PJ Geek provided some wonderful insight into what may have triggered yesterday's struggle. She writes in her comment:
"This may sound weird but I'm pretty sure there is some scientific truth to it. My therapists and I explored this , so I will give you the benefit of a few hours of therapy I've had. I like to go to casinos (strictly small time slots but also roulette in the old days) but don't go to casinos but maybe once a year. That is a good thing. I think the part of the brain triggered by gambling -even gambling for charity- is the same part of the brain that gets triggered with compulsive food behaviors. I'm not sure what came first the gambling or the food thoughts, so I could be wrong. But just wanted to put this out there for future reference."
I honestly didn't think about this being the connection, but it makes perfect sense. The gambling came first and even though it was for charity, the highs and lows of it all where still present--and just enough to awaken that side of my brain that says give me more!! I couldn't identify exactly why I was feeling weak with struggle and then I read her comment and it clicked. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the hardest to recognize! Thank you, PJ, for adjusting my perspective! PJ Geek has a wonderful blog, too! Give her a visit here.
I made it through yesterday by reaching out for some much needed spot support and by evening I was feeling perfectly fine again. I slept exceptionally well for nearly nine hours last night. I awoke today feeling confident and on solid ground.
I prepared a good breakfast and made plans for a great workout followed by lunch and a movie out with my oldest daughter and her fiance. I finished up my workout at the YMCA this afternoon with twenty minutes to spare before they were scheduled to pick me up for the outing. I raced home, showered, shaved and got dressed in under 15 minutes. I was moving!
I've been reading the owners manual for my NordicFlex and tonight I started using it. Literally every muscle in the body can be worked with this machine. I'm not sure this machine is the best option for me right now. That's too bad, because it's in my spare bedroom--and that's convenient. I may start with the weights at the YMCA instead. Mainly because I need to build up my right arm strength to match my left.
My right arm is different from my left because it was broken when I was born--and it healed back incorrectly. The arm is shorter than my left and isn't as flexible. I've naturally used it much less than my left over the years, so naturally there's always been a major imbalance. I've been told over and over that this will correct with time and to use the same weight on both arms until the right naturally catches up. It's only something I'll fully get when I do it, kind of like how I always heard what a difference maker cutting out sugar could be--but wasn't fully convinced it was for me until I honestly tried--and then I was a 1000% believer.
My resistance to a committed weight training regimen is rooted in this "weak-side" issue. It truly isn't just my arm--it's my entire right side from head to toe. My arm limitations kept me from actively using it--and that meant I wasn't moving that side of my body as much--so you can see how this has grown into a bigger issue. Overcoming this hangup I have and succeeding with weight training will be another big transformative experience, I'm sure.
I prepared a fantastic dinner tonight followed by some homemade sugar free cookies for dessert. I received the recipe in my email recently. I modified it slightly because I couldn't find sugar free chocolate chips. Instead, I used whole grain quick oats, a ripe banana, cinnamon and a 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk. I baked four fairly good size sugar free cookies. I had three as a dessert for 210 calories! They were pretty good. I'll likely leave out the cashew milk next time and allow them to get crispier.
My Tweets today:
Good morning! I hope you're feeling well! I'm feeling pretty good. I slept very well and long! Sf creamer. 30CX2=60C pic.twitter.com/7c7GEK1RAC
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
Cheesesteak omelet in the pan. pic.twitter.com/Djz1kqOGRy
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
Two whole eggs, three whites, 1 slice mozzarella, 4oz sirloin tip steak: Cheesesteak Omelet! 433 calories! #delish pic.twitter.com/w7PixmZkUN
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
It's time for a great workout! ;) #cardio #elliptical
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
Excellent workout today. I broke the 400 calorie burned barrier! 402! ;)
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
Tagging along with my daughter and her fiancé on their Sunday date. Lunch & movie! Chips (11 chips) & salsa. 154 cal. pic.twitter.com/EYWOtR82wl
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
Two crispy chicken tacos. No cheese. Chicken breast, grilled onions, lettuce & sour cream. 319 cal. pic.twitter.com/gZybif9lzm
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2014
Gluten free penne pasta (1.5 srv) with sugar free marinara (1srv), Green beans (3 srvgs). 415 cal. pic.twitter.com/q8LLEhwKSj
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) December 1, 2014
Sugar free oatmeal banana cinnamon cookies. 3/4 banana, 3/4 srv whl grain oats, 1/4 c Cashew milk, cinnamon. 210 cal. pic.twitter.com/a2l8sv8y4b
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) December 1, 2014
Small Honeycrisp apple. #lastfoodofday 55 calories. pic.twitter.com/SMeBa5SOr9
— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) December 1, 2014
Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Hi Sean! Look out, ol' lady about to spout off here. ;-) Really, if we could sit and sip a cuppa joe, I'd tell you of all the times I did exercises the way "they" told me, and got injured. Such a hard lesson, to learn, to trust your own instincts.
ReplyDeleteRecently read from an online trainer: to be careful about increasing Strength, before increasing Flexibility.
Did I listen???? sigh...
Been seeing a physical therapist to regain leg strength and mobility. Working around lots of health issues (shot knees, weaknesses on right side in leg/knee/shoulder...). Know where I'm going with this yet?? Yep, I didn't listen to myself, and got painfully injured on the second visit. She said she heard my warning, but also thought I just wasn't pushing hard enough, and wanted both sides to work together (and I could FEEL they could not, and had to demand to stop, though it was too late). sigh again...
But... I DID learn a lot of good stuff from her, after I "straightened her out", ha ha. So I was wondering if you might benefit from something like that, too. Not just a gym jock who is trained to "push" you, but someone trained to help people overcome limitations/injuries, etc.
Oh, and I learned about Kinesiology Tape. Holy moly, I can do stuff with my rotten knee correctly taped up that I haven't been able to do in 10 years!! Weight lifters, Olympians, athletes, and injured ol' ladies use it. :-) I got the pink tape, after my physical therapist taught me how to use it right: http://www.amazon.com/Kinesiology-Featuring-Kinesio-Strapping-Applications/dp/B00M286K0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417414168&sr=8-1&keywords=beast+tape
Anyway, my 2 cents worth.
Hugs to you, my friend. So glad you're doing well.
Loretta
Well duh, I forgot that Heather is a fitness coach. She'll know all about this stuff. :-D
DeleteI must say, Retta--Sitting down and talking over a cup of coffee with you would be such a wonderful thing!!
DeleteExcellent advice--and thank you!! I'm going to take it very slow!
I've heard of this tape you speak of--a friend of mine is a chiropractor and she uses this all the time. I may give her a call.
Thank you, Retta!
Heather is a fitness coach! Her and I are no longer a couple--but certainly friends. She's given me some wonderful advice, too.
So good to hear from you, Retta!
Hey , glad to be of service on the gambling-food connection. I love sharing all of the good knowledge that I've accumulated over the years of therapy and experience.
ReplyDeleteAbout that weak arm...I've also worked with personal trainers and had to have physical therapy. There is always a weaker side of the body for some people -even without injury. Every trainer I've had comments on it when they work with me and they see one arm and the other leg struggling more than their partner. We've never adjusted the weight, but I always just try even though one side is obviously not able to do as many reps or the full extension or flexion. I think trusting when to say No is a good thing in order to prevent injury . That being said a big lesson I learned in working with a trainer is that I say No a lot out of fear but just trying sometimes shows me that I can do more. When asked what my goals are it is always #1 to prevent injury and #2 to increase overall strength. My weaker sides never catch up but do get stronger. I also experience less injury when I listen to my trainers rather than do my own thing. good luck/
It was excellent insight, PJ--thank you, again!
DeleteThank you for sharing this about your strength training. Part of me knows that if I just let go and jump in--I'll be fine, as long as I listen and take it slow. It's certainly time for me to stop talking about it and give it an honest effort. As apprehensive as I've been--I truly believe it'll be fantastic.
Wow! YES, I get it! I , too , love , love gambling! Its exactly as you said, Sean, the highs and lows... the hits and then the let down of it. I guess we could use that in food also. the highs of eating that delish piece of cake and then the let down that we let ourselves down. Never put it together , so thanks PJ! And Sean!
ReplyDeleteLike I keep saying, always learning, always thinking , always trying to succeed.
It makes total sense, right? It's activating the same part of the brain--and as far as I can tell, the brain doesn't differentiate between elements--gambling, food or whatever...the brain wants more stimulation of those pleasure sensors however it can get 'em... It's fantastic insight and it will have me seriously rethinking getting involved again--even for charity...I can think of many other ways to raise money for a charity! Thank you, A! Glad it helped you, too!!
DeleteI think there is truth in the saying that food determines the size of your body, and exercise determines the composition.
ReplyDeleteThe Y might be a good place to start to get some customized advice and routines to get you started. I work out with a trainer at my Y and she is a great source of knowledge and motivation!
Take care!
Neca--Oh my, that makes perfect sense! I plan on consulting a trainer at the Y. I'm getting excited about it--and that's a good thing.
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ReplyDeleteWow, a eye opener for me too on the connection of gambling and over eating. Really, is it addiction in general? Could it be anything that a person becomes addicted to? I've always believed I have a "addictive personality" and feared it to the point where I wouldn't go into a casino or have more than one drink. Why did I not limit the eating too then??? Interesting things to think on. Silly as it may be I do get addicted to computer games. I always want to complete something and get to the next level. There are many areas in my life that this would be a very positive way to be, but oh no, I have to be addicted to Candy Crush and Bingo Blitz! Such a horrible waste of time that could be used for better purposes....like exercise! Oh my, the epiphanies ! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt totally depends on what substances activate that part of our brain. For me, alcohol does nothing, thank goodness. Food and gambling, apparently--different story. This is absolutely where we get to know ourselves well enough to recognize what it is that activates the addiction/pleasure sensors in our brain. I believe, from experience, that once we identify the sources of the activation--then the effects are instability--and I believe the at that point, the brain doesn't care what is used to stimulate--it just craves more stimulation. Epiphanies, indeed!!! Have a great day today, Leah!!
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