image from steelmore

Where have I been and what have I been doing for the last two weeks? Well, I haven’t been posting here. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been productive, though. Despite what the casual observer may think, I have been busy digging. Digging!

Since May of last year I have managed to sink further and further into a fitness rut, and I swear this thing is made of quicksand. Every attempt to pull myself out of it has resulted in me sinking a little bit more into the depths. I haven’t quite been able to get enough momentum to keep going. It’s a slippery slope and it has been next to impossible to overcome.I think it started in May when I had a mechanical problem with my bike on an organized ride in Nashville. I became discouraged that day. The day my husband and I were riding bikes and he was actually bitten by a dog - not merely chased and scared to death, as we are accustomed to - only made matters worse for me. Mentally, I lost desire to climb on my bike. Fear was the emotion that ended up overriding all others. Hip and back pain that tied me down to weekly chiropractor appointments were the final straw. The simple act of doing my indoor cycling classes was enough to make me hurt for days. The thought of climbing on my actual bike eventually never even crossed my mind. I was beaten down and felt defeated. The rut grew deeper.

What happened next was a chain reaction that has gotten me into this big ass hole that started as a little pothole. Not riding my bike was an excuse not to exercise at all. Having hip and back and leg and knee pain that required regular chiropractic visits gave me the excuse not to do any other form of exercise. I stopped teaching my indoor cycling classes for a month, even. Thankfully, I decided to at least go back to that or I would be working on 10 months of absolutely ZERO activity.

The chain reaction was more than fitness related. It trickled down into my eating habits. The foods that once were off limits or limited to special occasions - such as white potatoes, cheese, sweets, sodas, etc. - soon made their way back into my everyday life. My portions were still reasonable, with the occasional exceptions of a second serving at dinner, but I totally lost my perspective when it came to eating. Couple that with lack of movement and energy expenditure and what do you have? A total mess, that’s what!

Truth is, I became depressed. There really is no better word for it. There is no way to package it nicely and make it look better than it really is. Coming to this conclusion has not been easy for me. Despite knowing better, the part of me that it programmed to live healthy, eat healthy, and be active has managed to stay somewhat in the forefront. While some may think this is a good thing, I beg to differ. It has been very detrimental to the whole process. It has blinded me to the reality of the situation and has prolonged the final diagnosis. But that isn’t the important thing. The important thing is that it finally happened and now I can do something about it.

Back to the first part of this entry -

I’ve been DIGGING! For the past couple of weeks, I’m gradually digging myself out of this rut that I’ve been stuck in for so long. I’ve already talked about getting back to eating breakfast every day and thinking more about the foods I eat. That was the first step. I’ve picked up the shovel, though, and started digging a bit harder. I’ve started a workout routine. I’ve even managed to take it slow so I avoid overdoing it and backsliding, which is what has happened in the past.

The process is a slow one. I’m basically starting all over from scratch. I have to remind myself that I can’t just jump into things and pick up where I left off. I can’t do my workout routines of running, cycling, burpees, heavy weight training, twice a week yoga classes. I’m not at that fitness level now. I have to start small and work my way back. I have to gradually dig away the deposits and slowly pull myself out. Doing much more than that will only hurt me, not help me. It’s a hard pill to swallow, admittedly. I want to just do what I was doing before. I want to feel like I felt before. But that person has gotten buried and I have to chip away slowly to reveal her again. It will happen. But I must have patience. It is going to take time.

If you are looking for me, I’ll be the one slowly digging the sand out from around her in the gym. I’m the one on the elliptical with the headphones on listening to some Xavier Rudd and smiling, happy to just be out from under the depression cloud for once - anxiously awaiting Spring because it’s time to climb back on that bicycle and ride.

image from budzywudzy

For the past couple of weeks, I have managed to eat breakfast every single day. Admittedly it is only because my husband makes me something and forces me to eat every morning. I’m getting better, though, and it’s slowly becoming a more commonplace event. I foresee me actually thinking about it on my own and taking matters into my own hands before long. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the break.

Since getting back into the habit of a daily breakfast, I’ve been thinking more and more about what I am eating as opposed to the simple act of eating something. While I was content with a daily peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast for a few days, it didn’t take long for me to realize that there are healthier and more beneficial options. The recent reminder of the superfoods via this article gave me a nice little kick that I needed.

Do you know that “an apple a day can keep the doctor away”? Well that’s what this famous saying indicates. Now maybe it won’t keep the doctor away completely but it sure has some tremendous health benefits. It’s considered by Dr. Steven Pratt, MD to be a “superfood.” A “superfood” is a whole food. And whole foods are foods that are unprocessed or are minimally processed in such a way that none of the nutritional characteristics have been intentionally modified. For example, canned foods are processed.

Not only have apples been proven to be potent weapons against cancer, heart disease, asthma, and type 2 diabetes but other fruits and vegetables have some remarkable health benefits as well. For instance, strawberries and raspberries contain a compound called ellagic acid. One of the best cancer fighters Mother Nature ever created. When eating these fruits this compound enters the bloodstream to help vanquish cancer cells on contact.

Did you know that just by eating a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or eating pears you can regulate your cholesterol? They can help keep your LDL (bad) cholesterol below 130 and HDL (good) cholesterol above 65. There are a host of other fruits and vegetables and many other foods that can be attributed to assisting in developing a healthy body.

Here’s some other “Superfoods” that can improve your health and even boost your immune system to a healthy level:

* Avocados are believed to help lower cholesterol and they are rich in magnesium (an essential nutrient for healthy bones)

* Beans such as pinto beans, black beans and lentils are another series of foods to lower cholesterol, combat heart disease, stabilize blood sugar, reduce obesity, relieve constipation and lessen the risk of cancer.

* Blueberries are a small but mighty nutritional force. They combine more powerful antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetables. Although they have many health benefits, the one thing they are known for most is the ability to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

* Broccoli is a great cancer fighter and very beneficial in many other ways as well.

* Dark chocolate is a real surprise to most as being a healthy food. I’m glad its regarded as healthy to eat because I love the taste of it. It’s a source of phytonutrients which act as an antioxidant that helps protect our DNA and inhibits the growth of unwanted blood vessels. Make sure you buy the right kind of dark chocolate, one that isn’t as processed and has a high cacao content.

* Garlic is a great food for fighting cancer.

* Honey is beneficial in maintaining optimal blood-sugar levels.

* Kiwi is an antioxidant all-star. It offers an unusual array of health-promoting substances. One very important thing it does is it promotes heart health by helping to lower triglycerides levels and reducing platelet hyperactivity.

Other superfoods that weren’t mentioned above but also display health promoting properties are - oranges, pomegranates, pumpkins, wild salmon, soy, spinach, tea, tomatoes, turkey (skinless breast), walnuts, and low-fat or nonfat yogurt. These, along with many other healthy foods, have been described as “Miracle Medicines”.

In an effort to concentrate more on the quality of food that I eat, I am going to start having some oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit for breakfast. Thankfully, we already eat most of the other foods listed when they are readily available (such as berries, avocados, etc.). I still think it’s important to make sure that we eat them on a regular basis and do away with the other stuff that doesn’t offer as many benefits to my overall health and well being.

The next big thing is going to be to convince my children of the importance of the superfoods. I’ll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned.

Do you prepare and consume a healthy meal before starting your day? Or do you simply grab a cup of coffee on the run and hold off on eating until somewhere around lunchtime?

In other words, which of the following closest represents your “breakfast of champions“?

What’s for breakfast - coffee? Most mornings, we barely glance at the kitchen. Fixing breakfast takes up precious time that’s in short supply. But there’s ample evidence that the simple act of eating breakfast — every day — is a big part of losing weight, lots of weight.

source

It’s confession time.

*takes deep breath*

Despite knowing the benefits of eating breakfast every morning, I have spent my days living strictly on cups of coffee until lunchtime for the past few months.

[ That’s only part one of the confession. ]

Despite knowing the harm that no breakfast does to the body and metabolic rate, I have continued doing this and - thus - managed to gain some very unwanted pounds.

[ Ok. Almost there. Hang with me. ]

Despite knowing that no one is perfect and accepting the extra pounds as part of me and learning to love my body for what it can do instead of what it looks like, I want to get rid of these very unwanted pounds. Now!

[ Now I’m done. ]

Believe it or not, I have proven to myself (instead of just relying on the numerous articles and studies confirming it) that eating breakfast aids in fat loss and maintaining a healthy weight. When I started my journey to health, I learned all I could about proper nutrition and the very first thing I discovered was the importance of eating breakfast. I incorporated into my daily routine gradually and guess what? I started feeling better physically, I had more energy throughout the day, I was more focused and productive, and I found that a light dinner in the evening was enough to satisfy me. The best part was when I noticed that the more regular I was with eating breakfast, the more fat (weight) that would drop off each week.

Eating breakfast was a habit that I had to form and it didn’t happen overnight. To be perfectly honest, I fought it tooth and nail for months before really giving it a fair shake. I also didn’t start out eating a bowl of multi-grain cereal with chopped walnuts and raisins with a drizzle of flaxseed oil and honey with a side order of fruit. I had to work up to a breakfast of that magnitude and it took almost a year. In the meantime, I felt accomplished just to inhale a banana as I was running out the door, always five minutes late for work.

Just as easily (or not) as habits are formed, they seem to be twice as easy to drop like a hot potato. As much as I hate to admit it, that is where I am at right now with breakfast. I dropped it. I dropped it hard. I dropped it so hard that it shattered into a million pieces. I am back to the point of nursing a pot of coffee every morning and eating my first bite of food somewhere around lunchtime. Now my midsection is showing the ill effects of an important habit come undone.

It’s time to renew the breakfast commitment. The benefits are too great to ignore. The results are too desirable to resist. It’s my hope that renewing an old habit is much easier than developing one from scratch. Scratch is where I will start, though.

Are you ready to develop the healthy habit of eating breakfast?

Here are some simple rules that I will be following in order to renew my breakfast habit. Please feel free to join me if you are looking to do the same.

* Start Small. Don’t stress over how much you eat for breakfast in the beginning. If it’s just a handful of nuts, a small bite of toast, a quarter of a banana - it doesn’t matter. Just get into the habit of eating something for breakfast every single day.

* Keep taste buds happy. Don’t try eating foods that aren’t familiar to you or that you don’t like. If breakfast food doesn’t appeal to you at all, then - by all means - eat whatever is appealing to you. It will be difficult to form the habit if you are forcing down food every day that makes you want to gag. Never do that.

* Get Bigger. Once you are to the point of easily consuming something in the mornings to break the fast, build up to a bigger portion gradually until you are having a regular sized meal in the morning. This will actually be easier than you think. Once you are putting something into your body every day, you will naturally become hungrier and hungrier first thing in the day. This is a good thing.

* Make Healthy Substitutions. When you become very comfortable with your morning routine, then (and only then) you can start looking at your breakfast choices and make healthy substitutions. If you are having a slice of cold pizza every morning, maybe now you can start choosing something a little healthier like a turkey on wheat sandwich. Your mileage will vary with this step, obviously, because we are all different and we all have different preferences when it comes to food. The key is to focus on moving forward constantly, always improving upon your options.

* Become one of those people who preaches on why everyone needs to be eating breakfast. Believe it or not, you will become one of those people. Don’t resist it. Your efforts will be futile.

* Don’t backslide. The most important part of the equation is right here. If you do end up backsliding and find yourself nursing a pot of coffee for breakfast every morning, then you’ll soon find yourself with some layers of fat around your midsection that bug the crap out of you and eventually writing a blog entry like this one in an attempt to regain a little bit of dignity and self respect.

Any undertaking is much easier when broken down into smaller pieces. The same goes for developing the habit of eating breakfast. Truth is, I’ve already started. Every morning this week I have had a peanut butter (100% Organic and All-Natural) and jelly (actually, it’s 100% spreadable fruit) sandwich (on 100% multi-grain bread). While I look forward to the days of my multi-grain cereal with nuts and raisins, I will take my baby steps and work my way up. After all, it doesn’t matter what I eat as long as I eat. Right?

Since penning my previous post explaining why you (and I) need to be lifting weights, I’ve been having this constant back-and-forth argument with myself: Do I ramp up my weight training or focus on cycling?

Let me explain.

I love riding my bike. For the past few years I’ve spent quite a bit of time cycling. It started very casually when I was 30 years old. My husband and I bought some cheap (unnamed) superstore brand mountain bikes and rode them a handful of times. The next year we graduated to a hybrid type of bike and rode a little more than a handful of times. The following year my husband found both of us road bike frames at yard sales for next to nothing, fixed them up to be ridable, and we rode all summer long - we even participated in our first organized group rides. Our fourth year found us upgrading the bikes a bit more and doing even more organized rides, getting together with small groups of friends for weekend rides, and the hubby and I doing short rides throughout the week when we could fit them in. In short, we have become quite the recreational cyclists.

Due to a hip/pelvic issue, I was grounded from cycling in 2007. I was able to do a little riding, but it came to a grinding halt around the end of May when my hips started hurting so bad that I couldn’t sleep at night. It was enough to send me to a chiropractor, where I learned that I was in pretty bad shape. In essence, my pelvis was tilted up/back on one side and down/forward on the other. His words were, “It’s like someone has taken your pelvis and tried to wring it out like a washcloth.” His recommendation was multiple treatments until it was fixed (of course) and only do physical exercise that didn’t irritate it. Guess what? Cycling irritated it.

A goal of mine for 2008 is to be back in full swing and ready to do a metric century bike ride in April. I have three months, approximately, to make up for a year lost in the saddle. I’m confident that I can do it and be ready by then.

The struggle, and question posed at the beginning of this post, comes in when I think about how important it is for me to get back to weight training. When I was grounded from cycling, it was enough to depress me to the extent in which I pretty much let everything else go, too. I haven’t been completely lazy, granted. I’ve managed a good bit of exercise. But it’s not the same as having a set routine. A daily routine. A good mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility.

I have this one part of me that keeps screaming the importance of weight training.

• It builds lean muscle mass, which burns more calories and looks much prettier than fat.
• It builds strength, which eliminates the need for The Hubby to move heavier objects for me.
• It strengthens bones, tendons, and ligaments - after all, I’m not really getting any younger and need all the help that I can get.
• It builds and strengthens the “powerhouse” (Core), making every day activities and cycling that much more enjoyable.

I have this other part of me screaming the importance of focusing on cycling and forget about weight training. This part of me is fueled by all the articles out there claiming that weight training really isn’t that important to cyclists. Sure, it is beneficial for core strength (which I mentioned above) and it’s useful to build upper body strength (something cyclists usually don’t have much of because they don’t really need it). It seems, however, that the jury is still out as to whether weight training hurts or hinders the endurance based cyclist.

From my own personal experience, I have found that having a regular weight training routine is very hard to maintain when putting in a lot of miles in the saddle. In 2006, I was averaging 50 miles during the week and 60-80 on the weekends. (remember, I said that I am a “recreational” cyclist) During that time, my weight training took a back seat because I physically could not maintain it and I just didn’t have the time to do both. I also found that the more muscle mass I had, the more difficult it was to be efficient on the bike.

I sit here now still not really sure which direction I should take at this point in time. The truth is, I have some unwanted fat that I would like to get rid of and I know that weight training would help take care of that. I also have the strong desire to get back on my bike and be ready to ride this spring. The only way to do that is to spend the next three months focusing on riding.

The answer isn’t coming easy, despite the fact that I’ve been doing this for years and I know the benefits of both. I’m honestly considering a routine of both: weight training and cycling. I will have to modify the specifics and intensity of each in order to reap the greatest rewards of both. I’m thinking a weight routine of low weight/high reps and increasing my weekly indoor cycling classes for the next month will be a good start.

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, or research articles with me. In the meantime, I’ll be working it out in the weight room and on the bike.

{ image from stock.xchng }

One of the lessons I learned early on in my fitness journey was the importance of weight training. I, like many others (especially women), rejected the thought of lifting weights initially. My only knowledge of weight lifting, however, was limited to the muscle bound men I had seen on television or walking around in the weight room at the gym. And what woman in her right mind would want to do that?

Thankfully I had a really great husband who encouraged me to read about fitness and everything that pertained to it. Thankfully I joined a gym with a wonderful personal trainer who took the time to explain all the benefits of weight training to me and taught me everything I needed to know about it. Thankfully I managed to open my mind to new ideas and allowed myself to learn and grow. Thankfully I happened across the following article that just put it all out there for me.

If you are on the fence about weight training, I hope this helps you take the final step towards a major part of a successful, healthy fitness routine. I promise you won’t regret it.

Top Ten Reasons to Get Hooked on Weightlifting

Why do some men and women, in the effort to improve their fitness, still resist weightlifting? Here are some motivating ideas for building weight-room confidence and helping you understand why this method of exercise is so very important to your success…
1. Lift weights to lose fat: One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting an exercise and nutrition program is not including a weightlifting program with their cardiovascular exercise and low-fat eating regimen. This is unfortunate because when we cut calories without exercise, we can lose muscle as well as fat. And when you lose muscle, your body becomes a lot less efficient at burning fat. However, when you gain muscle, you can actually condition your body to burn fat more efficiently…24 hours a day!
2. You feel strong and fit: It’s a great feeling when you look in the mirror during your workouts and see your back muscles, biceps, shoulders, and legs flexing. If you’re unsure about proper lifting technique, hire a personal trainer for a few sessions. The money you invest is well worth it, as is the time and energy you put towards an effective program. And weightlifting can definitely increases your confidence. It’s a wonderful feeling to feel strong, especially after a workout. You look forward to looking in the mirror, and actually like what you see.
3. You have more energy: Even if you’re just starting out with a few basic weightlifting exercises, very quickly you won’t believe how fantastic you’ll feel. Instead of making an excuse to skip your workout, you’ll make excuses to do just one more set. Plus, with the excess fat you’re going to lose, there will be less of you to lug around and therefore less fatigue.

4. You’ll finally see the results: Knowing what to do makes all the difference. Many people go to the gym for months – even years – and wonder why they’re not getting any results. Well, it’s because they’re doing the same darn workout every time.
This is a critical point: you can either quit out of frustration, or you can become a sponge for knowledge and get some help. Get your hands on fitness magazines, books, the trainers at the gym, ask other successful exercisers, or hire a coach. Learn what you need to do to make your program successful. Acquiring the knowledge and getting help is all you need to get hooked.

At first you may question what you’re doing: are you going to get too big, are you wasting your time, how do you know this will work? But then you see other men and women who have been weightlifting for years and they look terrific. Here’s the telltale sign that your program is working: you start to see definition and feel firmness in muscles you never thought you had.
5. You won’t get bored: I suspect many people don’t lift weights because they think it will be boring. Just remember to change your routine every 3-4 weeks to keep things fresh and your body responding to your training. Change the reps, the sets, the weight, the rest period, the exercise order, etc. Training only gets boring if you allow it to.
6. You have everyday, functional strength: Weight training does wonders to help you with activities of daily living: Housework, yard work, moving furniture, and carrying bags of groceries without gasping for air and pooping out within minutes. If you have a medical condition such as arthritis or multiple sclerosis, lifting weights can be a godsend. You can rely on weightlifting to keep you strong where once all your strength was gone.
7. You have a stronger back: Juggling a 30-pound toddler and a few bags of groceries while pulling out the stroller can put your back in a compromising position. When you lift weights, you strengthen your upper and lower body, which reduces strain on your back when you’re forced to lift heavy loads. Plus, don’t you think it would feel really good to walk around knowing that your back is as tight and toned as your legs?
8. You can train at home: Have you been putting off getting started with your weightlifting program because you felt you had to belong to a gym? You can implement a very effective weightlifting program no matter where you are. Invest in some dumbbells and an adjustable bench and you’re set. Get some exercise videos or books that focus on strength training; now you can lift weights on your own anytime you like.
9. You can get rid of pain: Do you have limited range of motion in your joints? A bad knee? A wrenched neck? Bum shoulder? Weightlifting promotes strength in your joints so you have ease of movement. That old knee problem improves enough for you to can go hiking in the mountains for days without pain. No pain, more endurance. You can do more outdoorsy things - and have fun while doing them!
10. You build stronger bones: Bone responds to weightlifting the same way that muscles do, by becoming stronger and denser. Building strong bones can be the best defense against osteoporosis. You’re more active, more mobile, and without lower back pain. And age doesn’t matter; you can start when you’re 65 and still experience tremendous benefits from a weightlifting program. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START A WEIGHTLIFTING PROGRAM!

This article was provided by Garrett J. Braunreiter, CSCS, GHF’s Success Coach.

Five years ago I weighed somewhere around 235 pounds, give or take a few pounds. To be quite honest, I avoided the scale at all costs back then. That’s why I’m uncertain as to exactly how high those numbers really got. All I know is that after a month of trying to “eat better”, I finally climbed on the scales to weigh because I knew that I had lost some inches due to my clothes fitting looser. Only then did the reality of the situation give me a damn hard slap across the cheek: 225 pounds. Within the month I was a card carrying member of the local gym.

I won’t go into all the details of my decision to join a gym. I had my “aha!” moment and that was that. It was no longer an issue of wanting to join a gym, it was a matter of needing to join the gym. It was a matter of me taking responsibility for how far I had let myself go. It was a matter of deciding, once and for all, what was more important: living life to its fullest and seeing my children grow up or not. I opted for the former.

Joining a gym wasn’t the entire answer, though. Little did I realize the extent of the journey that was before me.

I spent the next three years of my life educating myself in all things fitness, nutrition, and health related. I read everything I could put my hands on. I was a sponge. I had a hunger and thirst for knowledge, which was a huge change from having a hunger and thirst for things that put pounds of fat upon my ever expanding ass. It was finally my brain’s turn to benefit from the constant knowledge cravings I was feeding.I not only focused on learning through reading, but I experimented with my newfound knowledge as often as possible. If I read about fat loss through carbohydrate cycling, I would perform my own experiment with it and find out if it worked for me. I had some success and I had some failures. Through trial and error, I learned what worked for me and what didn’t. This, in turn, helped me weed out some of the “fads” and “myths” that exist about nutrition and fitness. We all know about those, right?

It is my hope that with this site I can share what I have spent the last five years learning for myself - with you. In the process, I hope to help further debunk all the “fads” and “myths” that exist out there about health, fitness, nutrition, and weight loss. I know from experience that it can be very intimidating to tackle such things without knowing and fulling understanding the basics. It’s hard to learn and understand the basics with all of the false information and fad tech gadgets that the weight loss industry wants to push on us that don’t work, will never work, and never meant to work. Do I know it all? Of course not. No one knows it all. The health/fitness/nutrition industry is a booming business and ever-changing. There are new studies released each day claiming something different. And, like all other businesses, has people in it to make a buck. It’s important to know how to sift through the study results and weed out the money makers and still gain a working and understandable knowledge of how to get and keep a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

With the invention of this site, I also hope to renew my own commitment to myself and my health. In the last five years I have gained a lot of knowledge, but what good is knowledge if you don’t put it to use every day? And how can one justify not learning more and putting it to use, as well? I managed to rid my body of 70 pounds of fat in three years. After those three intensive years of tracking every single move I made and every single thing I did, I took a much needed break. Seeing as how I’m human, it was easy to get off track. Consistency became a word that meant less and less to me, especially over the last year. As a result, I’ve gained weight and I’m wearing jeans a couple of sizes bigger. How much do I weigh? I honestly couldn’t tell you. Do I care? You know I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t, at least to some extent. Do I care enough to weigh? No, I don’t. Because it’s not about a number on the scale for me anymore. It’s about my health. It’s about my fitness level. It’s about my nutrition habits. It’s about how I feel. While the physical changes I have endured over the last five years have been remarkable to some, I am still amazed at the emotional and mental changes that took place. My mindset is in a different place now. And this renewal is something I need. It’s something I want. And I hope it’s something that you can benefit from, as well.

Welcome to Bicycle Blues. I hope you enjoy the ride.

What exactly is this renewal and how does it all tie in with this website? The answer is coming in the next post. Stay tuned.

{photo credit: stock.xchng}