In this episode of my Hungry for More series, I discuss how the power of knowing we can do hard things and actually transcend them can change how we view hardships of life. There are times we see running as something we hate the most in this vast universe, but in a different perspective, running can actually be helpful in keeping you functional both at home and at work!
Highlights:
- Discover the power of training yourself for resilience in both physical and psychological aspects;
- Understand why running is torturous for some and is meditative for others; and
- Learn how life-changing it is once you start seeing running as something that is helpful for your personal growth;
Check out previous episodes in my Hungry for More series if you haven't already! They'll really help you understand hunger.
It is a great way of understanding why people struggle with their weight every day due to the lack of desire to eat certain things they enjoy eating as well as other factors such as stress levels, which affect the production of ghrelin hormone (the "I'm hungry" hormone).
Here are our top recommended episodes.
- Episode 2: The Science Behind Emotional Eating
- Episode 7: 10 Practical Tips for Weight Loss
- Episode 10: Hunger for Perfection: How Your Perfectionism is Undermining Your Success
My new book Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss From The Inside Out is now available! If you’d like a hardcover, personalized, autographed copy with free shipping, use the code freeship at hungryformore.net.
Check out the new 30-Day Journaling Mini-Course.
Find more inspiration, join my newsletter, or see my curated collection of supplements and protein bars at dradrienneyoudim.com.
Don’t forget to follow Dehl Nutrition on Instagram and Facebook!
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Hey there, podcasters! Welcome back to Health Bite, the podcast created to provide you with small, actionable bites to support you in your path towards better physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I'm your host, Dr. Adrienne, and I'm so happy to be back with you here today in this week.
So, this week's episode is going to be a little bit off the cuff as I have not planned really what I want to say. I just got back from a race and it got me thinking.
Alex’s first 5K: A Celebratory Run with a Hint of Torture for Some
Today, I did a 5K with my brother, my kids, and family to celebrate my brother Alex's victory. He just hit the 100 pound mark. Yes, he has lost 100 pounds over the past year. He wanted to celebrate by running his first 5K and we were all in. He's awesome. You can follow him on Instagram – @fatkidbeautiful – not my choice of words, but we can talk to him about that when we bring him on to the podcast. Follow him @fatkidbeautiful where he is chronicling his journey, and as I said, I will have him on the podcast in the next few weeks so stay tuned.
But as I looked around today, the hundreds of people running, people of all shapes and sizes, young people – I saw a kid who looked like he just started to walk – and old people – I saw an old man walking the 5K with a cane – people were huffing and puffing and really pushing themselves, really exerting themselves. And I thought to myself, how is it that this act of exertion can be so torturous for some, and for others, something they engaged in intentionally?
From Torture to Power: The Change in My Perspective
I'm reminded, actually, of myself. The time that I shared my book Hungry for More of when I was in high school, and I think I've even talked about this on this podcast. Back in high school, when I was a senior, we had to run a mile. I can't remember if it was once a week or every day. It feels like every day, but I don't think we had PE every day of the week, so it was probably once a week where we had to run the mile in high school.
At that time, I remember always exercising, always engaging in sport. I play soccer most of my life, I have a gym membership at that time, but running really felt hard. I remember that running that mile was so torturous; it would take me 14, 15, sometimes 16 minutes to run that mile. I was huffing and puffing. I was really hurting. And I remember in my mind, just all I could think of was how difficult it was and how much I hated what I was doing. At some point, the coach pulled me aside and offered that I just gray papers. I can only imagine that it was as torturous for him to watch me run the mile as it was for me to actually run the mile.
Well, time passed. So many years passed. When I was later in medical school, I met a group of girls who would run for fun and seemed crazy to me, but in the spirit of wanting to make friends, I joined them. Slowly, something started to shift for me. I actually started to look forward to doing these runs, I began to do it for myself, and many years thereafter, actually ran the LA marathon.
And I still run. I don't run at all the link that I used to when I was training, but running for me now is meditation. It's Prozac and Xanax combined. It's how I like to start my day. It's where I get my high. I need my morning run really to function. It's how I blow off steam and it's often where I get my ideas. I have, in fact, frequently stopped abruptly during a run, pulled out my iPhone on the note section of my phone, and written in an idea for my newsletter, the podcast. Much of the writing for the book Hungry for More came from thoughts that came to me during a run.
The Exertion: Either a Source of Torture or of Joy
But I want to talk about the exertion for a moment, because that exertion really can be torture – like it was for me when I was in high school, but that very same exertion can become sort of joy. And so, how is that? What makes it so?
If you think about it, they’re like two sides of the same coin. Therefore, I think it's really all about how you hold it in mind. If you think of the exertion as a painful or bothersome experience, or you think of it as torture, then it will be. In fact, you can become consumed by that thought the entire time. I know, because I have done that. But, you can also choose to experience it in a different way. You can lean into that exertion, really be present with it. Notice that as hard as it is, it's not killing you; you can tolerate it. And in fact, I think that's where the magic happens. There's a power in knowing that we can do hard things and tolerate them and survive them and transcend them. That knowing can kind of seep into other parts of our lives. In fact, they've done studies and have shown that people who engage in strenuous or vigorous activity physically are better able to tolerate psychological exertion or stress as well. It's really a cool thought. It's really a cool thought to think that you can train yourself for resilience, not only physically, but also psychologically.
So, I want to challenge you this week to do something hard. Do something hard so that you know that you can do it; that you know you won't hurt to stretch yourself. In fact, take joy of the fact that you are stretching yourself. And guess what? We were okay. That feeling – that knowing – is what you can get hooked to. That's the Xanax and the Prozac of the run. That's the inspiration you can draw to move yourself forward no matter what life throws at you. It's not easy, but it can be done. So here's to you.
Be well this week, podcasters. Please join me next week for another short, actionable bite. If you love what you heard, please subscribe. And if you think this message will be of service to others, please share. You can also find me on Instagram – @dradrienneyoudim. Don't forget to follow my brother Alex – @fatkidbeautiful. Keep on listening as well because he will be on our podcast in a few weeks. You can find other goodies on my website, as well as download a quick actionable guide towards better health and well-being. Last but not least, I would love to share Dehl Nutrition and Dehl Bar – a high protein, low calorie nutrition bar that I personally curated for weight loss, weight maintenance, and better health and well-being. You can find the details at https://dehlnutrition.com.
Here's to an excellent week. I'll see you next time. Bye now.