Recovery defined

Good stress vs bad stress

Remember there are a couple of key features that differentiate good from bad stress.

• Good stress builds you up; bad stress breaks you down.

• Good stress is short and intense; bad stress is chronic and ongoing.

The hormonal and physiological changes that happen in a single workout are good… if that workout is reasonably short and not too tough, and if you recover properly afterwards.


Recovery is a mind and body game. For example:

• Prioritize proper sleep.

• Eliminate mental stressors such as self-criticism.

• Visualize problem solving and positive outcomes.

• Relax and chill out. Focus on the big picture instead of "wondering and worrying" about small details.

• Anticipate, plan, strategize. Be proactive and prepared for problem solving.

• Build a supportive environment. Ask for help.

• Tune in to your body signals.

• Follow an appropriately planned, intelligently varied, fitness plan — don’t beat the heck out of yourself at every workout, and don’t do the same thing every time. Mix it up, focus on good form, and stay mobile.

Good Stress & Bad Stress

Some stress is good stress. Good stress pushes you out of your comfort zone, but in a good way. Good stress helps you learn, grow, and get stronger.

Exercise can be another form of good stress. You feel a little uncomfortable but then you feel good, and after an hour or so, you’re done.


Each of us has a unique “recovery zone”. Our recovery zone depends on several factors such as:

• our age

• our natural personality type (i.e. are we adventure-seeking adrenaline junkies or homebodies who prefer calm and quiet?)

• our “stress resilience” — how well we cope with and rebound from stress overall

• our allostatic load — what else is going on in our lives

If your existing pile of straw is already heavy, then it’ll take only a few more straws to break you.

Assignment

What are 2 mentally stressful things that you experience regularly?

#1 Commuting to and from work

#2 Money worries

What are 2 emotionally stressful things that you experience regularly?

#1 when I am grumpy I 'lash out' at the ones I love most (my Mom and Dad, My husband, My daughter)

#2 trying to fit it all in - cooking, doing my workouts, taking care of daughter, taking care of cats, going to work, and making time for things i love to do.

What are 2 physically stressful things that you experience regularly

#1 commuting - this shows up again, since it is probably the #1 source of all my stress

#2 trying to fit it all in - cooking, doing my workouts, taking care of daughter, taking care of cats, going to work, and making time for things i love to do.

Recovery strategy

Use a Targeted Recovery Strategy

Today, and for the next 2 weeks, focus on doing this habit. Every day, choose a strategy based on your nutritional age and training schedule:

Option 1: Take BCAAs after your workouts.
Option 2: Eat a PN-friendly postworkout meal.
Option 3: Do another form of purposeful recovery.

What is a BCAA?

BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acid. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which you need for nearly every body function. Think of amino acids as Legos for your life.

The brands we recommend include:

• Amino Complex by ThorneFX (powder; our recommended choice)
• BioTrust BCAA Matrix (capsule)
• Fast Recovery BCAA + Creatine (powder)

  What we're really looking for here is good post-workout nutrition and recovery.

Option 1: Take BCAAs after your workout.

Use BCAAs after intense exercise, such as weights or hard intervals.
Take 5 grams of BCAAs immediately after your workout. (Either 5 capsules, or 1 tsp of BCAA powder.) 
If you use BCAA powder, mix it into 2-3 cups of water. (This ratio doesn't have to be perfect; just dissolve the powder in some water.)
Because BCAAs dissolve slowly (much slower than other powders), it may take five minutes or more for the powder to evenly mix and “settle”, so we recommend you prepare your drink a few minutes before you head to the gym.

 

Option 2: Eat a "real food" meal with some protein and carbohydrates within 1-3 hours after a heavy workout.

This should be a normal meal. All the same rules apply. You don't need to over-eat or rush to get this.
In fact, you might not even feel hungry after heavy training. That's OK.
Just try to have a little something in the few hours after an intense exercise session, whenever you feel hungry.

Option 3 (non-workout days): Do purposeful recovery.

On non-workout days, get your checkmark by purposely doing something that helps you recover mentally and physically.
That could be:

• making sure you get lean protein at every meal, consistently

• make sure you get enough colorful fruits and veggies, consistently

• working on your sleep ritual, consistently

• doing active recovery (such as a brisk walk outside in the sunshine)

• doing 5 minutes of foam rolling as your 5-minute action

Oh hey, how about that — you already know how to do all this stuff! 

Seriously, that is all

Just be a little bit better every day. And do that consistently.

Today in PN coaching...

Today, we just want to give you two simple reminders.

You can't out-train a poor diet. 

Consistency beats compensation.

 
OK... so THIS is the message I needed to hear.

I have to concentrate on getting my PN coaching eating habits better vs my exercise. I know that exercise is important, and I also know that I LOVE how exercise and moving my body makes me feel. I want to exercise more... but
I need to make sure that I am learning the eating habits, and that I am taking the time to eat slowly and prepare healthy meals. (protein, veggies and smart carbs)
Instead of shoveling 'frankenfood' down my throat so I can do my workout.
If I have to miss my workout, then so be it...

This is what happened last night,

although instead of missing my workout, I should have just gone and done my interval training for 20 minutes. On a side note, I did get my lunchtime 3.5 K walk in... better than pre-PN!!! and that is what matters

I guess this is one to add to the Me Manual.

Rules of Fuel

Today's Lesson is all about 'Fitness Foods' like protein bars, booster juice, Gatorade etc...
What to eat after you workout. But this rule really applies any time.

Think about it, be mindful of what you are putting in your mouth and body.

 When in doubt, ask yourself:

• Am I truly physically hungry?

• Does this meal nourish my Lean Eating athlete body?

• Does this meal help me look, feel, and perform better?

• Does this meal add value to my body?

This is a lesson I need to learn, absorb, deconstruct and practice.
am I hungry? do I need another bite? is this nourishing my body?

email to coach

This is the note I just sent to my coach:

Hi Coach ,

I guess my reset button got stuck :)

I may have taken this past weekend off from all thoughts of PN, even the exercise part (which I love).

Part of me was resenting the huge time and energy commitment I have made to this, and the fact that I am not seeing any results (on the scale). I was feeling “why bother” spending all this time working out and trying to juggle my schedule around to get the workouts in, and getting out at lunch and eating all this extra protein, and buying veggie supplements and protein powder, not eating treats, not going out for Friday lunches with my coworkers etc… I have been feeling like I have given up all my special indulgences like cuddling up on the couch with my daughter watching a movie and eating popcorn, or enjoying going out for lunch with my coworkers on a Friday etc… So I gave myself permission to take the weekend off from PN… although I am still suffering the guilt and after effects from eating a whole bag of popcorn… the salt (UGH!!!).

I shouldn’t say I haven’t seen any results, because I know my blood pressure has gone down, I am no longer dizzy and light headed all the time (even when sitting). My body feels stronger, my side plank ROCKS, squats are EASY!!! I can do burpees J etc… The changes to my physical abilities have seen enormous gains. Prior to PN I was working out 2x per week with a personal trainer, and 1x per week doing cardio. Now I have been going for a 2 – 3Km walk every weekday lunch hour, 3x weight trainings per week, 2x interval trainings and the 1x Active recovery and am always looking for new and fun ways to exercise and incorporate fun activity into my life and my family’s… and now even my coworkers (I have arranged a Thursday lunchtime skate at our indoor arena!!!)

The exercise component of PN has reenergized me to a point where I have not felt so HAPPY in over 8 years. (since before the birth of my child). I am completely addicted to how exercise makes me feel. I think no matter how this PN experiment goes, I will take away the need to exercise more than I was.

So I can say I have been seeing results on this PN journey.

The Habits…

These I am completely failing at. I think I was trying to deal with all the balls in the air at once and I felt overwhelmed and stopped doing any of them. (just after the protein habit) I know I should just do what the PN instructions say: Today’s lesson, Today’s Workout and Today’s Habit. But it is so hard not to get mired down in the other habits that I am not doing. I tend to have “all or nothing” thoughts. It comes from the same place as the perfectionist does.

I don’t really know how to fix it.

PN coaching is helping a bit, but I think I have been this way for so long it is a really really really hard habit to break, its almost part of my genetic code.

This carb habit is impossible. I know what I should be doing, and I even like Quinoa :) but actually doing it is proving to be way more difficult than I expected. I am so used to throwing some chicken in a wrap or having an English muffin with an egg and salsa etc… that breaking this is messing with my ‘go to’ recipes. It is now screaming of more hard work, since I have to research new recipes and find new carb sources that I like, and prepare them ahead of time

I keep wondering if this is worth it. Yes I would like to weigh less, but wowza it is ever difficult to shed even one pound.

This week, I am going to try and focus on the carb thing, and getting back into the exercise groove. (since I missed Friday and Saturday last week, and I haven’t gotten 10,000 steps in in 3 days) . I am going grocery shopping tonight, so I will have food in the house to get this thing done!!!

I really appreciate you checking in, I know I should be more self guiding and responsible, but man is it ever easy to fall of the wagon and stay off :)

NOTE: this coming weekend is Canadian thanksgiving … the good news is that it is pot luck. We are bringing a salad and doing grilled veggies on the BBQ. 

I have to stop looking so far into the future and getting overwhelmed. Planning and strategizing is good… but it can also freak me out and overwhelm me.

Id better stop obsessing over how things are going and just DO IT.

Thanks for checking in.

Fiona :)