Adiponectin

Interesting studies are being done on the hormone adiponectin.  I don't know enough about it yet to put it in my own words, but here's a great article about it. Interesting stuff.

Nobody likes to be fat and new fat burning methods are always popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. If you are interested in burning your body fat, the first thing you need to understand is how body fat is reduced. In addition to that, athletes need to know how to utilize body fat to boost performance.

One protein hormone named Adiponectin plays a pivotal role in fat utilization. It is produced in the adipocytes (fat cells) and actually enhances the body’s ability to use carbohydrates for energy and burn fat for fuel. It may also play a role in diabetes protection. It has anti-inflammatory properties and may prevent fat deposits from forming in blood vessels.

According to a 2005 article in Endocrine Review by Takashi Kadowaki and Toshimasa Yamauchi, adiponectin’s effects on tissue triacylglyceride stores actually increased insulin sensitivity. When triglycerides are in excess, they decrease insulin sensitivity and adiponectin appears to stimulate their metabolism. This is good data to really use in diabetes, and obesity research.

DIET

Adiponectin levels may be manipulated through the diet. People who follow a Mediterranean including a variety of nuts, whole grains, fish, and little alcohol have been shown to have higher adiponectin levels in their blood. Another way to increase this hormone is to eat lots of Omega-3 fatty acids. Some of these foods high in Omega-3s are pastured raised meats, edamame, canola oil, walnuts, flax, avocados, and wild caught seafood.

Other ways to increase adiponectin is to increase fiber intake which can be done by adding a few servings of fruit and vegetables each day such as apples, spinach, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, and pears.

BODY COMPOSITION

Adiponectin is higher in leaner (low body fat) individuals. So the leaner someone is, the more adiponectin is released by their fatty tissue. People who have low levels of this hormone are usually obese, at risk for type II diabetes, and cardiovascular inflammation. So this probably leads people to ask whether overweight and obese people are genetically predisposed to have lower levels or are these low adiponectin levels low because of increase in other hormones such as cortisol and insulin? While little is known in that regard, many experts say that there is a possibility that the cell receptors may be blocked in people with lower levels. But research has been done recently to see how it works in regards to exercise.

RESEARCH

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning recently investigated further to understand how the protein-based hormone is stimulated and how it helps in fat cell utilization. The findings are briefly discussed here below.

Researchers working for the journal put two different rowing testing protocols side by side. They chose two groups for the research study and one of the two groups did an interval program while the other group members pursued a traditional research program. The traditional program entailed uninterrupted rowing for 35-40 minutes. The researchers measured Adiponectin stimulation at rest and after workout and these two sessions were separated by a 4-week program.

However, neither of the study programs stimulated Adiponectin. Nevertheless, Adiponectin response to interval workout significantly increased after the 4-week protocol but it did not respond to the traditional program. Maximal oxygen uptake of all the participants increased and their body fat also reduced remarkably. Therefore, the researchers came to a conclusion that intermittent workout would be highly effective in fat burning.

However, if you take a closer look at the actual data received through the process, you would notice that the after the four-week interval, negligible differences were found in maximal oxygen uptake, power output and most importantly, in body fat volume between the participants from the two groups. The only striking difference was the increase in Adiponectin level.

As Adiponectin is usually related with fat burning, the researchers actually expected a steep decrease in the body fat amount in the interval workout group. However, the differences were negligible.

Why did this anomaly happen? This is because researchers collected the Adiponectin samples after conducting a maximum voluntary effort test. Had they sampled the hormone after a test equivalent to the traditional test protocols, the results would be exactly the opposite of what they found.

FAT LOSS PILL?

If higher levels of adiponectin helps people lose body fat why isn’t there a pill with this hormone? Well, because hormones don’t really function in that sense. You can’t just take a hormone without it affecting the other ones. The body needs to remain in balance and rising one hormone can decrease the effects of another and visa versa. Don’t be fooled by the media and supplement industry promising a fat loss pill because it if were that simple, the obesity epidemic would have been solved and someone would have received a Nobel Prize for this discovery.

All in all, more research is needed to establish the fat burning potential of adiponectin, which is often cited as a ‘magic hormone’ by fitness gurus and nutritionists. But as long as you’re following a good workout program, along with a diet including omega-3s, carbs, protein, and lots of water, you shuld have no problem reaching your goals – that is where the magic really happens!

So, You Want To Be More "Toned"...

There is one word in the fitness world that drives me batty.  Ironically, it's the word I hear most when I'm talking health and fitness with my friends.  Toned.  Yes, toned.  For the love of all that is holy, what on earth do people mean when they say, "I want to be more toned?"  It bothers me because I don't think there's any one universal idea of what it means to be toned.  It kind of means something different to everyone.  I've heard people say, "I don't want to have more muscle, I just want to be more toned."  I've also heard people say, "I don't really want to loose weight, I want to tone up."  Now, this might be kind of a long shot here, but what I think people mean when they say that they want to be "toned", is that they want to be lean.  I mean, regardless of how much muscle you want on your body, everyone wants to be lean, right?  So let's talk about how lean works.

You have your bones.  Then you have muscles that cover your bones.  Then you have fat that covers your muscle (some of which is essential by the way).  THEN you have your skin that covers the layer of fat.  I do realize that there are about seven zillion other things inside your body, but let's keep this simple.  Okay.  So, when you workout, you're strengthening and hopefully building the amount of muscle you have on your body because you want to be strong, and you want to be able show off those muscles, right?  Right.  Problem is, you'll never be able to see those amazing muscles if you don't decrease the amount of fat on your body (this is why diet is by FAR the more important factor).  Here's the thing, everyone has muscle.  Even if they don't strength train.  All humans have muscle.  If your body fat is low enough, that muscle can be seen beneath your skin.  If not, it cant.  However, muscle and fat are totally different and not at ALL interchangeable.  You can't trade one for the other or turn one into the other, meaning you can't turn muscle into fat or fat into muscle.  They are as different as oil and vinegar.  Here's an example: right now, I weigh more than I ever have (not counting during pregnancy).  BUT, I'm also leaner than I've ever been.  Why?  Because I increased the amount of lean mass in my body (making my muscles larger and heavier) and decreased the amount of fat in my body (making my muscles more visible).  I gained more weight in muscle than I lost in fat, so the scale says that I weigh more, which I do (my number on a BMI chart actually says I'm overweight).  But, what my BMI and my scale don't take into consideration is my body fat/lean mass ratio.  I weigh more because I added muscle.  If I had added body fat, then yes, I would technically be considered "over weight."  Is it possible to gain lean mass and not get more lean?  Yes.  Absolutely.  You can gain muscle without losing body fat.  Bodybuilders do it in the off season.  It's called bulking.  They build muscle mass very quickly by strength training, but they also eat a MASSIVE amount of calories, which causes them to gain body fat as well (they shed the gained fat before competition - that's called cutting).  Is it possible to lose fat and not look more lean?  Yes and No.  If you're over weight to start with, losing body fat will definitely make you look more lean, but only to a certain point, especially if you're cardio-ing yourself to death.  At that point, you'll be losing fat but you'll also be losing a significant amount of muscle, IF you're not strength training.  

I think one thing that happens to a lot of women is that they can get within about 10 lbs of where they want to be, but then they plateau.  How many times have you said, "if I could just lose 10 pounds..."  I know.  It's aggravating.  But that's where HIIT and weights come into play.  The formula to change your body gets more complicated than just calories in vs. calories out as you get closer to where you want to be (which is where I feel the show Biggest Loser does everyone a huge disservice).  In fact, for a lot of people, the more they cut calories, the more their body clings to the last bit of stubborn fat.  You don't want to get stuck in the cycle of cutting more and more calories.  It's not sustainable and it will KILL your metabolism in the end.  I promise.  It will.  But you also don't want to get stuck in the cardio cardio and more cardio cycle.  Because ultimately you'll be burning your own lean tissue, and it can lead to...skinny-fat.  I know, I hate that word.  But it's the best way to describe what I mean.  Actually I googled "skinny-fat" images just to see what it would pull up.  Here's a good (kind of) example of what I'm talking about.

Okay.  Now, before you rail on me for using this picture, keep in mind that this is a fitness blog.  Is that body perfectly lovely and acceptable?  YES YES YES!  But it's not an athletic-looking body and we're talking about fitness here, specifically, muscle to fat ratios.  So, that is a good example of what I would imagine to be a person with low-ish body fat, but also low muscle mass.  Some people claim that this is totally genetic and unchangeable.  I beg to differ.  Genetics plays a very small part in your overall body composition.  VERY small.  Feel free to argue your case, but I'm here to tell you that your lifestyle dictates what your body looks like (unless you've got some sort of metabolic disorder).  Remember, own your baggage.  If you're body isn't what you want it to be, get real with yourself.  Pin point exactly what got you there and then you can begin to change it.

So, generally speaking, the two most important numbers with regards to body composition are body fat percentage and lean muscle mass percentage.  If your lean mass is in increasing or you're at least maintaining a decent percentage, and then you lower your body fat percentage, you get that lean athletic look.  But it's important to remember that specific numbers can look very different on different people.  My body fat percentage would be considered too low for someone who had more of an hourglass figure.  But when my body fat gets as high as an hourglass body's lowest, I'm actually over-fat.  Weird, I know, but that's how my body works.  Here's a good basic example I found online of what different body percentages look like.

This chart is not going to hold true for everyone.  I get that.  But it's a good general idea of what the female body looks like at different body fat percentages.  The only problem here is that it doesn't take lean mass percentages into consideration.  But hold that thought for just a sec.  Because this next picture is a perfect example of how the same percentage of body fat can look totally different on two different people.

The difference here (besides the tan), is that the gal in the blue suit has WAY more lean muscle tissue.  Her metabolism is also probably much higher as well.  That's not to say that the gal in the red suit is unhealthy.  I actually have no idea.  It's just interesting to see how different 15% body fat can look on two different people. So, there are these two extremes, but there's also everything in between.  That's what's so cool!  If you get your body fat to a good healthy level, you can use different kinds of workouts to create whatever look you want.  

My point in posting these pictures is to prove to you that you really do have a LOT of control over what your body looks like.

Once you understand how different exercises and different foods affect your fat/muscle ratio, you can look at your body as a clean slate that can eventually look however you want it to.  I don't know why but I think that's SO amazing.

I've mentioned before how important I think it is to have your body composition measured on a regular basis.  If you haven't done it, DO IT.  It's great to have a solid starting point.  Besides, it's super interesting.  However, once you have the initial analysis done, you should use the mirror and the way your clothes fit more than anything else (seriously, stay off the scale).  You'll start to see curves and indentations in places you've never had them before.  But remember, don't compare yourself to anyone else.  The only thing that matters is that YOU are becoming more lean, fit, and healthy (oh, okay...and toned).

I want to finish up here by telling you that this stuff can be tricky to talk about.  I'm not in ANY way telling people that they aren't absolutely wonderful just the way they are.  In terms of fitness and lifestyle, these are the things that I believe women wonder about, but because society has become so fragile, nobody dares to discuss them for fear of offending someone.  I'm blogging about these things under the assumption that the people who read this are people who are interested in it.  This is about health and fitness and re-shaping your body to look the way you want it to look.  It's not about telling women that they aren't good enough just the way they are.  Honestly, I realize that there is more to life than looking perfectly fit.  But I also know that when you feel good about how you look and you're living a healthy lifestyle, everything else just seems to work better.  I swearz I do more than workout and eat healthy.  They just happen to be things I'm interested in and deeply passionate about.  

Okay.  Sorry.  Just had to clarify.   

Pom Poms Do NOT Help Create Consistency - This Much I Know

I've been into health and fitness for, well...forever really.  Not that I've always done it the right way, but I've always been involved in some way, shape, or form.  When I think about people I've worked with, people I've worked out with, people I've associated with, or just people I've watched from a distance, it still surprises me how many of them have gotten caught in the start/stop/start/stop cycle of exercise programs.  They are also the people who tend to yo-yo diet and never quite seem to be content with where their weight is at.  I've learned over the years that when I see someone slipping back into old habits, the WORST thing for me to do is nag them or try to be their fitness cheerleader (it's my natural reaction, probably because I was indeed a cheerleader for a looooooong time - too long).  That just pisses people off, and I can't say I blame them.  People want to get fit and work on healthy habits in their own time.  Me doing high kicks and shaking pom poms in their face doesn't do jack squat in the long run (too bad, because I have a LOT of pom poms).  So, what I'm trying to tell you is that I've always had a hard time trying to figure out how to tell people about importance of consistency when it comes to exercise.  Here I am, 15 years after completing my first fitness certification, and I STILL don't know how to get the message across.  So, let's just put it this way, It's important.  VERY important.  You don't have to workout every day.  Really, 2-3 days EVERY week is better than 5-6 days a week for a few weeks every now and again.  Consistency is key.  And it can't be viewed like a diet, or a trial run or something.  It has to become part of your lifestyle.  It has to be a priority.  Nobody can make it one of your top priorities but you.  Maybe that's where people struggle.  Honestly, I don't know.  This post is kind of a shot in the dark, but here are a few tips that I think can help with making exercise a consistent part of your lifestyle.

Schedule workouts on your calendar - I've never really tried this one, but I'm guessing it would be a good idea.  I think the point would be to view it basically as something that CAN'T be missed.

Workout in the morning - This is a big one for me.  Even if I have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn, I workout in the morning.  It's a good way to get my metabolism cranking for the day and I don't have to worry about finding reasons to not do it later.

Work other stuff around it - For the most part, I don't schedule any appointments in the morning hours unless absolutely necessary.  It might seem self-indulgent or self-centered to some people, but it's just part of my lifestyle.  It's the only time of the day that I have blocked out for ME.  Everything else can wait (unless of course there's some kind of emergency or something).

Don't expect too much too soon - This is a big one for people.  We live in a world of instant gratification.  We like it that way.  We expect there to be an instant reward for everything.  But changing your body just isn't like that.  It takes time and patience and CONSISTENCY.  Results will come, but they will not come quickly.  I think that's where people get stuck.  They put in 3-4 weeks of hard work and don't see the scale budge, so they decide that it's just not worth it.  Getting fit does NOT fit into the "instant gratification" mindset.   Remember, the faster you lose it, the faster you'll gain it back (plus some).  Slow and steady.  That should be the goal.  In fact, I think people should only evaluate their progress every 6-8 weeks.  There's no reason to step on the scale every day.  Don't do it.

If you feel like skipping a workout, commit to 15 minutes - There are those days when you just don't feel like it.  I totally know.  But if you can get about 15 minutes into a workout, there's a good chance you'll want to finish it (but even if you don't, 15 minutes is better than nothing).  Sometimes it's just the "getting started" part that's the hardest. 

Keep your routine fresh and fun - If you're getting bored and you're workouts are feeling like a chore, CHANGE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.  I try not to do the same workout for more than 2 weeks, partly because I don't want to get bored.  When I mix up my routine (and my music), I find myself actually looking forward to my next round of workouts.  Get creative and have fun with whatever you choose to do.  

Give yourself a break - Missing a few workouts or even a week of workouts is NOT the end of the world.  You have to stay focused on the big picture.  Fitness should be part of your lifestyle, not just a trend.  If you miss some workouts, forgive yourself and move on.  Start fresh as soon as you can.  Even a week or two of missed workouts is truly a very minor set-back in the grand scheme of things.  

Okay.  That's probably too many tips.  Sorry.  I can get a little carried away with this stuff sometimes.  Feel free to comment and let me know what things help you with consistency.       

HIIT - What It Is and Why I LIke It

I've been thinking about ways to more accurately explain how long duration cardio affects the body differently than HIIT style training and weight lifting.  I've received several emails and comments about this so I think it deserves it's own post.

Since I have Olympic athletes on the mind right now, I'll use them as my example.  Now, I can guarantee you that every single athlete who gets to the Olympic level (or any level beyond pee-wee really), chooses the sport they choose because they love it and excel in it.  Not because they want to look a certain way.  But I'm not an Olympic athlete.  I don't need to train 8 hours a day in an effort to get good at one specific thing (maybe in my next life).  What I want is to be fit and athletic enough to do lots of different things recreationally.  That is, I just need to be able to keep up with my hyper-active children.  I want to be able to avoid injuries as I get older, and like we've talked about before, I want to look strong and healthy.  Keep that in mind as you view these images.

Obviously whoever put these images together is a huge proponent of shorter interval, higher intensity training.  I don't like that they chose unflattering images of long distance runners to argue their case.  BUT, there is some truth to what these images show. 

Long distance athletes have a difficult time maintaining muscle. Not that serious endurance athletes care about that.  I'm guessing they care about winning.  But in terms of re-shaping MY body, I'm more more interested in the sprinter style physique.  So that's what I focus on.  Weights and shorter, more intense cardio workouts that add lean muscle tissue, burn a crazy amount of calories, and up my metabolism.  That's not to say I'll never participate in a long-distance event ever again.  I will.  Actually I plan to do at least one 1/2 marathon this summer.  But I will train MUCH differently than I have in the past.  People tell me that training for a 1/2 marathon CAN be done without losing mass and gaining fat.  If it happens, it will be a first for me.  For now, however, I'm sticking with High Intensity Interval Training 3 days/week (sometimes just 2).  HIIT workouts give me more bang for my buck.  I'm definitely a believer.

Because there's SO much information out there about High Intensity Interval Training, I'm not going to worry about giving you my wordy and maybe not entirely accurate explanation of it.  I think I'll just copy and paste an article from the author of built lean.  Yeah, I'm lazy like that.

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

High Intensity Interval Training involves alternating between very intense bouts of exercise and low intensity exercise. For example, sprinting for 30 seconds, then walking for 60 seconds is high intensity interval training. HIIT can be used both anaerobically (in the gym with weights) and aerobically with cardio.

Why Is HIIT the Best Cardio to Burn Fat?

Exercise physiologists used to believe that “steady state” cardio was superior for fat loss because relatively more fat is used by the body as fuel at lower exercise intensities than at higher intensities. The “Fat Burning Zone” shown on most cardio equipment as only 60%-65% of max heart rate is really a myth and is NOT optimal for burning fat. Yes, you burn more fat relative to glycogen when going for a walk, but what we care about is total fat burn. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, even though the fat/glycogen ratio is lower.^1 2 In addition, interval training allows you to exercise at very high intensities for a much longer period of time than steady state, so you burn more fat.

As an added bonus, there’s also an afterburn effect known as EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption). You increase your metabolism and burn more calories for up to 24 hours after interval training, whereas going for a jog burns almost NO calories after.

Other HIIT Benefits

There are a number of great benefits to High Intensity Interval Training besides serious fat burn that include:

• Increased Aerobic Capacity – The amount of oxygen your body can use (oxygen uptake) is increased, so your overall aerobic capacity can increase faster than with low intensity endurance exercise³

• Increased Lactate Threshold – Your ability to handle increased lactic acid buildup in your muscles increases

• Improved Insulin Sensitivity – Your muscles more readily suck in glucose, instead of the glucose going to your fat stores^4 5

• Anabolic Effect – Some studies show that interval training combined with consuming slightly more calories than you burn creates an anabolic effect, which helps you put on muscle. The opposite occurs with steady state cardio, which for long durations is catabolic.⁶    

The "Abs" Solution

*Again, my friend Amberly suggested I do a post about abs/core workouts.  She thinks of better topics than I do.  Thanks Girl.  

So.  Abs.  Love them and hate them, right?  Yeah, me too.  One of the things I wanted to change the most when I started working with my nutrition/fitness guru was of course, my abs.  Key word here was "wanted" to.  I didn't think it could actually be done.  They had been ravaged by pregnancy and honestly, I had pretty much accepted that they'd never look the way they once did.  My guru begged to differ.  I realized that I had nothing to lose by at least trying.  I mean, they couldn't exactly end up worse.  

I started really working on them twice a week.  REALLY working on them.  I was doing all sorts of stuff that I had never done before.  Stuff that was fun and new and made crunches seem like they were from the stone age.  I hadn't ever realized there were so many ways to strengthen your core!  I'm not going to lie.  It took a LONG time to start seeing results.  Like, months.  But the more I cleaned up my diet, the better they looked.  You guys, abs are made in the kitchen.  They are strengthened at the gym.  But they are made visible through your diet.  I know.  It's a harsh reality.  But you HAVE to have a clean diet if you want to be able to see your abs.  There do exist genetic freaks who for whatever reason are completely immune to this rule.  But most people, especially women who've had a few rug rats, just can't get there without a super duper clean diet, regardless of how many crunches and cork screws they do.  

At first, even after I had completed a few weeks of pretty intense workouts, I didn't notice any change.  Someone told me to start taking pictures of my abs every week.  Um, the LAST thing I wanted on my phone was pictures of my sad sad tummy.  But I took their advice and started snapping pictures of my mid-section every week (they are in my "confidential" file on my computer) .  After about 5 weeks, I was ready to admit defeat.  But then something crazy happened.  I took a picture on week 6 and put it next to the first picture I had taken several weeks earlier.  And you know what I saw?  Progress.  They were tighter and flatter than they had been 6 weeks before.  Abs are usually the last place you see a difference.  Women especially tend to hang on to  stubborn belly fat.  It's just how we're programmed.  But I'm telling you, If I can get my abs back in shape, ANYONE can.  I'm not just saying that.  Seriously, I have a super short torso and at one point in my first pregnancy, my belly measured 5 centimeters bigger than most women measure who are having TWINS(read: damage)! I'm the last person in the world who believed I could get my pre-pregnancy tummy back.  Well, mostly back (freaking stretch marks).  It takes time, patience, discipline and hard work.  But for me, it's been SO worth it.

I'm not into selfies, but for the sake of proving to you that you CAN get your abs back, here's the progress picture I took after about 9 weeks of squeaky clean eating and intense core work.  Never mind the messy bedroom in the background.

Here are some of my favorite core exercises.  Mix them up and create your own killer ab workouts.

cork screw

 russian twist (I use a medicine ball for this)

weighted situp

ab roll-outs

FAVORITE: spiderman pushups (they work your abs, trust me.)

HIIT - the Home Version

On days when I don't have time to lift, or when I'm just burned out and and need a break from it, I almost always fall back on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  One of my favorite ways to incorporate this when I only have, say, 20 minutes to workout, is to do a HIIT routine at home.  It's quick and simple and doesn't require much equipment (sometimes none at all).  It's also PERFECT for those days when I just want to sweat my ass off. 
HIIT burns a crazy amount of calories and has a similar after burn effect to weight training.  And the best part is that it rarely take more than 15-20 minutes.  So, get out of the I need to exercise for an hour a day mindset and try adding some HIIT to your life.  Here's one of my faves.  No equipment necessary!!!

Okay, that's supposed to say HIIT at home.  Please forgive.  I'm too lazy to re-do that in Photoshop.

Here's a visual to guide you through each one of the exercises.  Now you have no excuse.

BURPEES

PLANK HOLD

JUMP SQUATS

TRICEP DIPS

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Just for Kicks, Try This: Core/Back Superset

Mah bestie met me at the gym this morning for a quick workout.  We cranked out 3 different supersets in under an hour.  Then I went home to my husband who was sitting on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on his crotch when I walked in.  It's going to be a long weekend.  But I got him some Mojo bars and some Nutter Butters to help ease the pain (I changed the u to and e - Nutter Betters!).  All in the name of remaining a family of 6.  What a guy. 

Next time you need a tough set to add to your routine, try this one.  A super set is two exercises performed in a row without stopping.  In our case, it was elevated cable pulls and inverted hip lifts on the stability ball.  We did 4 sets of 15 without stopping.  Except to take pictures with my iphone.  Just keeping our priorities in check.

Cable Pulls

The guy in the background?  Very focused today.  No distractions whatsoever.

Stability Ball Hip Lifts (core)

*Special thanks to my friend B for letting me take pictures of her buffness.  I doubt she knew what I was planning to do with them.  Shhhhh, don't tell.  Maybe she won't notice.

Have a fabulously fit weekend my friends.

Owning Your Baggage

A few weeks ago I picked up a copy of one of the fitness magazines I read regularly.  I'm not one for beauty/glamour magazines, but the fitness oriented magazines have articles and information that I often times keep and refer back to regularly. And if you want some KILLER metabolic routines, go pick up the latest edition of Oxygen (and that is how I justify having magazines full of half-naked women lying around the house - tadaaah).  Anyway, back to my story.  As I was skimming the articles, there was one that really caught my attention.  Actually, I've been thinking about it ever since.  My husband (Ryan) and I have had several lengthy discussions about how this one little article applies to so many different aspects in life.  I'm not even sure I've come to a concrete conclusion with all of this, but I'm interested to know what you think.  

Long story short, I guess this popped up on Facebook not too long ago.

I'm not a facebooker, but apparently this caused quite a stir.  A big enough stir that this gal ended up on several news channels and talk shows in an effort to defend herself.  Now, there's no doubt in my mind that she knew some people would be bent out of shape about this when she decided to put it out there.  Honestly, I do have to say, it was a pretty bold thing to do in the name of "inspiring other people to get in shape."  Maybe not the best approach (although, it is facebook we're talking about here).  However, the reason that people were angry (and oh man, they were angry) really surprised me.  There was a reoccurring theme in many of the scathing comments.  People were mad because they assumed this woman was saying that if they didn't look like her, then they must be lazy.  They felt judged and ridiculed.  They felt like she was trying to set a standard that wasn't reasonable.  They told her she was a horrible mother because she probably spent more time at the gym than she did with her kids.  Some people even said that she is the reason girls have eating disorders.  They got all of that from one picture with the words what's your excuse written across the top.  

Okay.  Before I go on, let me say that this picture is neither motivating or un-motivating to me.  I mean, she looks absolutely fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily inspire me.  It also doesn't offend me in the slightest.  So I've had a hard time trying to figure out why so many people were SO pissed off.  After much discussion with Ryan, I've developed my theory.  The only reason I could think of that people would take offense to this is that it really did make them ask themselves the question, what IS your excuse for not exercising, eating healthfully?  And nobody likes that.  These days, people don't want to admit to themselves (or anyone else for that matter) that they have flaws and insecurities.  Just for fun, let's call it owning your baggage.  If you had owned the fact that you weren't doing everything you could do to keep your health in check (regardless of what your body looked like), that picture wouldn't bother you.  Maybe it would even inspire you to take action.  If you had owned the fact that you WERE doing everything you could do to take care of yourself and felt content with that part of your life, again, that picture wouldn't bother you.  So I think it's safe to say that the only people who would take issue with seeing something like this, are the ones who's baggage had not yet been owned.  I'm not saying that they didn't KNOW they should be doing more to be healthy.  I'm just suggesting that they probably didn't want anyone else to point it out.  And instead of coming to the realization that maybe they should re-think that part of their lives, they took offense to it and played the victim.  

I can't help but notice that the need to point fingers and claim how "wronged" we've been has infiltrated our society.  Our skin has become much too thin.  Instead of owning our baggage, we want other people to assume responsibility for our insecurities.  And we'll wait for however long it takes.  Am I right?  I'm not saying that I'm immune to this way of thinking.  But over the past few years (this past year specifically), I think I've finally started to catch on to the idea that I have much more control over my life and my happiness if I own my baggage instead of taking offense.  And trust me, I have baggage.  I've learned that once I own it, I have the power to change it if I so choose.  Are there things that are out of our control?  Yep, but we can choose how we react to those things.  Generally speaking however, I think that our lives are pretty much a reflection of the choices we make, and if I'm right about that (maybe I'm not, the jury is still out), wouldn't that mean that we can choose to change our lives?  I think yes.  Kind of empowering, no?

So, let's bring this whole idea back to the goal of becoming physically fit.  Actually, let's apply it to the idea of STICKING to the goal of becoming physically fit.  We have to stop letting our environment and the people who surround us dictate whether or not we succeed.  If you've owned the fact that you can be doing more to reach your fitness goals and achieve the body you want, you have the power to change the things that will allow that to happen.  Let other people come up reasons to be unhealthy.  Let other people point fingers and claim how "wronged" they've been. Make the decision to change your ways, and then change them.  You can choose to eat right.  You can choose to nail your workouts.  Are there going to be times that you're tempted to skimp?  You'd better believe it.  But that's when we grow the most.  When we take control of our actions and resist giving in to the things that will cause us to backslide, we gain the confidence we need to be able to do it again. And most people I talk to say that it only gets easier over time.  

Having said that, I know what it's like to "fall off the wagon."  You miss a workout or two and it makes you feel anxious.  You reach for an Oreo to soothe the anxiety, and the next thing you know, the bag (bag/box, whatever) is empty.  Guilt sets in and you start to believe that there's no reason to finish off the day with your normal healthy eating habits (here's where it gets ugly).  So...you hoover every shred of crap in the pantry before you wander off to bed.  In the morning you feel so awful, both physically and emotionally, that you decide to skip your workout.  And the downward spiral begins.  I get it.  I do.  I've done it a time or two myself.  But here's the thing.  At some point in the unraveling process, you need to be able to hit the re-set button.  That means owning your baggage (about 1/2 way through that bag of Oreos would be a good time to aim for).  You HAVE to acknowledge and then own the fact that you slipped up.  And then you have to make the choice to move on instead of giving up and reverting back to victim mode.  Victim mode sucks, but I think so many people choose it because it's the easiest way out.  It's the path of least resistance.  It takes guts to look in the mirror and acknowledge that you made a mistake, but that you learned from it and are tough enough to let it go and move on.  Have guts.  Own your baggage and then YOU be the one to determine your future.

So, tell me your thoughts.  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Am I way off, or can you relate to some of what I've said?  I also would love to know how you "set the re-set button" when you've slipped up, or are about to.  I go paint my finger nails.  It keeps my hands busy and forces me to leave the friggin Oreos alone so I don't smudge the paint.  That's usually enough time for me to gain some perspective and re-set.  What are your tactics?