No Rules

Ahhhh…. I’ve been operating by the “no rules” mindset since I got home from my 10 mile run two hours ago. I’ve plopped myself on the floor with my foam roller, laptop and water. I’m wearing my sweaty running clothes with a big sweatshirt and I only get up to eat… and eating I have been doing a lot of! In a few minutes I will jump in the shower and become a normal person in time for our cruise (!!!!), but until then, no rules!

Guess what! I ate a Larabar for a snack Wednesday. It might not seem epic to you, but for me it shows just how much my mindset has changed since going vegan. I looked at all the other bars and their mile-long ingredient lists. Trans fat, added protein, ingredients I didn’t understand. When I spotted the Larabar on the bottom shelf and read the three ingredients (dates, peanuts, salt), I grabbed it. Before I would have been too concerned about the calories  (210) in this one little bar, but now I thought of how the simple ingredients would fuel my activity. I love how at peace I am becoming with food. Yum.

I also tried a Synergy Kombucha this week! Why is that significant? Because only true health freaks will pay almost $4 for a drink that smells like vinegar! I wouldn’t say the drink was tasty by any means, but I did enjoy drinking it knowing the good I was doing for my body. I honestly felt super energized afterward, too! I’ll definitely buy this again! Thanks for the tip, Ryan ;)

Last but not least I wanted to review the Dr. Clyde Berry Bar from element bars that I sampled a while back. Here’s the sum of my review: Yesssssssssssssss!!!

element bars did everything right with this bar. Check out that awesome ingredient list…nothing bad there!

The taste was amazing, really. I tasted the almond butter first. It was smooth and creamy… I loved all the yummy chunks mixed in.

I think it’s safe to say this is the best bar I’ve ever eaten.

element bars are customizable and mailed to you. That makes them more expensive than regular bars, so keep that in mind. Still, the best bar ever. Have you ever tried element bars? What’s your favorite bar?

Well I’m off to clean up and finish packing. I have a great guest post that is scheduled to go up this weekend… let’s hope blogger works! Happy weekend!

Stick with what works.

It’s Monday again! Was your weekend relaxing enough to prepare you for another week? I hope so!

 

My weekend was crazy! David, Dixie and I loaded up the car Saturday afternoon and made the two hour drive to see our family. We stayed there until we made the drive home Sunday night. It was nice to catch up with family and spend some time “home.”

 

Saturday night I was more HANGRY than I’ve ever been. I felt my blood sugar dropping and I was getting light-headed driving to my Dad’s (where I stayed for the night). I walked in the door and ate the closest things to me: brownies and a slice of pizza (definitely NOT vegan).

 

After not eating any animal products for a month, my body definitely revolted. I immediately felt so sick and lethargic. I even had to cancel my plans that night.

I should have recognized that although my being vegan is easy enough, it does require planning- especially visiting a house full of processed foods and Splenda yogurt. I could have picked up a quick frozen meal or brought some dry oats in a bag. So many things I could have done… but I didn’t think.

I ended up also eating eggplant parmesan (with cheese) Sunday at a big family party. Another thing I didn’t think of was what my family would have to say. Most know I’ve switched up my diet but they don’t totally understand (or support) it.  SO I ate the dairy… and the consequence was even worse.

I originally became vegan out of suspicion that dairy was causing all my stomach troubles. I knew I was right when all pain went away three days after going vegan. Now all that pain is back… and worse. The pain is surely a reminder that I need to be kind to my body and remember what works for me. My health is worth a few minutes of planning and a few extra minutes of explaining to my family why I eat the way I do.

I’m so grateful I’ve found a diet that leaves me feeling fresh, healthy and happy. I’m thankful that I don’t have to have my stomach in knots all the time.

Never would I say or believe that everyone should eat one particular way. My experience is with my body and how I react to certain foods. There is nothing wrong with the foods I ate… it was just how my body reacted to them. I know we all have things in our life that throw us off balance. Let’s work to listen to our bodies and treat ourselves well!

Finding Caloric Balance

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Sometimes I will go for a long run or push through an intense spin class and burn tons of calories.

And for the next 24 hours my appetite is huge.

But how many extra calories did I really earn?

I would prefer to not eat back all the calories I just burned, yet sometimes I actually eat back more than what I burned with extra snacks/meal additions alone.

Since losing weight is about a calorie deficit and maintaining weight is about balance, these little overages just aren't going to work (on a daily basis... Christmas, weekends and birthdays are a different story!).

So let's look at the numbers:

One hour aerobics= -422

One Starbucks Grande Mocha Frapp= +380 cal.

One hour cycling= -563

One extra serving pasta= +500

Numbers are just approximates to get us thinking...

My best trick to keeping crazy-exercise-appetite in control is eating slightly larger but balanced meals. A complete breakfast leaves me less likely to overdo it with the candy because I am just so hungry!

Sometimes it feels like we've earned a refreshing Frapp or a second helping of pasta, but what we've really earned is an overall happier and healthier self.

How does exercise affect your appetite? How do you deal with it? Any tips?