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!

Your Body And Mine

July 21, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I read this article last week and found it very interesting. If you aren’t familiar with fitbit, it is a fitness band that keeps count of your steps and calories eaten. It is suppose to help with weight loss but some users are finding that they are actually gaining weight while using fitness bands. These users are confused because weight loss should be a simple equation of less calories in than calories out. But is weight loss that simple?

Unfortunately, it isn’t. Yes, if you have a deficit of calories at the end of the day you will lose weight. The thing with weight loss is that there are so many more variables than just the amount of calories you consume or burn. More and more people are realizing that each person is different when it comes to losing weight or getting healthier. The way that food affects each person is different, the way that exercise affects each person is different, and this means that the way each person goes about getting healthier has to be different. We can’t have cookie cutter diets or workout routines any longer, because they don’t work. I have preached this lesson before, because I believe that it is so important.

People don’t want to hear that losing weight is hard. They don’t want to have to put in a ton of work, so they are constantly looking for the magic bullet that will give them a quick fix. It is much more comforting to just pick up the newest book outlining the latest diet and believe that your weight problem will just go away in 30 days. I’m sorry to tell you that to get the kind of results that most people want or need, they need to put in much more work. You have to put in the effort to find what works best for you.

I know that sounds depressing. But putting in the work is going to make your journey to be healthier so much more rewarding. It is also going to make it last a lifetime. When people keep switching from diet fad to diet fad, they aren’t really learning how to eat better and fuel their body. They think that because this has worked for others, it should work for them. Relying on others or fitness gadgets totally to get healthier backfires because you are now dependant on something else. Put in the effort to customize your lifestyle to your needs, and suddenly you intuitively know what your body needs to stay healthy. Now you know what works for you and what doesn’t and it is easier to make health decisions. It becomes a habit to choose the good and turn down the bad.

I don’t want to bash fitness bands or certain diets. Those things work for some people and they are great places to start when you decide to get healthier. Just don’t rely too heavily on these things for too long. Take risks, experiment with different techniques, and embrace that you are uniquely you. It is a good thing that we each have our own set of needs, because who wants to be just like every other person? Bottom line: The most important step for better health is to make the decision to change. Once you do that, really commit to finding what works best for you to accomplish that goal. Putting in the work and extra effort will make you that much prouder when you get the results you are looking for.

Picture Perfect

June 23, 2014 / ktbuchs87

One slip up and everything I’ve worked for is ruined.

How many of us have that mentality, especially when it comes to health? I know for a lot of people that it is all or nothing when it comes to eating better or exercising more. If you fall off the wagon just one time, the whole cart tips over. Ate a candy bar when you meant to eat an apple? Oh well, the whole day is ruined and you might as well continue with your downward, junk-eating spiral. You’ll have to start all over again next week. Missed one workout? Now you’ll have to sit on the couch and binge watch Netflix all weekend and start fresh on Monday.

Or maybe you’re like me and you’re so terrified of failing with your health and not being absolutely perfect that you essentially stop living life.

When I made the decision to start eating better, I knew that I would have to be super strict at first. I love food and I have the habit of eating even when I’m not hungry. I’m a bored eater and will put food in my mouth if it’s in front of me. Because of this, I had to relearn what real hunger felt like. I also had to retrain my tastebuds to eat real food instead of the processed food-like products I normally ate. This was all good and fine at first. By switching to a whole foods diet and tuning into the signals my body was giving me, I was able to finally see a lasting change in my health. But one vice got switched for another and soon I was striving for a food perfection that is nearly impossible to maintain.

I was so worried that if I slipped up with good eating habits, even just a little bit, all my hard work and progress would come crashing down. So I tried to keep myself in this tiny box where I could only eat the best foods possible. This inevitably cut me off from normal life because NO ONE eats like that day in and day out. Life is not perfect and you are not expected to be perfect. You are expected to live as healthfully as possible for you. You need to define what that means, because your healthy is different from everyone else’s. That’s a good thing and a balance you should strive for.

Deciding to be healthier is a major step. It’s important to actually take charge and make that commitment. It’s hard too, so don’t make it even harder on yourself by chasing perfection and closing yourself off from others. I’m learning each day to live as healthfully as possible, but to not be bogged down by worries of spiraling out of control. I’ve been eating well and exercising regularly for the past five years, and I haven’t suddenly gained all my weight back. Be conscious of your decisions, but don’t let one little slip-up determine the rest of your day, week, or month. Don’t let it totally derail your efforts. Use that slip up as a learning moment and move onto the next thing.

By taking your health one day at a time and not focusing on absolute perfection, you have a much better chance of sustaining your healthy journey.

How To Drive A Runner Crazy

June 9, 2014 / ktbuchs87

The number one way that you can drive a runner crazy is to tell them they can’t run. Then just sit back and watch the madness ensue. For the past month or so, I have not been able to run because of a knee injury. I thought that I should share this experience with you because I know that some of you may have dealt with this yourself. Or, although I really hope not, you might have to deal with it in the future. This has been a tough month, but I do think some good has come from me having to deal with this injury.

Towards the end of April, Adam and I were doing a workout together that included some running along with squats and pushups. During the running parts, I noticed a little twinge on the outside of my knee, but didn’t pay much attention to it because it wasn’t bothering or hindering me in any way. That changed near the end of the workout when I could barely run/walk because of the pain in my knee. I thought that I had just over worked myself that week and just needed a little rest/ice and my knee would be good to go. I have been extremely lucky in my time as a runner that I have had practically no serious injuries. So I rested all the next day and iced my knee and by Monday morning it felt better, so out I went for my run. About 3 minutes in, the pain was back full force and I had to hobble my way back home.

Thus began my time of not running. This was the first time in my whole running “career” that I had to stop running for longer than a few days. I immediately went into panic mode and jumped to the worst possible conclusions and thought, “What if I can never run again?” Yes, I can tend to be a little overdramatic. The first few days of not running, I was pretty miserable. To make matters worse, running was the ONLY thing that irritated my knee. I would do yoga, my crossfit like workouts, walk, ride my bike, and anything else you can think of and my knee would be fine. But start to put one foot in front of the other in a running motion, and I was down for the count. This was also right around the time that all the stress of our future move started to really pile up. All I wanted to do was go for a run but I couldn’t. I knew that I needed an outlet for all that pent up frustration, so I started to bike in the mornings.

I do not like biking. I still do not like biking. In fact I probably dislike it more now than I did before my injury. Biking just is not my thing. I like the idea of biking and I respect and appreciate all the people out there who love to bike. My husband is a biker, and I love to encourage him to bike more and do what he loves. But put me on two wheels and tell me to go, and I will make a face like a kid being told to eat a worm. You’re probably wondering two things at this point, 1. Why did she replace running with biking if she hates it and 2. Has she ever eaten a worm and is that why she used that analogy? To answer the second question, no I have never eaten a worm, don’t worry. To answer the second, it’s a little complicated.

The simple, quick answer is because I thought I had to ride my bike if I wasn’t running. The more complicated, and more honest answer, is I was afraid. Running has become my therapy. It was one of the catalysts for finally taking charge of my health and changing and I have fallen in love with it. Running had always been there and it had always helped me, even if I didn’t think I needed help. Now it was gone and I was afraid of what would happen to me. I was afraid that I would lose ground in my overall health and fitness. I was afraid that if I stopped running I would never run again. I was afraid that I would somehow turn into the old me before I decided to change my life and become healthier. I didn’t want to wake up one morning and look in the mirror and see the unhealthy girl that was never totally confident about herself staring back at me. I thought that without running I would immediately lose all I had gained as well as gain all that I had lost.

As this month has gone by, I can tell you that none of my fears have come true. Once I stopped pouting about not being able to run and came to terms with that fact that if I wanted to get totally better I had to stop running, I realized that I could do this. Being a runner isn’t the only thing that makes me me. Running isn’t the only thing that has made me healthier these past few years. It’s funny, but once I took away running, I was able to see all of the other areas of my life that I am really good at and that promote my overall health. I am pretty decent at yoga, and poses that I always thought were out of my reach actually come quite naturally when I focus and concentrate on my form. I am strong. I can do squats for days, and I am almost to being able to crank out a good number of full pushups, something I have struggled with for a long time. I am fairly good at coming up with creative ways to use the foods I eat on a regular basis. I am getting better at using the ingredients I have on hand to make delicious and healthy meals. While to a certain extent I have always been confident in the kitchen, I have become even more so and I am also more confident in doing my own thing and not always following a recipe to the T.

Without running, I would never have discovered or paid much attention to these other areas of my life and I would have missed out on the other great things that make me, me. But it’s time to bring running back. I miss it a lot. I miss the feel of the ground beneath my feet as I finally hit my stride. I miss the smell of the trees and grass as summer is making it’s way to the midwest. I miss the feeling of accomplishment and invincibility that follows a ten mile run. I even miss the it hurts so good sessions of foam rolling my IT band. This week I am going to start to slowly add running back to my life. I am still a little nervous that the pain will come back in the first few minutes of my run. I still have the irrational fear of never being able to run again. But I also have the newfound knowledge that just because I define myself as a runner, that isn’t the only thing that defines me.

Playing the Blame Game

March 3, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Often times in life, it is so easy to blame anything and everything for things that go wrong. We are all quick to point the finger at situations, circumstances, and even other people that might have caused our problems. Very rarely ,at least for me, do we blame ourselves for our hardships. I feel that bad health is one area of life that we are very quick to play the blame game. So often it is fast food, poor medical care, various diseases and ailments, environmental factors, or a myriad of other factors that take the rap for our poor health. I am totally aware that in some cases, these factors can be totally true and can be a big contributor to bad health. However, so many times it is our own fault, we just don’t want to admit it.

I get it. Believe me. I don’t like to take the blame for things just as much as the next guy. Is there anyone that really enjoys saying they’re wrong and it’s all their fault? I don’t think so. But more and more, we are not taking responsibility for our actions when it comes to health and that is hurting us more than helping us. By constantly passing the buck, we can feel less motivated to step up and make a change. It can get easier and easier to feel like we have no power over the food we put in our mouths, the lack of movement we make throughout our day, or way to change our current circumstance. Our health no longer becomes our problem; it’s somebody else’s issue to deal with. If someone could get rid of all the fast food restaurants, then you could be healthy. If someone made fresh and organic food affordable and easily available, then you could be healthy. If someone could make getting access to health professionals easier and less expensive, then you could be healthier. If someone could get an inexpensive fitness center in your neighborhood, then you could be healthier.

That someone? It’s you. All the excuses need to stop. They waste time and they accomplish nothing. I don’t expect you to revolutionize the health world and make a change for everyone. I do expect you to revolutionize YOUR health and make a change for YOU. Accept responsibility for your actions and your choices. Will all fast food restaurants ever disappear? Not likely. Can you make the choice to eat something else? Absolutely. Will organic food become cheaper than conventional and pop up in every single grocery store across America? Maybe some day. Can you make the best possible decisions while grocery shopping and still eat a nutritious and healthy diet? Of course you can. Will you be able to workout and train like all the A-list celebrities? Perhaps if you win the lottery. Can you find free and simple ways to workout? Definitely. There are ways to make a healthy lifestyle work for every person, you just have to be willing to do the work and stop passing the blame to someone else.

Like I said before, I know that there are some situations where there is no way you can take responsibility for health problems. I don’t want to make anyone feel bad or guilty. I just believe that the more you try and take control of your health, the better off you will be. When you take charge of your actions and health decisions, then your health starts to become a priority. I don’t expect you to do it all on your own either. Ask for help and guidance along the way! Find people who have successfully changed their health for the better and see how they did it. Read health blogs, articles, magazines, or books and start implementing their tips or advice. If it works, keep it. If it doesn’t, move on and try something new. The more ownership you start to take of your health, the more you want it to keep improving. Don’t get discouraged, get empowered to start taking steps in a healthier direction!