Question of the Month: Kayla, why does my head and neck hurt when doing crunches?

Crunches make my head hurt for so many reasons. As a trainer they hurt my head because I know that so many people think that doing more of them will get them the flat tummy they are after and also because so many people do them in a way that undermines those intentions. So many people complain when they hate situps and crunches because they hurt their necks or lower back.

If you have any questions about fitness or would like hands on help or coaching feel free to give me a call. I can even help with this via facetime/skype.

I am NOT the food police. If you see me at a wedding, a kiddish, or a charity banquet and you are holding a pastry, you do not owe me an explanation or an apology. I didn’t ask and I wasn’t judging…That was all YOU.

I hear you. You “don’t always take a second helping of the beef stew”. You know you “shouldn’t really eat cold cuts because of the nitrate and cancer link but you have a taste for them right now”. You have been “really good all week and are limiting yourself to this one pastry and then you’re back on” your restrictive diet. You “know this food is bad but”… But nothing. You don’t actually owe me an explanation.

All of us make decisions.. a million decisions it seems about what we eat, how much we eat and when and where we eat it.  We don’t always comment about it to others. We aren’t always distressed about these choices… or maybe we do and we are?!?

After an especially long period of holidays, banquets, celebrations and community events I suspect I could tally more ladies commentaries about their food choices than other people. I know this because when  I explain in response to the comment about your food choice that I wasn’t thinking about it, or that I preferred the chocolate one, its usually followed with “yes but well you are a trainer..”

I’m gonna let you in on a secret. I’m trained to know about metabolism and some basic nutrition and unless you’re living under a rock, you also know a lot about foods and metabolism. I’m also a female who was raised in America reading the same magazine and watching tv and shopping at the same stores as you. I also want to look good in my clothes and I also know what I put in my mouth has some sort of effect on that. There’s a point at which some of this distress/concern about food can interfere with one’s joy in life though and it can snowball off of others and its important to keep an eye out or tune in about that.

Most of us are worried to some degree what others think of us, but I figure, while we’re worried what they are thinking of us, they are busy worrying about what we are thinking of them. It’s a wash. The other part of the time while you are concerned about looking gluttonous eating that second pastry they are probably thinking what you are thinking the rest of the time.. something mundane and completely unrelated like, “cute shoes but they really hurt my feet, maybe I should have gone with flats.” This is probably what I was thinking since I can’t manage heels with grace.

You, however, are the expert of You. Consider the function that choosing these foods or needing to justify choosing these foods serves for you. Is this respecting and listening to your body?  Are you able to eat that food with enjoyment and mindfulness or is your mind elsewhere?  If you find this distressing, or these types of decisions consume you, maybe book an appointment with the appropriate mental health professional for a session or two to discuss further. Trainers expertise is in movement and muscles. We are not the food police.