The Goal

Stability is the ultimate goal of all of nature. Radiation exists because elements are unbalanced and are seeking to rectify that problem. They hurl subatomic particles into the universe trying to become stable. Water always seeks stability. It will flow downhill until it meets a body of stable water and then becomes part of it. People wander and languish without stability. It’s necessary for successful weight management and time or money spent in the pursuit of this somewhat elusive trait, is well spent.

Disclaimer

I am not, nor will I ever be, diagnosing anything. You must see your physician for that. I can, however, pass along information that is relevant to my life and you can take it or leave it. Hopefully, I will uncover some facts that will illuminate someone’s pathway and prod you to see a doctor for any problematic manifestations of possible trouble lurking.

Off Balance

If we are unstable in temperament, we set our adrenaline glands up for exhaustion which can be deadly. We need the chemicals produced by the adrenals but if we keep them in a constant state of excitement, they can begin to turn off and that can be deadly. It’s known as adrenal fatigue.

I tend to burn the candle at both ends, blogging, lifting and working full-time. While David and I both dearly love this blog, it is entirely a Labor of Love. We do not profit from this and we both have demanding jobs. We choose hard jobs because in reality, those are the best jobs. We both know a little something about burning out. Anybody can burn out. The toll of ongoing stress and exhaustion can produce surges in the endocrine system. That’s why sleep is mandatory.

The Balm of Gilead

Without adequate rest, our bodies will not repair the wear and tear of daily living, stress and the microscopic muscle tears that strength trainers deliberately inflict upon ourselves. When we get rest, however, those tears are repaired and we build muscle. This is a type of chosen stress and we can experience temporary physiological imbalances without great harm as long as we take really good care of ourselves, eating well, resting and working out hard. The hard workout tends to replenish the neurotransmitters that can be lost to ongoing stress. Sleep is still a necessity to balance from the hard work out. There is an ongoing balancing act that our bodies will move through because stability is necessary to life.

Stealthy Invader

There is also a pathological state known as Borderline Personality Disorder in which instability is an almost constant state that has to be dealt with on an ongoing basis. If you have any idea that you may be in this category, please see your doctor today. Symptoms range from fear to self-destructive behaviors. Every day is a drama.

Similar Outcomes

The difference between the temporary instability that is relevant to a normal life due to the difficulties of daily living and mental illness is simply this, if we are mentally healthy, we will try to stabilize. We will seek coping mechanisms to alleviate stress and heal. We will always be searching for that “Keep Calm” state of being if we are mentally healthy. Sometimes we will succeed and in those moments, tremendous healing can occur.

Mayhem

If we are mentally unstable, drama is the name of our game. We will constantly create problems where there are none, based on our fears and insecurities. We will most likely never stabilize without extensive professional help. Usually weight gain and increasing loss of physical fitness will occur and then the cascade of physical health problems that comes when muscle loss has reached that critical point where it’s not doing it’s part in our metabolism.

Temporary State

If the chronic stress of the mentally healthy individual is not dealt with in a healthy way, the consequences can be the same. I have written extensively about my life and stress has been a state that I had to conquer. When we allow ourselves to be in an ongoing agitated mental state, not only will our health suffer in other ways, we will produce so much cortisol, a stress hormone, that we will put on fat around our waist. With increased waist circumference comes an increased risk for metabolic complications, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. I have a few tricks that work for me to neutralize this poison.

My Survival Guide

1-Admit when you’re wrong. You won’t believe how much anxiety that this can alleviate. If we are not willing to admit that we are wrong, then we can’t fix the problem. If we can’t fix the problem then the problem may kill us.

2-CHANGE! If you have habits and traits that are negatively impacting your life, STOP IT.

3-Make your health your number one priority. Almost nobody does this. It is my constant goal and I do pretty well. There are still areas that I am constantly working on. The key is to work on these areas with full intention of resolving them. The individual who is constantly undermining his health with poor nutrition or other insults, and who has no real intention of changing will suffer the consequences.

4-TRACK YOUR FOOD, EVERY BITE.

5-DON’T EAT ADDED SUGAR. There is natural sugar in everything from milk to apples. You know what I’m talking about. If you read the label and it says sugar, syrup, or sometimes words that end in “ose” it’s probably off-limits. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, google it. If it’s sugar, just say “NO.”

6-Get 7 hours of sleep every 24 hours, a little more or less may be your required amount. Just get some rest. You know when you’re not getting enough.

7-GET RID OF TOXIC PEOPLE, people who do you more harm than good, users, haters, neighsayers, people who try to sabotage your health initiative and overall jackasses. If someone is not good to you, lose them.

8-Build a web of support. You have this blog. You should have individuals who support you. You should set a healthy example so that health minded individuals seek you out. If at all possible, work in the health industry. If not, just be active in it by working out, reading, writing and reaching out to others who are interested in health.

9-Work out, exercise, “be active”, whatever you want to call it but ALWAYS WITH YOUR DOCTOR’S PERMISSION. I, personally, have to strength train. Hard workouts do me a world of good. They make me strong and cocky, increase my confidence, pump up my mental state and teach me that I can do anything, even control myself. It’s necessary, and if I can stand up from a heavy deadlift or a heavy squat, or push that bar bell over my head, or keep it from smashing me in the face on the bench, I can control myself.

I love the Iron.

It never lies. ;-* [1]

[1] http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/articles/the-iron-by-henry-rollins/