Day 9 - Back on the Blog haha & "Discoveries"

Unbeknownst (is this a word? Spellcheck is telling me I made this up. But then again, Spellcheck just spellchecked its own word. Haha. Moving on...)

Unbeknownst to me, people actually read this thing. Which is kind of surprising because people ask me in real life how I'm doing with this/why I haven't updated it/etc. and now I am peer-pressured back into writing this! Which is the reason why I started the blog in the first place, so I'd be forced to journal my experiences. From here on out, I'll be better! =) While I have been lazy about updating this (hence the blog title), you can rest assured I have not been neglecting my exercise regime/diet/cleansing (???)/whatever the hell you call this experiment.

Anyway, I'm on week 2 this path to adapting to a healthier life and here's something that personally surprised me: I thought that the hardest parts would be (from 1-IMPOSSIBLE to 5-pretty manageable)....

1. Exercising on a consistent basis for 30 min
On the contrary, I think I'm addicted to working out. With the exception of last Friday night where I had 80 ounces of dark beer (bad idea, fyi) and was out for all of Saturday (I couldn't do a single sit up, let alone physically sit up). Now, it's what I look forward to most in my day. And even more shockingly, 30 minutes isn't enough for me. I do a minimum of an hour, except for today since yesterday was spent running, doing a 1/4 mile of lunges with a medicine ball around the outdoor track, followed by an ab workout on the field, another quick run, and then capping off the night with some lower ab work (WHEW I got exhausted writing that), I couldn't move today haha. So I went for a light 30 minute run. Call me crazy, but I love the sensation of being sore the day after from a great workout. I'm not sure if it's the endorphins, or my mind playing tricks on me thinking I'm getting more toned already in such a short time, or just feeling more in tune with the strength of my body, but I am loving this.

2. Watching what I eat
I know how to make healthy eating choices for the most part. I try to eat vegetables that are bright and dark in color, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats like nuts and avocados. When I went to the store, I only bought mostly organic foods as well. But here are some challenges:

• When I can't fall asleep, I get really wacky cravings. Last night was green bean casserole (which led to me heating up a can of green beans at 1am and eating them plain out of the can). The night before was oriental flavored ramen noodle soup. RAW. I'll give you a few moments to collect yourself and keep yourself from vomming.
• A lot of the stuff I already bought is processed/pre-packaged/etc. And what am I supposed to do, just toss it out?
• I am hungry almost all the damn time. But it's really hard for me to distinguish whether I'm truly "hungry" (like my body requires food for catabolism and metabolism) or whether I see an ad for a cheeseburger on TV and bingo, I'm "hungry".

However, I've been a pretty good girl about eating even though I have not been good about keeping this updated. I think the trick for me is to identify whether I am truly hungry or whether I am having a craving. If it's a mix of both, I try to satiate that craving by identifying what I am craving and eating a healthier substitute or a smaller portion of that food item.

In the past, whenever I would see free food, I would go nuts. In fact, I have received the nickname of "vulture" among friends. When I go out with friends and someone half-finishes a plate, they automatically push it toward me. I'm that friend. But now I'm to the point where I eat when I am hungry or have a crazy-wild craving and stop a little before I'm full. I drink water before I eat anything because even though our bodies are capable of extraordinary things, the body is not smart enough to distinguish between hunger and thirst. It is a scientific fact that usually if you are hungry, your mind is confusing hunger for dehydration.

3. Keeping my drinking down
Now that the school year is done and I'm home more often, this isn't so hard. I had my fun during my four years of college and I'm to the point in my life where I still enjoy going out with friends, but for the most part, I'd like to sit down with them for a drink or two to catch up rather than slam PBR's and shots. I went out with some friends tonight and still had fun with just a small glass of champagne. I wonder whether this is a sign of me realizing that I feel better and healthier without alcohol in my life, or that I am simply becoming an old person...(??!!), or maybe the Garcia Effect in work (for all you non-Psych majors, it's the body's psychological aversion to harmful foods or liquids - i.e. me remembering the pain and anguish I went through Saturday morning/afternoon/evening/night/the morning after. Hey look, I did learn something from Psych 111 after all.)

4. Sleeping 8 hours
This has actually proven to be the hardest. Ironically, I am writing this entry at 2:26 AM as I come to this section. I think a big part of it is me sleeping in and not being able to shut my brain off when I go to sleep. I refuse to give up sleeping in since this is a luxury I will only be able to enjoy for a few more months before I start working and become a "real person." Ahh...that makes me sad to think I may never be able to sleep in again until 2pm.

Okay, so the other thing: all these thoughts swirling in my head. There's so much on my mind as I'm planning for my big move out to Denver. Where will I live? When should I move? Will I enjoy my job? Will I make new friends? What will happen to the existing relationships that I have in Michigan? How much time should I spend with college friends/visiting friends throughout the state/family members?

Solution: Although not "natural", I'm going to start doing some over-the-counter sleeping pills to get me back into a more regular sleep pattern. Although I love the thought of sleeping in until noon each day, I hate the thought that I've wasted 6 hours of wonderful daylight, and then my workday as a research assistant starts later, I get out of work later, I stay up later (doing mostly useless things), and then I get my wacky hunger cravings.

5. Drinking 64 ounces of water
This one's not too much of a biggie haha.

Health Lesson:
I know this is such a common sense thing to say, but doing this experiment has really elucidated how different parts of my life impact my health. Let me try to make this a little more clear in the context of this blog entry:

• When I think I am hungry, I am most likely thirsty, so I will unnecessarily eat more if I don't drink enough water
• When I don't get enough sleep, I will eat more because of my cravings late at night

I know I am having a major "Captain Obvious" moment, but it's really remarkable how these actions and habits all tie together. I'm already noticing a definite mental difference. Like I've said in previous entries, I've always felt pretty good about myself, but after a few days, I've become really comfortable not wearing any makeup. I went out with a friend without doing my hair or makeup the other night and she asked whether I had gone tanning because I had the appearance of a glow. It sounds super cheesy (and this is further proof that perhaps I need to consider a career writing messages to go inside the cards for Hallmark), but maybe all of the positive changes I've undergone in this past week were reflected on my face. To be honest, it kind of feels weird to put on concealer and mascara and dress up now. My uniform is now a sports bra, fitted t-shirt or tank, yoga pants or volleyball shorts, running shoes, and a makeup-free face.

And, you know, I feel really good about facing the world like that.