SUGAR IS A DRUG

More MUST KNOW information on The Taste Trifecta.

I was recently sent this article posted on GOOP by a friend who, after reading it, decided it was time for a sugar-detox.  This article is a powerful and concise reminder of why I am detoxing as we speak.  Dr. Frank Lipman in, Overcoming Sugar Addiction also offers many tips to deal with sugar cravings for WHEN you decide to get off this "socially acceptable" drug.  Check out this article and/or see my short summary below!

The Whole30 and A(nother) Public Display of Data

We can accomplish more together.

If we share our goals, I will know why you want to succeed.  I can challenge your strength and you will do more than you thought you could.   

If we share our fears, I will know why you are scared.  I can help you find strength in a moment where you thought failure was inevitable.  I knew you were never weak.  

You will hold me accountable and I will do the same for you.  Our fears and our desires are our strongest propellants; both are hard to admit to ourselves, and they are even harder to admit to someone else.  BUT say you did, say you could.

When you ask yourself what you really want, and you set goals that seem a little impossible, but they are really what you desire, believe that you are strong enough to share your goals and your fears with someone else.  

You will hold yourself more accountable if you have figured out WHY you want something.  You will hold yourself more accountable if you know someone is going to ask you if you accomplished your goal that day.

I have 6 long-term goals that I am committing to; every month there are short-term actions that I need to take to meet those goals.  Not all of these goals are "training" related, so I will leave the others out.  The remaining two are:

7 STEPS to Make a Training Plan for the Holidays

I am an athlete in training and I have found myself in the midst of the holiday season without a plan.

This predicament of being an athlete, being in training, being in the middle of many holiday parties, and being without a plan is not new to me.  I have always been an athlete, I have usually been in training, and I do not think I have ever had a good plan of attack to deal with the holidays.

The holidays need to be dealt with for obvious reasons: they involve lots of food, traveling, and stress.

Food gets sweeter and heavier; traveling pulls you away from your gym, and your workout routine; stress increases when unexpected challenges present themselves, and we often find ourselves facing all of these holiday pitfalls alone.

This year needs to be different.  It needs to be different because tryouts are approaching for the Boston Militia!  If tryouts are in January, this month, December is precisely the time I need to be kicking my training into full gear.  I cannot get lazy.  I am going to follow these steps to create my own plan AND I am going to come up with some tough input and output challenges to make sure I am working towards my goals and becoming a better athlete than I was in college.

STEP 1: Think about the big picture
This is important, ask yourself at the end of the holiday season: how will you know if your training plan worked?

STEP 2: Pick one or two things to focus on
You cannot fight every battle, so what battles are you willing to fight everyday?  Is it more important for you to focus on your food, or getting your workout in?  Make sure you know what your priorities are so that if you are running out of time and you need to cut something, you already know what you can cut.

STEP 3: Make a calendar
Part I: Decide how many days a week your want to work out
Part II: What days, and what time you will hit the gym, or get a workout in?
Part III: When will you go grocery shopping?
Part IV: When will you cook?

The First Input Challenge: No nuts or nut butter for 10 days

Reason: Even though nuts are a great source of things like fat, protein and minerals like zinc, I like nuts too much.  Unsalted raw almond butter is like candy to me.

Since taking the Paleo leap (and even before) nuts were an easy out.  A handful for a snack, or a couple tablespoons with an apple.  Unfortunately when you do this several times a day, your fat intake gets high fast.  My weight has always been pretty stable, but I know if I want to get as competitive and fast as I can that means changing my body composition: loosing fat and gaining muscle.

Goals for this Input Challenge: 
1. To include nuts in my diet 3-5 times a week instead of everyday
2. To get creative and think of better snack options for afternoon hunger
3. To stop eating spoonfuls of almond butter for dinner

Challenge Ends: November 20th, 2010

Snack ideas and encouragement are welcome.  If you have ideas for future challenges, or if you have a vice  you are struggling with post them or write me!