learn your macros

I know this post is going to have about... 0% impact on this problem, but I might feel just a little bit better if I get this off my chest.

Please people, do not use the word "carbs" generically. 

There are three primary macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. These are the basic building blocks of all food.

Macronutrients can be further categorised, for example, the two main forms of carbohydrates are sugars and starches. (There is, of course, more molecular detail you could delve into, but for the purpose of this argument I'm keeping it simple.)

So when anyone posts a picture of vegetables and says that they are having a "no carbs day", they are lying. While vegetables are a mix of carbohydrates, fat and protein, from a nutritional perspective, they are predominantly carbohydrates - all of them.

Furthermore, perpetuating the idea that one macro should be removed from your diet completely is ridiculous. We all need a combination of all three.

Rant over.

If want to learn a bit more about carbohydrate intake (specifically for athletes) - read this.

(I do not endorse a low-carb diet, but if you want 'low-carb' veggies, choose ones with a high water content.)

- Dani

matters of the mind and the heart

As I have mentioned on Instagram (@withaflugelhorn), mental health is just as important as physical health. So here is a little piece I have written for those that might be facing a few personal challenges in the romance department.

Matters of the mind and the heart are often very complicated. It's part of what makes us human.

Of course I am talking about the metaphorical heart, our 'emotional centre', not the cardiac organ beating within our chest.

While logic might dictate one pathway, often our emotions lead us down another. This seems most common in the pursuit of romantic love, although platonic love (the love we have for our family, etc) can also lead us astray.

But let's face it, a world completely dictated by logic would be fairly dull. The arts would surely be less captivating. I cannot imagine Shakespeare's plays would have had quite the same effect. And without his many mistresses, would Picasso have still created such memorable paintings?

Most TV series rely on a heavy dose of emotion and drama. And it is pretty hard to find a pop song that doesn't have some reference to love, loss or heartache.

Admittedly, knowledge that emotions and love are an integral part of our lives doesn't necessarily help us when things go awry.

So what should we do when issues arise or when someone we thought we'd spend the rest of our lives with, turns out to be a total douche?

Here are a few suggestions...

• Remember that there is nothing wrong with you. These types of things happen to lots of people, for any number of reasons.
• It's ok to be upset. People seem to have forgotten that we can't always be happy. So let yourself be upset for a while, just don't let it overrun your life.
• Talk to others, especially those that know you best. Not only can it help to talk to someone else, to formulate and articulate your ideas and feelings, it can help you gain an outsiders perspective and maybe even some advice.
  (Please note - if you don't feel that you have anyone talk to, there are a number of telephone and online counselling providers out there.)
• Don't act out on your anger or frustration. You might feel like a raging bull, but don't let yourself do anything that you would regret later.
• Remember to learn from this experience. One of the many wonderful things about being human is that we can learn from our experiences (whether they are mistakes or not).
• Focus on the positive relationships in your life. Don't let one bad relationship poison the rest.
• As difficult as it might be, keep yourself busy. While you might want to take time off work or study, it is best to continue your regular activities, and being busy can help you take you mind off everything else.
• Depending on the situation - talk to your partner. If you are experiencing a problem in your relationship that could be fixed or resolved, then it is important to communicate this. (Remember that your significant other is not a mind reader.) You never know, together you could find a solution.

Obviously, the ultimate goal is continue living a varied and wonderful life. But this is harder for some of us.

One thing that I learnt during my psych days at uni, and that I still use as an indicator today, is to ask myself 'Am I functioning as contributing member of society?'.

If you are in such a position that you can't go to work or look after your kids or feed/clean yourself, then your answer would be 'no' and thus you should seek additional help.

For a lot of us though, our answer would be 'yes' as we can continue to do all those things. And as with the good times, we acknowledge that bad times are part of the colourful and sometimes unpredictable mosaic of life.

I am no history buff, but I can assure you that without mistakes and setbacks, we would not have learned, nor progressed, as much as we have. So consider this part of your evolution.

- Dani

challenge yourself

It wasn't easy, but I did it. I climbed the (approx) 1000 steps at the Kokoda Trail Memorial Walk.

After such a lethargic week - I'm not sure what is wrong with me, but my energy levels are low, low, low - it wasn't easy to get pumped up for my second Weekend Walkabout Challenge walk, but I am so glad I did.

See, I'm smiling!

Despite the throngs of people, many of whom passed me, I did feel a sense of accomplishment once I'd climbed the 1000 steps, so much so that I wasn't ready to stop (or go back down). So I continued on to One Tree Hill and then took a detour back to the carpark.

Wandering on my own along the Tyson Track was a truly blissful experience. Crowds have never been my caper, so once I was alone, with the sun shining and my legs walking, I began to sing.

Yep, I sang an awful rendition of It's a Wonderful World, but it felt fantastic! This is why I walk/hike - the enormous sense of calm, of adventure, of independence. I know a lot of people frown upon those who walk alone, but I feel such inner peace when I am bushwalking on my own.

Overall I walked 7km, with an elevation of 379m. My pace wasn't particularly great, but having struggled immensely with my breathing (being asthmatic and hayfever-ish) it isn't a surprise. Most importantly though, I got out there, saw something new and challenged myself.

Given the crowds (there are a lot of people there and it can be difficult to get a car park, but the crowd did seem to 'thin out' later in the afternoon), I'm not sure I would head back to the 1000 steps/Kokoda Trail Memorial Walk any time soon. For those interested in learning more about the Kokoda Trail and paying homage to the fallen soldiers though, it is worth a visit.

The greatest thing about this Weekend Walkabout Challenge so far, is that I am enjoying it. It is exercise, sight-seeing and down time all in one. I don't even feel like I am working out (although my polar watch says otherwise).

It really goes to show that if you find activities you enjoy doing, you're more likely to keep at it.

I haven't confirmed the location for my next walk, but given the theme is 'A touch of history', I'm considering checking out the Gold Heritage Trail, Warrandyte State Park.

- Dani

weightloss vs hunger

I once read that the amount of money spent on dieting and weightloss products could actually stop world hunger. Of course this is just a figure and doesn't factor in the political and logistical issues regarding stopping world hunger, but it got me thinking.

Then I stumbled across the Stop the Hunger website, which goes a step further into comparing dieting and world hunger. The page is a constant stream of live stats regarding the world population, the number of undernourished people, the number of overweight people, etc. What is perhaps most astonishing is the comparison of the dollars spent on weight-loss programs in the USA today (~$97m) and the cost of feeding the hungry today (~$18m).

In Australia, it is estimated that people will spend $827m on counselling services, low-calorie foods and shakes, diet cookbooks, weight loss guides, dietary supplements and surgery in an effort to lose weight throughout 2012-13.

Now I'm not saying that all of this is a waste of money, but surely someone is trying to link the money spent by the overweight with the needs of the hungry. (Although I imagine that there are plenty of people in the healthy weight range that also spend money on diet products.)

A short google search later and I find out that Zumba started a Great Calorie Drive. Basically, you use the Zumba Fitness app to donate the calories you have burned to people struggling with hunger (through The United Nations World Food Programme).

Unfortunately, this seems limited to calories burned in Zumba classes exclusively.

There are a few bloggers that have encouraged people to eat one bowl of rice for one day (per year) and donate the money they would have spent on food or encouraged people to donate a pound of food for each pound of weight they lose (which seems based on a similar promotion by Subway).

Of course there are other initiatives aimed at reducing hunger, such as Outnumber hunger and P4P, but this is unrelated to the weight loss industry.

I am most interested in turning dollars that would be spent on weight-loss programs or unused gym memberships into dollars for the hungry.

Does anyone know of anything like this in the market already?

- Dani

explore the unknown

The Weekend Walkabout Challenge has kicked off!

Week 1 was all about exploring the unknown. Having chosen a park I'd never been to before, in a region I'd never visited before, I'd say the unknown was certainly explored.

Despite my desktop research about the various walks in the You Yangs Regional Park, on the day I decided to 'wing it'. By which I mean, I parked at a random location and chose a spontaneous route from there on.

Please note I would not use this approach in a park without clear walking tracks and signage.

With one hydration backpack (filled with icy water), one phone, a few dog treats and one dog, I set off.

From the Big Rock picnic area we headed towards The Saddle along Rockwell Rd. Now at this point I have to admit, I didn't chose the best walk. At least 2-3 km of our walk was along a dirt road and walking along a dirt road isn't particularly interesting. Ah well, it was nice being spontaneous.

Once we reached The Saddle, things got a little bit more interesting. There were a number a smaller, more interesting paths to choose from. There was the East walk, West walk and Saddleback track.

Intrigued by the Bunjil geoglyph, we took the Saddleback track, which was predominantly a dirt track heading straight down.

I dislike walking downhill at the best of times. Add an impatient young canine and it was bordering on painful. Luckily we managed to reach the bottom without too much skidding and sliding, and it was a pleasant walk from there to the geoglyph.

The geoglyph was somewhat interesting, but does not need to be seen up close. If you want to see it in its entirety, I recommend walking to the lookout on the Flinders Peak track. (Of course, I didn't know this til later.)

Now it was time to head back up the hill. At this point I was planning to head straight back to our starting point, but... when we reached Turntable picnic area and I saw groups of people heading up to Flinders Peak I thought "challenge accepted".

At this point we'd been walking for 1.5 hours, but I was there, in the moment, with energy to burn. So 450 steps and steep gradients seemed a logical thing to do. Besides, you can't go somewhere and not reach the top, right?

So Maple and I bounded up the Flinders Peak track at a cracking speed. I was feeling fit and energised. Despite all the extra weight I was carrying (being overweight and all), I felt like my old-self again. The sporty, adventurous lass that I used to be. It was great.

The view at the top was pretty good, but the feeling of accomplishment, of having pushed myself and risen to the occasion, was even better.

But that wasn't enough for Miss Maple. She stepped it up a notch on the way back down from the peak and I ended up running the rest of the way. (Who would have thought it?!)

Eventually, 2.5 hours after we'd started, we were back at Big Rock picnic area. Tired, a little sore, but grinning stupidly.

Using the app, MapMyHike, I was able to track where I walked, how fast I walked and the elevation throughout my walk. Pretty nifty.

So there you have it, 11.37 km hiked over two and a half hours (during which I burned over 1500 calories). A fantastic adventure, so much better than spending the day pottering around the house.

I strongly recommend any of the walks at the You Yangs. There is enough variety to suit most fitness levels. And if you are very fit, you can always run instead.

Now I am thrilled about next weekend. What better way to challenge myself than the 1000 steps Kokoda Walk!

- Dani

weekend walkabout challenge

The days may be getting shorter and colder, but that's no reason to stay slumped on the couch all weekend.

Personally I love the colder days. Not only do I get to layer my clothes and wear my much-loved scarves, but I don't get hot and bothered so easily while exercising. And that crisp air can be goddamn refreshing.

I love the colder weather!

The change of season also means that footy is back, which means I am now sans boyfriend every Saturday.

So what to do on these chilly days as a lady of leisure?

Set a Weekend Walkabout Challenge, of course!

Over the next six weekends I'm going to tackle six different walking trails. I figure this is the perfect opportunity for me to explore more of Victoria, get active and enjoy some downtime. And it's a great way to make the most of the Autumn weather, before Winter well and truly sets in.

For anyone else that wants to partake in this 6 week challenge, I have devised a little plan that can help inspire your walks, wherever they may be.

My current itinerary looks something like this

20 April - You Yangs Regional Park

27 April - 1000 Steps Kokoda Walk

4 May - Gold Heritage Trail, Warrandyte State Park

11 May - Point Nepean National Park

18 May - Two Bays Walking Track (partial)

25 May - tbd

I might be flexible with the locations, but I will definitely stick the 'themes'.

So what are you doing this weekend?

Want to go on walkabout too?

I know I'm ready for "a spontaneous journey through the wilderness of one's choosing in an effort to satisfy one's itchy feet, a need to be elsewhere, the craving for the open road, that space over the horizon".

- Dani

PS. If you want to enjoy your walks with a canine friend, this is a great guide for dog friendly walks near Melbourne - Walking your Dog in Victoria's Parks

strong

"The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong." Swami Vivekananda

Have you ever thought about the word 'strong'?

It can indicate great physical strength or ability withstand pressure. Strong can even indicate intensity (e.g., a strong smell).

I want to be strong. I want physical strength. I want the strength to resist overeating.

Not only do I want to be strong, I am also inspired by strong, fit people. Particularly strong and fit women, with a bit of brain power thrown in if possible.

These are the kinda women I'm talking about...

This is by no means a definitive list, but these are well-known women that I believe to be strong, fit and inspirational in their own way.

But how can I be stronger?

Recently I read some of my earlier posts and I found them interesting, almost inspiring. But as the months went by, the posts become negative and full of excuses. Now I'm nearly back at my starting weight. Clearly, I am not very strong at moment.

Rather than perpetuate this dialogue of constant disappointment and lack of discipline. I'm am turning this blog (and myself) around. I am not just going to track my progress here, I am going to motivate myself here.

Sharing my set backs and failures has been somewhat cathartic, but I can't keep on making excuses. I can't keep on indulging in this self-pity and acceptance of mediocrity.

So... get ready for an onslaught of motivation, positivity and progress. And if you want more of these new vibes, check out @withaflugelhorn on Instagram.

- Dani