Yesterday hit a new milestone. I am now officially down 30
pounds. I continue to put distance between me and 300 and draw nearer to 215. I
wish I could say it was a piece of cake. Um-mm cake. But no it isn't. The
lifestyle isn't, the changes aren't. I have a choice though I could go back to
living the way that is easiest right now, or I can stay the course and make
life easier down the road. Eating what you want when you want, how you want
sounds great. But now I examine everything I put in my body. Rarely do I
consume something that hasn't had some thought put into it. Should I eat this? What could I eat
instead. Am I really hungry? Or is
there something else going on? Because oh yeah are my emotions and food
connected. Happy, celebrate with something good. Sad, comfort with something comforting.
You know celebrating with an Ice cold glass of water isn't the same as that Pepsi
was. Lettuce isn't near as consoling as greasy cheesy pizza is, or how about
cheesy melty macaroni and cheese. Don’t get
me wrong I still enjoy these things from time to time but not in near as much
quantity or frequency.
So what do you do? Well talking is always good. What’s inside
sometimes just needs to come out. Share
your joy. Share your sadness. The last week has had a lot of sadness in it. For
those of you who don’t know or don’t remember I am a drug and alcohol counselor.
In the past week I have seen two drug related deaths, two persons relapse and
jeopardize what they are working so hard for. I have seen death in life around me. It can
kind of bring a guy down. Interestingly enough I have discovered that running,
well walk /jogging, makes me feel better.
What Are the
Psychological Benefits of Exercise With Depression?
Improved self-esteem
is a key psychological benefit of regular physical activity. When you exercise,
your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with
the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain.
Endorphins also
trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. For
example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as
"euphoric." That feeling, known as a "runner's high," can
be accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life.
Endorphins act as
analgesics, which means they diminish the perception of pain. They also act as
sedatives. They are manufactured in your brain, spinal cord, and many other
parts of your body and are released in response to brain chemicals called
neurotransmitters. The neuron receptors endorphins bind to are the same ones
that bind some pain medicines. However, unlike with morphine, the activation of
these receptors by the body's endorphins does not lead to addiction or
dependence.
Regular exercise has been proven to:
- Reduce stress
- Ward off
anxiety and feelings of depression
- Boost
self-esteem
- Improve sleep
All of that stuff is true. I have triple checked the facts.
Also in a conversation with Trainer Jeremy Gruver, Gruver Outdoor Fitness Bootcamp, I learned that for
every pound of weight I have taken off I have also taken off 4 pounds of
pressure from my knees and various other joints as well. So in case your math
stinks, all together that is 30 pounds of weight and 120 pounds of
pressure. Wow, what a difference a pound
can make.
Community helps.
By community helps I mean you need to have people on your
side to make the kinds of changes I’m talking about. Rarely if ever does a
person do it on their own. Bootcamp has
provided this for me. When I just want to stop and take a break because its
hard out of nowhere, sometimes from somebody whose name I can’t remember I
hear. “Come on Cory, you got this!”, and I can power through a little more.
People in my life have seen that this is not something I talk about anymore
this is something I live and they have gotten on board with me, even if they
aren't ready to make their own changes.
I could never do this alone, so I don’t. I write this blog to help me,
but hey if you can get something from it AWESOME!
On one last note. I
hit that official 30 pounds by decreasing my calorie intake. I now have to be a little more careful in
quantity and not just what I eat. To my
surprise it’s not too bad. I now eat
between 2200 and 2300 calories a day, and it seems to be working. Oh and you know what else I also eat these things called Green
Smoothies. Spinach based but I like
them, it all gets blended with banana, strawberries, and I use a scoop of whey
protein powder to start my morning. (Most mornings)
I am on week 2 C25K and it is going okay. It challenges me
but it is okay.
Next time you hear from me I’ll be a skinnier healthier me.
Thanks for stopping bye!
