Bored Eaters

I'm bored. I have nothing to do and nowhere to go. All my friends are busy and I am, essentially, stuck at home, alone. What to do?  Plop on the couch, watch trash T.V. or a good movie and eat, eat, eat.  Pizza sounds good, salty, buttery popcorn is always good, cookies are a great sugary treat, and how about washing it down with a thick milk shake or a soda.  Funny thing is, I’m not really all that hungry…
Sounds typical, right?  Nothing else to do except sit around and eat.  You’re not hungry, you’re just vegetating (no pun intended).  When you're bored you instinctively become what's called a "bored-eater". You fall into this rut where you have nothing to do and you're at home with an abundance of unhealthy foods and snacks.  They’re accessible and available for massive consumption because, let’s face it, you made it that way by purchasing them.  So what are the reasons behind bored eating?  I am naturally inquisitive (notice how I said inquisitive and not nosy), so I asked a few people and came up with a few good reasons:

1.      Nothing to do – this is clearly obvious.  If you have nothing to do and nowhere to go, of course you are going to eat.  We sit at home in front of the television or behind a computer and automatically feel as if we have to snack.  Solution: get up and do something active.  Exercising at the gym or the park is a great way to stay healthy and in shape. 

2.      Everyone else is doing it – sigh; “when in Rome do as the Romans”.  I used to think it was ok to drink beer when I was in social circles because I wanted to “break the ice”, so to speak, and seem relatively interesting instead of the bored one of the group.  Solution: do not give into the temptation of eating unhealthy just to fit in.  If you are bored and you resort to bad eating habits in social circles just to relate, you may want to look at those circles a little closer.

3.      Depression – I hate to hear people say they eat because they are depressed.  You are in an unhappy state of mind, you are trying to deal with your emotions and in the process, searching for something to soothe or comfort you.  What’s more comforting than chips, cookies, or pizza, things that taste good and will seemingly recharge your neurons?  It is easy to turn to junk food when you’re in an emotional state because it won’t turn on you.  Or will it?  When you fall into bad food patterns it seems harder to get out of them.  Solution: observe the pattern you are creating when in an emotional state of mind and turning to food to cope.  The overeating inevitably leads to weight gain and, undeniably, holding onto that emotion.  It is better to deal with the emotion than to associate it with bad eating choices.

4.      It’s time to eat – I find it funny when people throw time under the bus.  “Time isn’t on my side”; “time is moving too fast”; “I never have enough time”; “the time is now”; “it’s time to eat”.  Time is innocent.  We use time as an excuse for so many things and do not realize if we use it correctly, it can benefit us.  Solution: listen to your body and ask yourself “is it really time to eat or am I just eating because I have nothing else to do right now?”.  There’s nothing wrong with eating at specific times. Body builders and athletes have to do this all the time for muscle growth and retention.  But eating on a schedule and eating at a specific time just because there’s nothing else to do at that time are completely different. 

There are more reasons why people are classified as bored eaters.  I found these to be the most interesting.  There should be no reason a person should eat unhealthy due to boredom.  There are many methods of removing yourself from that bored state of mind, it is a matter of finding what works for you.

Corporate Woman by Day, Fitness Freak by Night

I live your average, everyday corporate lifestyle between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.  During competition prep season, I like to prep my meals for the week on Sunday evening.  I grab my containers, which contains my lunch, snacks, protein shake, another meal, and an extra meal just in case I do not make it home for dinner, and off to work I go.  I usually take up the most room in the refrigerator at work, and I’m ok with that.  I would try to remain inconspicuous and act as if I’m not the owners of all the food containers but, ideally, my initials are conveniently marked on the corners of each container.  My brilliant idea, so no one would suddenly feel the urge to “eat healthy” and snag my food.  Nonetheless, I’m eyeballed each time I step into the kitchen.  No one can understand how someone of my stature, 5’8, 130 lbs, could put away all that food in 8 hours.  “Oh, what ya got there?” “Moving in, are we?”  I avoid the glaring eyes and cute comments and proceed to the refrigerator to stock my food.  I have found that if I tuck my food away in the food crisper drawers, no one notices.  When it’s time to eat, my reminder goes off, and off to the kitchen or my desk drawer I go.  Whenever I’m meeting in someone’s office, my mental clock goes off and I have to ask the time.  If it is feeding time, I politely but hungrily say, “It’s time to feed the beast.  Excuse me.”  And I leave. 

I had a hard time coming to grips with the fact I had to eat every 3 hours, and be ok with it.  I did not eat that much regularly so I wasn’t sure how I would be able to do this during work hours.  I am fairly busy at work and I have been known to skip a meal or two, but I did not think my healthy lifestyle and my work lifestyle could co-exist.  I tried to eat healthy at work, substituting cookies and chips for fruit and veggies, and I thought that was enough.  I was so very wrong.  If I did not eat on a schedule, every 3 hours, it showed in the gym and posing practice, and I could not let that show on stage.  Not to mention the fact I was a bit self-conscious about bringing in so much food and hogging space in the fridge, and also smelling up our kitchen with my fish (I do not microwave my fish), eggs, or vinegar salad dressing.  That changed.  A colleague came to visit our office from another office one day and she confessed to me, after we both shunned the cupcakes and cookies my job had on display in our break room, that she too was a fitness competitor and showed me that she had packed a whole day’s worth of food in her cooler.  I couldn’t believe it.  Not only did she look amazing but she didn’t let her busy schedule or comments from anyone stop her from bringing in her competition prep meals.  I said right then and there I would not be ashamed of bringing in a cooler and truck loads of food into work.  I wouldn’t care how it looked, how awful it smelled, I was going to bring in my food and eat on a schedule. 

After 5:00 pm, it’s beast mode in the gym time.  The makeup, corporate-pleasant attitude and corporate casual attire are stripped.  My hair gets pulled in a pony-tail, covered up by a hat, tights or shorts on, sneakers, and a grizzly bear is before you ready to do some damage.  If I really wanted to be dramatic, I would put some of that black paint under my eyes, but that’s a little extra.  If I’m on schedule, I have my snack or protein shake while I’m there.  If I did not eat, I’m something of a handful with my trainer, or anyone for that matter.  If some of my work associates or even some clients saw me in the gym, they probably would not recognize me or would be very shocked to see hidden under all of the corporate clothes, this “skinny chick” has muscles.  I am extremely focused when working out.  There are times when I “zone out”.  I’m talking no one else is in the room, it’s just me and the weights.  My trainer isn’t even there, just a voice in the distance. 

When I’m focused and on a schedule, I feel much more content.  For those who think you cannot balance work life with a healthy lifestyle, I’m here to tell you that is false.  You can, if you really want to. It takes finding what works for you and setting a strict schedule for yourself, and ultimately sticking to it.  I had a hard time managing stress at work because there were times it would spill over to my workouts.  I found when I eat, take my breaks when I’m supposed to, decompress when I have to, do not skip meals, and work hard in the gym, I’m able to handle things much better.  Try it out and you’ll definitely see it works.

Work With Your Immune System, Not Against It

It's that time of year, where germs are spread more than icing on a red velvet cake.  That is why it is imperative to keep your body healthy and to boost your immune system to ward off any illnesses seeking to disrupt your holiday jolly time.  Essentially, your immune system acts as a protector against germs so that your body will not inevitably shut down.  Incorporating healthy eating choices into your diet and generally understanding your body and how your immune system works allows you to develop a more conscious and healthy lifestyle.

We inhale thousands upon thousands of germs each day.  Take a moment to think about that.  Each time you breathe, you are breathing in millions of germs surrounding you, just floating around in the air without a care in the world.  Knowing this, it makes sense to prep your body for illnesses attempting to attack it.  That's why we boost our immune system.  The same way a company gives out incentives to its employers to boost or strengthen the morale within the workplace so that everyone is happy and on the same page, is the same way our immune systems are boosted.  We want our immune system strengthened so that when germs (bacteria and viruses) attempt to enter our body and shut it down, it will serve as a blocker against them.

Ways to boost your immune system:

1. Drink water - we want to flush out the toxins from our bodies.  The way to do that is staying hydrated.  Another benefit is it helps digest food.  A strong digestive system allows nutrition to distribute adequately.
2. Eat smart, eat healthy - eating gobs of hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, pizza, and drinking soda sounds like a good time, and it's an even better time for those germs to slip in and take over because your immune system is not receiving any nutrients from these types of foods.  Citrus fruits loaded with Vitamin C, foods rich in protein (chicken, fish, turkey, lean cuts of beef), quinoa, black beans, spinach, lemon, ginger, garlic, broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, all are better alternatives for boosting your immune system.
3. Adequate amounts of sleep - it goes without saying; if you do not get enough sleep, your body will shut down on you.  It needs rest to refuel energy levels so that you can do what you did the day before 10 x's better the next day. 
4. Proper hygiene - it is simple; wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, brush your teeth, wash your hair, face and body.  Period.
5. Check ups - it is necessary to make sure your vitals are still vital and your ticker is still ticking. 
6. Exercise - this one is my favorite, naturally.  Maintaining a consistent workout plan throughout your week strengthens your body, while your blood is able to flow easier and pumps rapidly.

In order to stay healthy we have to be healthy.  We have to know what germs are surrounding us and the ways to prevent them from entering our body.  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday!

Kale vs. Spinach; My Preference and Benefits for Fitness Modeling

My trainer and I have gone back and forth on kale and spinach.  Both are clearly healthy choices in the leafy greens department, you can't go wrong with either.  Some nutritional facts point to kale (all hail kale!), where it is high in vitamin A, C, & K, low calorie, anti-inflammatory, lowers cholesterol, good source for bones, eyes, skin and reduces risk of heart disease and cancer.  Then you have spinach that lowers blood pressure, fights cardiovascular disease and stroke, aids in digestion, contains folate/folic acid (this is especially important for women who are pregnant), high in iron, fights psoriasis, acne and wrinkles.  And who can forget this being the go-to veggie for good ole Popeye, so naturally it's a good source of fiber and strength as well.  So why the back and forth?  Because one says eat more kale and the other insists on eating spinach.

Being a fitness competitor I have to make sure I have a balance of nutrients in my diet during competition prep, otherwise my body will not hold muscle, I'll be weaker and my workouts will be tougher to manage.  Ideally, it would seem as though I would include both kale and spinach in my diet because of all the health benefits tied to each, right?  Not quite.  While both aid in muscle growth I can't help but feel as if I'm a spinach kind of girl.  Not to say there's anything wrong with kale.  In fact, if cooked properly, kale tastes a little better than spinach.  A little.  The texture is a little tough, but so is steak and kale actually has more iron than beef.  So what's my beef with kale?  There isn't one.  I just love the way spinach cooks and the things I can prepare with it.  I love making spinach casserole dishes, and pairing spinach with fish and mixed vegetables.  It is an elegant presentation.  Or drizzling some olive oil, sprinkling some pepper and salad seasoning and splashing some vinegar on it makes a wonderful meal.  Now don't get me wrong, there are many ways to prepare kale and making it presentation worthy, not to mention kale chips are amazing, but I can't let seem to let go of the idea that spinach is my go-to leafy green.

Some people may think it is a little outlandish to think that one is better than the other, especially if you are in a sport like body building where both greens would work better for your body if equal amounts are consumed.  I do not dismiss those claims.  However, I believe as long as you consume one or the other rather than none your body is happy regardless.  It's not uncommon for people to prefer one food over another.  It just so happens I prefer spinach over kale.  Both good sources of nutrients, both excellent agents in minimizing fat storage and building muscle, both good sources on the road to clean eating.  But I like spinach.  It's not a crime.  But my goal next year is to incorporate more kale into my diet so I will have a good balance.  But I'll still prefer spinach.  Period. 

It was fine as long as I was drinking beer and eating burritos...

When I first told my parents about my fitness modeling journey it was over breakfast.  I had waited a few months before I decided to tell them and at that moment I just blurted it out "I'm going to be doing fitness modeling.  What do you think?"  My mother nodded her head and my father murmured something inaudible.  I looked from one to the other, shrugged my shoulders and I went on eating my eggs.  Deep down, I know they care but because it is so out of the norm for them (they're both very old fashioned; bred from the south, smothered and covered) they're not sure how to react.  They figured if it's not something I studied in college and took an interest in earlier in life why should this be something they should take an interest in now, while I'm in my late twenties?  In their defense, I've never stayed on board with any other hobby, always quit.  But that's because it was never something I wanted to do.  This is something that I  can say, as an adult, that I'm not being thrown into, that I love and that I'm good at.  So now when I visit my parents, they always have to ask what can I eat instead of what do I want to eat.  I just tell them to have enough chicken, fish and veggies in the fridge and I'll supply the rest.  I have to travel with my supplements, protein shakes and other food items in a cooler.  All my parents can do is shake their head.

I wasn't just getting this reaction from my parents though.  Pretty soon, most of my friends that I would hang out with caught wind of my new lifestyle and soon started to slip away.  I'm not going to lie, in the beginning it bothered me.  All the hangouts and cookouts I once were invited to became far and few.  But then I started posting pictures of my progress on Facebook and Instagram.  Now, all those friends that mocked me were suddenly telling me how good I looked and they never knew how much my body had changed.  I had a few supportive friends and I was happy for them but the ones that turned from me when I started on this new journey were ones that had my attention.  I couldn't understand why everything seemed to be ok when I was drinking and eating as badly as they did but as I turned over a new leaf I was removed from their inner circle.  I slowly came to realize that misery indeed loves company.  I had always heard that phrase, understood the meaning but had never encountered it in my everyday life.  It's so funny how certain things in life turn into a lesson.