Lead by Example
In the 1984 film Karate Kid, one of Mr. Miyagi’s pieces of wisdom to Daniel after he had been jumped by the ‘skeleton crew’ was ‘No such thing as bad student, only bad teacher.’ Leading and being a good example to our members was a prime reason behind my own goals as I work alongside everyone in this Fit Challenge. We coach the right principles to our students, but do we also lead by example? These past three weeks I haven’t felt the part.
The week after the freeze I was scrambling to get enough food in. The week was busy enough as it is, but I also was behind on food preparation. This meant undereating for most of the week, and substituting quality, whole-food selections for ‘not so quality and whole-food’. These last couple weeks have been better, but I am still not all the way there. I find that underneath the layers there is still something uniquely ‘challenging’ about all of this.
Last year I spent in ‘bulk’ phase for my bodybuilding, so it wasn’t particularly hindersome that we had to deal with added anxiety and uncertainty. Excess food and pleasurable food fed both needs; but what I’ve been left with afterwards is inconsistent habits and a need for ‘relief’ more often than I remember. I have discovered that there almost is an ‘extra’ challenge to our current scenario of life.
A few recent habits that have been more consistent that I introduced at the outset of this challenge are:
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- Hydration
- Training Days I ultimately aim to get a full liter in while working out, and then 96 oz. of water on top of this (two, 48 oz. Nalgene bottles). Non-training days I try for around 128 oz. (1 gallon) of water total for the day.
- When waking up in the morning first thing I try to drink an 8 oz. cup of warm water w/ half a fresh-squeezed lemon.
- Your liver is actually a ‘fat-burning’ organ!
- Warm lemon water helps detoxify the gall bladder and liver, and also helps in the formation of bile. This means better fat metabolism.
- I have added 500mg (1 capsule) of Green Tea extract to my morning supplements first thing upon waking. This is a supplement which also acts as a minor ‘fat burning aid’.
- Hydration
My food intake continues to be below what it needs to, and is inconsistent in terms of nutrients. As of current, my morning weight is 260.2, which means I am actually down in weight slightly since starting these last couple weeks. There is more work to be done!
Yours in Health,
Coach Seena
