Skinny Tuesday

***I need a proverbial swift kick in the butt. I ran around the neighborhood last week, one day, uhm yeah, that's it. For the week. One run around the neighborhood. AND did I mention the amount of calories I allowed myself to eat. I had a cheat week, not day, cheat week. sigh. I will not stop brushing my teeth, I will not stop brushing my teeth.......***


This week I am talking about paradoxes for health and fitness. A paradox is defined as: a statement that contradicts itself.

Here are a couple that I read about on SP and when talking with friends these are usually brought up.


PARADOX: You can get more results with less effort.



Opposite of everything you’ve ever been told, how is this possible? Simply put, as you build yourself a strong foundation, you don't have to stretch as far to get what you want. Pretend you're collecting walnuts from a tree by throwing rocks into the branches. At first, you'd have some success, but the effort outweighs the results.

Now, suppose you started to build a ladder by grinding the used walnuts into a woody pulp, a ladder that grew as you collected more walnuts — a cycle of growth begins. The higher the ladder grows, the closer you get to the walnuts. The closer you get, the easier it is to hit and collect more walnuts for your ladder, your foundation. Eventually, you'll reach the branches. Then, just by shaking the branches, you can collect hundreds of walnuts in just a few seconds. Ta-da! Results outweigh the effort. You'll also be in a perfect spot to go after a higher tree.


PARADOX: Perfectionism does not lead to perfection.


Excellence is a good thing.

So is working as hard as possible to create, build, and perform to the best of your abilities. But what you may not realize is that trying to be perfect can actually hinder your chances of being excellent. The pursuit of perfection comes with an ugly flip side: a fear of failure, or fear of making a mistake.

This fear keeps a lot of people from trying something different or learning a new skill. They'd rather not try than go through the anguish of not doing it perfectly. The perfectionist likes to stick with things she knows that she can do. To succeed, you need to grow, learn, and expand your world. By erasing your opportunities for testing the water, perfectionism limits your growth, and takes away your chances of finding a more excellent path. That's why your physical foundation is so critical. It gives you the confidence and support you need to take those chances, to recover from mistakes, and test the limits of possibility.


New addition to Skinny Tuesday will be a suggested exercise of the week. I will be doing this exercise along with my regular workout. Just give it a try and have fun with it.


EXERCISE OF THE WEEK:


Lower Back Extensions - You can find a demo HERE


Our core is very important. Having a strong core helps the rest of the body move and balance more efficiently. For all us with little babies, having a strong lower back helps when lifting those baby carriers and wee ones after a scrape on the knee. Our lower backs undergo a lot of stress when lifting because most of use do not lift with the legs. Added bonus, having a strong lower back helps with those crunches to tone the tummy. Never underestimate the importance of a strong back!!


TIP OF THE WEEK:


When possible, to help portion control, cook your meal in the size portion you want. For example, when making meatloaf use a pan with several small loaf slots, or when making a pie, use ramekins instead of a pie plate. Do not be afraid to use measuring cups and ration out your meals ahead of time - that is why we have tupperware! It is surprising how much 2/3c rice really looks on your plate.

I do not use the "rule of fist" when it comes to portion size. I can make my fist several different sizes. So, I feel as though this leaves me room to eat more of something bad - a built in failure. If you like this rule I would recommend having a portion 1/2 the size of your tightened fist. Always better to start small, in my opinion.