Exorcising the Demons

Did you watch the Biggest Loser last night? If you didn’t, let me suggest that you try to watch at least part of it.  Bob Harper’s team trained with the Crossfit folks out in CA.  His “gym” for the contestants was a straight-up Crossfit gym.  I haven’t ever really checked in to this show before, but watching people transform both their minds and their bodies is not only fascinating but après-peau for us at the moment (that’s fancy French for “timely,” makes me sound smart.)

 Transforming your mind is the key to succeeding in this challenge.  And, well, just about anything in life for that matter.  If you attended the introductory meeting at the gym on Saturday and you have never taken on a detox challenge like this, you may be feeling overwhelmed, filled with self-doubt, and wondering if you can really pull it off or succeed.  I’m here to help you feel a little bit better and kick your confidence up a notch. Let’s address the most common walls that need to be smashed down.

“I don’t know if I can go a month without _____.” We all have at least one food or beverage item to put in that blank.  For me, it’s a glass of oaky Bordeaux around 8 pm.   Truth is, you CAN go a month without really anything except water and oxygen- many POW’s and generally freaky people on a hunger strike have done it throughout history.  Transform that statement into “I really am not into pushing myself hard enough toward my goal for the 10 minutes of enjoyment I receive from eating/drinking ____.” Are you seriously not strong or smart enough to find one substitution for that item? I don’t think so. Everyone that I’ve met in the gym is reasonably intelligent adult.  It’s 30 days.  Even if you went the entire 30 days without your beloved coffee creamer or whatever, you will still be alive on the other end.  If you are obsessing about it, then enjoy it at your cheat meal week 1.  Because by the time your cheat meal in week 2 rolls around, you will be laughing at yourself for previously making that food item so significant.

“I don’t have time for all the shopping and prep.”  Oh, I’m betting you DO have time, you have just misplaced it. Most days, we have an hour or two that we aren’t doing much.  Maybe you have to watch the news every morning.  Maybe you are surfing the web.  Plan.  Pick a day where you know you can give yourself 3 hours.  Go to the store, with a LIST, come home, and immediately prepare and store the food.  My refrigerator is full of containers, all with block amount labels.  Marinate your meat and chicken, and throw it on the grill the next day.  If you do this once a week, you will only be filling in little pieces throughout the week, which takes hardly any time at all.  For those of you that know me pretty well, you will understand that this was one of my walls.  I’m not a superstar at organization and advanced planning.  I tend to be reactive, and last-minute with just about everything.  This step has transformed my mind, and the change feels good.

“I have to feed a family.”  I will admit, this is a work in progress for me.  Day 1, Chris and I had our perfectly planned meals, and we felt great.  Until one of the kids said, “What’s for dinner, Mom?” After the brief look of horror faded, I threw frozen pizzas in the oven for the kids.  I was so intent on meeting my food goals perfectly that I, yes I can say it, neglected to feed my own children. This week for me will be a bit of challenge, but I will make sure my kids eat a healthy dinner.  Have some easy meals on hand to feed the kids.  I can assure you, most kids are thrilled to eat the things we consider are bad choices.  For week 1, it’s ok.  Once you get your own time management under better control, you can branch out and make the other home-cooked meals for your kids. 

“I work.”  Again, this is where you PLAN.  Instead of seeing all the hurdles at work (have you ever seen a nurses’ station? It looks like a convention for the bagel and donut industry), plan and pack your meals.  Get a cooler that works for you (the next size up from a lunch bag should work fine for many of you).  Know what times you are going to be eating, and do your best to stick to those times.  Then, when the office says, “We’re ordering from Firehouse Subs, want anything?” you will be happily chomping on your cruciferous vegetables saying, “No thanks.”  If you have a 1-liter water bottle, put a piece of tape on it.  Make a hash mark every time you fill it, and you can easily track your water consumption without thinking too hard.

“This is expensive.” Right.  But when it’s Friday night, the $70 at the liquor store is not expensive. Spending $150 out to dinner, bringing home the leftovers, then throwing out the leftovers 2 days later is not expensive.  Impulsively buying something really cool at Costco or Wegmans because your blood sugar was low and you were hungry when you shopped is not expensive.  (This is where I really feel the need for a sarcasm font.) Planning your meals, buying the food, and then eating that food is not expensive.  Frozen vegetables are anywhere from $.99 bag to $3.00 bag, and that’s without coupons.  Take a moment and examine where your food and beverage dollars were spent last month, and the Wegmans bill will be much more palatable.

Too many vegetables, I’m not a cow.  The FDA has skewed our thinking on acceptable amounts of healthy foods.  If you going to Crossfit at least 3x/week, you need those slow burning carbs to maintain your blood sugar at a healthy level and as a result sustaining your energy levels throughout the day.  The act of chewing boosts your metabolism.  Experiment with spices.  I have 6 new spice combinations in my cabinet that I haven’t previously tried.  Ever try Herbs de Provence?  Garam Masala? These are all readily available at most grocery stores in Frederick and are waiting for you to try them.  Feeling more adventurous? Head to Penzey’s in Rockville for a spices shopping trip.

When you feel frustrated, state out loud the reasons you chose to take on this challenge.  My out loud statement is, “I was tired of feeling like crap, drinking too much, and living only a partially healthy lifestyle.” I don’t want to go back to that.  So, can I drink my coffee without my beloved coconut creamer? Sure.  My vanity and self-preservation is a bit more important than that $2.39 red cardboard container.