Are you Overdoing it With Your Workouts?

If your workout and health routines are taking over your life, it could be a sign that it has turned from a healthy lifestyle to an addictive one.

This topic is one that I regularly have running through the back of my mind because I want to keep my fitness something that I love to do, not something that I have to do. I have had phases of life that I did let my fitness and my 'healthy' eating go so far that they became damaging and addicting. The consequences negatively affected my mind, my soul, and my body so I don't ever want to go back to that again. Nutrition and fitness are very important to me, but I do not think that they should ever define me. There will be times in my life that I won't make it to the gym as much and my fitness level will always fluctuate, but that should not change my identity or how much value I place in myself. Maybe the priority you have to keep in check isn't fitness, but I think that same concept can be applied to any lifestyle.

Taking fitness and health to an unhealthy obsession can be damaging physically as well as mentally. Overworking your body and not leaving yourself enough time to recover can lead to damage of the muscles, ligaments, and joints as well as dehydration, calorie deprevation, etc. Your workouts can also start to suffer if your body doesn't have enough energy to perform at it best. The pressure to push yourself too far can also start to damage your self confidence, or could signal the beginnings of a body-image disorder. 

There are a few signs that I look for when trying to keep my lifestyle in balance, and when I do notice them, I try to take some time off of the gym and eat some chocolate while reminding myself that my value comes from the person I am inside, not from what my body looks like, or how well it can run sprints.

Signs I watch for: 

- I start to get anxiety if I am forced to skip a workout. 

- I begin to religiously count calories or immediately regret eating anything 'unhealthy'. 

- I start to compare myself to others' fitness levels and feel that I do not measure up, or I am less valuable because they are more 'in shape'.

- I find it hard to cut myself some slack for a bad workout week. 

 

- My focus is shifting from living a healthy, happy life to what people will think of my public healthy, happy life. 

Keeping my own habits in check is something that helps me to continue doing what I love and keep it healthy. If you feel like you could be struggling with a body-image disorder, compulsive exercising, or obsessive healthy eating (orthorexia) and you are past the point of keeping yourself in check, I strongly encourage you to talk to someone that you trust about it. It's never too early or too late to lean on someone else or to seek some guidance when it comes to your own wellbeing. Pursuing a fit and nutritious life is rewarding, but not if it is at the expense of your health and your joy. 

 

Get your run or your lift in today, but make sure it's also feeding good things into your soul at the same time. 

Fats

Fat is often a bad word when it comes to health and weight loss. Many people try to limit their fat intake as much as possible because they believe that any intake of fat will cause negative weight gain. This is not always true though! Fats are not only a very important part of your diet, but they can also aid in weight loss and fitness performance. The key is to get the right kinds of fats in the correct amounts for your body!

So what is a 'bad' fat verses a 'good' fat and why?

Trans fats and saturated fats are generally considered to be bad because they are hard for your body to break down and use efficiently. These fats have been shown to increase bad cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. High intakes of trans fats have been correlated with higher risk for type 2 diabetes as well. 

These bad fats can be found in processed and fried foods like: 
      -ice cream
      -pizza
      -hamburgers 
      -donuts
These same foods also contain a high amount of empty calories which will leave you feeling hungry soon after you eat them. 
High amounts of trans and saturated fats can also be found in many animal fats like:
      -milk
      -cheese
      -butter
      -fatty pork
      -fatty beef

Mono and poly unsaturated fats as well as omega-3 fatty acids have many health benefits when they are included into your diet regularly. They have both been shown to lower bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). They are also thought to help mobilize the fat stores already in your body in order to use them for energy. Eating an appropriate amount of these fats can also keep you more full throughout the day, as well as keep your hair and skin glowing and healthy. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in:
      -salmon
      -albacore tuna
      -eggs
      -nuts and seeds
Monounsaturated fats can also be found in fish as well as:
      -peanuts
      -avocados
      -olive oil
      -canola oil

All fats are still 9 calories per gram, but getting the right kind of fats into your meals and kicking some of the wrong ones out can help you feel better and stay healthier. Fat should make up around 30% of the average person's diet. This awesome personalized calorie and macronutrients calculator can help you figure out the best ratio for your body and your activity level. 

Creative Protein Sources

Protein is one of the macronutrients, along with fat and carbohydrates, that your body needs in order to function normally. Protein is important for carrying nutrients throughout your body, as well as rebuilding muscle tissue after exercise. Getting enough protein throughout the day is important, but eating too much can be a bad thing as well. Really high intake of protein can lead to kidney problems and extra fat storage in your body. A common myth, especially in the fitness world, is that you need to eat your body's weight (pounds) in grams of protein per day, but that number would actually be almost twice as much protein as most people actually need. The SuperTracker mentioned in my Carbohyrdate post can give you a good idea of the grams of protein your body needs based on your size and activity level. Many healthy sources of protein are found in things that you are already eating every day; eggs, lean meats, beans, etc. I have also made a list of some of the ways that I provide some variety in my protein!

1. Frozen salmon burgers
I get these ready-to-go salmon burgers at Costco and I usually keep a bag in my freezer all the time! They are so great for when I need something substantial but I am in a hurry... or I am lazy. They aren't as nutrient packed as fresh wild caught salmon, but sometimes the convenience factor wins out over that. I like to throw them on a skillet with some onions and add a side of oven baked sweet potatoes.

2. Protein Frosty
The protein power that I have been using lately can also be found at Costco. This one is rice based and chocolate flavored. I hardly ever drink cow milk, so the milk substitute that I like the best is almond milk. Recently, I bought the coconut flavored kind (unsweetened) because the grocery store was out of the regular kind, and now I am hooked on it. I mix about a cup of almond milk with two scoops of my protein powder, stick it in the freezer for an hour or so, and then I pretend that I am splurging on a Wendy's Frosty. Almost the same thing, right?
                                                                         

3. MuscleEgg
This protein recommendation is from my fitness friend Heather. Muscleegg is liquid egg whites that you can purchase in bulk. They come in different flavors so that you can use them in recipes, or drink them plain. Heather used her cake batter flavored muscleegg to make waffles, and she also told me that one of the muscleegg owners uses some to flavor her coffee in the mornings! Because they are sold in bulk, it can a great option to find a friend that wants to split a purchase with you.






4. Pre-marinated Trader Joe's chicken
I hate preparing meat, so I usually avoid buying it for that reason. This option from Trader Joe's makes it so much easier though! They have a few different marinade flavor options for you to choose from in the meat section of the store. Pay attention to the nutrition/ingredient label so that you can make sure that the ingredients and nutritional content correlate with your fat, protein, carb, sodium, etc intake for the day.

Let's Talk About Carbohydrates

Before you read on, I want you to forget everything that you have heard about carbs up until now and start with a clean slate. This macronutrient (one of three along with protein and fat) has received a bad reputation after diet fads like Atkins have make the public generally confused about what role carbs play in our diets. I want to talk about some of the biggest myths out there when it comes to carbohydrates.

Myth 1: All carbs are created equal.
There are two types of carbs that we will focus on for the purposes of this post. The first is simple carbohydrates. These are found in soda, candy, and baked goods and can be found listed on the nutrition label as sugar (sucrose or table sugar), corn syrup, or high-fructose corn syrup. High consumption of these foods has been linked to obesity, fatigue, and inflammation. The second kind is complex carbohydrates and are found in more natural foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar molecules, while complex carbs contain three or more molecules and are broken down slower in your body. Complex carbohydrates also contain fiber which is very important for keeping you regular and maintaining a healthy digestive tract.

Myth 2: All carbs are bad.
Complex carbs are vital to fuel your brain's activity as well as provide your body enough energy to get through the day feeling like a normal, healthy person. The sources of complex carbohydrates (apples, sweet potatoes, yogurt, etc) are also great sources of other important vitamins and minerals. Foods like beans and milk can also be great sources of protein and healthy fat as well has carbohydrates. The bulk of your carbohydrate intake should be coming from those natural foods; mostly vegetables and some grains (brown rice, whole wheat).

Myth 3: Carb intake should be limited.
Carbohydrates should actually make up 50-70% of your total calories. For a person on a 2,000 calorie diet, this would equal 250-600 grams of carbohydrates every day. Eating the appropriate amount of healthy carbohydrates can help improve the quality of your workouts, and can help combat low energy. ChooseMyPlate.gov has an awesome resource called the SuperTracker that can give you the nutrient content of any food as well as personalize a calorie and macronutrient breakdown for you. MyFitnessPal is another food tracker that I have recommended to nutrition clients in the past.
**Those living with diabetes, heart disease, or other health conditions are exceptions to these guidelines and should talk to a physician or a Registered Dietitian about the best carbohydrate ratio for them.

Myth 4: Carbs will make you fat.
Over-consumption of anything has the potential to lead to unwanted weight gain, but eating the proper amount of carbs every day will not hinder a health-centered weight loss plan. When you eat more carbohydrates than your body needs at that specific time, some of the excess actually gets stored in your body as glycogen instead of directly as fat. Glycogen is stored in your muscle tissues and in your liver so that it can be quickly released when you do need it for energy. 

Grocery Shopping Made Simple

Grocery shopping can be a frustrating experience for some. There is a lot of emotion that goes into our eating habits, and the process of choosing and purchasing food is no different. I gathered some tips that I thought might make this necessary activity a little less stressful. I usually do my shopping once a week, and I spend around $50-$60 each trip.

- Plan ahead!
I'll admit that I generally skip this step, but I am only shopping for myself. If you are shopping for a family it is much easier to have a list formed before you head into the store. This can also help you avoid buying items that you don't need. One great way to make your list is by finding a couple of recipes that you plan to make, shopping according to what you need, and then supplementing in some snacks.

- Shop the perimeter
The outer edges of the store are where you find the fresh things; produce, fresh meat, dairy. This is where you should find yourself spending the most time when you are in the store. I try to get 4 or 5 different vegetables and 2-3 fruits each time I shop, and I mix it up every trip. So one week I will get brussels sprouts, a green pepper, carrots, an avocado, bananas, and strawberries, and the next week I will get kale, corn, broccoli, cucumber, a sweet potato, apples, and oranges. Try to get a good variety over the course of a month whether by varying your recipes, or just incorporating vegetables into every meal or snack. I also get 3-4 different servings of a lean meat. Wild caught and free range meats can sometimes be a little more expensive, but it is worth the cost to avoid the additives (coloring, etc) that can be found in farm raised fish or overcrowded livestock and poultry.

- Get snacks
Shopping for your snacks ahead of time can help you prevent snacking on whatever is available when you get hungry throughout the day. It is easier (still not always easy, I know) to resist the break-room donuts if you know that you brought a healthier mid-day snack. Some of my go-to snacks include mixed nuts, KIND bars, apples and peanut butter, carrots and hummus, and hard broiled eggs.

- Check the label
The nutrition label listed on foods can tell you a lot more than just the calorie or fat content, and the calorie content of foods is not everything you need to pay attention to. Refined sugars and preservatives can cause inflammation, headaches, and other negative health side affects. Choose foods that have a shorter list of ingredients because the longer the list, the more likely the food contains a high amount of manufactured additives. Whole grains/brown rice are much better choices than anything bleached/white because they contain more of the nutrients from the original grain. Just because something says 'low fat', 'sugar free', or any other seemingly healthy message, does NOT mean that it is better for you. In fact, sometimes whatever was used to replace the taste of the missing ingredient can be even more harmful to your body.

Photo credit: Flickr user TheeErin