23 May Take it to the Edge
Everyone’s a little different. When trying to lose weight or improve health, some people dive right in to a program. Others may take it slower. And some people start and stop, and start and stop. Is one way better than the other? Possibly.
I think it’s easiest on the body if you take it to the edge.
What that means, is try something until it’s on the edge of uncomfortable, then back off. Then, next opportunity, take it to the edge again. It might be further, or it might not, but over time you will likely make progress in your goal.
Here’s an example. It all started out with some ill-fitting sunglasses. I would wear them, take them off when they started to bother me, then put them back on when the sun bothered me . Before I knew it, I was used to more sun in my eyes. Sun exposure in the eyes is good for lots of things, but especially sleep. And since I still struggle with sleep, I definitely wanted more sun in my eyes. So by taking not wearing sunglasses to my edge of uncomfortableness, I was able to gradually adjust to more sun in my eyes.
I learned this concept in yoga and dance. I take yoga now and in my twenties I took lots of dance classes. Both always have you stretch. One teacher in particular always said to take your stretch to a comfortable edge. That meant you stretched gently, as far as you could comfortably go. No strain, no pain. Because if you strained, or felt pain, then you could be over-stretching and possibly get a muscle pull or some other injury. So when I stretch, I go to my edge, and then I know I’m getting the benefits of stretching without any downside.
Taking it to the edge is a good practice because your body doesn’t like too much stress. Even if you have a bad habit, and that habit is actually a stressor, your body adapts to that bad habit. Any abrupt change just causes more stress and isn’t worth it. I’ve mentioned many times before that a stressed body tends to hold on to weight. So toughing it out is not always in your best interest. For example, when I first tried fasting, I’d wait to eat my next meal. If I started feeling yucky, I would go ahead and eat. If I just felt a little hungry I would wait. I waited for the edge between hunger and uncomfortable. I took the yucky feeling as a sign that my body wasn’t ready for more of a fast.
Here are some ways to take it to the edge.
Eating less often. If you are a grazer, move to 4 meals a day. When you are comfortable with breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner, then move to 3 meals.
Breaking away from sugar. Quitting sweets cold turkey is difficult. Find your edge. If you eat sweets all day, limit sweets to following lunch and dinner only. Then try after dinner only. Sweets cause more of a blood sugar spike on an empty stomach, so pairing with meals dulls that response.
Adding more fat. Suddenly adding lots of fat could cause digestive problems. I like adding fat at breakfast, as it’s so satisfying. I notice a difference. An easy way is to add butter or cream to your coffee, or coconut oil or avocado oil to a smoothie. Once you are comfortable with fat in the morning, add fat at lunch, then at dinner. Remember eating fat makes you thin, contrary to popular (but wrong) opinion.
Taking probiotics. Some people have an overgrowth of candida or other microbe. When they add probiotics, they change the balance of microbes in the gut, and then symptoms occur. By symptoms I mean running to the bathroom or cramps. So take it slow. Try one probiotic capsule and see how you feel before adding more.
Exercise. Walk before you run. You’ve heard that before. Whether you’re weight training, doing cardio, stretching, or HIIT, be kind to your muscles and joints. Go to your edge, where you can still talk and feel comfortable, while still giving yourself a bit of a challenge.
Detox. We live in such a toxic world, with toxins in our food, air, water, and houses. So detoxing or doing a cleanse can be a good idea, but again, take it to the edge. When detoxing too fast, you can experience a Herxheimer reaction. That’s a fancy name for the yucky feeling you get when toxins are released but haven’t made their way out of the body yet. They hang around long enough to do more damage. So again, low and slow is better, plus drinking lots of water, resting, and eliminating regularly.
I can help you find your edge. Contact me. I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and I’m a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach. I am qualified to help you move into health at your own pace, with tips and tricks that resonate with your lifestyle. I listen to your history, your concerns, and your goals. Let’s get started.
How do you jump into new health habits? Share in the Comments.
Dr. Jill Carnahan on Herxheimer
Dr. Mark Hyman Eat Fat Get Thin
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