Kris is back! That’s Kris Parmelee, the owner and operator of Avec Moi, a take-out spot for healthy, homemade food to go. She has an update on how she is getting back on the healthy track.
In my last blog, I talked about mission creep, how I had lost sight of my personal mission to live a healthy and clean lifestyle. Since that time, I have made significant efforts to clean up my act. Here are the top seven things I have implemented and learned to date:
- Protein—not carbs—give me energy. I am a carb craver, no doubt about it. But, there is no denying how much better I feel on days when I make sure I eat plenty of protein. If I start my day with carbs, I tend to make bad food choices all day. I also don’t have the energy—or more importantly the endurance to exercise. I don’t always nail it, but I am now far more conscious of my protein intake with each meal.
- Friends matter. A great challenge this time around has been my lack of disposable income. But, friends and the outdoors are free and I have made great use of both. I had honestly forgotten how important friendships were to my emotional health. Now, almost every time I exercise, it’s with friends and boy does it feel good to laugh and confide—all while burning calories!
- It doesn’t take long to feel a difference. The very first thing I did when I started trying to get back in shape was meet a friend who is an experienced triathlete for a run/walk on the Monon Trail. I thought I was going to pass out. I was sweating, gasping for air and counting seconds until I was done with just a single running interval. But, soon, I found that I was able to push myself more and more and now, I am able to run five times longer than I could the first time I tried!
- I need to keep moving, even if it isn’t as long, as fast or as intense as I would like. Some days, life takes over and a 45 minute walk/run just won’t work. Some days, I didn’t sleep or eat well and I could barely run for five minutes. But, the point is that I know I have to keep moving—at whatever level my life or body allows me to each day. That same triathlete told me about her “BTN” runs. I think about that when I can’t do what I want to or think I need to—at least what I am doing is 100% Better Than Nothing.
- Apparently, I get bored easily. I have learned I have to mix it up; even running the same route every day is daunting. One of my favorite finds is Zumba twice a week with my friend. It’s very affordable (usually $5 a class and available all over town), super intense and the routines and music change often. If you want to give Zumba a try, enter your zip code here to find classes in your area.
- Information is key (even if you think you already know everything!). A great investment for me was WeightWatchers online. Sure, keeping track of my daily points has helped, but more importantly, I love their recipes, lists of healthy snacks, etc. For some reason, even things I already know are more inspiring and encouraging coming from their online resources.
- I see myself again. You may remember I told you in my last entry that I was once an avid tennis player. That person seemed so out of reach until about two weeks ago when for the first time in about 18 months, I could actually see myself playing tennis again.
The results? I feel so much better. My eyes look brighter, my face looks thinner and things…well, just don’t jiggle as much as they did just six weeks ago.
Tags: Avec Moi, Kris Parmelee, motivation, Zumba
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