[W.L.K. Sarah]

Hello, I'm Sarah! I just started a blog titled, "salads, stretching & sensibility," to help me take a more kind and (hopefully) sustainable approach to healthier eating and fitness habits. Starting this blog inspired me to come to Nerd Fitness to encourage more, but kind, accountability towards my goals.

 

My main goal with all of this is to kindly observe and document my commitment to eat salads and stretch on a consistent basis. I say consistent because it's gentle language that doesn't make me feel like I'm pressuring myself to strictly have a salad or stretch on a daily basis. I want to build my habits right, not fast, because 'fast' often leads to self sabotage for me. I've also been reminded of the times when taking care of my health was second nature, thanks to my past involvement in high school sports. So with that community spirit in mind, it only made sense to partake in this five week challenge.

 

I'm looking forward to getting to know this community more (heard great things about it years ago) and hopefully making life-long friends!

 

🥗🙆‍♀️💚

W.L.K. Sarah

[athousandwords]

Welcome! I've been seeking out sustainability myself, so you're in the right place! Best of luck with your blog - hope you post here as well, so we can follow along!

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Yes absolutely I plan on posting on both! Thank you in advance for your support. 🙂

 

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Sharing my journal entry of today here:

 

Right now, my primary objective to my health and well-being is to reset my mindset around it. I want to focus on sustainable habits. But I know that it's gonna have to come from having a sustainable mindset.

 

The truth is, I've never had a good mindset about taking care of my body. I was pretty fortunate in high school and in my young 20s because I was an athlete. But now that I'm in my 30s, I know that I have to be more intentional. This is not about having the perfect body, this is about having a healthy body. And I need to have a healthy mind first.

 

Speaking of my mind, having a sharp mind is extremely important for me and the work that I do. So I'm glad to be starting here. I really wish that I could blame someone for having an unhealthy mindset. But I know that the only way for me to have a healthy sustainable mindset about my health and well-being is for me to actually do something about it.

 

I've been hearing this over and over again, throughout the years now, that I need to meditate. I had recently found a way to do this through swimming. But because I have been traveling for a couple of months now, getting to a pool is not as accessible for me as it used to be. So I'm gonna have to find another way to meditate. I know that stretching will be helpful. But the greatest challenge I want to take on for myself is to actually try to meditate at least five minutes a day. I have to find an app to make this easy for me.

 

I haven’t fully pinpointed why I resist meditating so much. And I really don't like it when people remind me that I need to do it. I guess I think it's such a waste of time. I don't know. But I won't know unless I try.

 

So here's to trying.

 

Later…

 

I completed my first 10-min meditation with a meditation app. I’m going to say that guided meditations are exactly what I need right now since I don’t know how to meditate. Here’s the quote after today’s meditation.

[athousandwords]

13 hours ago, W.L.K. Sarah said:

I have to find an app to make this easy for me.

 

I've heard really good things about Calm? But I haven't tried it personally. I'm really in the same boat – I head about the benefits of meditation all the time, but kiiinda think it's a waste of time. Or at least, I've never gotten into it. But there are tons of stories from people who really use it to grow a healthy mindset and turn their thought processes around! Hopefully some of those people will chime in (you might want to try tagging #druids on your post, I know that community is very focused on mind-body awareness). Best of luck growing the practice - hopefully you find that it helps you (and if not, you can go back to swimming or try something new and find another way to center and ground). 

[Elastigirl]

Welcome.  I really like your wording of consistency over  daily. When we say daily, and then we miss a day, it's way too easy for our brains to tell us that we have already failed. Consistency is a great goal.

[W.L.K. Sarah]

5 hours ago, athousandwords said:

 

I've heard really good things about Calm? But I haven't tried it personally. I'm really in the same boat – I head about the benefits of meditation all the time, but kiiinda think it's a waste of time. Or at least, I've never gotten into it. But there are tons of stories from people who really use it to grow a healthy mindset and turn their thought processes around! Hopefully some of those people will chime in (you might want to try tagging #druids on your post, I know that community is very focused on mind-body awareness). Best of luck growing the practice - hopefully you find that it helps you (and if not, you can go back to swimming or try something new and find another way to center and ground). 

 

Hello, athousandwords 👋  Than you for your feedback. I'm actually trying a seven day trial with the Calm app! The image quote I shared actually comes from the first day of trying it. 

 

I just finished day two of my seven-day trial and thought I'd share my initial thoughts here!

 

I was reflecting on how I have often thought that meditation is a "waste of time." And it got me to realize, I often take a couple of minutes of time to waste on social media. So maybe, instead of browsing social media, which often causes anxiety anyway, I can meditate. So far, I like guided meditations. Today, the app was teaching me to find my "homebase" that I would go to whenever I'm feeling anxious or need to create a sense of peace. The example they gave is to focus on my breathing. I also carry a lot of anxiety in my chest. One thing that my past therapist has taught me is to breathe and pat my chest as a way to calm down my anxiety. So I decided to meditate by slowly breathing in and out and gently patting my chest, especially the part where I feel the most anxiety. Once I finished my meditation, I opened my eyes and found myself really appreciating my present environment. All of this is to say that I think this meditation thing could be useful after all. ☺️

 

I am attaching the image quote of today.  Also want to share this following quote, "What you pay attention to becomes your life." We can focus our attention on stress or peace. For this moment, I choose to pay attention to peace. 💚

[W.L.K. Sarah]

4 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Welcome.  I really like your wording of consistency over  daily. When we say daily, and then we miss a day, it's way too easy for our brains to tell us that we have already failed. Consistency is a great goal.

 

Hello Elastigirl! I appreciate your observation. You are right, I think using the word "consistency" is a more gentle way to focus on progress over perfection. The last thing I wanna do is make myself feel like a failure. So far, I'm feeling good about my progress. :-)

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Look back at three instances when you broke your commitment to your wellness journey

This is a question prompt from a book I'm currently reading.

 

In general, I've broken my commitment when...

• I broke my streak of exercising
• I broke my streak of healthy eating

 

I guess there was a part of me that just felt like an ultimate failure and should just give up. I shame myself for not having the willpower and for allowing some external force to break my streak.

 

But in typing this out and see the words, "broke my streak" in front of me... I find myself questioning... So what?

• So what if I broke my streak of exercising?
• So what if I broke my streak of healthy eating?

 

I really never questioned why I just stopped once I "broke my streak." Why did I stop? And why didn't I just start again?

 

When I used to be a high school athlete, I really neglected my dieting. Since most of my exercise was cardio and I was young, it didn't matter what I'd consume. I had a community to consistently exercise with. I worked out 6 days a week. I didn't think to shame myself for eating bad. I just kept exercising.

 

Now, I know that I'm not young anymore and it's unfair to myself to compare me with my younger self. But the point is that, with community came consistency.

 

Super grateful to have found Nerd Fitness. It's only been a couple of days, but you're all already making me feel optimistic. You're all already helping me discover a lot of epiphanies.

 

Starting now, whenever I shame myself for "breaking my streak," I'll say to myself, "So what?"

[athousandwords]

10 hours ago, W.L.K. Sarah said:

Look back at three instances when you broke your commitment to your wellness journey

 

Wow, what a great question and such an insightful answer! I completely agree - we put too much emphasis on streaks (I blame Seinfeld). Who cares if we break the chain? We can always start again or pivot and try something new. Consistency is key, sure, but so is flexibility.

[W.L.K. Sarah]

I really loved the lesson of today’s guided meditation. I will share an insert here:

 

What you resist persists. 

Most of us don’t even realize how much we walk around tensing against stuff. We don’t like this sensation or emotion or this sound. It’s like we’re subtly bracing or fighting with it. The more we brace, the more tension, noise, feedback and suffering we create inside ourselves. Cumulatively, it’s an endless and exhausting struggle. By contrast, equanimity is inner smoothness. It’s the skill of delegating our energy intelligently.

 

This message rings so true to me. I work from home and it always seems like there’s a constant balancing act of trying to focus and just allowing the distractions of being at home happen. It’s only recent that I started to just except the noisiness of my life, especially because I started to witness it in other peoples lives via video calls. Seeing how frequently this happens in other peoples lives reassures me that I am not the only one fighting against distractions. And maybe, I can look at distractions differently… I can look at distractions as “creative suggestions” to my current situation.

 

I can acknowledge that it’s remotely impossible to wish for total silence, no distractions, and complete focus. This message helped me realize that equanimity is a valiant muscle to exercise. I acknowledge that I can be controlling and that a lot of my anxiety can come from my need to control things. I don’t think that I should fully let go and just let life happen… But what I am trying to say is that I can learn to acknowledge the value in welcoming “creative suggestions” and situation’s were focus would be preferred.

 

I might come up with a better word later. So basically I’m trying to come up with another phrase for distractions. So if you have any suggestions, comment below!

 

So now this begs the question: why is control so important to me? 

 

I think it’s because I’m afraid that if I cannot be in control of my life, I’m going to miss out on some thing. The best way I could describe it is when I’m really into a TV show and someone in the house starts talking to me in the middle of these fictional characters engaging in deep dialogue. I feel that if I miss out on this deep dialogue, I miss out on the point of the show. I miss out on the punchline. I miss out on experiencing whatever the writers of the show wanted to portray on screen. I also feel as though this person in the house has interrupted my alone time and is not cognizant of my needs. If they could just say, “Do you mind pausing the show for a second? I have some thing to ask,” then I would feel less bothered. But I digress.

 

In continuation of this example, there’s one thing that I have to remember: I can always rewind and watch it again. I can acknowledge this “creative suggestion” and be open to how it adds to my current situation. Sometimes the reason why I’m interrupted is because I am being asked if I’d like something to eat. If I was so fixated on someone in the house respecting my space, I would have overlooked the fact that this person simply wanted to care for me.

 

Some food for thought thanks to today’s guided meditation.

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Today's meditation was all about sending out happy thoughts to people I like, barely know, whom I spend a lot of time with, and to myself. To everyone reading this, I'd like to say, “May you be happy. May you be strong. May you feel like you belong.”

 

An in turn, I share with myself, “May I be happy. May I be strong. May I feel like I belong.”

[Elastigirl]

Some good thoughts on distractions. I hadn't thought of the connection between not liking distractions and the need for control. Also, our desire for no distractions, which unless you are live in the remote forest alone, is pretty much a futile dream. And even if you were in the remote forest, birds would start chirping right outside your window, or a breeze would blow the branches against your window.

[athousandwords]

23 hours ago, W.L.K. Sarah said:

Today's meditation was all about sending out happy thoughts to people I like, barely know, whom I spend a lot of time with, and to myself. To everyone reading this, I'd like to say, “May you be happy. May you be strong. May you feel like you belong.”

 

An in turn, I share with myself, “May I be happy. May I be strong. May I feel like I belong.”

 

When I was following the Couch 2 5k program, the host of the podcast I listened to would guide us toward dedicating a 5 minute section of our run to different people in our lives – someone we loved, someone we wanted to make proud, someone we were angry at or wanted to prove wrong, or even just all the other people out there running. I loved it. This is a kind of meditation I can completely get behind.

 

Thank you for the positive energy, and I'll be sending happy thoughts back at you during my next run. ❤️ 

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Today's meditation was quite compassionate and reaffirming. The meditation guide said, "As with all meditations, you don't have to be perfect at it. Even a little bit of rest can make us feel refreshed."

 

When the guide verbally reminds me, I soften my face. I didn't even realize that I was scrunching my brows or forehead - as though "concentrating harder" would help me be a better meditator.

 

But as the guide says, "You don't have to be perfect at it."

 

And for some reason, those words alone, "You don't have to be perfect at it," made today's practice feel so freeing.

[W.L.K. Sarah]

I'm currently reading a book on health and fitness. There's a portion that I decided to rewrite as those it's my own affirmations. (I basically changed everything into "I am" statements.) Thought I'd share it here.

 

I am an Empire Builder

 

 

I see the world as a deeply connected place that I can transform in a meaningful way.

I want to transform my health and wellbeing and profoundly improve my eating habits. I only ever have the big picture in mind. I am logical, reasonable and I think “big.” I am wise. Very wise. I don't worry about surviving another day because I'm too busy thinking about how to change the world. I love life and all living beings in this world. My favorite emotional states are the high frequency states like empathy, gratitude, universal love, joy and compassion.

 

Here are some eating patterns that I display:

• I forgot to eat lunch and I don't panic: I realized that I was so present with what I was doing, that I didn’t want to break the flow by going on lunch break.
• I NEVER eat when I'm not hungry. I mean, why would I? It makes no sense to it.
• I NEVER think about food unless I am hungry. I have better stuff on my mind (i.e.: changing the world.)
• I don't live to eat, I mainly eat to live. I mostly see food as fuel rather than a reward, an escape etc.
• I generally don't eat food I don't like unless there’s truly no other option at all. if possible, I would rather wait until I can get something that works for me.
• I don't eat food that doesn’t make me feel good: the point of eating when hungry is to feel better afterwards, not worse.
• I don't eat food that “saps” my precious energy and makes me feel heavy and drained: again, energy efficiency is my upmost priority.
• I don't eat food that takes a very long time to digest and process because I need that energy for other vital tasks (did I mention, I want to change the world?)
• I don't eat food that I know doesn’t serve my greater goals and aspirations. I'm not even tempted by it because the big picture is more important to it than a momentary pleasure.

I want to feel vibrant, light, vital and full of energy so that I can easily tap into the emotional states that I love the most. I prefer foods that give me high quality, slow-release energy. I don't like the high and lows of food addictions and cravings because they pull energy away from the important stuff. I don't like to feel too full. I don't panic about food. 

 

I don't crave food: I crave empathy, joy, universal love and compassion.

[athousandwords]

Thanks for sharing! What book is it?

[W.L.K. Sarah]

7 hours ago, athousandwords said:

Thanks for sharing! What book is it?

Make The Shift: a proven method for busy professionals to transform their health, wellbeing and confidence. by Serena Sabala  

[W.L.K. Sarah]

I'm temporarily trying out another meditation app before deciding to pay for the one I've been using (my trial has ended). I liked what I learned today through the new app.

 

“Things don't need to be fixed. They need to be observed and understood.”

 

This feels like it's in theme with the term equanimity that I learned through the first meditation app and it's nice. It's just nice to focus on observing things and situations rather than being so quick to identify with them. For example, the meditation guide said, “Instead of saying that I’m depressed, I say that I’m experiencing depression.” The latter statement is a healthier response to my feelings. So I have that in mind now.

 

Also, I've had salad for (from what I can recall) 3 out of 4 days so far. I'm not focusing on "daily" activity as that's too much pressure for me right now. Instead, I'm focusing on consistency. So far, I feel good about my choices.  

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Wanted to share my meditative practice today. There were two phrases that resonated with me. The first one was when the guide said:

 

“You are blessed. There's no rush to your healing.”

 

I really appreciated this phrase because it's reminding me how I am being very gentle to myself in regards to working towards sustainable healthy habits. There really is no rush to my healing so long as I choose to be consistent in doing so.

 

The second phrase the guide said was:

 

“You can have this moment. It's yours.”

 

I often feel like my attention and focus is being taken away from me, causing me a lot of anxiety. But even to just take a couple of minutes to meditate and to know that very moment was mine is really reassuring. It felt like I was taking my power back, even for a few minutes.

 

I also wanted to share how I have gained a whole new perspective toward cleaning the house. I used to believe that it was a nuisance and an inconvenience to clean the house, especially to clean up after my husband and my dog. But now that I am building sustainable healthy habits, the book I'm currently reading mentions that cleaning and gardening are two physical activities that can serve as a form of cardio. I like thinking that I can incorporate exercise just by cleaning. So now, I’m starting a gentle regimen where I meditate, stretch, then clean.  

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Been taking a lot of notes from the book I'm currently reading. I pieced some passages together that's affirming me that I'm on the right path when it comes to documenting my journey.  

 

Every day, or at least every week, note all the major challenges you’ve faced, how you’ve handled them, what you need to do differently next time. But then also notice all the things you did how you intended, as small as they may be. Notice every single step you took in the right direction. You truly can’t do this enough, especially to begin with.

 

No win is too small to celebrate. No improvement is too little to be acknowledged.

 

You have to become your biggest fan and marvel at the amazing capabilities of your Mind-body.

 

Appreciating the small stuff is not only key to staying motivated along your wellness journey but it is actually key to enjoying life to its fullest extent.

 

As much as possible, embrace and enjoy each step. Even the falls. Everything has its place and purpose. Everything is teaching you something you need to learn to progress so notice and celebrate every little improvement, embrace and leverage on every little challenge. Know that what you learn along the way is profoundly more important than some end goal you’re trying to achieve and if you learn to embrace the journey, you truly will get further and faster than you could have ever imagined.

[athousandwords]

On 11/4/2021 at 9:35 PM, W.L.K. Sarah said:

the book I'm currently reading mentions that cleaning and gardening are two physical activities that can serve as a form of cardio. I like thinking that I can incorporate exercise just by cleaning. So now, I’m starting a gentle regimen where I meditate, stretch, then clean.

 

Nice perspective! I love this idea.

 

On 11/4/2021 at 9:35 PM, W.L.K. Sarah said:

I really appreciated this phrase because it's reminding me how I am being very gentle to myself in regards to working towards sustainable healthy habits. There really is no rush to my healing so long as I choose to be consistent in doing so.

 

This is something I'm really leaning into as I get older. I think the pandemic in particular really changed my thinking on it. The time will pass anyway, there's really no rush - building sustainable momentum is truly the goal.

[W.L.K. Sarah]

Hello all,

 

Just thought I'd do a general update here. My husband recommended me to InsightTimer, which includes a ton of free meditation guides. This is the most recent one I listened to for anything that may be feeling fear at this moment: https://insig.ht/0gaMhbal1kb

 

Below are my favorite parts:

 

She, for the first time in her life, let her fear speak. "I wish to tell you that you're alive. I wish to remind you of the life inside of you longing to be lived more fully. I hold so tightly to you because I am a constant reminder that there is good work for you to do. Work for you to do in the name of your freedom and joy. ... Me being here is my way of loving you into remembrance of your heart's desire. The more you work at finding, spreading and teach love, the less i need to hold you so tight. Don't be afraid to feel me when I arrive here in  your chest. I am but a fierce and loyal reminder that life, your life, is in your hands. Face me with courage. I'm here to serve your greater good."

 

Nothing appears or manifests in our life for the purpose of being avoided or condemned. All holds value, purpose and keys to doors we've been wanting to open.

 

Shift from our perspective of resentment to acceptance.

 

"I choose to accept my life, no matter the circumstance."

 

Will share more reflections later. Happy Monday!

[W.L.K. Sarah]

I know I've been talking a lot about meditation in my recent posts. Part of why I talk a lot about meditation is because I am working on building a healthier mindset toward food and fitness. I've come to realize that I have never had a healthy mindset towards food and fitness. Like many people, I have fallen prey to body shaming, dieting, comparing myself to others, etc.

 

I'm coming to find that it starts with calming the mind about my relationship to food and fitness. I'm generally an anxious person and I've had a long-term relationship with mild depression. I have to say that since I started the five week challenge here on nerd fitness and got into meditation… I am already seeing dramatic changes in how I feel and what I choose to consume.

 

The following are new habits that are starting to feel natural for me. I'm not strict on this and I'm not perfect at it. The important thing is that it feels natural and something I look forward to doing.

• Rather than having the "will power" to have healthy habits around food and fitness, I am choosing to have "free will." I WANT to do this, not I HAVE/NEED to do this.
• I have learned that when we think we are hungry, we may actually be dehydrated. So when I feel a "craving," I hydrate first.
• I continue to hydrate until I get the signal that I really am hungry. Because of this, I am starting to find it easy to do intermittent fasting. And even before I get to eating, I find that drinking black coffee helps curve my appetite. So once I am fully hydrated and caffeinated, and I'm still hungry, that's when I start eating.
• The first thing I eat is a big salad. I often have sugar cravings afterward, so I enjoy fruits as dessert. I basically just mix a bunch of leafy greens with a squeeze of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. If I have it available, I'll add other veggies such as tomatoes, carrots, olives, etc.
• I am now trying to make sure that I'm stocked with food in the house that only has 1-3 ingredients (i.e. greens, fruits, spices, etc. Nothing highly processed.) If I crave a snack, I go for a fruit first.
• I stretch while I watch TV or listen to meditative music - I'm old enough to know now that I shouldn't jump back into fitness by doing something intense. I tell myself, "Well, the least I could do is stretch."
• I have a whole new perspective on cleaning now. I've read that cleaning can be a form of exercise, just like gardening. The important thing is to move my body. So I'll often stretch first, then clean. I'm so glad to no longer look at cleaning as a chore, but as a gentle opportunity to move my body.
• Going for a short 5-15 minute walk. Although my husband is often the one to take care of our dog, I will come participate when I want fresh air. So not only do I get to do a simple exercise of walking, I could spend time with my husband and my dog, and I can enjoy some sun.

The biggest shift I have seen so far is how much more focused I've become during the daytime. I can get through my workday without feeling heavy or sleepy after eating a big meal. If I'm not hungry, but my husband offers me food, I just let him know that I'm OK for now.

 

I'm learning to just say no and not eat just to eat. In fact, today I came up with a new phrase that I tell myself when I want to avoid eating out of boredom. I simply say, "I'm fueled." (Kind of like saying, "I'm full.") I'm reframing my mindset to look at food as fuel for the body, rather than for entertainment.

 

Thanks for reading. I hope that you find this helpful, posting on here has sure been helpful to me!

[Harriet]

On 10/24/2021 at 7:44 AM, W.L.K. Sarah said:

Hello, I'm Sarah! I just started a blog titled, "salads, stretching & sensibility," to help me take a more kind and (hopefully) sustainable approach to healthier eating and fitness habits. Starting this blog inspired me to come to Nerd Fitness to encourage more, but kind, accountability towards my goals.

 

My main goal with all of this is to kindly observe and document my commitment to eat salads and stretch on a consistent basis. I say consistent because it's gentle language that doesn't make me feel like I'm pressuring myself to strictly have a salad or stretch on a daily basis. I want to build my habits right, not fast, because 'fast' often leads to self sabotage for me.

 

Kindly observance and gentle accountability sound like great ways to make progress that actually sticks.

 

On 10/28/2021 at 5:22 AM, W.L.K. Sarah said:

I really never questioned why I just stopped once I "broke my streak." Why did I stop? And why didn't I just start again?

 

It's a good question, and maybe has something to do with the idea of a "streak"? I mean... you either do the thing most days or you don't. Is there really something magical about a long block of 100% compliance, as opposed to a lifetime of 90% compliance? I don't think so. I think it would be nice to get to the point where we don't skip exercise and diet (unless a break/rest is truly warranted) because we don't want to, because we like the process and the results.

 

5 hours ago, W.L.K. Sarah said:

I know I've been talking a lot about meditation in my recent posts. Part of why I talk a lot about meditation is because I am working on building a healthier mindset toward food and fitness. I've come to realize that I have never had a healthy mindset towards food and fitness. Like many people, I have fallen prey to body shaming, dieting, comparing myself to others, etc.

 

I'm coming to find that it starts with calming the mind about my relationship to food and fitness. I'm generally an anxious person and I've had a long-term relationship with mild depression. I have to say that since I started the five week challenge here on nerd fitness and got into meditation… I am already seeing dramatic changes in how I feel and what I choose to consume.

 

The biggest shift I have seen so far is how much more focused I've become during the daytime. I can get through my workday without feeling heavy or sleepy after eating a big meal. If I'm not hungry, but my husband offers me food, I just let him know that I'm OK for now.

 

I'm learning to just say no and not eat just to eat. In fact, today I came up with a new phrase that I tell myself when I want to avoid eating out of boredom. I simply say, "I'm fueled." (Kind of like saying, "I'm full.") I'm reframing my mindset to look at food as fuel for the body, rather than for entertainment.

 

It sounds like you're making great progress on the punishing thoughts about food. That's fantastic! And it's fabulous that the meditation is helping you feel more focused and improving your mood!