**I wrote this on Thursday of last week but didn't post it that day as I was working to finish my homework...**
Yesterday being day three I was starting to feel a groove to this new way of eating. As with all eating programs, it is not just a diet it is a lifestyle.
I was blessed to have a day to myself in the kitchen to experiment and play in a totally new realm for me... gluten-free. Having over a decade of professional baking under my belt and a lifetime of home-style baking, both with high gluten, I found a great resistance to the new venture. But, this current journey was made with the understanding that it's time to break free from that shell of "gluten is king" and learn my true potential of baking without it.
My online search brought me to find a great deal of options for DIY gluten free flour mixes but I came across a goldmine of info with which I tailored my day around. Read more about it here... You will also find my own personal modifications for the recipes as there were many options to choose from.
This choice has been a great addition to the new vegan way of eating!
While I haven't been vegan for over 8 years, my last experience did not turn out very well. I did my research to be sure I was doing it properly and took time each day to prepare balanced meals but for some reason I couldn't maintain my iron levels, my energy or my muscle definition. With this kind of memory I have been quite hesitant to return to this regimen, until now.
When mom got the results from her physical I knew this was the only way to help her get back on track. You see, she has always been a clean eater. Doesn't do sauces, creamy anything, sodas, fried foods or anything junky like pre-packaged cookies and stuff. Her diet for years has consisted of fish, poultry and lots of veggies but no beans or fibrous carbs. It's really incredible to think that someone who seems to be so healthy could have cholesterol levels of 398, clogged arteries and very low levels of essential nutrients.
Vegan is our answer.
The reason I added the extra challenge of no soy and gluten-free to the mix is simply because her body does not process gluten but in fact stores it as puffiness in the fat cells and soy has too much evidence to prove that it increases hormone levels in unsafe ways. I'd rather not chance either of the two. Just my preference.
Being her personal chef and trainer for the summer I have the challenge of taking on a crash course of learning how to live this vegan lifestyle with daily meal preparation and packing for her to go to work.
It was so easy back when I was in serious body building to pack mass amounts of chicken, broccoli and brown rice up in plastic containers for microwaving later in the day, but now the game has entirely changed!!
So this week as a brand new vegan I spend a good two hours in my mom's tiny kitchen getting ready for the day plus an additional 2-5 hours researching and blogging to share my knowledge with others who seek this lifestyle change as well. Taking pictures and noting my adaptations to recipes takes up a bit more time than just throwing things together but for this chef, it's an absolute necessity. Plus, it gives me more to write about which is always a plus. ;)
What I find most fascinating about this time around is being gluten-free, soy-free and vegan together is giving me much more energy than I had imagined possible! Being that I woke up at 5am yesterday to meet with an online client I expected to need a nap at some point but my body has become so in tune with my food that I can feel the energy pulse through me within 5 minutes of eating. I even had a difficult time falling asleep at my normal bed time.
Guess it's true what they say: when you give your body the nutrition it needs, you don't need as much sleep to recover!
With all this energy I have more time to play in the kitchen which makes my heart sing. I think I feel a cookbook coming on...
Today I venture into planning ahead for the weekend. I have school on Friday-Sunday and won't have the usual 2 hours each morning to prepare food needed for the day. Today is all I've got. I'm taking on the task of making gluten-free bread and or crackers, double potato-leek soup and veggie burgers.
Keep this pace up and I may have a GF Vegan bakery going in no time!! Let's see where the universe takes me.
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yoga. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
One Week Down...and only one slip up!!
Last week was a learning lesson to say the least!
The task of not only learning how to be vegan, gluten free AND soy free all in one swoop was quite the undertaking and of course, I am an all-or-nothing kinda girl...you know I jumped in head first.
In all fairness, I have been soy-free for a few years now but I was perplexed at the idea of being vegan without the use of tempeh and various soy products such as my old favorite, Bragg's Aminos. I don't give in easily!
So throughout the week I spent hours on end each day experimenting with different recipes, testing flavors, gluten-free flours and finding countless ways to make beans taste good. Quite the journey, I'd say. Not for the faint of heart or those who are not serious about this level of commitment!
Being a trainer for almost 8 years now, I have seen the one major reason why any "diet" fails is a due to improper planning. Most people say "Oh, I think I want to lose 10 pounds so I just won't eat..." or "I'll switch everything from full sugar to artificial..." or even worse "I want to be a vegetarian so I will just live on cheese and pasta..." and so the yo-yo begins...
Vegan eating is not a light subject. For many people the need for a transition period is crucial! Fortunately for me, I can quite anything cold-turkey, no pun intended, when I make a commitment to do so. It's not about will power it's about self-honoring choices. I honor myself enough to make the change and am committed to give it a chance until I know for a fact it is working or not.
In this choice, I take time to research to make sure I am getting enough protein, ample amounts of iron to prevent my past history of anemia from leering its ugly head, and various other nutrients that Vegans are challenged to get in their daily diet. I mean, if you are not going to go balls to the walls and do it right, why half-ass it?!?!?!
Many years ago I committed to this way of life for about 8 months...well, 8 and a half to be exact. The one thing I struggled with was anemia. And it was bad too!
Every day I found myself taking a 2-3, even four hour nap and struggling to find the energy for my workouts. The major factor in this problem came in my whole grains called Phytic Acid. This acid binds to vitamins such as D and minerals such as Iron which were major contributors to my energetic downfall.
Now I soak brown rice and beans overnight and rinse before cooking them to prevent these toxins from stealing my thunder!
This past weekend was a long one as I was back in school for my three day monthly installment. As I usualy grab an assortment of pot roast, mac n cheese and a chocolate bar, all grounding foods to get me through the energetic curriculum of the day and not on my standard daily list of eats, this time I brought my food the first two days and had a minor slip up on day three.
On the night of day two some of my classmates and I had taken a late night adventure after class to head down to the beach and watch the SuperMoon. A couple of people grabbed a piece of pizza that smelled....soooooooooooooooo good........BUT I didn't eat one bite. I sat and contemplated how life must be for all of those dairy and gluten intolerant people who miss these food items. I felt for them. This eating path for me was a choice not because of any official allergy.
By day three of class all I could think about was a tasty, hot meal.
Due to the beach excursion being so late at night, I didn't make it home. I had crashed in my friend's hotel room and didn't get my clothes until Sunday morning with enough time to shower and race to school.
I rationalized that a bowl of soba noodles with sea veggies and green onions with a kombucha would be safe, until my first bite. Then it dawns on me: soy sauce in the broth and the soba noodles may not be ALL buckwheat. YUCK. Funny because I actually could feel the gluten and soy in my body. Learning to find safe Asian food flavors will be a journey in itself!
On Monday, I was pretty much cut off from the world by choice. It takes me about 1-2 days to recover mentally from a weekend at school and to process all of my learnings so I didn't have a chance to prepare any food for the day. Mom took the opportunity to go in to Whole Foods to purchase some things that appeared safe to bring home for me to experiment with.
On Tuesday morning she was complaining of knee pain so I turned to the foods she brought home to find salt in amounts more than double of what I would use on a regular basis. In addition she purchased a sprouted manna bread that she had a slice of thinking it was safe. Little did she know that three of the 5 grains listed were all containing gluten! The beauty of it is, she feels the gluten making her "puffy" so she know has a good reference to what is really happening in her body when she eats these foods and has a greater desire to avoid them.
I'd say overall, week one was a success. So much to learn and I am taking a crash course for my mom's health! I am looking forward to this week adding to the daily walking with some weights and yoga...my body is calling for it.
The task of not only learning how to be vegan, gluten free AND soy free all in one swoop was quite the undertaking and of course, I am an all-or-nothing kinda girl...you know I jumped in head first.
In all fairness, I have been soy-free for a few years now but I was perplexed at the idea of being vegan without the use of tempeh and various soy products such as my old favorite, Bragg's Aminos. I don't give in easily!
So throughout the week I spent hours on end each day experimenting with different recipes, testing flavors, gluten-free flours and finding countless ways to make beans taste good. Quite the journey, I'd say. Not for the faint of heart or those who are not serious about this level of commitment!
Being a trainer for almost 8 years now, I have seen the one major reason why any "diet" fails is a due to improper planning. Most people say "Oh, I think I want to lose 10 pounds so I just won't eat..." or "I'll switch everything from full sugar to artificial..." or even worse "I want to be a vegetarian so I will just live on cheese and pasta..." and so the yo-yo begins...
Vegan eating is not a light subject. For many people the need for a transition period is crucial! Fortunately for me, I can quite anything cold-turkey, no pun intended, when I make a commitment to do so. It's not about will power it's about self-honoring choices. I honor myself enough to make the change and am committed to give it a chance until I know for a fact it is working or not.
In this choice, I take time to research to make sure I am getting enough protein, ample amounts of iron to prevent my past history of anemia from leering its ugly head, and various other nutrients that Vegans are challenged to get in their daily diet. I mean, if you are not going to go balls to the walls and do it right, why half-ass it?!?!?!
Many years ago I committed to this way of life for about 8 months...well, 8 and a half to be exact. The one thing I struggled with was anemia. And it was bad too!
Every day I found myself taking a 2-3, even four hour nap and struggling to find the energy for my workouts. The major factor in this problem came in my whole grains called Phytic Acid. This acid binds to vitamins such as D and minerals such as Iron which were major contributors to my energetic downfall.
Now I soak brown rice and beans overnight and rinse before cooking them to prevent these toxins from stealing my thunder!
This past weekend was a long one as I was back in school for my three day monthly installment. As I usualy grab an assortment of pot roast, mac n cheese and a chocolate bar, all grounding foods to get me through the energetic curriculum of the day and not on my standard daily list of eats, this time I brought my food the first two days and had a minor slip up on day three.
On the night of day two some of my classmates and I had taken a late night adventure after class to head down to the beach and watch the SuperMoon. A couple of people grabbed a piece of pizza that smelled....soooooooooooooooo good........BUT I didn't eat one bite. I sat and contemplated how life must be for all of those dairy and gluten intolerant people who miss these food items. I felt for them. This eating path for me was a choice not because of any official allergy.
By day three of class all I could think about was a tasty, hot meal.
Due to the beach excursion being so late at night, I didn't make it home. I had crashed in my friend's hotel room and didn't get my clothes until Sunday morning with enough time to shower and race to school.
I rationalized that a bowl of soba noodles with sea veggies and green onions with a kombucha would be safe, until my first bite. Then it dawns on me: soy sauce in the broth and the soba noodles may not be ALL buckwheat. YUCK. Funny because I actually could feel the gluten and soy in my body. Learning to find safe Asian food flavors will be a journey in itself!
On Monday, I was pretty much cut off from the world by choice. It takes me about 1-2 days to recover mentally from a weekend at school and to process all of my learnings so I didn't have a chance to prepare any food for the day. Mom took the opportunity to go in to Whole Foods to purchase some things that appeared safe to bring home for me to experiment with.
On Tuesday morning she was complaining of knee pain so I turned to the foods she brought home to find salt in amounts more than double of what I would use on a regular basis. In addition she purchased a sprouted manna bread that she had a slice of thinking it was safe. Little did she know that three of the 5 grains listed were all containing gluten! The beauty of it is, she feels the gluten making her "puffy" so she know has a good reference to what is really happening in her body when she eats these foods and has a greater desire to avoid them.
I'd say overall, week one was a success. So much to learn and I am taking a crash course for my mom's health! I am looking forward to this week adding to the daily walking with some weights and yoga...my body is calling for it.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Day Two- I remembered my food!!
Well I can safely say that all those years of being in the body building industry have paid off in one way or another!! This time in food preparation...NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!!
Yesterday being day two I had yet another challenging day ahead of me. Mom and I left home very early- her to head to the doctor's to have her eye's checked for extreme dryness and for testing to find the cause of her anemia and me to spend the day with Gramma and take her in for her rapidly depleting eye sight.
I spent a good hour and a half preparing our food for the day as I am still getting used to the vegan regimen as well as to mom's tiny kitchen. Oh how I miss my big kitchen...but I digress. This summer I am committed to be here for mom and then move to the beach so it's only temporary :)
I packed our bags with fresh juice, as usual, containing everything from beets to grapefruit to collard greens, the lentil-brown rice mix from the day before packed in lettuce and kale cups for easy eating on the go, salad with many colors, banana slices with almond butter, grapes, almond-walnut-date mix, and sweet potato pudding.
Spending time with Gramma before leaving for the doctor I was thankful to have brought my food along! The home that she chose to move into does not feed her much in the way of produce so we have a fruit of the month sent to her year-round and bring food with us on each visit. I was happy she ate grapes, dates and banana with me.
As we sat in the waiting room I felt a bit hungry, not unusual as I feel like I can't stop eating now that I am vegan, so I drank some juice. Of course it got a bit of attention and an older gentleman came over to ask if I had brought lunch for the group? I told him I'd be happy to share my vegan treats but he seemed more inclined to speak to my gramma about why she was there and to ask her age...she said 39, he said 40. Eventually she confessed her real age of 94 and he responded with "pushing 80" and had she noticed, she may have had a date!
What I truly love about my gramma is that she is never afraid to be herself. She kept her composure when I told her about his attempts and said "honey, what in the world would I do with him anyway!?!" We had a good laugh.
Our day was filled with smiles as I spent time talking about her life, appreciating the adventures she has had and observing the world together. I am so grateful for her coming into my life when she did...we adopted her in 1984; the year my parents divorced and the same year she lost one of her last living relatives.
We compared our hands and I was taken back by the beauty in her fingers! With such slender, straight fingers and soft skin it's hard to believe those hands belong to a 94 year-young woman. It's no wonder the man came over to inquire about her!!
Now, it's been quite some time since I've stepped foot into an actual doctor's office. Looking around reminded me of how the concept of specializing in one thing has a tendency to overlook the big picture. I can say that I was pleased to hear her doctor recommend her continue on her eye vitamins and to increase her amounts of green leafy vegetables.
After the appointment we sat down for lunch at the cafe as we would not be back in time for dinner at the home; their term for lunch. She enjoyed her ham and cheese sandwich with side salad as I took out my vegan treats. Her eyes showed such joy as she watched me eat and kept saying "Honey, you're so healthy! I am so glad to have you on board now. Tell your mom I'm having a wonderful day."
I can't help but wonder just how many aging ailments and diseases are caused by poor diet. While I never would have thought after 8 years that I would return to a vegan diet but after only a couple of days, I can feel this time is life-changing.
By the end of the day I was exhausted! Every ounce of energy was spent in play with Gramma but we laughed and had such joy that I would not have traded it for the world. I ate all my food and then some...after mom and I took our daily walk, this time at 7pm, we sat down to a Rainbow Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.
Day two was a great success in the vegan journey. While I have maintained my weight despite the high amount of carbs and nut fats I am consuming, my waistline has trimmed down quite rapidly. A big surprise to me having spent years in the low-carb, high protein mindset!!
Yesterday being day two I had yet another challenging day ahead of me. Mom and I left home very early- her to head to the doctor's to have her eye's checked for extreme dryness and for testing to find the cause of her anemia and me to spend the day with Gramma and take her in for her rapidly depleting eye sight.
I spent a good hour and a half preparing our food for the day as I am still getting used to the vegan regimen as well as to mom's tiny kitchen. Oh how I miss my big kitchen...but I digress. This summer I am committed to be here for mom and then move to the beach so it's only temporary :)
I packed our bags with fresh juice, as usual, containing everything from beets to grapefruit to collard greens, the lentil-brown rice mix from the day before packed in lettuce and kale cups for easy eating on the go, salad with many colors, banana slices with almond butter, grapes, almond-walnut-date mix, and sweet potato pudding.
Spending time with Gramma before leaving for the doctor I was thankful to have brought my food along! The home that she chose to move into does not feed her much in the way of produce so we have a fruit of the month sent to her year-round and bring food with us on each visit. I was happy she ate grapes, dates and banana with me.
As we sat in the waiting room I felt a bit hungry, not unusual as I feel like I can't stop eating now that I am vegan, so I drank some juice. Of course it got a bit of attention and an older gentleman came over to ask if I had brought lunch for the group? I told him I'd be happy to share my vegan treats but he seemed more inclined to speak to my gramma about why she was there and to ask her age...she said 39, he said 40. Eventually she confessed her real age of 94 and he responded with "pushing 80" and had she noticed, she may have had a date!
What I truly love about my gramma is that she is never afraid to be herself. She kept her composure when I told her about his attempts and said "honey, what in the world would I do with him anyway!?!" We had a good laugh.
Our day was filled with smiles as I spent time talking about her life, appreciating the adventures she has had and observing the world together. I am so grateful for her coming into my life when she did...we adopted her in 1984; the year my parents divorced and the same year she lost one of her last living relatives.
We compared our hands and I was taken back by the beauty in her fingers! With such slender, straight fingers and soft skin it's hard to believe those hands belong to a 94 year-young woman. It's no wonder the man came over to inquire about her!!
Now, it's been quite some time since I've stepped foot into an actual doctor's office. Looking around reminded me of how the concept of specializing in one thing has a tendency to overlook the big picture. I can say that I was pleased to hear her doctor recommend her continue on her eye vitamins and to increase her amounts of green leafy vegetables.
After the appointment we sat down for lunch at the cafe as we would not be back in time for dinner at the home; their term for lunch. She enjoyed her ham and cheese sandwich with side salad as I took out my vegan treats. Her eyes showed such joy as she watched me eat and kept saying "Honey, you're so healthy! I am so glad to have you on board now. Tell your mom I'm having a wonderful day."
I can't help but wonder just how many aging ailments and diseases are caused by poor diet. While I never would have thought after 8 years that I would return to a vegan diet but after only a couple of days, I can feel this time is life-changing.
By the end of the day I was exhausted! Every ounce of energy was spent in play with Gramma but we laughed and had such joy that I would not have traded it for the world. I ate all my food and then some...after mom and I took our daily walk, this time at 7pm, we sat down to a Rainbow Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.
Day two was a great success in the vegan journey. While I have maintained my weight despite the high amount of carbs and nut fats I am consuming, my waistline has trimmed down quite rapidly. A big surprise to me having spent years in the low-carb, high protein mindset!!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Excuses...excuses...
When I first started working out I was so disgusted with my body that I feared going into the tiny fitness center at the complex I lived in because I was afraid someone would see me from their bedroom window and think I was some fat cow. Plus, when I would do heavy cardio my face would turn as red as a beet and feel like I had flames shooting from my eyes. Not one of my best looks but I wanted a 6-pack SO bad that I fought the fear and pushed myself. Making a vision board helped me to stay focused on my goal and reminded me each morning to not turn on the TV but to go straight to the gym. Before the vision board I had every excuse in the book to not workout but with clarity in my goal I came in alignment with what I wanted and let nothing stand in my way!
I hear many of these same excuses from people resisting physical activity so I have listed some excuses here with explanations, rebuttles and basic no-nonsense hits to tackle your most challenging objections!! What you read may be harsh but if you want results you have go to stop digging yourself into a hole...
-I DON'T LIKE TO EXERCISE- okay, really?!?! How do you know? Have you tried every type of physical activity there is? If not, then it's time you tried something new!
-I DON'T LIKE TO SWEAT- sweat is a necessary part of having a human body. For many of you women who experience hormonal sweating I can imagine this to be quite uncomfortable. But, sweat releases toxins from your body that are blocked up and with out sweating your body may very well be a toxic waste dump. Is that better than sweating? I think not!
-GYM'S ARE FOR BODYBUILDERS- in this day and age people of every age and fitness level go to gyms for every type of training from weights to Zumba to swimming. There is something for everyone! Plus, when you show up consistently you begin to make friends and feel like a welcome part of the community.
-I FEEL INTIMIDATED IN A GYM- when I first started at Gold's back in 2004 I had clients who would ask me to train them ONLY in the women's gym, secluded from the big "manly" machines. Fear of judgement, failure and rejection all played a huge part in this. Two things- A-tour a few gyms before settling in on one to know how the vibe will be B-if you can not find a gym in your area consider doing a workout program from home. If you are afraid of judgement, sweating off your make-up or just looking dorky in the gym, work out at home. Explore Home Workout Programs Here
-I FEAR INJURY- well, first of all let me say, if you fear something you will make it happen by law of attraction so wipe that thought from your brain. If you are concerned about whether or not you are performing an exercise correctly then maybe it's time you seek help from a personal trainer or fitness professional. Be sure to interview them on their techniques and be confident that they truly will focus on your form. I can't begin to tell you how many trainers I've seen who can not practically apply the knowledge they learned from the books that certified them, so do your research!
-BUT MY BODY HURTS AFTER I WORK OUT- this one is tricky but here goes...when you do any sort of resistance training or weight bearing exercise, microscopic tears happen in your muscle fibers which causes slight swelling in the muscle groups you worked. In addition, as a bi-product of energy production, lactic acid develops which is the burning sensation you feel toward the end of a set. Lactic acid remains in the muscle if your diet is poor and you do not consume enough alkaline foods to neutralize those acids. The recovery period following your workout should be a min of 48 hours until the next time you work the muscle again. To stave off any additional cramping you can do a short set of cardio such as walking on the treadmill immediately after your session to promote circulation and detoxification.
-BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME- I ask you this, how much time do you spend in front of the TV, spend in a social setting or searching random Epic Meal Time videos on YouTube? Do you TIVO your favorite shows, meet friends for happy hour during the week or just waste your time away stressing about how hard your life is? Well, I'm here to tell you that you will have the time if you make the time. You know as well as I do that when you want something bad enough, you will do anything to have it. How bad do you want better health, unlimited energy or 6-pack abs? You have to want it so bad that you can see it as if it's already happened. Miraculously you will start finding time in your day. Working out at home is a simple way to make sure you fit it in before work.
-BUT I CAN'T AFFORD IT- Walking is free. Push-ups, sit-ups and squats...all free too! There is a plethora of information online about how to work out with out equipment. Check out YouTube for videos on Calisthenics, yoga, tai chi, kickboxing and more. It's a wealth of information all free to you.
-I DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY- if this is the case, a few things could be happening. You may be a caffeine freak at which case your adrenals are shot and we need to get to work asap! You may be struggling with your nutrition and not feeding your body the fuel it needs to do all you ask of it. There may be some serious stress in your life that causes you to feel overwhelmed at which case your emotional energy is what's drained. You may try using physical activity to get out your aggression or stress. Getting to the gym or pushing play on the DVD player can be half the battle. I can speak from experience in saying that I may feel horrible going into a workout, but half way through, the adrenaline kicks in and I feel like I can conquer the world.
-BUT I'VE TRIED WORKING OUT AND IT DIDN'T WORK- then you didn't do it right or the balance between diet and exercise was not right. Truth is, when you do the research to find out what works right for your body type, personality and your level of time commitment the results will come. You can not follow along with the workout program of a genetically skinny person and expect the same results if you are trying lose weight. If you are not thinking of yourself as an individual with specific needs, if you started a new program and didn't give it 110%, if you didn't take the time to understand how your body works...then you are cheating yourself.
Here's the bottom line: Respect yourself enough to do some research on what you need.
...If you don't know enough and don't plan on being a personal trainer yourself, hire one, purchase a home workout program or check out YouTube.
It's much more simple than you are making it so get over it and start somewhere! For more information on how to get started contact me at alida@bodyeverlasting.com
I hear many of these same excuses from people resisting physical activity so I have listed some excuses here with explanations, rebuttles and basic no-nonsense hits to tackle your most challenging objections!! What you read may be harsh but if you want results you have go to stop digging yourself into a hole...
-I DON'T LIKE TO EXERCISE- okay, really?!?! How do you know? Have you tried every type of physical activity there is? If not, then it's time you tried something new!
-I DON'T LIKE TO SWEAT- sweat is a necessary part of having a human body. For many of you women who experience hormonal sweating I can imagine this to be quite uncomfortable. But, sweat releases toxins from your body that are blocked up and with out sweating your body may very well be a toxic waste dump. Is that better than sweating? I think not!
-GYM'S ARE FOR BODYBUILDERS- in this day and age people of every age and fitness level go to gyms for every type of training from weights to Zumba to swimming. There is something for everyone! Plus, when you show up consistently you begin to make friends and feel like a welcome part of the community.
-I FEEL INTIMIDATED IN A GYM- when I first started at Gold's back in 2004 I had clients who would ask me to train them ONLY in the women's gym, secluded from the big "manly" machines. Fear of judgement, failure and rejection all played a huge part in this. Two things- A-tour a few gyms before settling in on one to know how the vibe will be B-if you can not find a gym in your area consider doing a workout program from home. If you are afraid of judgement, sweating off your make-up or just looking dorky in the gym, work out at home. Explore Home Workout Programs Here
-I FEAR INJURY- well, first of all let me say, if you fear something you will make it happen by law of attraction so wipe that thought from your brain. If you are concerned about whether or not you are performing an exercise correctly then maybe it's time you seek help from a personal trainer or fitness professional. Be sure to interview them on their techniques and be confident that they truly will focus on your form. I can't begin to tell you how many trainers I've seen who can not practically apply the knowledge they learned from the books that certified them, so do your research!
-BUT MY BODY HURTS AFTER I WORK OUT- this one is tricky but here goes...when you do any sort of resistance training or weight bearing exercise, microscopic tears happen in your muscle fibers which causes slight swelling in the muscle groups you worked. In addition, as a bi-product of energy production, lactic acid develops which is the burning sensation you feel toward the end of a set. Lactic acid remains in the muscle if your diet is poor and you do not consume enough alkaline foods to neutralize those acids. The recovery period following your workout should be a min of 48 hours until the next time you work the muscle again. To stave off any additional cramping you can do a short set of cardio such as walking on the treadmill immediately after your session to promote circulation and detoxification.
-BUT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME- I ask you this, how much time do you spend in front of the TV, spend in a social setting or searching random Epic Meal Time videos on YouTube? Do you TIVO your favorite shows, meet friends for happy hour during the week or just waste your time away stressing about how hard your life is? Well, I'm here to tell you that you will have the time if you make the time. You know as well as I do that when you want something bad enough, you will do anything to have it. How bad do you want better health, unlimited energy or 6-pack abs? You have to want it so bad that you can see it as if it's already happened. Miraculously you will start finding time in your day. Working out at home is a simple way to make sure you fit it in before work.
-BUT I CAN'T AFFORD IT- Walking is free. Push-ups, sit-ups and squats...all free too! There is a plethora of information online about how to work out with out equipment. Check out YouTube for videos on Calisthenics, yoga, tai chi, kickboxing and more. It's a wealth of information all free to you.
-I DON'T HAVE THE ENERGY- if this is the case, a few things could be happening. You may be a caffeine freak at which case your adrenals are shot and we need to get to work asap! You may be struggling with your nutrition and not feeding your body the fuel it needs to do all you ask of it. There may be some serious stress in your life that causes you to feel overwhelmed at which case your emotional energy is what's drained. You may try using physical activity to get out your aggression or stress. Getting to the gym or pushing play on the DVD player can be half the battle. I can speak from experience in saying that I may feel horrible going into a workout, but half way through, the adrenaline kicks in and I feel like I can conquer the world.
-BUT I'VE TRIED WORKING OUT AND IT DIDN'T WORK- then you didn't do it right or the balance between diet and exercise was not right. Truth is, when you do the research to find out what works right for your body type, personality and your level of time commitment the results will come. You can not follow along with the workout program of a genetically skinny person and expect the same results if you are trying lose weight. If you are not thinking of yourself as an individual with specific needs, if you started a new program and didn't give it 110%, if you didn't take the time to understand how your body works...then you are cheating yourself.
Here's the bottom line: Respect yourself enough to do some research on what you need.
...If you don't know enough and don't plan on being a personal trainer yourself, hire one, purchase a home workout program or check out YouTube.
It's much more simple than you are making it so get over it and start somewhere! For more information on how to get started contact me at alida@bodyeverlasting.com
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