All has not been forgotten.
I have spent a few months or so away being “busy” and not updating when I would have been inspired or liked to. There are a few reasons- I’ll touch on that another time, but that being said- I have not stopped training or continuing to be a better version of myself.
I’ve had a fair few months of bouncing around on the scales again. Up and down, down and up.
The thing is, and I preach this all the time, scales -shouldn’t- matter. It’s how you feel.
I guess though, feeling the same and looking the same with the same body fat percentage has added to my frustration and just even worrying about it, raises my cortisol and therefore induces a plateau even just with the worry of not getting anywhere. Relax, I hear you say. Mmmm. I would LOVE to relax, go on holiday, sleep for a few days. Let’s put that idea to the side for a minute.
Clean eating is something I have done for a very long time but not until recently I have realised that maybe it’s not as “clean” as I thought due to my gut health. I was 5 weeks into a gut rebuild and was supposedly having no coffee, no nuts, no eggs, no protein powder, no sugar.. etc etc. The coffee had been the hardest. Not for the fact I am an “addict”. I just love the taste and what it represents for me. Coffee is my social thing. I don’t drink (out of choice for my wanting to achieve my end goal faster- alcohol inhibits the bodies ability to burn fat as it’s fuel source for up to 48 hours), so for me, instead of catching up with friends for a “drink” – I do coffee. Am I reluctant to give up my social life, or am I reluctant to give up coffee? Yes ok, it’s the coffee. I could have a tea- but it just doesn’t sound as good, and after all- I live in Melbourne, come on.
Something so small has proven to test my willpower. I would say I am a pretty determined and committed person considering the lengths I have gone to, to lose nearly 50kg over the last 5 years, but giving up a love I didn’t think was so bad when I have given up most other vices, seems to have thrown me. So have I given up coffee? I did it for two weeks.
the best tasting coffee is the one we have waited for for 2 weeks..
I have missed eggs. A LOT. Breakfasts and Melbourne just go together. It’s like Taxi’s in New York, Hollywood and Film, Coffee and Cake… HAH! (Hadn’t had that in 6 weeks either). So this was it. Me having to deal with things I was reluctant to give up, in order to search for the next level of achievement. Or was it?
Is sacrificing things we love really all that healthy? And when we eliminate things we enjoy (that aren’t even bad), what does that do for not just out mindset, but our chemical balance of serotonin when trying to achieve better gut health and less stress?
Serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, and in the central nervous system (CNS) of animals including humans. It is the chemical stuff we contribute to feelings of happiness. About 90% of the human body’s total serotonin is located in the gut, where it is used to regulate intestinal movements. The remainder is synthesized in neurons of the CNS, where it has various functions. These include the regulation of sleep, mood, and appetite. Kinda explains why some people can get crazy angry when they are hungry, AKA HANGRY (hungry/angry) right?
cupcake carb crazy.. may have slight release of serotonin but may crash.. with sugar come down.
You can probably find it better explained here.
At the end of the day, if we are making ourselves stressed out from the “I can’t eat that”‘s and the “it’s not on the list” fussing about, we end up continuing on the vicious roller-coaster that messes with our cortisol, and not to mention our head. What we need to find is something that works for us that we can maintain, and also something that doesn’t restrict us from adapting to suit. Where there is a will, there is a way. Research different methods, try different things. Something that is usually so straight forward generally gets overcomplicated when we complicate it ourselves.
Stick to what you know works, what has been proven, tried and tested. Sometimes, patience is all we need, and to acknowledge that all change no matter how small, is change in itself, there for being- progress.
Patiently yours. Me.
