It’s Ok To Change

September 1, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I would say that one of my mantras is that each person has a different definition of healthy. What you deem to be healthy for you and your body might not be what I deem healthy for me and my body. That’s what makes health so great and unique. It’s not just a cookie cutter diet or lifestyle where everyone eats or does the same thing. That would be boring! For some reason though, the idea that one persons healthy might not be anothers causes a lot of problems among the health world. There are some people who believe that the way they choose to live is the ONLY way to be healthy and everyone else is doing it wrong. This of course sparks sometimes vicious debates and causes some disrespect between people with different lifestyles when there is really no need. It’s ok to be different and have different goals and want different things health wise. It’s also ok for those goals and ideas to evolve and change over time, which is something I struggled with a bit.

I have always believed that it is ok to have a different idea of health from other people, but I haven’t always been as receptive to having my own personal ideals change or evolve. I thought that I had to do the exact same thing and eat the exact same way as I had when I first made the decision to be healthier. Why would I change? This is what had worked for me in the beginning, and if it ain’t broke don’t fix it right? Well, yes and no. To a certain extent you need to keep things the same. It isn’t good or healthy to constantly be changing things week to week or day to day. Your body needs a certain amount of time to adjust to things before you start to see results. That’s one of the problems people have today. If they don’t see immediate results from an exercise routine or a diet change, then obviously it isn’t working and they have to do something different. No, you just need to give yourself a fair amount of time to see the change. But on the other hand, what has worked for you in the past might not always work for you in the future.

Your body is a magnificent machine. I don’t mean that we’re all robots, but that there are so many complex processes and functions that your body has to go through to do certain tasks, that it really is an amazing machine. From the tiniest thing, like blinking, to the largest thing, like digesting a whole meal, your body is a wonderful system, and it likes to be efficient. Your body wants to accomplish its tasks with the least amount of energy spent, it’s kind of lazy that way. So in terms of exercise, beginners will experience a higher amount of energy expenditure running a mile than a seasoned marathoner. As you run more and more, your body will adapt and become more efficient. This isn’t a bad thing, becoming more efficient is what makes running, or whatever exercise you’re doing, seem easier. But that also means that you will need to find new ways to challenge your body. Crosstraining (doing different types of exercise different days) is one way to do this, as is HIIT or high intensity interval training.

This idea also goes for food. If you have been consuming a certain amount of calories for years and suddenly cut that number down, you are going to experience weight loss. Your body essentially will be shocked by this sudden change, but not for long. It will start to adapt to that new calorie intake and adjust accordingly. Again, this isn’t a bad thing. It’s good that your body responds to things like dietary intake, but you need to be aware of this and be able to change with it. Meaning, what has worked in the past might not always work in the future. Varying your diet and the way you eat is a good practice anyway. You want to make sure you consume a variety of foods to make sure that you are getting all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you need to function. That’s another reason that I support a whole foods diet rather than fad diets. You can’t go wrong with real foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in their simplest forms.

When I first realized I would have to adapt and change with my body as it got more efficient, I resisted. I tend to not like change and love a routine. It helps me feel organized and in control. I also worried that people would think I was being wishy-washy with my health. I thought they would think I was just jumping on another health band wagon and going with the flow. But being resistant to change wasn’t doing any favors for my health and worrying about what others think never does any good. If I wanted to keep with the progress I was making, I would have to change. Not huge major changes, but little tweaks and adjustments as I went along. Once I stopped fighting it, I realized having those little adjustments made things more fun. I could start to experiment with different recipes and branch out and see what I could come up with. I could challenge my body and see how strong it was and try new exercises. And I surprised myself, I could do more than I thought I was capable of. Seeing how far along I was helped spur me along even more.

Don’t be too resistant to change. When you start to see a stall in your health or you’re feeling stuck in a rut, don’t be afraid to try something new. Don’t worry about what others might think. They aren’t you and they don’t know what your body needs. Be confident in your decisions and do what you need to do to be the healthiest you!

Unhealthy Is Hard

August 25, 2014 / ktbuchs87

About a month ago, I wrote about how it was hard to be healthy. It takes a lot of willpower, motivation, and just plain old work sometimes to be healthier. This post is about the being unhealthy and how it can be just as hard to be unhealthy as it is to be healthy. Stick with me on this one, I promise it will be alright in the end!

The first thought that might cross your mind when you read that unhealthy is hard is, “Yeah, right”. When you glance at the surface of being unhealthy, it looks pretty easy. You eat whatever you want without caring about the effect it will have on your body. You don’t exercise and spend your free time sitting on the couch or computer. You don’t have to sit there and plan our meals and do prep work so you can eat well the whole week. In fact, it seems really nice and carefree to be unhealthy. But like I said, that is just the surface. When you really look at an unhealthy life, you see the challenges and the struggles.

For me, one of the hardest things about being unhealthy was my confidence and self image. I had zero confidence and my self image was fairly low. My goal in life was to blend in and in a large crowd, I was good at that. Sure, with my friends and family I was outgoing and personable, but put me in a room with a bunch of people I don’t know and I tend to blend right into the woodwork. I knew that I was overweight and didn’t look good and wasn’t eating healthy. Because of that, I also thought that everyone else thought the exact same thing about me. I figured that they took one look at me and knew how unhealthy I was and judged me as a lazy person. I realize now that probably wasn’t true, but at the time that is how I felt. Due to my natural inclination to fade into the background of most situations, it was really hard for me to finally break out of my shell and take steps to be healthier. Working out in front of other people terrified me because of course they were all watching me sweat and struggle. Making healthier food choices was worrisome because they might take notice that I was eating better and then start talking to me about it and I would have no idea what to say. These may sound like silly struggles to you, but for some of us this is really difficult. It seems easier to just stay in our shell and live with being unhealthy than try to take on the monumental task of taking steps to be healthier.

Which leads to another challenge of being unhealthy, the whole aspect of, well, being unhealthy. It is hard to deal with all the consequences of unhealthy choices. There are the medical consequences, things like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a myriad of other ailments. There are the physical consequences, such as not fitting into clothes, aching joints, and weak muscles. There are the mental consequences, being made fun of or put down because of your weight, not feeling or looking like you want to, and being judged by others around you. Those are a lot of struggles for one person to take on and some people have been doing it for years. That is a lot of stress.

Why don’t they just change? If you’re unhealthy, just do something about it. Sure, it might be hard to live with all of those challenges, but it’s within their power to turn their lives around. To a degree, yes. Many of us do have the capacity to “fix” all these problems ourselves and start being healthier. But it takes a lot to get to that point. No amount of other people telling you to get healthy can actually make you get healthy until you reach the point where YOU yourself want to get healthy. The other side is that sometimes when you’re on the outside looking in, you can be made to feel like you don’t belong. How many times have you seen someone who is clearly struggling at the gym? You’re running along at your solid pace and the person next to you is sweating to maintain a brisk walk. You’re flying through your reps while the guy on the next machine can barely do one. I’m not saying that healthy people shouldn’t work out in public, but they need to remember that they started at the bottom too. Don’t forget what it was like your first time working out and show a little compassion to others who are just starting.

The same goes for eating. You didn’t just instantly start eating kale salads with homemade dressing one day, you built yourself up to that point. Slowly making changes and evolving the way you eat. Don’t judge the person eating a huge cheeseburger with the tiny side salad. That might be the first time they decided to get a salad instead of fries and that is a big deal to them.

Life is hard, whether you live it in a healthy or unhealthy way. There are challenges that each lifestyle has to face and neither one should feel diminished because of those challenges. It takes courage to stand up and decide to change your habits and start being healthier. It takes strength and motivation to keep going on a better path when there are temptations all along the way. I want you to realize that each choice you make, good or bad, is unique in it’s own way. It will present it’s own set of struggles, but you can meet those struggles head on. If you are still on the unhealthy side of the tracks, believe in your potential and don’t be afraid to take that first step. For those of you on the other side of the tracks, you’ve come so far and you can keep going. It may be tough, but you are tougher.

Scenes From A Chicago Summer

August 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Even though I have lived in Chicago for about three months now, I still can’t believe it sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love this city, but if you had told me that one day I would live here, I would have laughed. If you had told me that I would absolutely love it, I would have thought you were crazy. But it’s true, I live in this beautiful city and I totally love every minute of it! I thought that today I would share the pictures I have taken these past few months. Some of them are from my runs along Lake Shore Drive, some of them are from my walks all over town, and some of them are from places Adam and I have gone this summer. These have been the scenes of my Chicago summer. Enjoy!

Lake Shore Runs

I am so incredibly blessed to be able to end all my runs right at the lake. Most days I get a beautiful sunrise, or waves crashing up onto the steps. It’s a really neat way to end my run and start my day.

Walks all over town

Everyday I try to get out for a walk. I have literally walked all over the place, seeing the sites, getting to know all the streets and shops, and seeing the things that this city has to offer.

View of downtown from Belmont Harbor

I literally live down the street from Wrigley. It is AWESOME. GO CUBBIES!

Random guy playing the marimba right across from Millenium Park. He was pretty good too!

Excuse my finger, but a pretty nice shot of the skyline other wise

Had to race a summer storm home on one of my walks

Super foggy day on the lake. It was eerie and cool

Things to do, people to see

There are literally thousands of things to do on any given day in Chicago. Adam and I have tried a few things out and love what this city has to offer!

Windy City Rib Fest. He was a happy boy

The aftermath of a 1/2 rack of ribs. He says it was worth it

Listening to a band at a street festival

More food. Enjoying an italian beef at Portillos. The boy loves his food

Kind of hard to see but that couple down by the lake just got engaged! I was a total creeper and clapped after the dude proposed. Sorry I’m not sorry!

Seriously, this summer has been amazing and I am beyond blessed to be able to live in Chicago. I can’t wait to see what else this town has in store for me!

Craving Conundrum

August 5, 2014 / ktbuchs87

The word craving can take on a positive or negative meaning. It all depends on your view. Many times it takes on a negative connotation. It’s something that needs to be controlled, fought, and denied every minute of every day. You have to have willpower to deal with cravings and you have to be strong to fight them off when they arise. This is how I used to view cravings.

I have had a complicated relationship with food. I have had many food “demons” to deal with along the way and I have had to have an incredible amount of willpower when it came to changing my eating habits. Because of my past experience with this, cravings were always something that were bad. I felt that a craving was a moment of weakness that had to be fought and avoided at any cost. To cave would mean I was weak and I would beat myself up. It was a vicious cycle of feeling out of control and not feeling strong enough to deny my food urges. Clearly it wasn’t working out for me.

I know many of you might feel that way too. Maybe you have had a rough time with food and you have come to view a craving as a bad thing. While I don’t like to place the blame on too many outside sources, the media does have a part in the way we view cravings. So many fitness and health websites or magazines put out articles with tips and tricks to fight your worst craving. They tell you if you have enough willpower you can fight off the evil craving and stick to your healthy ways. I gobbled those articles up and tried all their tricks like counting to a hundred and waiting for the craving to pass or drinking a glass of water when I got a craving. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they didn’t. Everytime they didn’t I felt like there was something wrong with me. Why could I not control myself? What was wrong with me?

Nothing was wrong with me. I’m human. It isn’t weak to have a craving for ice cream or pizza, that doesn’t somehow make me a failure. Once I realized this, I started to work on changing my idea of craving. I read more scientific articles and journals about cravings rather than relying on the grocery stand magazines. Turns out that researchers are finding that craving certain foods might be your bodies way of telling you that you are deficient in a certain nutrient. Nobody goes around saying, “Man, I’m really craving a big bowl of brussels sprouts!” They do say that they could really go for some chocolate or potato chips or pizza. Well, a craving for chocolate might mean that you are low on magnesium and should eat some nuts. A craving for potato chips could be a sign that you need some calcium and should fill up on dark, leafy greens. Our bodies are amazingly complex and for the most part are able to tell us exactly what they need. Our job is to learn how to listen and interpret those signals properly, then act accordingly. Cravings are one of the bodies signals that it needs something. The problem occurs when we misinterpret that signal and think that because we crave chocolate ice cream we need to eat that chocolate ice cream. In reality, we need to learn what our body is really saying when it craves chocolate ice cream.

You are not less of a person because you crave “bad” things. You are not a failure if you resolve your craving for a cookie by eating a cookie and you are not doomed to be a slave to your cravings forever. Start to look past the initial craving and see what it is that you really need. If you are constantly craving one certain thing, meet with your doctor or other health professional to see if you are nutrient deficient. Then find the healthier alternative to your craving. Once you start learning what you really need and making the right choices, it will be easier to interpret your cravings and get the things that your body really needs. It will be tough at first to not eat the potato chip and do the work to find out what you’re actually craving. But the more and more you do it, the easier it becomes. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. Remember you are a human being and no one is expecting you to be perfect. Being healthier is all a learning process, one that lasts a lifetime. It’s ok to make mistakes and fall. How you react and what you do to change after those mistakes says more about you than the actual mistake. Pick yourself back up and get right back to it!

Using Shame

July 28, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Have you heard of dog-shaming? The basic idea is that a dog will do something bad, like chew up a pair of shoes, and then the owner will write a snarky sign, put it in front of the dog, take a picture and then post it on the internet. It’s actually pretty funny and I have had my share of laughs over the ridiculous things that dogs do. There is a new trend going around though that I refuse to find funny and that is fat shaming.

I was listening to the news last week and heard that there was a facebook group started called fat shaming. It was based in California and people would post unflattering photos of overweight people on the group and then usually write hurtful comments along with the picture. Supposedly the group was shut down but then put back up and then shut down again. I have no clue what the current status of the group is and quite frankly I don’t care. My question is what were the people of the group trying to accomplish?

My first instinct was to believe that these people were just mean and hurtful and were trying to put others down to bring themselves up. The thought never crossed my mind that they were in any way trying to help these people better their health. Then I remembered hearing about a school a few months ago that was sending letters home to parents with overweight children, essentially doing the same thing just using nicer language. This school thought that it was doing the right thing to help those kids become healthier. Instead it sparked anger and outrage not only with the parents but the community as well. In my opinion this tactic should spark a little anger and outrage, because it really isn’t effective at all.

Think of the last time that someone made you feel ashamed about something. Think of feeling ashamed about a part of your personality. Did that feeling of shame make you want to get up and change? Did you feel thankful that someone pointed out your flaws in a possibly hurtful matter? I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say probably not. Using shame to make a person change their ways is not very helpful. In fact, it’s counterproductive in most cases and makes the shamed person fall even deeper into their bad habits. When it comes to health, if all you’re doing is telling someone that they’re fat or eat too much or look horrible in a bikini and should never wear one, you aren’t doing anything to help them make a change in their health. You’re breaking them down even more than they already are, and they’ll do the only things that they know how to do to cope. They’ll eat more food than they should, or sit on the couch all day instead of go for a walk, or maybe even put off a doctors visit because they don’t want one more person to make them feel bad about their health. Shame can exacerbate the problem.

It’s not just other people shaming someone that can cause problems. If you use shame on yourself, you’re doing just as much damage possibly more. Tearing yourself down will never get you to make positive changes and become healthier. All it does is make you feel hopeless. Believe me, for years I told myself I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t pretty enough, didn’t have the right body, wasn’t athletic. You know what all that negative talk did? Absolutely nothing good. I would talk myself out of trying things just because I didn’t want to further embarrass myself. I kept doing all the things that I knew weren’t good for my health, because there was no point in trying if it was always going to be this way. I told myself negative things and that resulted in a negative outlook on life and myself. Once I was finally able to realize that I am so much more than I thought, and once I started to talk to myself in a positive light, suddenly positive changes started to happen. It wasn’t easy and I definitely still have my days where I start to get down on myself, but things are so much better when I build myself up rather than tear myself down.

I don’t know if those who partcipate in fat shaming are coming from a place of concern and honestly believe that they are helping people. I don’t know if they are just doing it to be mean or they think it’s funny or they are trying to make themselves feel better. I do know that it is not helping even a little bit. In order to help those that are struggling with their health, we need to come at them from a place of compassion. We need to use positive tactics rather than negative ones. We need to offer support and encouragement and know when to back off and let them figure it out. These are the things that will bring about healthy change and a better life. Dog-shaming can be funny and merit a chuckle or two. Fat shaming is never funny and we all need to work on being more positive and less negative.