11/22/10

Thanksgiving Week Goals, Pt. 2

Good call, Roommie T. My goals for this week:

1) Go to crossfit M-W, Friday. I'll be in Colorado on Friday, but luckily there are about 50 crossfits in Boulder, so I should be set ;)

2) Eat clean through Thursday.

3) Not eat like crazy at Thanksgiving. I may be weird, but: I don't love Thanksgiving. I'm not crazy about Turkey, pie, or green bean casserole. (Especially not green bean casserole.) But when socially ill-at-ease, I eat. So sometimes at family gatherings, even when I'm not feeling it, I eat as something to do. But this time, rather than just beat myself up before, during, and after for the social-unease-eating, I am going to bring knitting! It's kind of gross to think about knitting with food-dirty hands. Who wants to gift someone a scarf that has turkey grease woven in? Ewwwwww. So I'm planning ahead, and bringing several knitting projects to keep my hands busy. AND if I'm knitting, my extreme social awkwardness will be totally normal--"oh, she's one of THOSE types," the extended family will think, "a KNITTER. Well, no wonder."

4) Figure out a cute outfit. I've been feeling so shittily about myself as of late that I've been dressing like a ragamuffin to work, to go out to brunch, and to go to the grocery store. It's MUCH easier to self-sabotage when you're looking schlubby-and much less desirable to be the weird obsessive eater if you're looking hot.

5) Call Tricia. She's clearly the path to this girl getting back on track and feeling better about herself. As I do right this very minute! Thanks, T.

11/21/10

Goals for the week

The author of a financial blog I read has begun posting their goals for the week every Sunday, and then assesses them every Saturday.  This smacks of the type of personal responsibility I would like to have, so I figure I should give it a try.

Goals for Thanksgiving Week:

1) Stay gluten-free.  I've had some weird lapses this week, so I need to get back on that bandwagon. Even for Thanksgiving. I'm in charge of dessert, and my roommate is making a cornbread, gluten-free stuffing, so I really have no excuses.  I'm not actually staying paleo at the moment. I'm remembering how much I love corn tortillas and chili with beans.  Both are necessary for my sanity (i.e. budget) right now, so I'm not going to fight it.

2) Begin the sugar detox, with the exception of dessert on Thanksgiving.   I don't know how I got on this crazy train, but I need off.  Like I said, I'm making a dessert, so this shouldn't be too big a deal, but on the off-chance someone else brings something awesome, I'm not going to make myself feel guilty about the holiday.  It's a time to be thankful, not self-loathing.

3) Work out 5 times during the week.  I think I can make this even without Thursday and Friday.  Here's keeping my fingers crossed.  I'm tentatively hoping for the gym on Monday, gym/skate conditioning on Tuesday, gym on Wednesday, and derby on Saturday and Sunday.


4) Figure out my Christmas gifts. I've already planned my holiday travel, so now it's just a matter of getting my gifts in order. I hate hate hate doing things last minute, so it's time to figure out the budget and get it all under control for better sleep and less stress next month.

What are your goals for this week?

I'm sort of concerned this may actually happy

11/20/10

How to cure your workout blues

Step 1) Go to a happy hour (or generally be social) with your work-out buddies.  Seriously. Do it. I spend a lot of time at the gym and love the ladies that push me to be better, to take on bigger challenges.  That said, sometimes it's hard to appreciate how great they all are when they are only gym buddies.  Get to know the people who inspire you outside the gym.  You'll find they have a whole lot more to offer you than advice on your form.  Last night we had a get together, complete with wine and cheese, and I was reminded of all the reasons the gym is a great place to be - the elation that comes from a new PR, the communities that are built, and having a safe third-place. Plus, gossiping about your trainers (yes folks, we do gossip about you) can actually remind you why certain people motivate you in the first place. All I know is all that talk about the gym certainly has me ready to go back.

Step 2) Let workouts sneak up on you. Nothing will inspire you to get your butt back to the gym than an impromptu  test of your strength.  Last night, we were competing for the prize for our internal gym challenge.  We couldn't decide who won, so one of the ladies said that whoever could explain what an "oompa" is, would get the prize.  I was all over this.  When no one understood my explanation, I hiked up my skirt (derby-style), and told someone to get in mount, so I could show them. I completely forgot that my derby girl partner also took jiu jitsu, so when I went to do the hip-escape, was taken by complete surprise that she resisted.  A full roll later (complete with knocked over furniture), and I emerged victorious (with some badass new socks as a prize.) But more importantly, I also remembered how nice it feels to move. If I had been asked if I wanted to roll, I would have declined. But given no choice, it was exhilarating to get back at it again. Now, not everyone is going to have a random rough and tumble sneak-up on them. But you can take on some activities that you may not think of as inherently physical.  Volunteer for habitat for humanity.  Clean out your garage.  Wash your car.  Whatever it takes to make you move without thinking of it as working out.  There's nothing like a sneak attack to get you going. And finally,


Step 3) Go back to what you love. When I'm in the middle of gym burnout, I find myself really wishing I could just do a certain workout (usually boxing or muay thai.) Right now, lifting and strength exercises just aren't my thing. I want to feel that solid thwap of a well-thrown punch, or the wind against my face as I race around the track derby-style.  But in actuality, my schedule is only permitting me to get to monkey bar.  PFFFFT to that I say.  This morning, I went to derby again for the first time in weeks and I IMMEDIATELY wanted to be moving around all the time.  So maybe strength training isn't my thing right now. That doesn't mean there aren't other ways to get strong. I'm thinking about buying a 10-pack for boxing lessons.  Whatever it is that will get me into the gym is clearly the right thing to do.

11/18/10

Turning on the filter to avoid getting turned off

Like a kid whose favorite local band has  gone big, I've got some feelings of resistance towards watching the Paleo-trend take hold.  I'm resistant. I want to do what's good for me, but am loathe to be lumped in with the folks that are becoming the poster-children for clean-eating. Luckily, the folks over at Tribe of Five have tackled this issue already.  It's made me feel better, and it might help you too. Seriously. Go read it. 

SAD vs. SAD

I am flailing. It's 11:30 am, I have a headache, I feel dehydrated, and I just want to go to bed. Yesterday, I worked from home. I never left my bed.  These days, I'm feeling a lot like this:




I'm not sure what's brought about this sudden surge of depression, but I have a lot of guesses.  First, I haven't been to the gym since last Thursday. I know, I know! I love the gym. I love working out. But between work hours (which are not convenient for gym hours) and all the traveling I've been doing, it just hasn't happened.  And now that it's been a week, I. Don't. Want. To. Go.  The only things that interest me at all are 1) skating or 2) muay thai, and those are hard to come by. (Derby is only on Saturdays and Sundays.)

Second, I can now say that telling yourself that feeling no repercussions on the days you eat SAD-food does not mean that those choices are without consequences.  Over the weekend, I went to LA, where I generally ate fine, but had some desserts after 2 meals.  Which means the sugar monster reared it's ugly head and on Monday, I had birthday cake at school. BIRTHDAY CAKE.  Not only was it sugar-filled, but I broke my 3-month no gluten streak.  Suffice it to say, while I felt fine at the time, and shortly after, it's now 3 days later and I do not feel fine.


Finally, it's dark out. All the time. It's dark when I come to work. It's dark when I leave the office.  I have no windows.  And it's only November. I'm really concerned that I may get Seasonal Affective Disorder. I've lived in cold climates before,  but I've never felt quite so down.

So yeah. SAD food + SAD weather = SAD Tricia.  And I'm not sure what to do about it. For now, I'm focusing on rehydrating, eating clean, and forcing myself to get out of bed.  Any other ideas?