Tag: energy

Write It Down

Tyson Popplestone has a knack for creating blog posts that a short, simple and straight to the point. And they hit hard. It truly is a powerful form of art and something I look forward to reading daily. There is a blog post in particular that he published recently that made me stop and reflect hard. The article was titled, “Write it down.”

I always thought it was just me but my head is filled with thoughts and ideas. Today I will be on a high, focused and committed to a set of ideas. Tomorrow, new thoughts and ideas will flood my brain and it feels like they need to be a part of my life, my daily routine. The best example I have is fitness. How many different apps and workout programs are out there? How many ads for workout programs do you see daily? I LOVE working out and becoming a better, stronger version of myself. Some days, yoga is king. I need to improve my flexibility and inner peace. Other days, strength is king and I need to lift hard. I start one program only to find another one that looks just as good if not better. Well of course, I have to try it!

I’m guessing you have an idea of what this can lead to… Sure I’m in good shape because I exercise regularly. But, I never hit my goals! I never stick with a program long enough to reach my goals. What would happen if I committed to one program, wrote the other ones down and tried them when program no. one was complete? What would I be losing or missing out on? NOTHING! What would I be gaining? Discipline. Focus. RESULTS.

This mentality translates to every part of our lives. Nutrition. How many diet plans have you tried? Have you stuck with any of them through to the end? Have any of them truly worked? Blog ideas or side hustles. How many of those have you followed through on? Let me be clear, I’ve been playing around with side hustles for years because every day I come up with a new idea that must be better than yesterday’s.

I’m going to reflect back on this blog post from Tyson Popplestone on a weekly basis. To make sure I stay focused. To remember why. To win!

 

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting – this is a hot topic right now. I’ve read about it on several blogs and it seems to be coming up frequently on various podcasts. Even though the ketogenic diet is on my mind right now, it is not the right time to embark on that type of diet just weeks before Christmas. I would most certainly be setting myself up for failure. Intermittent fasting is something that I have also been wanting to try and I feel that it is a positive change that is sustainable through this time of year.

You’re probably thinking I’ve done loads of research and have this intricate plan. That’s not quite how I work. I do some research to verify my decision to move forward but I wait until the time is right. So, at 6am this morning, I decided to go all in. I pulled together the bits of research I had done and made a plan for the next few days.

Surprisingly, the morning went quite well. I honestly expected to be miserable because it’s pretty well known that I like to eat all the time. This morning, I had one cup of coffee (only one!) and went about my day. I handled some work meetings and worked out mid-morning. After my workout, I went back to more meetings. I had a clear head all morning (well, as clear as possible given the fact I’m fighting a cold) and my energy stayed consistent through the morning. Normally, I see a dip in my energy around 9-10am and reach for more coffee. My many cups of morning coffee were now down to only one first thing in the morning. This alone was eye opening.

Around 11am, I knew I had to pay attention. I have gotten very good at listening to my body overtime and I was quite thankful for that today. Shortly after 11am, I started to feely the shaky, desperate for food feeling. The, “when the clock strikes 12, I’m going to eat everything I can find” kind of feeling. So, rather than waiting until 12, I ate around 11:30am. I ate a good, balanced meal and felt fantastic. I didn’t feel weighed down or bloated, I felt satisfied and strong. I didn’t overeat like I expected to either; I ate just what my body needed.

In order to make sure I eat enough, I’m using MyFitnessPal to track all of my food consumption. I sometimes struggle with this on a normal day, so due to the fact I am restricting my intake to a shorter time period, I’m being extra-sensitive. The last thing I need is to lose weight. This is a benefit that drives many people to IF, but I’m doing it for the many other reported health benefits. For me, I just need to find some consistency. Especially considering how much I travel, I need some consistency in my health that can translate to both home and travel.

He’s the weird thing for me. I’m battling a cold but I had energy at 2PM. WHAT?! Normally, when I’m feeling 100%, I’m ready to die at 2pm. Seriously, so f-ing tired! I’m feeling good about this!

So far, I am very excited about this journey. I have read about some of the struggles with hormone imbalances that women can face in this journey so I am also monitoring that aspect. I read an article today that indicated BCAAs can help your muscles during your fasting period, so I’m going to try that tomorrow.

First meal: 11:30am
Time since last meal: roughly 16 hours
Last meal: 7:45pm
Feast window: 11:30am – 7:45pm

Today was an intermittent fasting success!

I Failed Whole30 and I’m Glad

You’re intrigued, huh? This post likely won’t go in the direction you’re expecting so hear me out. Two weeks into Whole30, Labor Day weekend was upon us. I had no reason to veer off track; we did not have any major plans or parties. We spent some lovely time at the beach but all in all, it was a pretty regular long weekend. I can’t tell you exactly what it was, but on Day 14, we got to the beach and I said to my family, “I don’t think mommy’s diet is going to hold up today.” Once I gave myself permission, I knew I would “cheat”.

There are a few interesting things to think about here. Once I gave myself permission, it actually took quite a while for me to cheat. All of the things that I thought I wanted over the last couple of weeks, were no longer appealing now that I could have them. When I finally did indulge, the thing that I was hoping wouldn’t happen, did. I felt awful. I wanted to get sick. I was super cranky the next day. I looked like I was about 6 months pregnant from the bloat. I felt sick. The most interesting part about this? I only had 1 beer and a few tortilla chips. That’s nothing! That’s barely cheating and look at what it did to me!

Clearly I needed this more than I thought. My why was strong coming into this, at least I thought it was, but I am not a fan of, “You can’t have, do, eat, etc…” From a mental perspective, it doesn’t hold up. I question it. I want to know all of the science. Even when I do, I just don’t like being told what to do! Now that I have failed the program, I am in charge of why I am or am not eating foods. Now I am sticking to Whole30 100% because I want to.

I was noticing transformations that I never expected. Let’s take my performance at the gym. The beast that I knew was inside finally came out. The exercise-induced asthma that I developed as a child was suddenly gone. My lungs were no longer holding me back and I was unstoppable. That cheat day put all of that in jeopardy. I was/am not ok with that. Most importantly, I haven’t had reflux since starting the program. I don’t know the last time I went that long without reflux. If I’m looking at a life without reflux if I keep eating fresh, amazing food, I’ll take it!

I’m now able to connect my why with me. Not reasons I’ve read from testimonials. Not because someone told me it would be great for me. Not because I read it in a book. This time, Whole30 is on my terms.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth