Sunday reading: House sitting edtion

Good afternoon, friends!

I have had a really nice week.

I am house sitting for my good friend and fellow health coach, Lindsay,  and it has been glorious to have an entire house to myself to laze around in. I’ve had a constantly spotlessly clean kitchen, super quiet and long mornings, sleep-ins due to Lindsay’s thick curtains (I keep my windows pretty sheer because usually I like to wake up early but this week I’ve needed extra sleep so bad it was ridiculous), and a bunch of time and space to just think. I have been super busy since Super Strength Health went full time and full swing, and I love it, but time to pause is great too. Basically, I’m feeling good.

I’ve been thinking a lot about dietary choices and physical changes this week, because it seems to be coming up all around. Many of my clients have weight loss or weight gain goals. Some of my friends are making dietary changes, I’ve got the fall itch to do a new kind of sport or training plan.

I have a full length mirror in this house sit, and I was super shocked to see what the entirety of my body looks like when I caught sight of it, in a very positive way. It is straight up weird to look in the mirror for the first time in awhile and feel awesome, especially because I have had so, so much time mired in self hate. I have always believed in the process of exercising regularly and eating vegan, but I believe my physical changes are due to smarter exercise, lifting heavy, more rest days, lots and lots of sleep, and lowering my stress. In a nut shell, feeling good is making me look good. Holy shit is that easier said than done.

Here are the links!

Is a Low Carb Diet Ruining Your Health? by Laura Schoenfeld

I sincerely question if low carbohydrate diets are healthy for most people, and I am totally curious about the long term effects of such a regimented way of eating. (People probably say this about veganism, too, and I totally just eye roll. Are low carb-ers eye rolling at me? It’s okay if so).

I’ve tried a vegan/vegetarian version of a low carb diet, and good lord did I hate it. Many people I know use a low carb model and struggle, while others use a low carb model and thrive. I am totally cool with whatever works for you, but please read this article and consider what it says. Also, give me your feedback! I love hearing about people’s food choices.

2. This is Your Stressed Out Brain on Scarcity by Laura Starecheski

I grew up privileged in a lot of ways (I’m white! I’m cis-gendered! I’m straight passing, even if not straight) but one thing I have struggled tremendously with is money. As I sit here typing to you, I am 150,000 dollars in student loan debt. I have a Master’s Degree. I am the first person in my family to go to college. I have made the choice between paying bills on time and buying groceries.

This short sound clip from NPR discusses the taxing nature of what scarcity does to our brains. Basically it says that living in poverty taxes the crap out of people, to the point where they feel like they are drowning. When I listened to it, I thought “DUH!”, but it occurs to me that the research and science behind this phenomenon are important to check out.

An excerpt:

“If you’re reading this, and things are tough, we want you to know some facts right off the bat: that your body is YOURS, that consent is not a gray area, that it doesn’t matter what you were wearing, that fitting in isn’t as important as it seems (though caving to peer pressure isn’t the end of the world either), that you have the right to set and defend your own boundaries, that you have the right to have fun, that some things get better and other things, honestly, kind of don’t.”

This is a Tumblr platform that serves as a space for women who have been through terrible things to share their stories and to let other people who have gone through similar things know that it is not their fault. Jesus Christ, the entire site makes me sob, in a deep and real and super important way.

Sometimes hearing “I believe you, it’s not your fault” is the best thing possible.

4. 5 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight by Robyn

So often, people come to me wanting weight loss, eating a very low amount of calories, exercising constantly, and wondering why the scale doesn’t budge.

The first thing I ask is “Why do you think you need to lose weight?” The second things I ask are “Are you taking enough rest days? How’s your sleep? What’s your stress level like?”

Weight is a funny thing. It changes when our lives aren’t great. It has something to do with food, but not nearly as much as you’d imagine. If you don’t eat enough, weight loss is going to become impossible reeeeeally quick. (Also, y’all know I am not like rah! rah! rah! Go weight loss!, right? The reality is, my services sometimes *do* help people lose weight, but I’m definitely not weight loss advocate of the century. It makes me nervous to mention weight loss in tandem with Super Strength Health because dudes, what I really do is help you feel more rad. That could result in weight loss, or weight gain, or weight maintenance. Get it? Good.)

Tuning Out Food Noise by Gena Hamshaw

Gena Hamshaw, you’ve done it again. For those triggered by talk of other people’s diets and exercise regimens, this is a perfect article for realigning your focus.

What other folks do has nothing to do with you. Keeping your eye on the holistic health of your body, mind, and heart is what’s most important.

Also, I love the shit out of every single one of you.

Have a good week!