Lately, I have been pondering the meaning of n=1. For those of you who don’t understand the concept, I will break it down. When referring to a large population you normally call it n and in order to prove some sort of causation, n normally has to be greater than 20, but 20 million would be an even better number. Sample size is key when doing any type of research. However, when talking about n=1, you are basically saying that this single case is its own individualized case and probably won’t/can’t apply to others and you really can’t reach any kind of scientific consensus. That being said, please ignore my further rubbish.
For what it is, I have found that I am my own experiment. I am my own experiment because no one else can feel what I feel, think what I think, or create physical actions for me. Others can help somewhat, but normally they are speaking from their own personal experiences or what they believe to be true or scientifically proven. In my job, I work with many individuals who really don’t adhere to any one standard and frustratingly enough, that is the beauty. No one is the same. I don’t care how large your sample size is. What works for one person probably won’t work for someone else. I feel the same about my own struggle to remain healthy and happy.
When I went to the doctor last fall when I was training for the American Open, I thought I was a very healthy person. I was eating 100% paleo (about a lb of beef for breakfast/lunch with veggies, another 1/2lb of meat for dinner with veggies, the occasional fruit) and training like a mad woman. Yes, I was getting stronger. Yes, I was getting bigger. Much bigger AND fatter. I was also in complete denial that along with getting stronger, I was also becoming unhealthy. When your mind is set on something, its sort of hard to see the bad aspects congruently happening. *Think about real bad ex boyfriend or girlfriend and how you are oblivious to their faults when you are with them, but when you leave them its as clear as day. Anyway, getting back to the point. The doc says, “Hey girl, WTF are you doing to yourself? Your test results show the cholesterol levels of a grandma, your body fat keeps increasing, your stress levels are through the roof, thyroid seems dysfunctional, and your lacking many key vitamins and minerals in your blood tests. Not to mention, your hormone levels are all over the place.”
Instant reality check! What am I doing to myself? How could I let this happen? Is the cost of being really strong worth the risk of…..? It hit me like a ton of bricks that I needed to make some serious changes in my life.
If I had a client come to me for personal training (in a similar situation) and if I gave them my best advice, I would first tell them that they need to find balance. They need to do some lifting, some running, some stretching, and lots of good (balanced) eating. I would ask them to do these tasks for me each week as homework. How could I not follow my own advice? Time for change.
I spent the last FOUR months working on the following:
-Going to yoga…yes, yoga. Stretching, breathing, holding poses, letting go, dedicating my practice to something more than myself. Sniffin insense and being all hippie like.
-Eating mainly chicken and fish, only red meat once per week. Loading up on more veggies. Also eating the glutens again as it really helps me obtain the “mass movement”. Loading up on the liquid Fish Oil, D3, C, B6 complex, Probiotics, Magnesium, Breast-D (DIM).
-Going on small/short runs with sprints, walking, jogging, etc. Just jamming to tunes and feeling the breeze in my hair.
-Lifting a few times. Goal is eventually to get 2x per week at some point, no rush though.
-Reduce stress, say no to things I don’t want to do, and give my best effort to things that I want to do or care about. Write and especially write when I am feeling stressed, depressed, or just plain irritated. Why do I feel these things? What is the root of these problems? How can I get rid of the roots?!
-Give more love.
So the moral of the story is that I have been experimenting with n=1 or n=corisafe. I went back to the doc to see if these changes had any effect on my blood tests. Imagine this - as it turns out - I am back into the healthy category on nearly ALL tests. ALL OF THEM! Not to mention, I do feel a bit better. Still working on the happiness thing, but I think this comes with time. So for now, I leave you with this update. Not all lifting is good for you (or me, since this is n=corisafe). A few good days of lifting is good for you. But so are each of the other components of your life. Don’t forget about your goals, but especially don’t neglect your health. Do what feels right for YOU! Make your own fucking decisions. OUT!
