Archive for motivation
“Want” to Lose Weight but “Can’t?” Read This Book…
Posted by: | CommentsI recently had to travel for work, and pulled out this little book that had been sitting on my bookshelf. I had bought it from Amazon. It was on my “recommended for you” list, and it looked good. (They do a pretty good job with those, don’t they? I don’t know what the algorithm is, but it’s pretty impressive.) I’m writing it up now, before months go by like they did for my review of Generation Gluten Free.
The book was my plane reading, and it kept me both engrossed and entertained.
It will do the same for you, whether you are celiac and on a gluten free diet, living gluten free for other reasons, (like gluten intolerance, or avoidance of lectins-which by the way I will be touching on in a post next week) or not gluten free at all. It really doesn’t matter.
If you are human, and you eat food, and you wonder if your eating is spurred by more than just physical hunger, you need to read this book.
It’s called “Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin”, 
The longer I’m in this game of nutrition and fitness the more I see that weight issues are very rarely just about the physical aspect of eating.
Eating is so tied into emotions for us. Eating is celebration, eating is family, eating is love, eating is sorrow.
I’ve learned through my experiences in both the fitness industry and in “real life” that sometimes those individuals who look like they have the perfect body, the perfect life, are sometimes the most messed up of all.
In “Hungry,” Allen explores his journey in losing, regaining, and finally losing again, weight over a 28 year period. In his journey he finds that life is not perfect when you are thin, and that there so many issues to deal with when it comes to food. Although we all have our own personal journey, his story is very relateable.
He shares his discoveries of what helped him lose, and helps him maintain, his weight. Here’s a hint-it’s not necessarily about counting calories. You’ll have to read the book.
“Hungry” is an exploration of the psychological issues with eating and overeating; the awareness, recognition, and finally success over them.
You may not go through the same exact issues as Allen did, but I’m sure you can find tidbits where you can relate.
With Allen, you travel through despair, hopelessness, resignation, determination, reflection, and finally motivation and success.
Read this book, and take from it what will help you on your journey.
Even with a better handle on the psychology of weight loss, weight gain and overeating, you still need strategies for the physical aspects.
For that, you can check out Gluten Free and Fit 101, and my free ebook. If you’re ready to move to the next level, then use the worksheets and step by step guidance in “7 Quick Start Tips for Living a Healthy Gluten Free Fit Life” to send you on your way.
I’m curious to hear-what psychological issues with food have surprised you, either in yourself, or what you’ve seen in others?
Review of Generation Gluten Free-the Documentary
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever watched something and thought to yourself:
“Ah-well, then it’s going to be just fine,” with a big sigh of relief?
That’s how I felt after watching this very well done documentary on living well with celiac disease.
The film’s director, Susan Cohen, also recently celebrated her 10 year anniversary of living gluten free.
Congratulations Susan!
I first heard about the film on Twitter (which, if you haven’t checked it out, has a very large, vocal, and friendly celiac and gluten free community.)
Looking over the site, I ordered it. Heck, for $4.50 you can’t go wrong.
I am sorry to say that months went by before I watched it. Truthfully, I wanted to watch it with my Dad, so I waited until he visited. We watched it and were really impressed.
The quality of the film is great. This is not the “Blair Witch Project” quality of film making. (Did I just date myself?)
More importantly though, the content really shines.
Susan speaks with individuals from several different perspectives who are all involved with the celiac community. Some of them have celiac disease, some do not. I’m not going to spoil it by giving details.
The big take away point of the film, and one that I’ve been banging the drum about since I started this blog, is that a diagnosis of celiac disease is not a bad thing.
In fact, I think celiac disease/gluten intolerance is a blessing in disguise.
Susan has done a fantastic job in showing that living gluten free can be an incredibly empowering, and tasty, way to live.
The film shows just how far we’ve come in the past 15 years or so with diagnosis, treatment, and gluten free eating. Considering that filming was completed in 2005, it’s amazing how much more we’ve learned in the past 5 years.
I thought about asking Susan to donate a copy of the DVD to give away.
I changed my mind.
The DVD is $4.50. It’s more than worth it. Go buy it, watch it with your family, buy copies for friends and family that can benefit from seeing celiac disease and gluten intolerance in a positive and uplifting light.
Visit Generation Gluten Free and buy your copy today.
After you’re all inspired and looking for some concrete ways to live your life in a healthy gluten free manner, go check out Gluten Free and Fit 101.
Go order, watch, and let me know what you think! If you’ve already watched the film, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
10 Tips for Healing as a Crazy (me, not you) Gluten Free Injured Athlete
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are on the GFF Facebook or Twitter, you may have heard me complaining.
Last week I twisted my ankle and fell, giving myself a grade two ankle sprain. I heard and felt the dreaded “pop” as I fell. Luckily, I landed softly in the hedge. Jeff was home to help me up, so I headed back inside, rinsed off my travel coffee mug, grabbed an ice pack, and off to work I went.
Not quite a week later and I feel much better. Swelling is minimal, range of motion is almost equal to the other side, and the feeling of instability is subsiding.
I have learned through my experience with multiple knee surgeries, that it is much preferable to let an injury heal properly, and then return to activity. Rushing it is not worth it. Future injuries are much more likely if the original was not allowed to heal. However, I am also an athlete, and so when injured get a bit cranky.
My friend Kim (aka Bootsie) at Gluten Free is Life has been dealing with a stress fracture in her foot for several months now, and she is dealing phenomenally well with the change in her routine. After the first round of anger, disappointment, and frustration, she is channeling her efforts in a new physical manner. (I am very happy to report that she is resistance training. I am a lover of the iron myself, but Kim is more of an endurance athlete. This is a change for her, and one she is embracing beautifully.)
Given both my own and Kim’s recent experiences with being injured, and my past of having extensive injuries, I decided it was high time I wrote a few tips to help keep yourself sane, and speed along your healing when injured.
The 5 Physical Tips:
-
In an acute injury, RICE.
- Rest-self explanatory
- Ice-10-20 minutes at a time, make sure to have 1 layer of cloth between your skin and the ice/ice pack.
- Compression-if needed and swelling is apparent, you can wrap the affected part with an elastic wrap. Don’t pull too tight, you don’t want to cut off your circulation.
- Elevation-this is where you get your affected body part up above the level of your torso. Think-prop your leg up on a bunch of pillow with the remote control or a book. “Honey-can you get me some tea? I have my leg elevated with ice on it.”
- Gently move the affected part within a pain free range of motion as much and as often as possible. Rule of thumb in general: is it hurts, don’t do it.
- Be sure to maximize your nutrition. Eat high quality, bang for caloric buck food. This is not the time to try to lose fat. Do not restrict calories. You need calories to help rebuild and repair. Shoot to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis. Stay well hydrated
- Sleep. Lots.
- Consider supplementation. Ideally you are getting a ton of great nutrition from your food, but these are a few that I have found helpful. They are not necessary by any stretch, but they may help. Many athletes will take advantage of any edge to potentially get back to sport quicker. Of course, please always check with your medical professional. So, in no particular order:
- L-glutamine-a conditionally essential amino acid.
L-Glutamine is especially interesting to celiacs, as it appears to be heavily absorbed in the gut and aid in gut health. It’s been anecdotally used in the strength community for recovery for a long time, but the research does not back that up. Research does show it is absorbed primarily in the gut-which for us is a good thing, as healthy gut=more nutrients absorbed=optimal healing. I wrote about L-glutamine as a supplement for gut health here.
- Probiotic, especially if your injury required antibiotics. Antibiotics negatively impact the “good” gut flora, so you want to restore that. Say hello to my little probiotic friends in my article here.
- Multivitamin, perhaps some extra Vitamin D, and a Calcium/ Magnesium combo to cover nutritional bases.
- Proteolytic enzymes . Similar to digestive enzymes, but specifically for systemic use for protein. These act in a similar manner as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory like Advil, with less worry of side effects. (That’s the really short explanation. This chiropractic article gives a nice overview of how they work.
- Good food. I know I said it already, but it really is that important.
The 5 Mental Tips
- It’s OK to be mad and upset for a while. It’s completely normal to have an emotional response to injury.
- Don’t stay mad. Allow yourself to move through the stages of mourning. Yes, it’s been determined that reaction to injury in an athlete is very similar to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ stages of grief as outlined in her book On Death and Dying. Obviously there are differences as well. However, the 5 stages are:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
It’s OK to recognize, accept, and then move through each one of these phases.
- Take charge of your return to wellness. Plan it out. Give yourself control. What CAN you do? Focus on the activities you can do, and set goals for yourself based on those activities. No negative connotations. This is not bad, it’s just different. Your injury may have been out of your control, but you can certainly control your path back to sport. Make concrete plans and a blueprint for your recovery.
- Be positive. This sounds silly, but visualize your return to doing what you love. I also imagine a tiny little construction crew inside my body, repairing, spackling, repainting all the busted up bits. Visualize sending healing light and the nutrients from your food to the injured area. I know, it sounds trippy, but I’ve found it helpful. Laugh if you wish, I completely understand. Don’t get me wrong, you have to also take the appropriate action to make yourself well. All the visualization in the world won’t make a bit of difference if you are passed out on the couch with an empty package of sugar laden gluten free donuts and a 5th of vodka.
- Set yourself up for success. Be realistic when setting your timeframes for progress and return to sport. Guidelines given by your doctor, therapist or other health professional are given for a reason. It truly does take time for healing to occur, and regardless of how much we maximize our healing, we can only speed it up so much. To some extent, time must pass.
In a perfect world, we would never get injured.
Chances are good that at one point in your life, you will be forced to take a step back. When that happens, arm yourself with these tips to keep your sanity, and the sanity of those around you.
If you’re new to GFF, please make sure to check out Gluten Free and Fit 101. And the ebook is finally done! Check out “7 Tips for Living a Healthy Gluten Free Life (without making yourself nuts in the process.)” Feedback has been awesome, and for that I thank you.
In the words of Helen Keller: ““Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
Share your injury tips in the comments!
Intuitive Eating-you Eat Therefore you Think? Getting your Mind into your Food
Posted by: | CommentsWhat does our brain have to do with eating, anyway?
Well, as it turns out, quite a bit.
If you have struggled at all with eating or weight issues, you’ve no doubt heard that people eat “mindlessly” or that eating is often used to deal with emotional issues that may have nothing to do with hunger.
Even if you have NOT struggled with eating, you’ve likely heard these terms. Food, eating, weight-they are all a huge part of our culture. Especially now that approximately 33% of Americans are overweight, and another 34% are obese. The implications of these numbers are staggering.
There’s always the search for the magic pill, the miracle exercise plan, the instant fix. There are thousands of diets, immense numbers of diet books, and a new weight loss guru every day.
Celiacs particularly have a special challenge with weight loss due to the absorption issues in the gut and possible hormonal wackiness.
The idea of intuitive eating is a huge subject, and one that I have wanted to discuss for quite a while. It’s such a huge subject that I was hesitant to tackle it, as it is a very individual journey.
On Monday I listened to the “2 Fit Chicks and a Microphone” podcast where Carla and Shauna discussed their views on intuitive eating. They also expressed what a giant subject this is, and provided their own personal views on intuitive eating. (Carla also mentioned she was gluten intolerant, which of course I found very interesting.) The podcast gave me the kick in the butt I needed to write this.
So what the heck is intuitive eating?
Photo credit krilm
In their podcast, Carla and Shauna renamed it “mindful eating” which I like quite a bit.
I have written in the past how awareness of what you eat can benefit you from a health and weight perspective.
Authors Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch have written a book titled Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works
I read this book several years ago, and keep it handy for reference, which I still do from time to time.
On their website, they give this definition:
“Intuitive eating is an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body–where you ultimately become the expert of your own body. You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and gain a sense of body wisdom. It’s also a process of making peace with food—so that you no longer have constant “food worry” thoughts. It’s knowing that your health and your worth as a person does not change because you ate a so-called “bad” or “fattening” food. “
The truth is, that intuitive or mindful eating is going to have a slightly different definition for everyone.
We attach so much emotional value to food.
In it’s most basic form, food is fuel. But to many of us, food also represents family, celebration, tradition. To some of us, food also represents comfort or escape. And that’s where we start to run into problems.
Not only do we eat when we’re hungry, we eat when we’re bored, lonely, upset, happy, driving, watching TV, or any other time.
Imagine if we ate only when we were truly hungry?
Imagine if we didn’t let food define us, allow it to control if we see ourselves as “good” or “bad” ie: “I was good today, I only ate lettuce” or “I was bad today, I had a chocolate cake.”
Maybe then we could start to get this obesity crisis under control. Maybe we could separate our feelings of self from our eating pattern.
Intuitive eating is not a diet, just as eating gluten free is not a diet.
And food has no inherent control on who you are.
It’s my personal opinion and experience that a combination of intuitive eating and structured eating is the way to go for weight (fat) loss.
For maintenance eating,(staying at your “happy size” when you get there) I think a full on intuitive approach is definitely a great way to go. I do think that as you are actively losing weight, that there may need to be an additional component of calorie control. You absolutely can eat too much, even if it is “clean and healthy” food and never lose the fat. In these instances, you would have to limit your caloric intake by measuring/weighing/using portion control. Calories do matter, I don’t care what zealots of any given diet plan say.
To lose weight (fat) there must be a higher caloric expenditure than there is intake. That means you may feel hungry.
Feeling hungry is not fun, but it won’t kill you either, especially if you have a lot of fat to lose. This is why I think that a more structured eating plan is necessary in a fat loss phase, especially for celiacs whose gut hormones may be a bit wacky. If you feel hungry and you are intuitively eating, you would eat. But that won’t help you if you’ve already eaten the maximum calories for the day which will still allow you to lose weight. You end up spinning your wheels and getting frustrated, “I’m doing everything right but I’m still not losing weight!” In these cases, almost always, it’s a case of too many overall calories. Even if they are healthy calories.
Carla had a great idea on the podcast. She suggested keeping a food diary which indicates not just what you eat, but how you feel before, during and after eating an item. I think this is a fantastic idea. I suggest keeping a food diary in my free guide, but I hadn’t thought about adding in the awareness component.
The key in the beginning is to keep the diary without changing anything. No judgments on yourself, just write it down. What you eat, how much you eat, and how you feel. After a week or two, you will see a large increase in your awareness of what you are putting into your mouth and how it makes you feel.
Then you can make changes as needed. If you notice that you are eating when you are already full, then stop doing that. (It’s like the guy who goes to the doctor-Doc, my arm hurts when I do this-so stop doing that.)
I know I am over simplifying, but the most important thing is to do something. Today. Now. If you are unhappy with how you look or feel, it is up to you to make a change.
You can do it. You are stronger than you think.
Over on the GFF Facebook page in the discussions tab we have a “goals and accountability” section where you can post your goal and get support and a kick in the butt if needed, so swing by and join us.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please pipe up on what you think of intuitive eating, your experiences and opinions.
Support Peter Bronski and the NFCA
Posted by: | CommentsPeter Bronski is undertaking a mission that many of us can only imagine.
Pete is the author of No Gluten, No Problem, as well as Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking
He is training for the Virgil Crest Ultra Race-which is a 50 mile race with 9000 vertical feet of ascent.
Since I live in Florida, the biggest mountain I see is the bridge that spans the intracoastal. I can’t even begin to imagine what a challenge this race will be for Pete. That’s a heck of a goal, and one that I am excited to watch him achieve.
(Side note-setting goals is something I think is super important. Be on the lookout for upcoming posts on goal setting. I talk about it in my new book 7 Quick Start Tips to Leading a Healthy, Gluten-Free Life (without making yourself nuts in the process) also. Setting achieveable and concrete goals for yourself will help quite a bit in actually making positive change.)
Pete is chronicling his training at his blog. In addition, he has decided to make this race a fundraising effort for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. I am a big supporter of the NFCA as well. They are providing a great deal of wonderful education and working diligently for awareness. I also was the first to complete their GREAT training for allied health professions.
Pete’s goal is to raise $5000 for the NFCA.
He has created a webpage on First Giving which makes it easy to give your donation. Please join me in donating toward Pete’s goal, and to the NFCA. $5 would be a wonderful donation, and when we all give $5, it will add up quickly.
Please click on over to First Giving now and support Pete and the NFCA.
Then, think about your own goals. Just let the idea of what you would like to achieve marinate in your brain. Then, share them below. Make them concrete, and make them real.
And remember, there is no wrong answer.
Why I Don’t Wear Shorts
Posted by: | CommentsSometimes we teach best what we need to learn.
A good friend of mine told me this, years ago, as he could always tell what was going on in my personal life by the way I taught my Spinning® class. (This was back in the infancy of Spinning® when it was a bit different than it is today.) If I taught a very meditative, focused class, he knew it was because my own life was in turmoil. By teaching with focus, and creating that internal quiet for my students, I could hope to quiet the chatter in my own mind.
I haven’t taught Spinning® in many years, but I see that concept overflowing here in the blog to what I write. If I write an article about awareness, it is because I feel that awareness slipping away from me. If I write about being kind to yourself, it may be because I have been especially hard on myself lately.
So I continue to teach best what I need to learn.
I believe very strongly that we have everything that we need to succeed, that we have to simply draw it out and choose to use it. I believe that celiac disease is a blessing in disguise. But sometimes I am overwhelmed, and scared too, and doubt fills me.
As some of you know, I have had multiple surgeries on both knees. My knees are pretty torn up with scars and scar tissue. Most of the time I look at these scars and bumps with a sense of pride that I’ve managed to overcome a few obstacles in my path.
And yet– why don’t I wear shorts?
I very rarely wear shorts. Even though I live in subtropical South Florida, I generally wear pants, capris, or skirts. I have returned to fitness competitions, and even though I wear a bikini on stage, I am acutely aware of the scars. I recognize the scar tissue, and the way it deforms the lines of my legs. I look at this picture from last year, and the first thing I see is the scars.
And on a more abstract plane, the scars and scar tissue are a reminder of my own weakness, of fallibility, of being imperfect in many ways.
So why is it so hard?
I’m not sure. I know that I am a perfectionist by nature, and that sometimes that makes it very difficult to accept imperfections in myself, even when there is nothing that can be done.
Most if the time I can recognize that which I cannot control, and I can let it go. But sometimes I cannot.
And so I struggle. And so we all struggle from time to time.
A friend of mine is an incredible athlete, a wonderful empathetic person, a wife, and an emergency room physician. She also is very hard on herself from time to time, and I remember encouraging her to be as kind to herself as she is to others.
So why is it so hard?
For some reason it’s easier to see the good in others. It’s easier to remind someone else to be kind to themselves, to give it a rest. To step back and observe, enjoy, and celebrate the accomplishments.
It’s hard to do for yourself.
So once again I am teaching best what I need to learn. I hope you all choose to be kind to yourselves today. Feed yourselves well, spend time with people who make you happy. Please leave a comment and share one thing you will do to nourish yourself well today.
And me?
Well, I’m going to wear shorts. And I’m going to be okay with it.
My magnum opus (for now) is finished. Check out 7 Tips for Living a Healthy Gluten Free Life (without making yourself nuts in the process.) I sometimes wore shorts while writing it, but mostly not.
5 Tips For Living Gluten Free and Fit-Day 5
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to the end of the week-AKA Day 5!
So far, we have
Tip1-Have an attitude and mindset of abundance
Tip 3-Set Process and Practice Based Goals
Tip 4-Set Yourself Up for Success
Today’s Quick Tip:
*Be Consistent, have Patience. Rinse and Repeat*
When you have implemented and are practicing the tips we’ve already discussed, there still will not be anything magical that immediately happens. You have to be consistent with them, continue to do them repeatedly over time, and be patient. For a while.
I feel very lucky to have people compliment me on and ask about my physique. In fact, last week a woman asked me if I was an aerobics instructor. Nope. “Well, then you must teach yoga.” Nope. I replied that I lift heavy stuff, and follow smart nutrition strategies. For years. That was not quite the answer she was expecting….
But it’s the truth. The cliche’s are cliche because they are true. Rome wasn’t built in a day, anything worthwhile takes time, slow and steady wins the race, you can’t rush a risotto.
It takes a long time to build a habit, and just as long if not longer, to change it. So be patient. Be consistent. Be kind to yourself. We all have imperfect days. Just make the good outnumber the bad, the steps forward outnumber the steps back.
You’ll get there.
If you need some more information to start, check out the Gluten Free and Fit 101 and/or the nutrition guide. But-the most important thing-is that you don’t just read.
Go do. Actually, leave a comment, and then go do.
Get!
5 Tips For Living Gluten Free and Fit-Day 4
Posted by: | CommentsDay 4!
So far, we have
Tip1-Have an attitude and mindset of abundance
Tip 3-Set Process and Practice Based Goals
Today’s Quick Tip:
*Set Yourself Up for Success*
Whenever you begin something new, before it becomes habit, you have to actually think about performing it.
For example-now, I am so accustomed to getting up early in the morning to exercise I can go on autopilot. I pop out of bed, brush my teeth, scrape my hair into a ponytail, and get dressed. Wander into the kitchen, grab a glass of water and a bit of fuel (I mean food 
Then into the office, 10 minutes checking email (no more,) and off to the gym or into the guest bedroom where the treadmill is.
All in 30 minutes from wake up time to beginning exercise.
When I first started doing this, I had to take preemptive steps to keep me from staying in bed. The alarm clock went across the room for a while. The clothes are laid out the night before. The fuel is set out on the counter for easy access. The computer has an alarm that goes off at 5:20 AM to make sure I am not responding to email any longer, and making myself late. Now, I’ve been doing it so long, it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t have these steps in place-I’d do them anyway.
But in the beginning, make it easy on yourself. Make the path of least resistance the path you want to take. It takes about a month to make new habit, and lots of repetition. Prepare ahead to make those repetitions as easy as possible.
A while back I wrote an article on Preparing Ahead for Healthy Gluten Free Eating Success. Check it out, you may get some ideas. Gluten Free and Fit 101 has some other info to start with, as does the free (gluten free!) nutrition guide.
What do you do to set yourself up for success? Give your ideas in the comments so we all can share and benefit.
Tomorrow-Day 5.
5 Tips For Living Gluten Free and Fit-Day 3
Posted by: | CommentsDay 3!
So far, we have
Tip1-Have an attitude and mindset of abundance
Today’s Quick Tip:
*Set Process and Practice Based Goals*
What the heck do I mean by this?
Lots of times when people set goals, they set outcome based goals. Like: “I will lose 10 pounds,” “I will run a mile,” “I will squat 200#.” While it’s good to have these goals, also think about the goals you need to achieve in order to reach those OTHER goals.
Such as:
-”I will eat 5 servings of vegetables today, and I will drink 3 liters of water.” (To work toward the weight loss goal)
-”I will exercise daily, even if it’s not as long or exactly what I had planned on doing.” (For the running goal)
-”I will squat once per week with emphasis on adding weight to the bar each session.” (For the squat goal)
When we focus on the things we need to do to achieve an outcome, and make THOSE processes our goals-the outcomes take care of themselves. If you make your goals to hit a certain number of exercise or activity minutes, and to hit certain amounts of food eaten-your weight loss goal will happen. You can’t hit the end goal without going thru the processes to get there.
So, look at what you have to do to reach your long term goal. And set goals for the PROCESSES you need to do to get there.
Little steps, one at a time, to reach your goal. Consistent work over time gets you there.
On our Facebook page we have a section for “Goals and Accountability”-check it out, and post up your goals, or if you need help in choosing a goal. (Oh, and it would be cool if you “Like” the GFF page while you’re there 
You can also post up your goal below-share and share alike!
Tomorrow, Day 4.
5 Tips For Living Gluten Free and Fit-Day 2
Posted by: | CommentsHere it is-Day 2! Yesterdays tip was: Having an attitude of abundance with a diagnosis of celiac disease.
Today’s Quick Tip:
*Think of Food As Fuel*
I am very happy to be a part of Diane Eblin’s 30 days to a Food Revolution month. My guest post today covers thinking of food as fuel. Please check it out over at the WHOLE gang-and while you’re there, read the other great posts as well.
