My Precision Nutrition Story

Today our assignment is to tell our Precision Nutrition Story. Part of my story is in all the numbers and graphs on the PN site, but most of it is in my head.

Today, I'm determined to be positive, in spite of the numbers. Here are the things I see, feel and believe are different after this time in the PN program:

• I look different. As of now, I think I have a permanent weight loss of about 12-15 lbs, but with my body, it's hard to tell. Hormones and other factors regularly cause my weight to fluctuate up to 10 lbs in a week. My clothes do fit differently, and I've gone down sizes in certain things. 
• I am stronger. I could never do a full pushup, and now I don't need to do knee pushups at all. I'm actually really happy about that. Still no pullups or anything close, but I can keep working. 
• I really do try to do something for my fitness every day, whether its yoga or a few rounds of a 7 workout, or something. I'm still intimidated and largely uncomfortable with weight work in a gym, but I can keep working on that as well. 
• I think about food differently. The basic habits of eating slowly and eating protein and veg at every meal have helped me tremendously. I still love sweets and haven't really given up on them, but I do eat smaller quantities. 
• I hope to take the journey further into the future. I do believe it's based on sound science, and I believe in the power of constant personal inventory and cognitive control. I want to become more consistent again as things end, so I can continue to make things into habits rather than projects. 

My numbers and stats are dismal. They might indicate failure, but instead, here I am, still working the program, even in small bites. I answer when my coach reaches out to me. I lurk on the forums and see what others are up to. I am still aware, and that matters to me. 

My PN journey has been the first steps, rather than a complete round trip. I'm a process person, and I do believe this has altered many of my basic processes in a positive way. I'm frustrated with myself a lot of days as I look at how far behind I let myself get with travel and family circumstances, but I can use the frustration as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block. 

Now I'm going to go make myself a breakfast scramble with chard, peppers, onions, carrots, and some eggs. 

Me on Saturday, at my son's wedding. 

read more

A New Attitude

Guacamole, quinoa chips, fancy cheese and crackers

Ready to make cinnamon rolls. Yum!

My experience this weekend was enlightening for me. Maybe it doesn't really square with PN principles, but it's a positive change for me so I thought I'd record it. Twice a year my church holds a worldwide conference that is broadcast in 5 sessions over the course of a weekend. It is always celebratory time in my life and includes comfort foods and treats that are traditional for our family. We spent time with friends and all weekend,  I ate what I wanted, and did not ask for any special accommodations or to have foods changed for me.

The good news is that I felt a new control and consciousness in choosing to have some of everything, knowing that it would not mean failure for my new habits. Eating so freely felt luxurious and fun instead of guilt-inducing. There was balance, and today I'm ready to get back to business. Taking a break didn't ruin me, it refreshed me.

I also felt strength and control because even though I decided not to worry about protein at every meal and 5 servings of vegetables, I did think a lot about eating slowly and eating to 80%. It was an absolutely wonderful time and it helped me see that the power of an abundance mentality rather than a scarcity attitude when it comes to food.

How was your weekend?

read more

Doing It Anyway

Something I learned to say out loud from Melody Ross was "She did it anyway." What that means to me is: 

• It doesn't have to be perfect to be worth the effort. That is a pretty big deal for me. 
• "It" is anything from working out to being happy to eating well, to forgiving, to not getting caught up in emotional stuff that is not real. ETC.. (I have a lot of etcetera in my life.)
• Sometimes buckling down and just doing what you're told is the best thing of all. Trusting someone else's judgement and experience rather than trying to limp forward with all my past failures can actually be freeing. 

Today's bit for the Did it Anyway file is that I worked out. 

A real, challenging, exactly-what-was-on-the-schedule workout that made me sweat and my muscles tremble. I did it even though I didn't have a gym. I didn't have all the right equipment. I'm staying in my son's college married-student apartment that gives new meaning to the word cozy. But I did it anyway. I compromised and was creative. I also reaped the rewards of forethought, as I'm traveling and brought some good essential equipment with me. I actually made a decision to pack this stuff first, as a sort of declaration that I'm really going to make this lifestyle change I'm going for a top priority. I want changes in my body and mind. I'm pretty okay already, so this doesn't cancel out all that I am and have been and experienced. I'm looking for abundance. To add to. And this is one small way to do it. Pack fitness stuff first. More and more, I can feel that translating to actions like Read PN lesson first. Work out first. Strategize eating first. 

My tiny foam roller, yoga mat, jump rope, resistance band and
workout clothes, all in a packing cube. 

Of COURSE it's not happening all the time, but that's the point here. 

The more important moment in my mind is not the moment of lapse, but the day AFTER the moment of lapse. Will I start again or let the lapse (the not doing something formerly known as failure) get me? 

Doing it anyway means I have infinite do-overs. Eventually, 2 do-overs in a row becomes a streak of starting again, and after that, it becomes a habit. 

It felt good this morning to do the whole workout, wholeheartedly. To persist through the shaking legs and stop and correct my form, then complete the reps. 

I hope I'll remember that feeling tomorrow when the challenges arise. I hope you will, too. 

read more

It's All About Me

So, sorry about yesterday's post looking like a ransom note. I had copied and pasted some text from the PN website and forgot to change the formatting of that text. 

Today, I did my workout. The PN one. Start to finish. I was challenged. I was sweating. I didn't start it until 4:45 in the afternoon even though I put on my workout clothes at 8:30 am this morning. I was thinking about why I was doing it so late in the day, at such a random time. Then it happened. 

As I was counting down in the plank position, sucking up my abs and tightening my glutes, I had this gut-wrenching realization wash over me like a wave. I actually had tears. I realized that all morning and afternoon, I was waiting to do my workout until I felt like I was caught up. I am a terrible procrastinator. I put things off until they can't be put off anymore, then I do them and they always get done, mostly on time, and I do a good job of it. I feel so guilty about always running a little behind where I should be, I don't feel that the workout is justified. 

What???

A couple of days ago, our lesson was about doing the opposite of what we've done before, because clearly, that plan hasn't worked out, at least in terms of weight loss and the like. 

What if I did the opposite and did my workout first thing in the morning, then got to work on other stuff? 

I guess I need to find out. 

read more

A New Creative Habit

This blog is languishing, so I've decided I'm going to use it to record my experience with an organization called Precision Nutrition.  I consider it all to be part of the same process. Creativity in art, in health, in eating, I believe it all comes from the same place in my heart and mind, and requires similar motivations and energies.

I'm about done with the two week introductory period of a year-long adventure to change my habits regarding health and fitness.

It's been interesting. For the last two weeks, all we were asked to do was

• Do a 5-minute action every day. Mine was to check in on the website and read the lesson every day. 
• Read or listen to a short lesson about the process of cognitive behavior recalibration and submit a very short assignment.
• Do a very basic strength-training workout, complete with foam rolling routine and extensive stretching. 

It feels doable and positive. There are people of all walks of life and all levels of fitness. There are people my age and older as well as people very young. It's all women in my group. 

I felt like I'd been put in the right group when I saw our coach and she looked like she could be my sister; and the name of our team is Ohana; and how Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind...

Very cool. 

I'm excited and ready and have committed 100 bucks a month to this idea, so I'm going to give it my best for such a major investment. I'm doing this instead of taking other classes this year. I'm going to use it as a chance to let go of more than just 40-50 pounds. I'm going to combine what I learn in PN with finishing up my Body Restoration class with Brave Girls. I'm also going to use some of the principles from Julia Cameron and the Artist's Way and her behavior modification book about weight loss. 

All these together are resonating for me. Combining health science, art, writing and forced accountability sounds like a system that might work for me. 

More to come. Tomorrow I have to submit measurements and before photos. That doesn't sound too fun, but it's only data, as my coach says. 

read more