Hey there ,
Last week, I told you all about my coffee quandaries, and now, as I’m sitting here at my favorite café in Bondi drinking a “long macc” aka a double-shot macchiato, I’m thinking again about discomfort and how much I like the challenge of newness because it forces me to adjust and watch what happens.
Admittedly, it’s hard to adjust when I’m so regimented and my eating is completely automated. And unlike how I did things years ago – program jumping every 12 weeks from one coach or “plan” to the next – I don’t necessarily feel the need or desire to change things up all the time.
Trying out new plans and programs doesn’t excite me anymore. In fact, just the thought of trying to be compliant on a plan is exhausting. No thanks!
But, here in Sydney, I don’t have “my food” really. I don’t have a Whole Foods Market right down the street to get my #BASes, and I’m not familiar with the restaurants here enough yet to have “favorites” and places I frequent where I am totally sold on the meals. And as you know, I am not a fan of cooking, so I’m usually
dining out or getting take-out.
Luckily, one thing that has completely changed for me over the last several years is the need to be “be home so I can be in control of my eating.”
Ever go on vacation and reach that point where you’re like, “Just get me the hell home so I can get back in control of my eating!!!” It’s almost like, when you’re out of your normal surroundings, it’s game-on with eating and the only way to get “back on track” is by
getting home to your kitchen. Trying to eat well on the road seems pointless? I used to feel like that ALL the time.
But one cool thing about learning to trust the process and more importantly, trust YOURSELF to be able to make the best decision possible anywhere (even Italy!) is that it honestly doesn’t matter where I end up. I can handle it, and figure it out.
So, changes, newness, discomfort. But more importantly, getting comfy with that
discomfort and adjusting accordingly. This takes some self-compassion and introspection. Watching what happens with your new approach, how your body responds and modifying accordingly. It’s been fun!
So, what have I’ve been up the last few weeks?
Exercise:
Prior to coming to Australia, I had been doing Metabolic 10 workouts, designed by Metabolic Effect, focusing
on one single strength component and then an 8-12 minute metabolic conditioning circuit. Follow the #Met10 workouts here. I love these workouts – they’re short but intense.
And if you haven’t pre-ordered Jade and Keoni’s book (on shelves in April), ‘Lose Weight Here’ grab it here for a better understanding of what I am going to say next.
One of the great things about the Met10 workouts is that they keep my hunger and cravings down because the volume is not that much. I was essentially following a “Eat Less, Exercise Less” model because I simply wasn’t as hungry (“ELEL” approach according to Jade and Keoni and
their new book). I love this approach because it’s psychologically effortless. I hardly think about food, and it’s my operating system 90% of the time for physique maintenance. I don’t really add muscle or get leaner, I just maintain with very little mental effort. It’s
awesome.
But in Australia, I signed up at CrossFit Bondi for the month. The idea being that I know what I am getting, the workouts are consistent and it’s mentally easier for someone else to do my programming. Say whatever you want about CrossFit – I am not advocating either way – but my experience is that if you are someone who’s already an intermediate exerciser, in pretty good shape and move well, it helps you improve. Get stronger, learn new skills, add muscle
and yes, get leaner.
In other words, over the last couple weeks, I’ve been “building a body” more. I’ve been shaping a little more because I am doing MORE volume. The workouts are longer (an hour with the breaks), higher volume, heavier and holy shit, are they tough. I have attached a sample workout for you to this email :) Thank you CrossFit
Bondi. Warning: best suited for intermediate to advanced exercisers.
Anyway, in my latest unfiltered progress pics (below), I’m noticing more cuts and definition in my midsection and my legs are even popping a little more. No sizes changes in clothes, just a subtly tighter look: Nutrition:
And while I’m loving the new challenges in my training, man, I am freaking HUNGRY.
Hunger is
new.
It’s not mindless hunger – I am still honing mindfulness and just staying aware, versus allowing ravenous hunger to turn my brain off and eat with abandon. But it’s been interesting and insightful navigating this.
I guess I am in what Jade and Keoni call the “Eat More, Exercise More” or EMEM phase of ‘Lose Weight Here.’
And while this approach definitely takes more mental effort because I am simply more aware of food, my sensations and needing to access food more frequently, it’s worth rotating this in at times because well, I do see pretty noticeable physical results. Which when I’m doing ELEL, while it takes very little mental energy (which I love), I
don’t attain the same results.
So it’s a toss up. Both are great approaches and both have utility, depending how much time and mental effort you can give to your physique.
Because here’s something I want to share with you: even though you want to give a lot to seeing improvements in your body, sometimes, you have to honor other things, like competing obligations, responsibilities, priorities, finite focus, willpower burnout,
whatever.
And giving yourself permission to ebb and flow with that is both a sign of wisdom and a sign of knowing yourself. You are human, and the idea that you should be doing more or should be leaner or should be better that this dammit, is just a trap where you get to keep feeling bad about yourself and never actually get better.
So don’t automatically jump on the EMEM train. It’s what I am currently doing
and again, while I am getting great results, I am working for it (mentally and physically)! My day-to-day professional work has taken somewhat of a backseat and also, being in Australia by myself has given me lots of personal time to dedicate to this pursuit. It won't last forever – I don’t want it to -- but for now I am enjoying the new challenge.
How am I changing up my
nutrition?
Well, I am still eating moderately, of course so that I stay satisfied 100% of the time and keep cravings in check. But I am eating more healthy starches and eating a bit more in general.
Take yesterday’s lunch with my friend Kirsty: #BAS (obvi) with some corn and avocado, plus a few onion rings to split and some oysters. I’d normally not get onion rings because I’d be fine with just a salad and a glass of wine,
but my appetite is up, and it’s totally fine. Adjusting. NBD. Last Sunday night, I had a great meet-up with some JillFit gals in Melbourne and killed a 12 oz ribeye, a huge salad and a couple glasses of wine. Was amazing, no guilt, and the company was spectacular. Felt satisfied, not stuffed
and no need to overindulge later. But definitely a larger volume of food than usual.
I am still doing my normal Intermittent Sampling with some new protein bars and sugar-free chocolates I’ve been able to get over here. And drinking wine a few nights a week:
I am also trying some new dishes and taking advantage of the fresh seafood and amazing grass-fed beef. Things like oysters, kangaroo, crabs, lamb and grass-fed burgers. Eating more red meat, which is a change I’m loving (I’m iron-deficient) and the B vitamins and
carni-nutrients are helping with energy management, which of course I need for these insane workouts!
So what’s the take-away?
The simple take-away is this: your eating and training will ebb and flow, depending not only on your goal (which I think we normally think is the ONLY consideration), but also on your time, mental energy available, priorities, circumstances, competing obligations,
priorities, etc. And that’s fine. There is no right or wrong about it.
But the key for me, has been honoring the new developments in my nutrition as a result of bumping my training. The different between years ago when I was doing 2-3 hours of cardio a day and now, when I am doing mostly high-volume weight training is a) the training modality, of course. I am getting elevated cortisol through weight training (similar to cardio) but I am also taking advantage of
naturally elevated testosterone and growth hormone (not similar to cardio) so my appetite is staying more in check than it used to. And b) and most importantly, I AM MORE MINDFUL THAN EVER.
Years ago, when I was doing the deprive-then-binge, I was forever ping-pong'ing back
and forth from obsessive, restrictive “dieting” and when my willpower inevitably gave out, it was brain-shut-down mode, eating with abandon. I never practiced the in-between stuff. I couldn’t because the nature of deprivation left me powerless to try to stop the binging. They are opposites and extremes and when you push on one, the other reacts to an equal and opposite degree.
#Moderation365 is about mindfulness and navigating the middle every time you sit
down to eat. I am still doing that. I am just more mindful of portions and food choices. Not going off the rails like I would have when experiencing an uptick in appetite 5 years ago.
Mindfulness is liberating. And a couple solid years of cruising at ELEL, it’s nice to bump the intensity again, learn some new skills and eat accordingly. Still not obsessive. Still not stressed. Still not deprived. Just observing and amending.
I LOVE THIS
PROCESS!
It’s always changing. It’s always ebbing. There's always a chance to introspect and learn our bodies. When you engage in the journey, you don’t have to stress about the destination because you know what? The learning that happens as a result of the engagement and awareness is the destination. And if you can find the courage to relax and watch and resist the temptation to try to control every single little thing, you free up the mental energy
to flow with what’s going on in real time.
I hope this was helpful to you! As always, I’d love to hear how you are doing with everything – are you still practicing #moderation365, navigating the middle? Are you still honoring YOUR process and not looking outside yourself for the answers? Respond back and let me know!
Have a great weekend, and remember to pre-order ‘Lose Weight Here’, Jade and Keoni’s latest book all about taking the brakes off stubborn fat and so much more on the ELEL and EMEM protocols and how to use them. Not the same old stuff. As always, the boys bring the novelty, the science and the simplicity. GET IT. It’s $15 well spent, I guarantee it.
Talk soon!
Xo, Jill
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