Strength, Grit, and Resilience Blog

I'm writing this on at 6:30am on Black Friday while feeling like this cat. I realize it probably would have been more helpful to have written it on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I have a full time job and until I can realize my goal of training and coaching full time upon retirement from the Marines, I may miss some opportunities. All that being said, Thanksgiving is one of a few holiday feasts that will probably take place over the remainder of the year, and beyond that recovering from any period of unhealthy eating is mostly the same. Your body is always trying to reach a balance known as homeostasis. That's why after indulging last night you may have said to yourself "I'm never eating again". Don't do that. Instead do these four things. 1. Get Over It Yes, get over it. It's perfectly normal and acceptable to indulge every once in a while. You doubled down with a second plate and accidentally put too much gravy on your mashed potatoes for the second time. Yo

The holidays are known for bringing us all together with dinners, desserts, adult beverages, and too much  turkey. They also come with unwanted baggage, including stress or, in extreme cases, depression. The pandemic will only increase this with COVID restrictions, inflation, shortages on certain goods, and the rising costs of travel. High levels of stress can lead to cravings, skipping exercise, and binge eating. You're going to deal with it, but applying the strategies below can reduce how it will affect your overall health. Have a Plan I discussed this in my original holiday post about fitness and health, but it applies to reducing stress as well. There are a lot of different events that will come up over the holidays. Here are some steps to help fit it all in. Prioritize what matters to you. If you know about events in advance (annual holiday work party, dinner at your in-laws', Black Friday, etc.) you can list them out from most to least important to you . Build out your c

Let me start off stating that I'm not going to tell you to throw your tentative plan to survive holiday weight gain in the trash and eat an entire pumpkin pie in one sitting. What I am going to tell you is that you need to allow yourself to have dessert over the holidays.  Numerous studies show that restrictive dieting leads to binge eating.  If you tell yourself "I'm not going to eat any sweets or desserts", you're eventually going to find yourself in your kitchen late at night with a can of whip cream and the apple pie that was meant for tomorrow's holiday party...and you're probably not going to share. So what do you do? This is where understanding the food you eat in regards to  calories, nutrients, and portions. This would allow you to look at your daily macronutrient goals and plan to make room for dessert. This is a learned skill that you can develop on your own or more quickly with the help of a nutrition coach.   For now, let's look at the bas

Halloween is over and the holidays are just around the corner. You're enjoying the cooler weather, wearing your favorite sweater, and making plans with family and friends. The next two months are a time of joy and a time of stress. The joy is time spent with loved ones. The stress usually comes from those same loved ones and the many holiday events that fill up your calendar.  The next two months can also spell doom for your health and fitness. Soon you'll be scrolling your preferred form of social media and read about the inevitable holiday weight gain as you sip your third pumpkin spice latte this week. Don't let the holidays derail your health and fitness goals! Let me be clear, this is not a post that's going to tell you to abstain from any and all of the holiday treats that will be offered to you. I'm not the grinch. This is a post to help you understand the problem and provide basic strategies to enjoy the holidays without sabotaging all the progress you'v