... This is what Motivational Rob yelled at us in Spinning yesturday, and my son and I shared a cheeky grin across the handlebars as he comes out with loads like this and we love it!
So my point is, I am utterly shattered. I did way too much yesturday and I am rubbish at knowing how to relax or taking care of myself. I ran 4 miles, walked 4 miles to and from the gym ( car is broken), strength stuff, and then I did a mega house clean. On my run this morning I could barely take a step.... hmmm I wonder why?
So whilst I always suck it up in true panther style I also know I am cruising for a bruising. My son has recently started meditating and he says this is helping him alot. He said I wouldn't last 5 minutes and he is right. I do chill out though, usually by watching things like Spiral or Spin on my Ipad. Its not quality tho....
I also eat rubbish...This is a learning curve for me and I am most definitely bottom of the class. The pic is me pre work and zomby and my stash of snacks...
I wanted to ask what you do to chill out and what foods you think are best for revival that you have found works?
Thankyou,
Juju
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ju-ju-
Graduate10
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No where near as fit as you, but I try to eat healthily - I tend to snack on nuts or fruit, (oh, ok have been eating biscuits, choc & hot cross buns in this cold snap... )...
As far as chilling, I would love to meditate properly, but for now I have mini 'time outs' where I sit, look out of a window at the trees, clouds, etc, listen to the birds... walking is good too (if it's a non run day)...
yes fruit is a good idea....... and I agree, in cold weather all I want is sugary carbs....... yes time out sitting is a good idea.... I need to do more of that....
I'm glad somebody likes that sort of talk...only I am allowed to talk to me like that!
Do keep working on the being still-er. You know my Dad, the 80-odd inspirational runner? Never learned, always obsessed with *physical* fitness, now has several fatiguing illnesses and drugs (several of which he had before and pushed through) and really cannot handle it... which means that he does *less* than he could do because he's either full on or off. He's not making the most of the fewer years he has left and it is a miserable spectacle.
If you wouldn't last five minutes, do four... or one. I have my little 10 minute gentle yoga practice and I end that with a mini meditation on the breath - three 'mudra' (I really find it helpful to have these hand/finger positions) each counting five slow breaths, so that's about a minute. You can do that!
I did though once have a good tip from an obstetrician who suggested 'relaxation you don't do to yourself' eg audio input (your library may have a digital one to borrow, so much depends on whether the voice does it for you) or a massage. I think when relaxation is hard, sometimes you can't do it all by yourself to start with.
A good crime novel (in paper form) is great for me, I regard them as medicinal. Also cats.
Thankyou.... wise words. You always seem to have such a good approach to life. I do think I should read more rather than look at a screen.... its not healthy. I used to try and have a massage every 6 weeks but cash is tight. It really helped me too. I will save up and do just that, thankyou
I have been on a weight loss drive for the last 8mths or so, so not really allowed much in the way of naughty snacks. Where I fall down is having an extra sneaky protein bar. I'm only meant to allow myself one after workouts at the gym but my habit has been increasing. might need to have an intervention. I like in particular Cherry Bakewell BattleOats bars battleoats.com/shop/cherry-...
If I'm being a bit less naughty I find a smoothie made with almond milk, cacao, sesame seeds, cocoa nibs, chia seeds, goji berries and a scoop of white choc and raspberry protein powder goes down a treat with a banana blitzed in to thicken.
almond milk, cacao powder, sesame seeds and banana blitzed in the nutribullet tastes a lot like maltesers
My smoothie alternative that tastes amazeballs is overnight oats made with 3 tbsp's of rolled oats, a vanilla mullerlight, chia seeds and a tbsp of peanut butter. So moreish and proper energy food with loads of superfood positives from the chia and PB.
I am a bit rubbish at doing healthy, I just tend to eat what I like but I do need to lose about 5 kilos so I will do MFP but its a fine balance i think... especially with all the training
Yeah i'm not so good either, but have recently found a lot of good stuff in joe wicks books. Not that I follow all his workouts mind you, but he has managed to get me eating fish regularily and a lot of his recipes are pretty tasty. His aussie bum burger is a winner on my food plan
I do a general weights and cardio workout of about 90mins, I do leg press, calf raises, adductor, abductor, leg extension(quads) and leg curls(hamstring) that target legs specifically. Cardio I have to split between different stuff as i get bored of it quick, so row, cycle, step, vario(cross trainer) and sometimes even run(though rarely). Rest of the time is trunk or upper body. I'm not very targetted in that I just do a bit of everything, but my goal was to just keep going 4 times a week, managed 5mths so far so winning on that front but do plan to start mixing it up with some classes.
Sadly not that buff yet lol, but healthier than I have ever been. I have a tall lean running physique or in otherwords I'm a long streak of piss But I used to be a fat one so big improvement
Does it help with running.. sure being lighter does, the rest I can't comment as I never used to run much lol. I did c25k 2 years back and found that a lot harder back then so yeah the gym does help.
I always like to have homemade soup on the go at this time of year. Really economical if you buy seasonal ingrediants, add in lentils, legumes etc. Prep to serving is just 30 mins. Make a batch and freeze in portion sizes.
In warmer months I like an assortment of salads. Fruit as already mentioned too. I again prep ahead where I can. That means I dont grab whatever is easy to hand at the last minute because Im hungry and nothing planned.
My son is a yoga teacher and meditation practitioner (amongst other things). He took me to a Buddhist Centre to get a grasp of the meditation element, which is probably a sensible approach for his beginner mumma. If there is somewhere you could go to get coaching on the art of meditation I wouldnt rule it out. It has definitely helped my overall wellbeing during the past very difficult years during which we have and continue to be dealing with significant family health problems. Its ‘me time’ just as running is.
We also catch up often with friends and family. The other thing is reading, even if its a running mag, sit in a quiet environment and enjoy .
I was quite sceptical before hand but it was terrific. I had completely the wrong understanding of how to approach the skill, it is so more straightforward than many think.
My son travels the world delivering yoga, functional massage, meditation etc, and always always includes a retreat for his own wellbeing. Maybe thats another thing to give some thought to.
I’m like you and it’s boom or bust so am also trying to regulate it. I have found avocado on rice crackers with a bit of salt and pepper is a good one. Am also going for the Apple in a bag trick at all times to stave off the cravings. Good luck 😉
Your obviously not the only who finds it difficult to chill out, I've found I spend more time listening to music through headphones as this helps me " Zone out" especially some of the classical tracks.
Hmm. The cynical among us might suggest that it was not 'not knowing what healthy foods to et' that was your problem so much as 'steadfastly ignoring healthy options in favour of crap'.
I am just glad I’m not the only one eating poorly from time to time :). Like anything else I suppose balance is key. Rest and exercise. Good food and snacks. Stress and relaxation. At the moment I am happy to be able to run in the sun. About a million miles from last year! Well it feels that way anyhow... You should go take a nap now 🙂
Read.... and then read more... Favourite familiar, poems and children's stories too
Loads of soups... all homemade.. I paint...and I write...
Luckily???? I don't like sweets choc or cake... but it also helps having a husband who is diabetic I love cheese though.. my weakness..
My treat for chilling... sadly..yet wonderfully, a glass of bubbly and Tyrrells Furrows... x
PS
Ju...this is a great post...and despite the reasoning behind your post... I so, so wish I was more like you, with the strength and determination you have !!! One of my inspirations x
You have amazing determination and drive to train your body, so maybe apply the same techniques to train your mind. As GoogleMe suggests, start slowly - a minute at a time or less if you can't manage, of meditation a day. As with running, gradually build up. When I was taught as part of a work training, we started the week with a minute x 5 over the course of a day - and I found it excruciating. By the end of the week I managed 20 minutes.
Mindfulness techniques are also really great for making one stop and attend (as well as great for stress).
As for food, home cooked prepared from scratch is the way to go. Make flapjacks instead of eating cream eggs- you can monitor how much sugar you put in (cheaper too). Natural yoghurt (full fat) with fruit and nuts for breakfast will fill you up and keep you going until lunch...If you are prepared, with homemade snacks in the bag, your head is less likely to be turned by the sweeties. Your sugar cravings will reduce over time!
I don't relax too and it is not good. I used to read a LOT more than I do atm and it is the very best thing, but I'm struggling at the moment, what with work, and extra work, and kids, and all the rest of it. To be honest running and going to the gym (at times) are my down time. I wish I could do more of that, but I need to keep it sustainable and keep time for all the other stuff I need to do.
That said, yesterday I ate some lovely dark chocolate with ginger. Oh and a nice glass of Franciacorta, which never goes amiss.
Diet-wise I generally eat well and cook everything from scratch with decent ingredients, but then I go and spoil things (see above). I eat way too much bread and cheese. And I find it hard to resist the pizza bianca that you can buy by weight here, nice and warm and soaked in olive oil. I have no weight issues but I think these habits can make me sluggish at times.
I eat healthy as it’s pretty ingrained by now. I have weaned myself off honey on my porridge, encouraged by a 4 year old who doesn't have anything sweet on his daily oats 😃, and it’s had the spin off effect on making me not want other sweet stuff, not that I eat much anyway.
I don’t eat crap any more. I just don’t. I make my own pizza or burger etc
I love my new five quid yoga dvd ! Tamal Dodge! 🧘♀️ Best fiver I ever spent. I got his second dvd and that’s a belter too. The young fella at my gym (‘ark at me 🙄😁) is in to yoga and meditation.
Spring is around the corner, and the growing season awaits. That will be my busy time but communing with my plot and veg garden is as good as any meditation. I must be of the earth. Getting itchy fingers just thinking of it 🙂
I eat crap and struggle with my weight, but on the whole I am good at not stressing. Some of it is to do with managing self and some is to do with managing other people.
Self: relaxation. Know where you hold your tension (left fist for me, don't know why) and learn a good breathing technique. Learn to just be for a few minutes. Start with one minute and work up. Be aware of your balance - internal and external (most of us are physically slightly unbalanced) and work on it. The people we see as graceful usually have good posture and balance.
Others: acceptance. Most people act with good intentions. We can't know what their situation is that makes them act in whatever way they do. They are most likely doing the best they can at the time. I have a choice about how I deal with it. My attitude is my choice.
I know a lot of this sounds hippy-dippy but it works for me I hope you can find something that works for you.
After re-reading your post, I am not really sure what your problem is?? I have noticed recently that some of your posts seem to tell of some kind of dissatisfaction - even unhappiness? -- and I remember that this is the girl that started C25k about the same time as I did and quite quickly proceeded to run a couple? of marathons.
About 20 years ago, before my wife and started travelling - we did the classic "trip of a lifetime" . Sometime later, I started telling people to NEVER ever do their own personal "trip of a lifetime" - because they will find that it does not satisfy them that they have achieved their big life goal , but rather it would make them dissatisfied!!!! They will want to do more - but maybe their personal circumstances will not allow them to. It is counter-intuitive, I know - but I still believe it!! And I can now see how it translates across to our running journeys. I have noticed a number of friends who have started like me and have now ran their "marathon" - only to become lost . They no longer know where to go from there and a couple have basically stopped running. I have recently had a long layoff - it was very frustrating at the time but I have now come back with a different attitude. Bit hard to explain what attitude that now is - but it is certainly less frenetic
I totally get that. For me it’s my life leaching into my running where the challenge and difficulty is. Without my running i would be a mess!!!! Thankyou 😺
Interesting, Bazza (and thanks Ju-ju for starting such an interesting thread). I really do think the journey / process is what matters . Goals just help.
I count running as relaxation - it helps clear my head of all the stresses of work in a way nothing else ever has - and reading and listening to the Archers (so long as no one dies - sorry to non Archers listeners as this won't make sense).
Healthy eating is more difficult - as the distraction from work stresses while at work often lies at the bottom of the cake tin!
When I'm being good homemade soup is great - indeed making the soup is also quite relaxing but then so is baking and then we're back to cake ...
Am beginning the self realisation that my life revolves around stress and cake punctuated by the odd run 😨!
I think we are very similar. I adore cream eggs and yes my running is also my de stress time, I think I just need to do some proper doing nothing stuff too! Thats a bit harder.....
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But I used to be a fat one so big improvement 
Gave up on run today 
Happily back up to 10k
I’m late, I’m late The Quest week 4 snuck up on me 
