Sunday Bloody Sunday

For many of us Sunday is a day of relaxation. What this usually means is that it is also a day of throwing the good eating habits right out the window(especially if you are nursing a hangover). I will be the first to say I like to eat and not necessarily what is always healthiest for me. Sunday typically involves joining friends and family for a big meal and not getting a whole lot of anything else done. Most of you are more than likely a whole lot more dedicated to your fitness at this point than I am so if this doesn't apply I'm sorry. For the rest of you I have some good news and some bad news. I will start with the bad news. Being fit , or in good health is a full time commitment. There are no true holidays, breaks, or days off. Much like roller derby it is a way of life rather than just something you play with. This means that everything that you put into your body will either help or hurt you. Some substances you may feel have no affect however for your body to process even these means that it has to take it's focus off of something else. Again for some of you this is not an issue but we can all improve. If you are just beginning a new mindset where weight management, weight loss, or athletic performance are being considered this can feel like a daunting task. There is a ton of information out there about everything under the sun that can either help or hurt you. The problem is that among the vast available info many things seem to contradict each other. Let's take for example the myth of not eating after 8 pm. Many believe that the key to losing or maintaining weight is stopping your food intake by 8 in the evening. This may help you but it is not entirely true. There is nothing magical about this time of day that makes your body think that because it's eight and your no longer consuming that it is free to shed a few unwanted pounds. What the key is here, rather, is the fact that your metabolism slows while you sleep to a degree and having excess calories on a slow metabolism will allow your body to retain or gain weight. If you work overnight, you should eat because your body needs nutrition. The better approach to this is to stop taking in calories 2-3 hrs. before you go to sleep. So with some of the bad news out of the way, let's get to some good news. The good news is that if you keep your diet clean and mange your energy intake(calories) daily, you can afford to have an occasional bad day and the effect will be much more minimal. This means if you are going to be bad occasionally(like once every few weeks) go to town. Provided that you go overboard all at once your body will not be able to process all of the excess and will be forced to pass much of it rather than retain it as fat. Before you get too excited keep in mind that this is based on individuals to some degree and certain health conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or food allergies can cause different reactions. Generally speaking though it is better to have on blowout your diet day than to cheat as little as 100 calories throughout your week. These are just a few things to keep in mind as you enjoy what I hope will be a great fall day! Here is your workout!

60 min. moderate active rest( take a walk, play in the park, whatever you enjoy that does not involve just sitting still)
STRETCH

Enjoy!

J