The Behavior of Change
Night time snacking is hard not to do
Not eating before bed
Not eating before bed remains the hardest thing for me to do. I just love a little go bed go night night treat (that’s what they’re called in my house). But eating before bed, no matter what it is, has the biggest impact on how I sleep, how I feel when I wake up, and whether or not I’m able to to achieve my physical goals. Mainly, maintaining a certain weight, and keeping that small pocket of fat at the bottom of my belly at bay.
So it’s a real conundrum and a real battle for me. I know that if I can string a few nights together without having that bedtime snack, that I’m going to see and feel the results I want. But, I also know how much I enjoy those after dinner treats.
I have a few things I try to do to avoid snacking at night. First, I try to make sure I get in all the calories and macros I need throughout the day. This helps to limit my cravings at night. It also helps limit my ability to rationalize having a snack. I’m very good at convincing myself I need more food because I didn’t get enough calories, or protein, or fats. In particular after a hard training day. Along these same lines I try to make sure I have a balanced and substantial dinner that isn’t going to leave me craving more in a couple of hours. I’d rather overdo dinner a little bit, than leave myself hungry for food before bed.
Also, I look for signs that I’m just trying to eat. There are two signs that I always notice in myself. First, whenever I go to the kitchen looking for food but nothing appeals to me, I know I’m not actually hungry and I’m just looking to eat. Because when I am actually hungry it’s only a matter of moments that I’m putting together a plate with everything I want. Second is when I start telling myself I don’t care. The conversation in my head usually goes something like, “you don’t want to eat that, it’s going to negatively impact your sleep and your goals.” To which the glutton in me responds with, “I don’t care.” Well I do care, so I know that’s not the voice of reason, that’s the voice of someone bored looking for a treat.
But if I’m really needing something, I might mix some protein powder (usually casein) in water. Soy milk if I’m really getting crazy. Also, I’ve recently been on a milk kick. An 8 oz glass of whole milk can usually do the trick (I’ve been loving this A2 milk that supposed to be easier on digestion). Milk also works if I wake up in the middle of the night craving something. A teaspoon of CALM in 8 oz of water is another good trick. Something about the molecular make up of magnesium tends to settle med down.
But the hardest nights are the ones when my fiancé goes for a snack. On those nights it’s almost impossible not to join her in her indulgence. Luckily, she doesn’t do it often, so when she does I usually just cave and indulge with her. Just another reason why it’s important to be on the same page as your partner.
I love food. I love eating. I love eating all throughout the day. But at some point I have to put a lid on it, and I find that shutting it down a few hours before bed offers me the best results.
The Behavior of Change
Stay close to the pin
“Every day represents an opportunity to start a new. To make the change you’ve been dreaming of”
Stay Close to the Pin
This is the advice I gave my buddy the other day. It’s also the mantra I repeat to myself. Particularly during times when my normal exercise and diet routines have been thrown off. Whether that’s by choice, like taking a trip abroad, or it’s out of my control, like hosting my fiancé’s family for a couple of weeks over the holidays. Stay close to the pin, the pin is your goal or desired outcome, means focusing on what is in your control that can keep you from veering too far off.
If there’s three meals in a day, and you know dinner is going to be an indulgent affair, like say going out for Italian, or celebrating a friends birthday, then make sure that the other two meals balance it out. As an example, when I’m traveling I like to have a big healthy breakfast with fruit, eggs, bacon, yogurt, and a garden salad. I like to fill myself up before I leave to explore for the day. This way I’m not jonesing for every piece of food or pastry I see. Also, so that when I indulge at dinner, which is inevitable when traveling, I at least know that I started my day on the right food. And, at breakfast the next morning I can balance myself out again. I’m just trying to stay as close as I can.
With family visiting, I try to do the same thing with breakfast, and I’ll also sneak other healthy snacks throughout the day. Some raw nuts. Some fruit. A protein shake. So when we sit down for dinner, I’m hungry, but not starving and in danger of overdoing it.
Exercise is similar. What can you fit in during your trip? Or while you have company? Or whatever else it is that might be throwing off your routine. Maybe it’s 10 minutes of squats, push ups, crunches, and lunges to start your day. Or a few variations of plank holds. If you’re staying in a city where you’re going to be walking non-stop, then maybe you don’t need to formally exercise. Just choose to walk over getting into a taxi, or taking the stairs over escalators or elevators. On a recent trip my fiancé and I walked for an hour from our hotel to where we were meeting friends. My one buddy kept messaging me asking where we were. They Ubered to the destination and ended up arriving 30 minutes before us and the rest of the party. When we finally got there I told him we walked. He immediately started laughing. He said, “We thought about walking but decided to take an Uber. I told the group if anyone would walk it, it was Jen and James.” He was right.
The idea is not to make physical gains while you’re traveling, or when you’re out of your routine in general. You’re not going to be able to make progress during these times anyway, so don’t force it. Take it as an opportunity to break routine. But do just enough to keep the muscle memory of your routine fresh in your mind. It might not be the 60 minute high intensity workout you’re used to doing, but something is better than nothing, and something keeps the habit front of mind.
Stay close to the pin also means to give yourself a little slack. Don’t torture yourself with your routine. If you’re torturing yourself, it won’t be sustainable. If it’s not sustainable then you won’t stick to it long term. And the most important thing when it comes to making progress is consistency over a long period of time. Back off a little bit if you need to. Indulge a little bit if you need to. Just keep an eye out throughout your day for opportunities to strike a balance. A big dinner out with friends can be followed the next day with a light healthy breakfast and lunch. A missed workout can be balanced by a long walk when you get home or in the morning the next day while you sip your coffee.
Stay close to the pin, so when you’re ready to return you don’t have far to go. Poor health, weight gain, is not the result of 1 or 2 missed workouts or bad meals. People don’t end up in a hole because they fell off. Everyone falls off at some point. What matters is how far off you fall and for how long. Stay close to the pin.
And if you have a desire to start eating better and getting more active, don’t ever let that desire die. Think about it every day. Tell yourself that today is the day. And if not, then tomorrow. That is the day. My boss used to take home a briefcase every night filed with work. But he never did any work at home. Finally one day I asked him, “why do you keep bringing everything home when you never work on it?” He said, “It’s the intention that matters, and one day I will.” Never lose your intention, and one day you will make it happen. Every day is an opportunity to make the change you want.
Hiking and Climbing Tip and Tricks
Some basic things to know and thing about for your next adventure
These are the real basic things to know to keep your experience enjoyable. Like my diet tips and tricks, this is also a living document that will be updated from time to time.
My first ever real backpacking type trip was in Patagonia. A 7-day trek around Torres del Paine National Park. We had two amazing guides, as well as a handful of porters (yes this was a very bougie experience) who taught us so much. I’m remain so grateful to this day that we ended up in their care.
That one trip set me on a path to exploring the outdoors, and since 2019 I’ve been to over 20 national parks in the U.S., as well as a number of other parks and mountains around the world. Every time I’ve gone out into the wilderness I’ve learned something new. That is particularly true of experiences with guides. They are guides for a reason and they know how to make your time outside as enjoyable as possible.
These are the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up, and have stuck with me. Many time I run through this checklist in my head before, and during any hikes, trail runs, climbs, or camping trips. For sure there are more complicated things to know depending on what you’re doing. But these basic guidelines to follow will help make your time a little bit better.
When you begin your hike, always start out a little cold. Once you start moving you’ll be surprised how fast you warm up. Especially if you’re starting with elevation gain. Start cool. Put your hands in your pockets. You can stop do add a layer if you need it.
When you get to the summit, a peak, or a nice place for a snack, zipper up and/or layer up before doing anything else. Peeing, eating, drinking, should all come second. You’ll be surprised how fast your body cools.
Don’t fall. The first thing we learned during our crampon training before climbing Mt. Rainier was “don’t fall.” So simple and stupid but so effective. During the whole descent of that mountain (which was around 6-7 hours if I recall), when my legs were jello and my feet were throbbing with blisters, all I repeated over and over to myself was “don’t fall.” And somehow that little phrase carried me all the way down that mountain. And I shit you not, on the few instances when I lost focus of my phrase, and engaged in conversation, or allowed my gaze to wander, were all the times I almost fell. Don’t. Fall.
You can radically change temperature by zipping up or down your clothes. Before taking a layer off, or putting a layer on, adjust the zipper on your jacket or quarter zip. Open or close the zippers in rain jacket arm pits. Take your hat off. Sometimes a simple change like that is all you need, and you’ll save yourself from having to make another stop.
Carry nutrient dense food, and food you like. Sweet and savory trail mix is a favorite for obvious reasons. For one two night trip we packed pizza for the first night. It was fantastic. The longer the trip, the more variation you’re going to want. Try to balance flavor and texture, with being practical (you can’t pack the whole kitchen).
There is no such thing as bad weather. Only wrong gear.
Which leads to 7. Have the right gear. My standard hiking gear is as follows:
Sturdy footwear
Quick dry socks
Quick dry t-shirt
Quick dry baselayer
A hat (baseball or winter hat)
Down vest (depending on temperature I’ll either start with this on, or stuff it in my pack)
Down jacket (in my pack weather permitting)
Rain jacket (in my pack weather permitting)
Gloves (light or heavy depending on weather, in my back)