Intuitive Eating Tips for Work and Travel

Greetings from snowy Geneva where we received almost a foot of snow in the past 24 hours!  

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I had no idea that due to the geography  heavy snow is quite rare here and therefore has put the city into a tailspin. My run outside turned into an awesome 30 minute Strong Arm & Back workout followed by a long day in our Geneva office. It’s incredible to spend time in this office as it is truly a global office where people speak Italian, French, German, and English just to name a few! I knew that I wouldn’t have time to post today based on my workload and therefore reached out to one of my New York City friends for help. Jamie and I are going to work together during the month of March as I continue to make headway on my intuitive eating  In advance of that partnership, we thought it would be fun to share her journey and knowledge with you all along with new of her next challenge! 

Enjoy and catch you guys tomorrow!

Hi there! My name is Jamie and I blog over at StudioEats. I have my own Health Coaching business and specialize in working with people on becoming more Intuitive Eaters- ditching the diets and learning to listen to their own bodies.

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I’ve been running a 21 Day Intuitive Eating Challenge with 45 people during the month of February and am going to be running the program again in March. More details on that at the end!

I am so excited to be posting on Ashley’s blog today. I’ve been reading it for a long time now, and was SO excited when I read her post a couple weeks ago titled “Turning Point”. This quote that she wrote literally made me grin from ear to ear:

I decided that I was tired of trying and figured that I’d take some time post marathon just to see what my body wanted to do naturally.  I’ve been eating what I crave, enjoying wine, and working out consistently. The trick is all about intuitive eating and drinking. When I’m craving something, I eat it but in a small portion.”  -Ashley

Ahhh… music to my ears! A little about my story… After trying every single diet in the book during college, I finally began my own Intuitive Eating journey a few years ago. I was desperate, I was at an all time low in terms of my body image and weight, and I knew that diets just weren’t working. There had to be a better way. I ended up finding a Health Coach who changed my life—she helped me look inward instead of outward, get back in touch with my body, and learn how to deal with emotional eating. I was finally able to shed the college weight but more importantly, find the freedom and liberation I was so desperate for in terms of my relationship to food.

Ashley asked me to talk to you guys about how to become more Intuitive Eaters while working crazy hours and living busy lives. Before leaving my job to start my Health Coaching business, I worked full time in Finance for 3.5 years. For 2.5 of those years, I traveled almost every week all over the Southeast. So I know how challenging these environments can be and am excited to give you a few of my top tips that I learned over the years. So here goes!

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My Top Three Tips for Being a More Intuitive Eater While You’re at the Office:

  1. Ditch the notion that you have to stick to meal times: Part of becoming an Intuitive Eater is eating when you’re actually hungry. I’ve noticed that a lot of people are really stuck on eating their breakfast/lunch at a certain time each day at the office. Play around with meal times and focus on eating your meals when you’re actually hungry. The more in sync you are with your hunger and your body, the more satisfied you will feel when you actually eat. Try pushing your lunch back an hour, or up an hour. It’s all about experimenting!
  2. Rethink your lunch: If you bring your lunch to work, it is slightly harder to be Intuitive about your lunch choice because you already packed your lunch that morning or the night before, but my suggestion here is to bring some options for yourself, and make those options varied. This way, you can give yourself something you’re actually craving at lunchtime. Bring some cut up veggies or a salad, something more carb-heavy like a sandwich, maybe some yogurt/granola in case you’re in the mood for that, some chocolate or other sweet options, a piece of fruit or two, etc. When it comes to be lunchtime, choose from your options. Anything leftover can just be used the next day or brought home. If you buy lunch at work, take a minute before you go to lunch to REALLY ask yourself what you’re in the mood for. Get exactly that, enjoy every bite of it, and try as hard as you can to stop eating when you’re full
  3. Take some time for yourself: I focus on finding pleasure in the day-to-day with my clients. Take a lunch break- even if it just for 5 minutes. Focus on your food, not your computer screen. If you can, get out and walk around with your ipod or a friend. Every now and then, take yourself down the street to a cute café if you can. Treat yourself—you deserve it. The more pleasure we have in our lives, the less we need to use food to fill that pleasure void.

My Top Three Tips for Being a More Intuitive Eater While Traveling:

1.     Give up control: I know, this is SO hard for most of us. I coach a few clients who travel frequently for work and I just tell them to go with the flow and ENJOY IT. Just like Ashley gave up control while she was recently traveling, try to do the same. Don’t plan out your meals, fight the fear that there won’t be enough “healthy” food available, just use it as a time to practice giving up control. Flow through your days eating exactly what looks good when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. If you follow this guideline, it will help you survive your travels without gaining an ounce.

2.     Bring whatever snacks you can: Intuitive Eating means honing in on your actual cravings and hunger. Since traveling is so unpredictable, have snacks on you so that you can eat when you’re hungry and also so that you don’t feel the need to load up/stuff yourself at a certain meal because you’re not sure when you’re going to see food again. I ALWAYS have almonds and dark chocolate bars on me when I travel, and I also used to bring cut up raw veggies for my plane rides there.

3.     Self Care and Comfort are SO important: When we travel, we are out of our element. We are in a world of unknown, in strange cities and airports, we don’t have the right clothes, our flights get cancelled, we don’t know our food options, etc. When we are in situations like this, it’s important to up our self-care BIG TIME. Give yourself any comforts that you can. When I traveled every week for work, I used to make sure all of my work clothes were as comfortable as possible, that I always had flats on me to change into, that I had tea bags with me because I was constantly cold, that I had my own snacks with me, that I took a few minutes to myself whenever I could, that I had interesting magazines and books to read, etc. Self-care is so crucial to our health AND our weight because when we are uncomfortable for any reason, we often times try to stuff down/eliminate that feeling with food. The more comfortable and relaxed we can make ourselves, the less we will turn to food.

 I hope you find these tips helpful! Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

And now for the March challenge:

21 day intuitive eating

During the Intuitive Eating Challenge, you will learn how to break free from the Diet Mentality, listen to your body and your actual cravings, give yourself permission to eat exactly what you want, tune back in to your hunger and fullness, and re-learn what makes you satisfied. I’m telling you… working toward becoming a more Intuitive Eater was the smartest thing I ever did in my life. It made me WAY more in touch with not only my body and what it needed, but what I needed in every single area of my life. Not to mention it helped me easily shed the college weight in a way that worked with my body instead of against it.

You can read two additional posts that I did about Intuitive Eating and how much it has impacted me:

Intuitive Eating: What Does This Mean, Anyway?

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

I will be your guide and your coach during the 21 days of the challenge and will be devoted to helping you grasp the concepts and implement them into your personal life. This is what the challenge entails:

–          Two 15 minute one-on-one coaching calls with me. One is at the beginning of the challenge to help me understand your current situation and help you formulate goals for the challenge and one call is at the end to recap with you and answer any remaining questions specific to you. 

–          Daily newsletters in your inbox at 6am, each with a different topic related to Intuitive Eating and a “task” for you to try out that day going forward

–          Unlimited email one-on-one email coaching with me during the 21 days

–          Access to the Private Intuitive Eating Facebook Group (the Feb group has been super active! They post pics of their food, questions, “ah-ha” moments, and successes)

For additional information about the challenge, head over to my main Intuitive Eating Challenge page.

The cost of the program is $49 but I am happy to offer it for the price of $39 to any of Ashley’s readers because I know you guys are serious about learning. In order to get signed up and the $39 rate, simply email me at jamiemendell@gmail.com and put “IE Challenge- Ashley” in the subject line. I’ll then get your payment information and we’ll be on our way.

I can’t wait to have you be a part of it and to have the honor of guiding you toward something that I am so passionate about.

And I’d like to just leave you with a little tid-bit from an email I got this morning from one of the people participating in the February Intuitive Eating Challenge. She wrote me this in an email:

“Just some quick feedback to let you know how much I look forward to “chatting/connecting with a dear friend” (you) everyday!  For the first time in my life I am paying attention to MY well-being and not thinking it’s self-centered.” – Kathy Skinner

 

 

 

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Running Up Mount Saleve

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I conquered my fears and doubts while running the Saleve with my colleague, friend and host for the weekend, Renaud.

As you can tell from this picture, Renaud is quite the athlete and therefore running with him was a bit intimidating. This 6’9 Belgium guy runs the challenging cliffs and hills of Saleve multiple times a week as training for other races including triathlons, ultras, and sky running. He knows the trail like the back of his hand as he often navigates it during snow storms, early morning darkness, or late evening dusk.

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It took Renaud quite a while to convince me that it would be a fun adventure together and that he wouldn’t let me die. I wanted to ensure he realized that while I consider myself active and in good shape, I’m used to running at zero altitude and on primarily flat inclines. One thing is for sure, after yesterday’s run I am so thankful that I’ve been pushing myself this past month at Barry’s Bootcamp twice a week. My quads and core were integral for success yesterday as he said we’d have to be very agile and have to find our balance in order to not slip on the icy patches and on the uneven terrain.

Before our adventure, we had breakfast yesterday morning at Le Pain Quotidien with Sara, Renaud’s lovely girlfriend of 10 years. I find it so funny that so many Europoean restaurants and stores are now in New York City. They were surprised when I said that their neighborhood favorite breakfast spot was also a neighborhood favorite of mine in New York! As we were deciding what to order Renaud looked at me and said, “Make sure you eat enough because we’re about to burn over 3,000 calories!”  While I doubted I would burn that much, I agreed and happily enjoyed a delicious breakfast including bircher muesli, cappuccino, fruit, and bread with jam.

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When we returned to their flat, we quickly changed into running clothes so we could head for the mountain before noon. Renaud told me to bring “winter running gear” along with running shoes and a wind jacket. In exchange, he would provide a light backpack and any extra gear I needed. I packed quite the options since I had no clue how his version of winter running gear would translate to mine but I figured that with multiple options something would work.

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In the end, I wore the following for the run: Sugoi Sub Zero running tights, Lululemon tank, Under Armour long sleeved cold weather gear top, Sugoi winter running 1/4 zip jacket, ING NYC Marathon wind breaker, Nike fleece gloves, mismatched socks, Mizuno Wave Rider 17, and a Lululemon ear warmer. I carried a change of socks, Lululemon technical long sleeve shirt, and an extra pair of gloves in my backpack along with shot blocks and water.

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After changing we took the bus and light rail to the base of Saleve, about 20 minutes away. From the bus stop the trail entrance was a short mile run through an adorable, small Swiss town that was very picturesque. In addition, we ran over the main highway where Renaud pointed out that this single highway can connect Geneva to many different cities such as Milan! It’s such a weird thing to think how connected Europe is, similar to living in the Northeast where you can cross over to another country so easily.

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As soon as we turned on the trail I realized what I’d signed myself up for by agreeing to run with Renaud. The trail sign said it was 4 hours and 10 minutes to La Crouisette, the top of Saleve, our destination.

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I saw a very steep path ahead that consisted of at least a mile of switchbacks. Renaud explained that the journey to the top of Saleve was easiest when broken into 4 separate parts, each having unique terrain that would challenge me in a new way. The first part was the most important because if I went to fast in the beginning my “heart would explode” and I would never make it to the top. He promised that the top was the most enjoyable and therefore I had to have energy left by the time we made it to the top. I told him that I was going to think of this as a marathon and therefore focus on constant movement but ensure that my pace was slower than the 9:30 we’d kept our first mile. Renaud, a true gentleman, said that he’d stay a few steps ahead of me but would ensure that he turned around every few minutes to make sure I was still progressing. I hated to hold him back but was very appreciative of the support. He also said that we’d stop for photos on the way up making the elevation and altitude adjustment more bearable.

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This is an example of the views we had from the path along the first section. We were literally running along the side of the mountain. Also, I will let you know that during this first portion, it definitely took me almost a good 30 minutes to find my pace and breath. I started out running at about a 12 minute pace and then needed to change to “speed hiking” as my body wasn’t having it. My lungs were panting and my heart was beating way too fast. Renaud suggested I do a run hike mix to acclimate my body to the terrain and intensity.

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We finished the first portion of the trail after about 2.5 miles and then went off the main path for the next portion. This path was far less traveled and literally had me doing high knee running through the snow. There were certain portions of the trail where I had to literally crawl up holding on to trees and boulders.

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The path was absolutely gorgeous and by this time we were so far above the town and highway that the only noise was the crunching of the snow, our deep breathing and nearby birds.  We conquered 50 steps at one point that were covered in snow as we moved up the mountain.

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As we got higher the path started to flatten a bit so I was able to do more running versus hiking. I kept yelling to Renaud that this was an amazing experience and beyond beautiful. Check out some of these awesome shots that he captured!  By the time we reached the third leg, he said the hardest of the incline was done but this part would be primarily snow running. Running through a foot of snow is most similar to running on dry sand. My calves were burning within moments!

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The fourth part of our journey was across the top of Saleve across a snowy field. Exactly as Renaud had described, there were families playing with their children and dogs, couples taking in the views, and people cross country skiing. This area is accessible via cars so many people come up for the day to enjoy the fresh snow.  The panoramic view left me speechless as did the vast white snow that went on for as far as the eye could see. Though this was the most beautiful portion of the four parts it was also quite difficult at times as we were navigating around people and much of the snow was untouched so the drifts were deeper.

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We reached the top in about 2 hours, including our stops for photographs. At this point we each took some water and a small amount of fuel. I was surprisingly not very hungry but was assured by Renaud that while going down may seem like it would be easiest, it would be quite a challenge and I needed energy. I took 3 shot blocks before we proceeded across the field to the other side where we’d eventually head down. I imagined that we’d head down a trail similar to the one we’d ascended but quickly realized, as I saw Renaud dash over the side of the mountain, that there was no trail to be seen!  He shouted to me that it was fun and just use my shoes as if they were skis, ensuring that I never pointed directly down the mountain and instead ran/hopped side to side. I took a big gulp and went full force down the mountain because I knew a second later my fear would catch up with me.

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This was definitely one of the scariest but coolest things I’ve ever done. In this bottom picture you can see the tree line we ran towards. This tree line also had a large barbed wire fence in front of it. As soon as I saw it I had fears of going tumbling into the fence so much to Renaud’s amusement, I started swerving further left and right to slow myself down. By the time I reached the entrance to the trees where the trail began again my shoes and tights were filled with snow. We took a minute to brush ourselves off but Renaud insisted that emptying our shoes was worthless since we were about to hit more snow. I was amazed at this point that I wasn’t freezing as I am normally very sensitive to cold temperatures as I have Renaud’s Syndrome. I guess all the hard exercise was keeping me warm?

The final part of our journey down the mountain was through snowy trails that included lots of icy patches, loose rocks, and areas where we had to hold on to ropes and anchored cords to not loose our footing. In between running we were hopping boulders and climbing through small cave areas. Luckily, by this point in the run I’d improved my snow trail running form and was leaning forward instead of backwards, running with my legs spread wider than hips distance apart, using my arms to propel forward, and keeping a tight core to help my balance.

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At exactly three hours we exited the trail for our final mile of the run, back down to another bus stop. There are still no words to describe the adrenaline rush I was feeling at this point. Not only had I conquered something that I had thought almost impossible but I had finished without falling and enjoying every minute of the adventure. As we crossed the border, back into Switzerland I screamed thank you to Renaud. His coaching and support had allowed me to experience something totally new and enjoy it all while running from Switzerland to France and back again!

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There are things that we do throughout life that define us. Until yesterday, running a marathon was the most difficult thing I’ve experienced physically. But, yesterday’s challenge pushed me to overcome fears of the unknown and trust my body’s ability. There were moments when I doubted that my lungs, quads, calves, or heart could handle another step. But, then, I’d look ahead to Renaud who was excitedly waiting and knew that I didn’t want to disappoint him or more importantly myself.

It’s funny how life works out. I was supposed to be skiing this weekend but in the end I think that I ended up with the better opportunity!

UPDATED TO NOTE: Renaud took most of the pictures you see in this post with his Sony Cyber Shot DSC-RX100 camera. He carries it in his backpack running. In addition, many of these were edited by him using Photo Shop Elements 4. 

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Today I Ran from Switzerland to France

There are no words for the way I feel right now. It took 3 hours for Renaud and I to hike, run, and scale our way up 3,000 feet to the top of Saleve and back down the other side. Once I have all the pictures from Renaud, I’ll do a full post that will give justice to this incredible challenge.

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When we got off the bus in a small Swiss town this morning near the foot of Saleve I was starting to doubt myself. A natural athlete, Renaud conquers this mountain almost daily in order to train for sky running and other endurance trail races. He also mistakenly told me that many of his friends don’t dare go with him to run Saleve in winter due to the ice and snow. Luckily, this was the magic motivation I needed as my competitive side decided I wanted to not only finish but push myself as much as possible physically and mentally.

Here are some pictures from the experience but many more and a post with descriptions of each section will come later!

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