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Relentless Roger

Transformation 5.0

Cravings, Hunger, and a Mega July 4th Recap

Posted on July 8, 2014

Watermelon

Do you trust your stomach?

Do you trust it to tell you when it’s hungry?  Do you trust it to tell you when it’s had enough?

I don’t trust mine one bit.

The root of my distrust likely originated with my nutritional upbringing, which centered around Pop Tarts, Tastykakes, and TV Dinners.  Eating from that food pyramid for two solid decades threw my internal hunger pathways for a loop.

Eating from that pyramid for two solid decades also put sweets – specifically cookies and ice cream – all the way at the top of my food chain.  Start eating those things, and it’s damn near impossible to stop.

What to do?  How do you cope with broken hunger mechanisms and a sweet tooth to boot? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Trust Yourself, Transcend, and Happy 4th!

Posted on July 2, 2014

TrustYourself

You know you better than anyone else.

If that truth doesn’t immediately resonate, take some necessary steps.  Learn to become more aware.  Learn to listen.  Learn to trust.

When your body and mind say go, let ‘er rip!  When your body and mind say rest, pull it back!  When your body and mind say eat, eat!

At the outset of a fitness journey, you may have to override these signals at times.  After all, you are establishing new habits, and that is not an easy task.

When you hit your stride, however, these signals are your compass.  If you cannot transition from do this, not that and eat this, not that plans to ultimately trusting your signals, you will ultimately fail.  Harsh, I know.  But I stand behind those words. Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Food Logs, Inspiration, and Halfway There

Posted on July 1, 2014

InstagramFood

Have you ever kept a food log?

Self imposed accountability is tremendously powerful.  The simple act of writing down what you eat – on a napkin, in a journal, or through a spreadsheet – forces you to think through what you consume.  It is a tried and true way to get over a hump, get back on track, and/or assist various forms of self-experimentation.

Want to supercharge the food log process?  Take pictures of your food before you eat it as a rule (sound familiar?)  That is accountability on Raw Tea.

While I don’t believe in food logs as a long-haul activity, I wholeheartedly believe in their consistent use for beginners, their semi-regular use for the intermediate, and as periodic check-ins for the advanced.  I’m obviously food logging daily at the moment, and I’m finding it useful in the context of an aggressive challenge.  Once the Transformation ends, I’ll revert to my usual – logging a day every month or two.

Every single time I log my food, I learn something.  That is not an exaggeration. Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Change Your Focus to Change Your Outcome

Posted on June 30, 2014

PingPong

What else can you focus on?

Have you ever been in a situation where you don’t want to indulge, yet ultimately you do?  Why does this happen?

On Sunday, we took a fun group to Frankford Hall in Northern Liberties.  It’s a true beer garden – half indoor/half outdoor, long community tables, pretzels, and huge mugs of beer.  We arrived at lunch time, and the plan was to hang out until dinner.

If you enjoy beer (which I do around good friends), this is a dicey environment.  After all, it is a beer garden.  They have unique pours that you don’t see everywhere, and the environment revolves around them.

Here’s the thing – I didn’t want to indulge that day.  So what did I do? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Fitness Block, Pressure, and Preemptive Recovery

Posted on June 28, 2014

WritersBlock

What if you’re making this too big of a deal?

What if you’re putting too much pressure on yourself?  What if that is the reason you haven’t had your fitness breakthrough, and it’s not because you are incapable, weak, and/or unmotivated?

“Writer’s block does not actually exist…writer’s block is almost like the equivalent of impotence.  It’s the performance pressure you put on yourself that keeps you from doing something you naturally should be able to do.

The reason you don’t get writer’s block as a writer is because you have a deadline and it has to be in and you have no choice.  But if you sit there and you think this piece has to be the ultimate article or the ultimate book ever been written and my entire self esteem is wrapped up in this…the bigger of a story you make up about what you are doing, the bigger the block will get…it’s all completely a performance anxiety.”

– Neil Strauss on The Tim Ferriss Show Episode #15

Does that resonate with you? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Ranting, Raving, and Long Term Thinking

Posted on June 27, 2014

SamHinkie

I’m ranting today.  Brace yourself.  Ready?

Why is it so hard to see the forest for the trees?  Why are we so skewed towards short-term thinking?

While short-term thinking makes sense in light of evolutionary demands, it’s pretty damn frustrating!

(Bear with me, this isn’t entirely about sports.)   I spent last night watching the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA Draft.  The 76ers have a fairly new General Manager, Sam Hinkie, at the helm.  His strengths: smart, savvy, calculating.  His weakness: not media friendly what-so-ever. Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Hikes, Birthdays, and Thank Yous

Posted on June 26, 2014

Day30Hike1Day30Hike2

While the exercise world technically contained a day of recovery, Marissa and I went on a 3 hour hike in the Wissahickon Valley for her birthday.  That’s right, it was a birthday hike!  For those familiar with the area, a large chunk of it took place on and around Forbidden Drive.

Our favorite topic of conversation was marveling at our surroundings and exclaiming what a good idea the hike was.  No joke.

Being in this kind of environment just feels right somehow, and it’s mentally and physically restorative.  Stress management at its finest.  No city buildings, no concrete, no people and noise overload.  Only trees, green as far as the eye can see, and the occasional biker/hiker and bird song.

We also found 3 hours, split into two pieces (lunch destination at the midpoint) to be the perfect length for a day hike.  Of course there are places and times for far longer, more intense hikes, but this was ideal for a day event.  Enough to get a sweat going but not enough to break down the body.

I beat the nature drum a lot, so I’ll spare you more praise.  Simply put, schedule one and get out there, will you? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Calendars, Scheduling, and Your Health Business

Posted on June 25, 2014

ScheduleWorkout

What type of calendar do you use in your day-to-day life?

Google, iPhone, Outlook, third party app, pen and paper, or (gasp!) nothing but your head?

If you’re anything like me, your calendar is your fail-safe.  It’s your trusty sidekick.  When the madness hits and appointments are scheduled, changed, and cancelled at an uncontrollable pace, it keeps your day in check.

You definitely use your calendar for work events.  You probably use it for personal events.

But do you use it for health events? Continue Reading