Forming Habits and SAD

Hey y'all! Happy Monday!

Had a great weekend....although it was freezing! I much prefer cold AND snow as opposed to just frigid cold. This morning when I walked Pablo it was a balmy 6 degrees and -3 degrees with the wind chill. I looked like the kid from A Christmas Story with the number of layers I had on...I could barely put my arms down. :)

So, I have to be really honest guys, if you look at the right hand side of my blog, you will see my workout schedule for the month. I am doing monthly recaps now instead of weekly but I update it frequently. The point here is that I have not been good about my cardio workouts...I have been getting in a couple, maybe three a week. And weak cardio workouts too. Yes, I know, I am pregnant but I am only 11 weeks for goodness sakes. I should still be getting in plenty of good cardio. And the body is reflecting the lack of cardio. I can tell my comp has changed, probably more so a result of slacking off on cardio and not eating perfect versus being preggers.

Now, I am not going to beat myself up over it because I am preggers but I do need to get back to focusing on cardio. Keeping my heart healthy and making sure I am in good physical shape during this pregnancy is key. My lifting has been awesome but the cardio...just not so good.

This morning I got up and although I really didn't want to (and by the way, you trick yourself into excuses NOT to workout b/c of pregnancy which is a total cop out) I hopped on the treadmill for a 30 minute power walk at 10% incline (that's all mine will go to) and it felt great. Read a book, burned almost 400 calories. Gotta remember that feeling. And planning on going to a spin class tonight after work to get in another cardio session. Jody's mom is in town so I don't want to take too much time away from her but definitely want to get in another lifting session.

The plan is to use the next 14 days (including today) to develop a habit of doing morning cardio again. I always feel so much better when I get in my morning cardio but lately I haven't made the CHOICE to do it. That is a changin! :) Everyone forms habits differently...some people may form a habit in 14 days, some in 21. I am going to focus on the 14 days and see how ingrained it feels and reassess.

There is a great article in Clean Eating this month on SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) and so I wanted to share some thoughts on it in case any of you are having issues with the dreary winter weather. Wikepedia defines SAD as the following:

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer,^[1] repeatedly, year after year. The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up."^[2] The condition in the summer is often referred to as Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, and can also include heightened anxiety.^[3]

Can you relate to any of these symptoms? What should you do to address them?

• Light therapy is the best therapy. There are light boxes you can purchase that simulate natural light and with a few weeks treatment. Here is a location I found online.
• Vitamin D! Vitamin D is actually what your body produces with sunlight. You can supplement with Vitamin D or fortified milk or food products to increase the VD in your body. 1000 IU is the recommended dosage for treating SAD. Vitamin D was actually proven to work BETTER than light therapy for some SAD sufferers.
• Get outside! Even if it is chilly, taking a walk in the sun is well worth the benefit of the increased mood that can result in that short trip outside. Bundle up and enjoy the sun!

Have a great Monday everyone!