OneMileOneMeal

This Man's Story: "Starting Off My 40's Thinner Than My 30's Because of Tiny Actions"

This guest post by @bikerly is exciting for me personally on so many levels because we have here our first One Mile One Meal transformation story. Yay!

See tiny actions can have powerful impact. In fact, @bikerly told me he started simply by cutting back on his burger consumption which led to other changes. There was no grand plan, it all started with just one thing. And seriously, how awesome is it to start off your 40's in better shape and health than your 30's? Super awesome!!

You can do it too! Our goal is to help make the U.S. healthier one tiny action at a time.

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At the beginning of this year I had a simple plan.


Like a lot of people, I had a few pounds to shed following the holiday season. I was smack in the middle of a 112 day run streak so "more moving" wasn't an issue. It was my diet.

Then I ran across Stephanie's twitter bio, "agent of awesomeness...Loves Yoda!" Who wouldn't Twitter follow somebody who loves Yoda, right? Then came the daily hydration nudges which caused me to think of getting a water bottle for my office desk. And then the One Mile One Meal Challenge. I've been doing the challenge since mid-March and it has made a huge difference.

It wasn't until I was at a local restaurant thinking, "since when does this food not taste good?" that I realized the power of tiny actions. For me, it was the tiny action of eating at least one healthy meal a day. I'm fortunate to have a healthy menu option at work where I lunch every day. And of course when I return to the office to read what's up in the twitterverse, there is the hydration nudge.

80 days later, on the weekend of my 40th birthday, I stepped on the scale and it read less than 180 for the first time in a really long time. Maybe even all of my 30s.

I'm more than excited about this. I'm starting my 40s in the best shape ever and I'm back in my skinny jeans. Now all I need is the Ice Age Trail 50 Mile finisher's BELT BUCKLE to match.

Weight Loss Motivation: How Small Rewards Can Impact in Big Ways

This is a guest post by blogger Sara of Saving For Someday. She is a local Phoenix blogger, and I really enjoy her content. She's very useful and an insightful writer! Today, Sara shares with us her experience of dropping weight after having a baby, dealing with her inner Ms. Perfect and a reward system that worked for her.

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When I needed to lose the post-baby weight I went to Weight Watchers. One of the things they do at every meeting is recognize everyone for their success that week. No matter if I gained weight, which was always hard to accept, my leader made sure everyone walked out of the meeting with a gold star sticker.

Now I'm not one of those people who believes everyone gets to win or that you still get a ribbon if you sucked. If you don't do the work, that's just kinda too bad. Harsh, yes, but those are the realities of life.

But when it comes to making lifestyle changes I soften up a bit. Because these types of changes need subtle encouragement. The hard core attitude does nothing to motivate. If anything it's what has kept me from making changes in the past. It was my mindset that was my own sabotage.

I'm truly a perfectionist and a debilitating one at that sometimes. Make a poor food choice means beating myself up for days and sabotaging all the good work I'd been doing. For weeks I'd go to my Weight Watchers meetings and walk out without taking a gold sticker. Even if I lost weight I'd deny myself the gold star knowing I'd made poor choices along the way. Regardless that I was moving forward, I was't going to pat myself on the back or allow anyone else to do it for me.

It's time to share

About a month in, my leader took me aside after the meeting and asked why I never spoke up about my weekly triumphs. She explained to me that it's a time to share with others that we're all human. We all make mistakes. We all have setbacks. And in doing that we get to share new ways of handling challenging moments. That we get support knowing that others have similar experiences.

The next week I spoke up to get my gold sticker. And the next week and the next. I filled my book with gold stickers. I received my keychain and my charms. These were the small rewards given to me, in front of others. Letting both me and my fellow weight watchers know that there were rewards for making difficult changes. It allowed others to congratulate and cheer. Not only for me, but also for themselves because they were slowing earning these rewards too.

The power of small

From those small acts, I learned that small rewards are not a sign of weakness. Instead they offer us a little bit of strength to keep going. Weight loss and the associated lifestyle changes are not easy. Well, for me they're not.

But once I allowed myself to find ways to reward myself I was better able to keep going and stop beating myself up. Rewards were able to help me stay focused on the ultimate goal and not get hampered by the little slides that were inevitable.

My rewards were often small - a new lipstick, a hair clip or something new that was less than $5. My rewards are never food. I don't believe in food as a reward.  

What are rewards you've used? I'm always looking for new things to use as rewards. A girl can only have so many lipsticks!

 

Visit Sara at her blog: Saving For Someday

Follow Sara on Twitter @Saving4Someday

Disclosure (from Sara): This is not a sponsored post. I actually went to Weight Watchers and paid for it. They have no clue about me or my blogging. If they do, that's cool. I need to lose a few pounds and would gladly go back should they want to sponsor me.

Sports or Workout Pains Treatment: Have You Tried Arnica - a Homeopathic Remedy?

Photo from Flickr by wadeferd

This is a guest post from Dr. Greg Meyer MD who is an urgent care physician, board certified in Internal Medicine and Urgent Care, and is a homeopathic physician. Greg is also a camper, hiker, traveler, and photographer. He blogs at Dr. Meyer's Blog.

I like Dr. Meyer because he has an integrated background of traditional Western medicine and alternative healing, homeopathy...not to mention, he's a really cool guy! Dr. Meyer is also a firm believer in nutrition and food as medicine so he and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to eating wellness.

Dr. Meyer told me about Arnica when I told him about some pains I was experiencing with my new delve into barefoot running. My heels, ankles, and calves were so incredibly sore a few hours after a run. It was painful to move.

I took some of the Arnica as Dr. Meyer mentioned, and I was amazed how fast the pain went away. I've tried homeopathic remedies beore so I'm open to the concept of "energetic medicine", but never before had I experienced pain vanishing like that so fast. I'm a believer now! ...and so I begged asked Dr. Meyer if he'd do a guest post :)

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Of all homeopathic remedies, Arnica montana has to be one of  the most useful, or at least the one to try to convince you homeopathy is a useful complement to regular medicines. Homeopathy works under the idea that "like cures like". Arnica montana has the "feeling" or energy of: hit, bruised, swollen, and don't touch me.

Arnica is useful in almost any type of blunt trauma or impact. So, stubbed your toe? Sprained your ankle? Got knocked off your bicycle? Fell in kickboxing class and bruised yourself? Had a rough football game? Bangs and bruises from any sport or accident–basically any type of direct trauma will feel better after a dose of Arnica. It will speed the healing and reduce swelling, and bruising.

Arnica is a first-aid treatment that can actually help the body heal itself. It doesn't just cover-up the pain. Homeopathic remedies don’t interfere with other regular medications because they contain no strong chemicals, drugs, or even herbs or vitamins, so chemical interactions are not possible.

Homeopathy has a long, safe history, and is regulated with standards by the FDA. Here is a simple explanation of FDA standards and for the more technical, here's an abstract on FDA standards.

I recently recommended it to a marathon runner. After pounding the pavement for 26 miles the front of his thighs were especially sore. After his last marathon he took some Arnica. He called me later the same day to say how effective it was in reducing the soreness and speeding-up the healing.

Arnica 200C is inexpensive, a vial of pellets runs about $8, and has enough for at least 20 doses, and can be purchased in places like Whole Foods or your local Natural Foods store. Pop 3-4 Arnica pellets under your tongue and in seconds to minutes the severe throbbing will subside, the swelling will reduce, and actual healing of the injury begins.

Follow Dr. Meyer on Twitter @DrMeyerMD

LIKE his Facebook fanpage Meyer Homeopathy

Tip From An RD: What Is a Good Race Day Meal?

This is a guest post from Kelli Jennings, an athlete and Registered Dietitian with a passion for sports nutrition. Kelli is a team member of the awesome biking blog, Loving the Bike.

I asked them, "What is a good race day meal?" and the answer goes deeper than just a day. What's actually important is what you eat the whole week before the big day. We learned something new, and Kelli enlightens to help you eat well so you can have the best race you can!

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Preparing for Competition One Week Out

So, you’ve got a big competition coming up and you’re in a cold sweat about what you should eat and drink leading up to it. There are many different ideas of how to eat the week before an important competition.

Many trainers tell their athletes to Carbohydrate Load with unlimited amounts of refined carbohydrates (the practice of trying to optimally load your glycogen stores before a big race).

Historically, athletes thought depriving themselves of carbohydrates 3-7 days before a race to deplete their glycogen stores, then bombarding their bodies with high amounts of carbohydrates later in the week would produce the best results.

Kale Salad With Avocado and Cherry Tomato from Noshtopia

There is a finite amount of glycogen your body can store – this will not change with diet adjustment the week of a competition. On the other hand, there is an indefinite amount of fat your body can store, and overeating compared to how much you are training during your taper can cause you to store fat and feel “heavy” during your competition. So, the week of your big competition:

• Continue to follow your meal plan if you are not tapering your training. Be diligent with staying hydrated.

• As you taper your training, eliminate training fuel as needed (your before, during, and after training fuel). Continue to follow a healthy eating plan.

• The day before your competition, if you are not training or training very little, consider doing 1-2 short sprints and follow with your normal recovery snack/meal with carbs and protein. This can replicate the increased enzyme action that loads glycogen after a normal training session.

• The day before your competition, only eat foods/drinks that you know do not cause stomach upset, bloating, or extra gas. Avoid any fatty foods (fried or high in animal fat) and maintain a balance of carbohydrates and lean protein. You can eat vegetables with dinner if you’d like, but avoid gas-producing veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower. Instead, try a salad with spinach, tomatoes, & bell peppers in addition to healthy carbs and lean protein.

 

• The evening before your competition, add a small amount of extra carbohydrates – just about 30 grams. Don’t overdo carbohydrate loading or you’ll go into your competition feeling heavy rather than fueled. Some example additions include:
  • Large piece of fruit with 1 Tbsp honey = 30 grams carbs
  • ¼ cup raisins or other dried fruit = 30 grams of carbs
  • 8 oz. chocolate milk (made w/ 8 oz. milk + 2 tbsp syrup) = 37 gm carbs
  • 1 whole wheat English muffin, small bagel, or 2 slices bread = 30 gm carbs
  • ½ medium bagel + low-fat cream cheese = 30 gm carbs
  • 8 oz. yogurt = 30 gm carbs

It’s important to think about the timeline of digestion in this scenario. It only takes refined carbohydrates ~15 minutes to be digested and hit the bloodstream. Then, they’re stored.

If your glycogen stores are not fully replenished, they can be stored there. But, for most athletes who haven’t just ended a training session, glycogen stores will be filled to their limit. So, any extra carbs will be stored in the cells as fats – which can be used in long endurance workouts, but do not have any advantage over whole, healthy carbohydrate sources.

So, instead of “quick-energy” carbs the night before a race, go for lower-glycemic, whole-food, healthy ones. Their slow digestion and even energy will be more likely to give you usable, efficient fuel the next day. 

• The day of competition, follow your plan for pre-, during, and recovery nutrition (do not try anything new on race day!). Now’s the time for “quick-energy” sports foods! Make sure to stick with foods and drinks you know you digest well.

If you have multiple events in one day with breaks between them (such as being on a team for a 24-hour race), make sure to eat the recovery snack or meal after you finish each activity.

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Healthiness Sketches: What's Your Happy Place?

I asked @bikerly if he'd share one of his favorite posts on Bikerly.com, as a re-post guest post here on One Mile One Meal. See, we're so sustainable here, we even like to recycle blog posts...lower the typing foot print I say.

He likes to do sketches, so his favorite post was a simple sketch called, "Happy Place."

Well, his sketch inspired me to do my own happy place sketch.

Look, I never said I was a puritan. Besides being healthiness girl, I am also part tortured creative soul and computer geek with some tomboy thrown in, so booze is part of the equation. I do love me a smooth IPA!