You show ’em, birdie!!
Being the law-abiding, Type A, total rule follower that I am, I’m rarely a bad girl. But sometimes even I need to rebel. Case in point: today I sent my kids with dirty socks to tie-dye for day camp because I couldn’t be bothered to go to the store. (Plus: what better way to camouflage dirty socks than with tie dye??) Then I had them all eat dinner off of paper towels because I’d just started the dishwasher and didn’t want more dishes to besmirch my clean sink. AND now I’m watching the Olympics while I work which means I’m really not working at all, unless by “work” you mean working to keep my jaw off the floor watching the Chinese gymnasts. I know, I’m basically James Dean.
But when it comes to your health sometimes being “bad” is really good for you! (And I’ve even included research to prove it!) So in honor of my lazy day today, I’m declaring it the Day of It’s Okay. Here are some of my favorite rules to break:
It’s okay to not to eat every 3 hours! Research from Vanderbilt University shows that your metabolism won’t nosedive if you don’t snack and the break from constant eating can have long-term health benefits. If you love toting baggies of almonds in your purse, keep on my sweet squirrel. But don’t feel bad if you can’t make the mini-meal thing work for your schedule. You’ll be just fine.
It’s okay if you sleep in and skip your workout every once in a while! A University of Chicago study shows that when it comes to your weight, sleep is actually a more important factor than exercise. Sleep deprivation increases levels gherlin – a hunger hormone – and decreases levels of Leptin – a hormone that makes you feel full – which can lead to overeating to the tune of about 500 extra calories a day.
It’s okay if you splurged and ate one of everything from the buffet at the company picnic! Eating one large meal won’t derail your diet but black-and-white thinking — “I’ve ruined it now, might as well eat whatever I want!” — will. Plus a 2009 study showed that cycling your calories (i.e. alternating large and small amounts) produced greater fat loss than consistent eating.
It’s okay to order your salad with dressing that does not have “low” or “reduced” in its name! Researchers from Purdue have discovered that salad dressing is just as nutritious as it is tasty because the fat in the dressing unlocks the vitamins in the veggies by maximizing your body’s absorption of health-boosting carotenoids, powerful antioxidants that can help prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease, and improve your immune system. The key to maximizing this delish discovery is using the highest quality ingredients in your dressings. Skip the cheap soybean oil and looks for dressings made with olive, grapeseed or walnut oils as a base.
It’s okay to skip your super intense spin class sometimes! A Louisiana State University study reported in a Time cover story shows that exercise, especially high intensity “sugar burning” workouts like running and spinning, can make y0u ravenous afterwards. Even worse, subjects craved quick calories like candy — a combo which can quickly undo that hard-earned calorie burn.
It’s okay to do something just because you love it! Who cares if ballroom dancing is a great calorie burn or not? Who cares if you stink at rock climbing? Does it matter if you speedwalk the entire way to the top of the hike? It’s easy to get caught up in the we! are! exercising! mentality but doing something active just because it’s fun can be even better for you than pushing yourself through a punishing workout you don’t like.
It’s okay to not weigh yourself every day! Getting caught up on that one number as an indicator of your health is losing battle, says Rachel Cosgrove in The Female Body Breakthrough. She suggests having a pair of “thermometer jeans” (i.e. jeans that make you feel smokin’ hot) that you can try on to make sure you are maintaining. In the meantime work on getting stronger, faster and having more fun rather than worrying about a number.
It’s okay to caffeinate yourself sometimes! While too much caffeine can lead to jitters and anxiety, sometimes you just need something to help you power through a long afternoon. New research even shows that a moderate amount of coffee can help prevent type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
It’s okay to ask for help! Whether it’s asking for a spot on the weight floor so you can up your weight or asking for help with a hard-to-reach zipper in the locker room, according to Psychology Today, reaching out to people helps both the giver and the receiver feel happier, more connected and less worried for hours afterward.
To see the rest check out my Shape.com slideshow on Health Rules It’s Okay to Break!
Do you ever find yourself feeling like a health rebel? What’s your favorite “rule” to break – Finish this sentence: “It’s okay…”? Anyone else just amazed by what the male gymnasts can do on a pommel horse? I don’t know that I’ve ever fully appreciated that apparatus before…
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It’s OK to follow the spirit of the law, instead of being obsessive about following the letter of the law. For me, this covers just about everything.
I’m a total rule follower. Except for snacking between meals. I’m bad about that. Just the one thing though. Snacking between meals and taking office supplies. But that’s it, just those two things. Snacking and office supplies and speeding. Three…you can see where I’m going with this.
In reality land, it’s hard for me to not snack between meals. If I’m eating, I can’t chew my fingernails to the bone. I try to limit my caffeine intake, less for health and more for money benefits, but either way. As far as sleeping in goes, I would if I could, but apparently my children are morning people. They didn’t get that from either of us, I can assure you of that.
🙂
it’s ok to not eat even when you are hungry. i went from eating for every reason besides hunger, to waiting like a sprinter for my hunger to come so I could eat to trying intermittment fasting. i love the liberating feeling of not being controlled by my body ….it always feels good when you trust yourself!
I’m learning to break the rules now and then. Last night, after an hour of Pilates and a half-hour of swimming, I bought a candy bar out of the vending machine. A yummy, mass-produced, no-nutritional-value-whatsoever candy bar.
And I enjoyed every bite!
Love love love these! I have trouble w/ that all-or-nothing attitude and i agree that listening to your body’s hunger signals is more important than eating every 3 hrs.
How about:
Its ok to use salt!
Its ok to not use sunscreen if you’re going to be out for less than 15 minutes. Soak up that Vitamin D!!
Another great post! I’m really starting to understand that it’s okay if I don’t exercise as much as everyone else seems to, because my body just cannot handle it!
It’s ok to relax the rules! I am not looking forward to next week (work related). When I am stressed, I only want junk food and sleep. This weekend, I will be buying a large bag of plain M&M’s and a 6 pack of Code Red (Mountain Dew), and I have given myself permission to indulge next week if needed. I keep telling myself- This too shall pass!
I love watching all the gymnasts, but the rings- those routines are impressive!
LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I follow my own rules! 🙂 Yes, I have proper form when working out BUT it is OK to break the rules if they work for you – not form but how I work out & what I do – it obviously works for me! 🙂
It is OK to find your won way & do what feels right for you. IT IS OK! It is all about what works for you! 🙂
Yes yes yes! I love this post!
My whole fitness philosophy is based upon figuring out what sort of wiggle room we have within the rules in our fitness culture and let me tell you, we have a lot more wiggle room than we think!
Here’s another one:
It’s okay to say you want to no longer do an exercise just because you don’t enjoy it. All goals are like reaching the top of the mountain. There are many paths that can get us there so why pick the one you keep tripping yourself up on?
Thanks again Charlotte!
Oy vey. Thanks to my OCD, rules are thing that I’m manic about. However, it’s really hard for me because in my situation where I need to gain weight, I have to break all of the “typical” rules that are out there and block that all out. I have to eat more, exercise less, etc.–basically everything you’re told “not” to do.
So yes, I break a lot of the rules that you mention, but have to work on breaking my own hard and fast “you have to exercise that long if you exercised that long yesterday” or “you can only eat that if it’s organic or whole” crap. Day to day and step by step…it’s okay to do your own thing, as long as that thing is the best thing for you. Sometimes it’s rest, sometimes it’s a long walk, sometimes it’s just zoning out. It’s okay 🙂
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Today I’m dealing with the guilt from missing a run. I know that missing one workout isn’t a disaster. But I still feel like I missed something. But you are exactly right – it is ok. Thanks for the reminder.
Great article and love the tips, but sheesh i feel so guilty all day long if i skip my morning workout just ONCE to get that extra bit of sleep before work!! I gotta learn to deal with that though 🙂
Thanks for the article!
I really don’t spend workout every morning. I enjoy reading on this post and it makes me comfortable that it is just fine not engaging workout every morning.