Well, Cardio recovery was interesting. It definitely pointed out some specific areas of muscles in my legs that need work, but otherwise there isn't much to report from this workout. It was tough. I'm not very flexible—or apparently strong enough to support my own girth for the entire time he asks for—but I did alright. The key is that I did my workout, I sweated and felt good about completing another day.
Today I want to talk about two things. The first is dieting. A lot has been mentioned about what people are eating and I certainly feel like the defiant teenager just eating whatever I want. Well, for one, I don't determine what I eat, my parents do. Secondly, we eat fairly healthy as it is because my dad has high cholesterol, blood pressure and heart disease. He doesn't east quite as well as he should, but we eat much better than most.
My thing about any diet is that it will only work if you are willing to either give up the foods you love or can find a diet that incorporates the food you love. I go for the latter. I choose to watch what I eat—and namely how much of it I eat—in exchange for eating the things I like.
For example, right now I am eating a few spoonfuls of Chunky Monkey ice cream. However, I have tracked what I ate today and I conservatively am at a 1000 calorie deficit today after this little dessert. I know calories aren't everything, but I never come even close to my "daily value" of fat, I eat quite a bit of carbs—but I am careful about which ones (ie not soda for one thing)—and I get high protein for building up those muslces I am working so hard.
Could I lose more weight in the same amount of time if I ate a very specific meal plan and gave up most of the food I love? Sure. But I doubt I would go very long on that tack. Call it lack of will, call it mental weakness, call it what you will. I love food, I sadly love fattening foods like cheese and carbohydrates of every kind, and I love my alcohol—not too much though, but those are completely empty calories and carbs. I would rather take another half as much longer to reach my goals while enjoying my meals every day. Call me crazy, but that's my philosophy. I'm in this for the long haul, so I need to find a diet and exercise combo that is sustainable for the rest of my life without depressing me every time I sit down for a meal.
Also, I'm not trying to say that anyone who chooses to be vegetarian, low/no-carb, etc is wrong. All I am saying is know what matters to you, prioritize, and be realistic with yourself. Losing 30 pounds in a month means nothing if it is due to a diet that you give up on and just put all those pounds back on.
My other two things are about little pieces of equipment for active lifestyles that I love. One is the Blender Bottle. It is great for mixing up any sort of powdered supplements. Even with some peanut butter, yogurt or other goopy things in there it works like a charm without having to get out the blender! Plus, if your drink separates, you can easily mix it back up again, way better than a regular sports bottle. Also, it works wonders for quick scrambled eggs!
The other thing that is a must have for anyone who likes to run, jog, walk, bike, skip, hop, jump, while listening to music is Yurbuds. Now, I'm a bit of an audiophile, and I'll be honest, the audio quality of these headphones isn't the best. However, the key to these are the silicone inserts, not the headphones themselves. With a little bit of work, the silicone inserts can work with most earbud headphones, and they are worth every penny. I can tell you firsthand...these do not fall out. I was skeptical at best about these, popped them in after just buying them (didn't even have them in right) and ran two miles without them slipping or moving at all in my ears. They are worth their weight in gold to anyone who prefers earbud headphones for running but hates that they always fall out.
The one thing I will say about them is that while their bass is great because they make such a good seal with your ear, please be careful if you run with these in your ear. It is very hard to hear anything going on in the outside world, even if your music is turned way down. If you are aware and keep your eyes open and scanning it isn't an issue, but if you know you are scatterbrained when out for a jog, maybe reconsider this purchase.
Anyway, didn't mean to sound like a sales rep there, but I have found some things that I love for fitness along my quest to get in better shape and I want to share any knowledge I can. Tomorrow you will be hearing about my love for Vibram Five Fingers shoes, so stay tuned for that!
Anyway, thanks for reading as always and today is officially 4 down—50 to go!
Links:
Blender Bottle
Yurbuds Website
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