Monday, June 22, 2009
Gotta Get on the Stick
Ugggghhhhhhh despite the efforts, I am up 3 lbs this week. Time to really buckle down and make sure the workouts get done FAITHFULLY. Half-hearted efforts bring meager results.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Regaining Focus on Weight Loss
Q&A How Can I Regain My Focus on Weight Loss? Dr. John H. Sklare, Ed.D
Q: I have recently lost a lot of weight and I am very proud of myself for it.
However, I feel like I have lost my focus. I havent been to the gym in three
weeks and Im just not pumped up about getting as healthy as I was. Any advice?
A: Great question and congratulations on your weight loss! I have seen this
happen countless times over the years, so please dont feel alone. Whenever
someone loses focus at or near the end of their weight loss journey, in my
experience, it is typically due to one of two reasons. One of the reasons has
to do with where your motivation comes from, and the other reason is tied to an
issue I call The Family Feud.
Lets start with the motivation issue. I used to teach Educational Psychology
and one of the topics that I covered dealt with motivation. There are two types
of motivation: Intrinsic Motivation (internal motivation) and Extrinsic
Motivation (external motivation). To help you better understand the difference,
use the example of learning in school. Some students are motivated to study
because theyre offered some monetary reward from their parents for good grades,
like $5 for every A they get on their report card. This is an example of an
externally motivated person. If you dont offer some reward, they usually dont
see the sense in putting in the effort. On the other hand, the internally
motivated student is motivated to study and gets As for the pure personal
satisfaction one gets from doing well and excelling. Both of these students may
get As, but the internally motivated person will find it easier to stay on task
and will do better overall in life. If pounds lost
is your primary motivation, youre an externally motivated person. When you get
near or reach your goal weight and your weight loss slows or stops, you lose
your motivation. But if healthy living is your primary goal, youre an
internally motivated person and more likely to keep going, regardless of weight
loss.
The other possibility is tied to The Family Feud, the name Ive given to the
mental battle that goes on inside your head between your responsible, health
conscious ADULT part and your compulsive, I want what I want when I want it
CHILD. As you get near or reach your weight goal, the ADULT tends to get a
little lax and lets her guard down. This often opens up the door for that
impulsive inner child to start weakening your will by whispering her unhealthy
desires softly into your ear. She does this by creating distractions that cause
you to lose your focus and feel out of control. Regardless of what the issue is
here, the antidote is action. This is a critical juncture in your wellness
journey, Nicole, and how you respond will set the stage for your life later on.
Make healthy living your motivation and put that responsible, health-conscious
inner Adult in charge and youll find yourself right smack dab in the middle of
the Yellow Brick Road again. Make it happen!
This is your moment and you are worth the effort.
---------------------------------
Yep, potholes hurt sometimes. But remember: You're STILL going FORWARD.
It's FEEDBACK.
(Just keep your finger out of your nose and it'll be juuuuuust fine.)
Q: I have recently lost a lot of weight and I am very proud of myself for it.
However, I feel like I have lost my focus. I havent been to the gym in three
weeks and Im just not pumped up about getting as healthy as I was. Any advice?
A: Great question and congratulations on your weight loss! I have seen this
happen countless times over the years, so please dont feel alone. Whenever
someone loses focus at or near the end of their weight loss journey, in my
experience, it is typically due to one of two reasons. One of the reasons has
to do with where your motivation comes from, and the other reason is tied to an
issue I call The Family Feud.
Lets start with the motivation issue. I used to teach Educational Psychology
and one of the topics that I covered dealt with motivation. There are two types
of motivation: Intrinsic Motivation (internal motivation) and Extrinsic
Motivation (external motivation). To help you better understand the difference,
use the example of learning in school. Some students are motivated to study
because theyre offered some monetary reward from their parents for good grades,
like $5 for every A they get on their report card. This is an example of an
externally motivated person. If you dont offer some reward, they usually dont
see the sense in putting in the effort. On the other hand, the internally
motivated student is motivated to study and gets As for the pure personal
satisfaction one gets from doing well and excelling. Both of these students may
get As, but the internally motivated person will find it easier to stay on task
and will do better overall in life. If pounds lost
is your primary motivation, youre an externally motivated person. When you get
near or reach your goal weight and your weight loss slows or stops, you lose
your motivation. But if healthy living is your primary goal, youre an
internally motivated person and more likely to keep going, regardless of weight
loss.
The other possibility is tied to The Family Feud, the name Ive given to the
mental battle that goes on inside your head between your responsible, health
conscious ADULT part and your compulsive, I want what I want when I want it
CHILD. As you get near or reach your weight goal, the ADULT tends to get a
little lax and lets her guard down. This often opens up the door for that
impulsive inner child to start weakening your will by whispering her unhealthy
desires softly into your ear. She does this by creating distractions that cause
you to lose your focus and feel out of control. Regardless of what the issue is
here, the antidote is action. This is a critical juncture in your wellness
journey, Nicole, and how you respond will set the stage for your life later on.
Make healthy living your motivation and put that responsible, health-conscious
inner Adult in charge and youll find yourself right smack dab in the middle of
the Yellow Brick Road again. Make it happen!
This is your moment and you are worth the effort.
---------------------------------
Yep, potholes hurt sometimes. But remember: You're STILL going FORWARD.
It's FEEDBACK.
(Just keep your finger out of your nose and it'll be juuuuuust fine.)
Morning Exercise May Prevent Snack Attacks
Morning Exercise May Prevent Snack Attacks
Fitness News Flash
-- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer
A good workout in the morning could prevent snacking later in the day, according
to data from Loughborough University in England. Exercisers who ran for 60
minutes at about 70 percent of their top effort (70% Max Heart Rate or 7 on the
RPE scale of 1-10) before breakfast reported less hunger for two hours after
eating, compared with those who did not exercise before the same meal. Their
conclusion is that intense training may suppress an appetite-fueling hormone, so
you're less tempted to munch in between meals.
Action Sparked: Many people find that morning exercise helps them regulate their
appetites for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity
causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes appetite), they also
choose smaller portions of healthier foods.
Although SparkPeople recommends eating something before a morning workout, many
people wait to have breakfast until after exercise is done. Regardless of when
you eat it (before or after exercise), breakfast helps speed up your metabolism
and can aid in weight loss. Enjoying foods high in protein, complex carbs and
healthy fats will help you avoid the temptation of the vending machine before
lunch.
Fitness News Flash
-- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer
A good workout in the morning could prevent snacking later in the day, according
to data from Loughborough University in England. Exercisers who ran for 60
minutes at about 70 percent of their top effort (70% Max Heart Rate or 7 on the
RPE scale of 1-10) before breakfast reported less hunger for two hours after
eating, compared with those who did not exercise before the same meal. Their
conclusion is that intense training may suppress an appetite-fueling hormone, so
you're less tempted to munch in between meals.
Action Sparked: Many people find that morning exercise helps them regulate their
appetites for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity
causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes appetite), they also
choose smaller portions of healthier foods.
Although SparkPeople recommends eating something before a morning workout, many
people wait to have breakfast until after exercise is done. Regardless of when
you eat it (before or after exercise), breakfast helps speed up your metabolism
and can aid in weight loss. Enjoying foods high in protein, complex carbs and
healthy fats will help you avoid the temptation of the vending machine before
lunch.
You Are Enough
You Are Enough
The root of most of our problems is a faulty self-image. But three little
words can help us have a happier life...
By David J. Walker
Undoubtedly, the catalyst behind many successes in the world is a need to
prove something because one feels inadequate, but the best path, the path that
satisfies the soul, is one of completeness at every step of the way. Taking this
path makes living a joy, because it doesn't postpone that feeling of being
enough. Being enough is not something we achieve. It's something we are.
The most satisfying path, then, isn't so much what we are accomplishing as
what we get to be, while we are accomplishing.
We get to be the creative power of the Universe, conscious of itself. We get
to be whole, complete, enough!
The purpose of life is to satisfy the soul, and though acknowledging your
accomplishments can help in this effort, it cannot take you the full distance.
The only thing that can satisfy your soul is an answer to the question, who am
I? You are an individualized expression of Life, of greater consequence and
magnitude than anything you will ever accomplish.
When we focus on the fact that we are enough now, the beginning, the middle
and the end of every journey—whether it's finding a mate or getting a better
job—is filled with a sense of well-being. We may complete an experience and even
be thrilled by the outcome, but we know that we are no more complete than when
we started out.
You see, we are either enough right now or we're not; and if we are, then
we're challenged by our enough-ness to live that way.
The problem is, most of us don't listen to the inner voice that says, "You're
enough because you exist." We ignore it because being enough doesn't fit the
image we have of ourselves. We have spent so much time thinking of ourselves as
not being enough that enough-ness seems very far away. We may have a sense of
being surrounded by the Life Force, but we forget that the Life Force is also
within us. And if the Life Force is within us, we are enough.
How easy it is to be Bible-oriented and still gloss over one of its most
important statements, "Man was made in the image and likeness of [the Life Force
we call] God." And if the Life Force is enough, we must be enough.
Being made in the image and likeness of God isn't something we have to strive
for. It's something we must have the courage to accept.
The root of all of our problems, then, is a faulty self-image, because the
natural tendency of mind is to surround itself with whatever it has embodied. If
I embody fear and doubt, I will surround myself, to one degree or another, with
people and circumstances that reflect fear and doubt. If, however, I embody
faith and trust, I will surround myself with people and circumstances that
reflect faith and trust.
The root of most of our problems is a faulty self-image. But three little
words can help us have a happier life...
By David J. Walker
Undoubtedly, the catalyst behind many successes in the world is a need to
prove something because one feels inadequate, but the best path, the path that
satisfies the soul, is one of completeness at every step of the way. Taking this
path makes living a joy, because it doesn't postpone that feeling of being
enough. Being enough is not something we achieve. It's something we are.
The most satisfying path, then, isn't so much what we are accomplishing as
what we get to be, while we are accomplishing.
We get to be the creative power of the Universe, conscious of itself. We get
to be whole, complete, enough!
The purpose of life is to satisfy the soul, and though acknowledging your
accomplishments can help in this effort, it cannot take you the full distance.
The only thing that can satisfy your soul is an answer to the question, who am
I? You are an individualized expression of Life, of greater consequence and
magnitude than anything you will ever accomplish.
When we focus on the fact that we are enough now, the beginning, the middle
and the end of every journey—whether it's finding a mate or getting a better
job—is filled with a sense of well-being. We may complete an experience and even
be thrilled by the outcome, but we know that we are no more complete than when
we started out.
You see, we are either enough right now or we're not; and if we are, then
we're challenged by our enough-ness to live that way.
The problem is, most of us don't listen to the inner voice that says, "You're
enough because you exist." We ignore it because being enough doesn't fit the
image we have of ourselves. We have spent so much time thinking of ourselves as
not being enough that enough-ness seems very far away. We may have a sense of
being surrounded by the Life Force, but we forget that the Life Force is also
within us. And if the Life Force is within us, we are enough.
How easy it is to be Bible-oriented and still gloss over one of its most
important statements, "Man was made in the image and likeness of [the Life Force
we call] God." And if the Life Force is enough, we must be enough.
Being made in the image and likeness of God isn't something we have to strive
for. It's something we must have the courage to accept.
The root of all of our problems, then, is a faulty self-image, because the
natural tendency of mind is to surround itself with whatever it has embodied. If
I embody fear and doubt, I will surround myself, to one degree or another, with
people and circumstances that reflect fear and doubt. If, however, I embody
faith and trust, I will surround myself with people and circumstances that
reflect faith and trust.
Sneaking In More Fruits and Veggies
Sneaking in More Fruits and Vegetables
Can't find a way to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet? Post this
list on your refrigerator, and see how many you can check off.
[ ] Toss chopped vegetables into the water when cooking pasta.
[ ] Top a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and/or onions.
[ ] Use dried fruit as a snack food.
[ ] Make fruit and vegetable smoothies.
[ ] Add grated carrots to peanut butter sandwiches.
[ ] Use salsa instead of ketchup.
[ ] Use pre-cut vegetables for snacks in place of chips.
[ ] When eating prepared meals, add a vegetable.
[ ] When eating out, swap your fries for a salad or fruit.
[ ] Fill half your lunch or dinner plate with fruit and vegetables.
[ ] Add fresh or frozen fruit to your hot or cold cereal.
[ ] Top off your waffles with fresh fruit.
[ ] Add fruit puree to your baking.
[ ] Add cut vegetables to your marinara sauce.
[ ] Make the vegetable portion of your lunch or dinner larger.
[ ] Have pizza made with vegetables instead of meat.
[ ] Make stew with less meat and more vegetables.
[ ] Use vegetables to replace some of the egg in egg dishes.
[ ] Drink a low-sodium vegetable juice instead of a soda.
[ ] Buy a fruit or vegetable you've never tried before.
[ ] Place the fruit and vegetables in the front of your fridge.
[ ] Place a bowl of fruit in a visible place on your counter.
And now that you'll be eating more fruits and vegetables, make sure that you
keep plenty of them around!
Healthy regards,
Megan Porter, RD
Can't find a way to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet? Post this
list on your refrigerator, and see how many you can check off.
[ ] Toss chopped vegetables into the water when cooking pasta.
[ ] Top a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and/or onions.
[ ] Use dried fruit as a snack food.
[ ] Make fruit and vegetable smoothies.
[ ] Add grated carrots to peanut butter sandwiches.
[ ] Use salsa instead of ketchup.
[ ] Use pre-cut vegetables for snacks in place of chips.
[ ] When eating prepared meals, add a vegetable.
[ ] When eating out, swap your fries for a salad or fruit.
[ ] Fill half your lunch or dinner plate with fruit and vegetables.
[ ] Add fresh or frozen fruit to your hot or cold cereal.
[ ] Top off your waffles with fresh fruit.
[ ] Add fruit puree to your baking.
[ ] Add cut vegetables to your marinara sauce.
[ ] Make the vegetable portion of your lunch or dinner larger.
[ ] Have pizza made with vegetables instead of meat.
[ ] Make stew with less meat and more vegetables.
[ ] Use vegetables to replace some of the egg in egg dishes.
[ ] Drink a low-sodium vegetable juice instead of a soda.
[ ] Buy a fruit or vegetable you've never tried before.
[ ] Place the fruit and vegetables in the front of your fridge.
[ ] Place a bowl of fruit in a visible place on your counter.
And now that you'll be eating more fruits and vegetables, make sure that you
keep plenty of them around!
Healthy regards,
Megan Porter, RD
Achieving Lasting Weight Loss
How To: Achieve Lasting Weight Loss by Ali Hale
This is for all the Diet Blog readers who've been subscribed for a while
because they keep meaning to get round to starting that diet. All the readers
with the site bookmarked because they had great resolutions on January 1st ...
but who somehow, have lost motivation. And all the people who've landed here
after desperately searching the net for a healthier life.
If the thought of "going on a diet" sends you straight to the fridge to scoff
all those foods you'll soon be forbidding yourself, read on...
Make a List of Changes to Your Diet and Exercise Routine
Don't try to change
your whole life in one great big moment of resolve. Sure, you can decide to get
up tomorrow and "Stick to my rigid diet plan, go jogging every day, never let a
morsel of chocolate pass my lips ..." but while unrealistic plans may look fine
on paper, they'll make absolutely no difference to your health if they're so
overwhelming that you give up after two days.
Instead, write a list of small changes you want to introduce into your life.
(It might help to keep a diet diary for a few days, to gain a better
understanding of your eating patterns.) If you're stuck for ideas, try some of
these:
Cutting out sugar in your tea/coffee
Having a big salad with your evening meal, three times a week
Drinking more water instead of fizzy drinks or coffee
Walking the kids to school rather than driving (good for them, too!)
Taking a healthy packed lunch to school or work instead of going to the
nearest fast food place
Keeping the fruit bowl topped up, and eating two pieces each day
Start Improving Your Health Right Now Now pick one small change to make
starting now. Commit to doing it for a whole week, and record your progress in
some visual way - maybe putting a gold star on your calendar to mark every
successful day.
At the end of the week, pick the next change. This time, you've got two small
things to do each day. Again, keep a visual record - and, if you can, get a
friend or family member to check up on your progress.
If you're thinking "But I've got so much weight to lose, it'll take me forever
at that rate" - ask yourself, how long did it take to put on that weight? And
how much time is it worth investing to lose it safely, sustainably and for good
- not in a quick-fix starvation diet that leaves you piling it back on?
And even if you're thinking the opposite - "I don't need to lose weight and
I'm reasonably fit" - there's still room for improvement. Maybe your "one small
change" is to get to bed on time each night, to increase your fruit and veg
intake to six or seven portions a day, or to cut back on caffeine.
What change are you going to make this week?
This is for all the Diet Blog readers who've been subscribed for a while
because they keep meaning to get round to starting that diet. All the readers
with the site bookmarked because they had great resolutions on January 1st ...
but who somehow, have lost motivation. And all the people who've landed here
after desperately searching the net for a healthier life.
If the thought of "going on a diet" sends you straight to the fridge to scoff
all those foods you'll soon be forbidding yourself, read on...
Make a List of Changes to Your Diet and Exercise Routine
Don't try to change
your whole life in one great big moment of resolve. Sure, you can decide to get
up tomorrow and "Stick to my rigid diet plan, go jogging every day, never let a
morsel of chocolate pass my lips ..." but while unrealistic plans may look fine
on paper, they'll make absolutely no difference to your health if they're so
overwhelming that you give up after two days.
Instead, write a list of small changes you want to introduce into your life.
(It might help to keep a diet diary for a few days, to gain a better
understanding of your eating patterns.) If you're stuck for ideas, try some of
these:
Cutting out sugar in your tea/coffee
Having a big salad with your evening meal, three times a week
Drinking more water instead of fizzy drinks or coffee
Walking the kids to school rather than driving (good for them, too!)
Taking a healthy packed lunch to school or work instead of going to the
nearest fast food place
Keeping the fruit bowl topped up, and eating two pieces each day
Start Improving Your Health Right Now Now pick one small change to make
starting now. Commit to doing it for a whole week, and record your progress in
some visual way - maybe putting a gold star on your calendar to mark every
successful day.
At the end of the week, pick the next change. This time, you've got two small
things to do each day. Again, keep a visual record - and, if you can, get a
friend or family member to check up on your progress.
If you're thinking "But I've got so much weight to lose, it'll take me forever
at that rate" - ask yourself, how long did it take to put on that weight? And
how much time is it worth investing to lose it safely, sustainably and for good
- not in a quick-fix starvation diet that leaves you piling it back on?
And even if you're thinking the opposite - "I don't need to lose weight and
I'm reasonably fit" - there's still room for improvement. Maybe your "one small
change" is to get to bed on time each night, to increase your fruit and veg
intake to six or seven portions a day, or to cut back on caffeine.
What change are you going to make this week?
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