight when it would have been easier to just not eat all the junk food!
When will I ever learn??
I need to wean myself off the chocolate and the junk food, and as my excuses melt away I will start to get it running again!
Running more than blogging
Yes, I have been ignoring you. I have been running and not blogging. So I thought I might try to start again. Can a person be persistent without being consistent? As long as I keep getting better then I suppose it doesn’t matter much.
While at my parents place I decided to go for a run. This has happened before, but usually around the cow pasture. Then it dawned on me that running down the quiet paved road might be easier. So I gave it a go. I ran and ran. My legs felt like lead after about a mile. I struggled to make it to the point I had decided on. Then I walked and ran home. It was a total of 3.45 mile, but it seemed longer. When I got back I realized that I had not eaten breakfast before I left. Missing breakfast is not a normal thing for me, so it was very odd. Its my opinion that the reason my legs felt like lead and were sore for days is because I had no food or water before my run.
A lesson learned!
Wipe Out
I am back running again. Literally of course. It does seem to help keep my knee going better. Only I had a little wreck today. I was trotting along and came to a crosswalk. There was a car or two waiting for me so I jogged off the sidewalk, dragged my sore leg on the curb and fell onto the asphalt with a little skid. I grunted pretty good going down! So I got up and took a bow. Then I ran on. I wasn’t as embarrassed as I was frustrated with my knee and my clumsiness. I have some road rash on my hands and one elbow.
Earlier I was thinking of carrying my iPod in my hand but decided to use the armband for it instead. Its a good think I did or I might have had an iPod fatality at the crosswalk! As it was my little buddy was just fine and cheered me up a little on the rest of the run.
Today’s lesson: Pick up your feet!
Going again
I got to go for a run today. It was pretty exciting. My knee is doing better but not completely healed yet. However, I did run into a problem with cardio. Mine sucks. Six months off will do that for ya. So start again. Walk-run until a whole run can be done and then extend the miles. Maybe I can run the 21k race in town next fall. Something to aim for!
Stuff to do.
The winter semester is over and I have a bit of time to think now. I only had 3 classes but it seemed to be all I could do to keep up with them. How will I cope with 5 classes in the fall semester??ha.
The physiotherapist has been working on my knee for about a month now. It is almost better and I am tempted to try to run on it. Maybe I should start with a long walk, or a good workout on the elliptical. Or I could wait and ask physio tomorrow. I have been itching to run and every time I see someone out running, I get a bit jealous. I wish them a good run and then pout for awhile.
I also miss writing. Its therapeutic to be able to write some of my many thoughts down so someone will someday read them. Maybe. I suppose if it was more entertaining and a bit more regular it might help! Hopefully there will be more time for writing now. Its summer and there is yardwork to be done and horses to be rode. Also mountains to be climbed, rivers to be tubed down and the a job to be found. To sum it up, the is life to be lived and I’m gonna do it.
Diet Weary
Sticking to a healthy eating plan can get boring fairly fast. After the initial enthusiasm for a healthier lifestyle wears off there is just the food plan and exercise left. You get a sweet craving, or salt but don’t have the option to cave to the crave. The weight does not come off fast enough, and your old favorites look tempting. Just once, it wont hurt right?? WRONG. Once you fall into that trap of eating unhealthy food, it will suck you right in and you will be back at square one, looking at the scale wondering where those numbers came from…again.
To avoid falling into the never ending pits of junk food, come up with a strategy. My biggest temptation is Lindt chocolate. One day I got really mad at Lindt for the way they always push the chocolate on those of us who don’t want it. All their fancy tempting packaging and displays in the stores. I bet they were not thinking of my health when they designed those packages. They only think of the money they can suck out of my pocket and into theirs. I have a sharp mental image of this big fat guy in an expensive suit sitting at an expensive desk. He is rude to everyone and laughs every time my willpower fails and I buy some chocolate. I don’t want to support this man anymore, so I stay away from the chocolate. I have not bought any chocolate since that mental image found my brain.
Maybe your motivation is your health, your kids, your kids health, or something else. Evidently mine is spite, but its working so Im going to keep using it!
Kefir
I heard about Kefir in the eat clean diet book. Apparently its an acquired taste. Thats all the info I needed to go and buy some from the health food section of the grocery store. Something new! Kefir is a kind of yogurt that has fermented. It is also effervescent which is the fun part. It doesn’t really taste like alcohol, but almost. The bubbles are not noticeable really but you can taste the carbon dioxide they give off, like tonic water. Its interesting stuff! I got plain flavour and then put some vanilla in it. Its runny like the drinkable yogurts. See, diets can be fun!
