Friday, May 9, 2014

Five Fitness Truths

Happy Friday from the Philippines! I've been on the go pretty much non-stop since I landed at 4:30 AM on Thursday, checked into my hotel at 6:00 AM, and left for my first meeting at 7:30 AM. I didn't take any pretty pictures yet, but I did manage to get in some abs and arms work on Thursday and a quick 20 minute run in today.


I'm a little low on energy and wasn't really sure what to write about. Luckily, Michele suggested a great theme for this week's Friday Five Linkup with Eat Pray Run DC, Mar on the Run and You Signed Up for What?!: Five Fitness Truths. So I'm sharing five truths that I've learned throughout my recent healthy living journey. Boom. Blog post topic done!

1. Getting fit is a tough, slow journey
So I think we all know this in theory, but it's worth a reminder that one day or even one week of eating well and working out really hard really won't make a big difference in how your body looks or performs. It takes time, and realizing that can help you keep going.



2. It's ok to give yourself a break sometimes
On a related note, missing a workout or consuming a crazy amount of calories in one meal isn't the end of the world. And I'm pretty sure beating yourself up about it is worse for you than just enjoying it.

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3. You can't workout hard enough to eat whatever you want and lose weight
Believe me, I've tried. Hard. 

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4. It should feel good
Ok so fitness can be a huge pain to fit in and a tough workout can sometimes feel pretty terrible at the time. On the whole, however your fitness journey should be making you feel great. If you're hating every minute of it, then change it up until you find something you enjoy. You'll be much more likely to stick with it if it feels good.

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5. It's all about balance
When I won my DietBet I could see my abs and was lighter than I'd ever been in my adult life. But I had to think about calories ALL the time. Seriously, I almost vomited trying to cardio kick box after drinking a margarita with my rec league volleyball team I hadn't prepared for. Not worth it. On the flip side, since moving to Santa Barbara I did a ridiculous amount of emotional late-night eating of fairly healthy food in large-quantities and now my shorts are super tight. Also not ok. It's all about finding that healthy balance. Still working on it. 

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Q. Have you learned any great fitness truths you'd like to share? Or do you like to keep them to yourself?

27 comments:

  1. I bet it's gorgeous there! You're right about #2. One meal won't make or break you. It's a lifelong process. Have a great trip. #FridayFive

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    1. Thanks Deborah! Lots of beautiful places here, trying to soak it in as much as possible!

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  2. #2 for SURE! it's so important to remember that! thanks for linking up all the way from the Philippines :)

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    1. I know right? It's hard sometimes though. Thanks for hosting as always!

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  3. #2 is so very true! there is nothing wrong with a little moderation, nothing. Love that you joined us from the Phillippines!!

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  4. ahhh ahah I need to eat a skinny person! Love that! hope you're having a great trip!

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    1. Thanks! Me too! Maybe we can go in on one together? Haha ok that's wrong.

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  5. #3 is what gets me every time. I've been a faithful runner and triathlete for 16 years and I still gain weight when training for a marathon or half marathon because I think - Hey! Burned mega calories on a 9 mile run even before I ever got to work today - I can eat whatever I want! Good post!

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    1. Thanks Lisa! I know, if there really was a workout plan that I could do to be fit and eat all the things, I would do it. I love food so much :)

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  6. When I start my run, it never fails I am hating life, and then after mile 1 I am loosened up and it begins to feel better. :-) Oh I must stretch afterwards but I am so hard headed I think I will regret neglecting this much needed activity very soon.

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    1. Yea its a love hate relationship with some exercises for me but the love usually wins out. Thanks for stopping by!

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  7. Balance with everything - be it exercise and diet, is KEY!! Unfortunately a lot of uneducated people who start their healthy lifestyles think they can exercise 1 hour and then chow down on something extremely calorie heavy because they "deserve it"... And then when they don't see any results, they'll give up :(

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    1. Yea I'm definitely still trying to find that balance, but I'm not giving up! Thanks for stopping by :)

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  8. Wow, I am impressed that you just got to the Phillipines and already you've made time to blog with us. You rock!

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    1. Thanks! Can't stay away. It keeps me sane :)

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  9. Love #4! You have to enjoy it or you won't stick with it.

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  10. These are all great points, especially the one about needing balance! I hope you have a good trip.

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    1. Thanks Chaitali! Definitely still working on the balance thing.

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  11. Great truths Amanda - especially #2! I'm so impressed you got your workouts in - go you!

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    1. Thanks Jenny! So far, so good. Will be much harder to keep up as the trip goes on!

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  12. #3, all the way. People sometime say, well you run so much, you can eat whatever you want! Not true. It catches up with you - especially as I get older!

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    1. Yea so true. If I could run enough to eat whatever I wanted, I'd probably run a lot more :)

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  13. I love this post - really awesome points! Yes, balance. I'm working on that now. Thanks for linking up and now I must go read more about what you're doing in the Philippines!

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    1. Thanks Cynthia! Stay tuned for updates, probably mostly food pics. It's what I love most about traveling :)

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  14. Thanks to the author for writing such an informative blog and I completely agree with her views. There is a huge misconception among Millennials that eating a bad or cheat meal when following a workout schedule will make them gain fat. This is absolutely not true because a single meal won't affect the fat intake of your body just like eating a single good diet meal will not make you lose weight. Gaining a toned body is a time taking process and it requires your dedication and patience. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy balance is more important and it will help you achieve a fabulous body.
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