Perspective is key…

No matter what changes you are making in your life there are always discouraging moments.  It is not wrong to feel this way although if you continue to let the same things pile up and wear you down it is going to make you want to quit.  You know that quitting isn’t the answer even if it feels like what you are doing is pointless.  On a journey for a healthier lifestyle such as ours the scale is often the trigger of these feelings and when week after week you don’t see a loss or even see a gain it can pile up and make you want to quit.  This is when perspective is key. 

Is your glass half full or half empty?  Ever notice that when you focus on the negative it seems to multiply?  Its like fueling a fire…If the gas line to the fire is wide open it will burn forever, if you cut off the source the fire will burn itself out.  The fuel for this fire is our thoughts.  Even though the scale may not be telling you what you want to hear, these changes have so many benefits that are not visible to the eye. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” the inside is making so many changes it is going to take time.  You didn’t gain 50 pounds overnight you are not going to lose it overnight!  Here are some suggestions that may help you fight the discouragement and continue on with your journey.

1. Read a book – find a book that is motivational to you.  This doesn’t mean that it has to be a self-help book although there are some good ones out there.  It can be a fiction book with a happy ending or a novel or whatever you like to read.  Focus on this book until you feel your discouragement subside.
2. “You possess what you confess” – I seen this saying in an article and I think I like it.  Remember how I mentioned that when we gain we use the “muscle weighs more than fat” card even though we know it is more the junk we have been feeding our bodies?  This saying makes me think about that.  We have to stop with the excuses and confess to ourselves! Meaning be honest with yourself about what you are doing.
3. Revisit journaling!  As we progress on our journey we often start slipping on our journaling.  Or maybe you are keeping up with it but are just numb when you write it not really paying attention to the list.  Jump back to faithfully writing in a food journal. If you bite it write it!  If you are still doing this look back over it and you may find the culprit of the weight loss halt.
4. STRESS!  Stress is a major factor.  Are you overdoing it?  Is your life a bit hectic lately?  What can you do to release a bit of stress?  Take some time for yourself and let a little go.
5. Rest! – We lead very busy lifestyles and often don’t give our bodies the rest it needs.  Be sure to give yourself time to rest and recover.  A little TLC.

Cut the fuel to the fire, change the thoughts that are feeding the discouragement.  This brings to mind another favorite quote for me….

“Change your thoughts, change your world”

Competition

How do you feel about competition?  Ever notice that sometimes everything seems like a competition.  Some of my past topics have discussed comparing yourself to others and a younger you but something I tend to overlook is what effect does my competitiveness have on the people around me.  I don’t like to lose but then again who does?  I am talking more about the uninvited competition.  We all have that one acquaintance that is always one step ahead and makes damn sure you know about it.  Just like we all have that friend, I am sure at some point or another we are viewed as that person by others after all I wouldn’t think that people set out to torment a friend on a regular basis.  Often times the people we feel we are competing against don’t even realize their actions.

On this journey, I am talking about the person that just happens to be a size smaller than you and wants to hand down their fat clothes to you.  In some instances you might not give it much thought but in others it can completely torment you.  Imagine (or maybe you have experienced it too) handing a pair of jeans to a friend and saying: “here I bought these jeans but they are just WAY to big for me I thought maybe you could fit them” instantly I am offended.  So on the defense I try them on and can’t get them up let alone think about buttoning them.  Even though I am in the best shape I have ever been right now I feel like a beached whale and completely awful about myself.  Now imagine if you would have said, “I bought this pair of jeans that don’t fit would you like to try them?” You still have the same intentions but my self-esteem is still in tact whether they fit or not. 

Make sure you picture yourself on both ends of that scenario.  Does it make you feel better by knowing that you are that much smaller?  Or how about that the other person thinks of you as smaller but not really in a size aspect?  To me this whole thing is a self-esteem issue.  You feel great about your success and it makes it even better if you are more successful than anyone else.  Don’t try to deny it; it is the way of our society, ever heard of “keeping up with the Jones’? Who doesn’t want to be the Jones’?

But we have to remember you are the only one that can put a value on your self-esteem/self worth.  Meaning someone else does not set whether you are self worthy or not.  Only you decide that so the size difference only matters if you let it.  Obviously that is easier said than done.  On the flip side, consider how you are making others feel.  I am going to leave you with this question:

If you could climb Mt. Everest but could tell no one, would you still do it?

If you could wear a size 5 jeans but never mention it would you still be so worried about the number on the tag?

Celebrate and reward yourself!

Last week I talked about results, this week I need to be reminded on how to reward myself.  How many of you get a great report from the scales, the doctor or the measuring tapes and celebrates with food?  And if you are like me it is not good food it is the bad for you stuff that got us in this predicament in the first place!

I was so happy with the results of my measurements last week and this week I have been eating like crap, to put it mildly.  Seems as though I can’t get enough sweets.  So I started off feeling great about myself and now not only am I not real happy with myself I feel a bit sluggish too.  This always makes me think of a conversation I had with my Grandma, about always rewarding ourselves with dessert.  So here is a reminder for us all about celebrating our successes.

6 Suggestions on rewards:

1. A day of rest and relaxation, get a massage or just let yourself relax.
2. Buy yourself something such as a new pair of shoes or something that has been on your wish list even something to help continue to your overall goal
3. Share your success! And accept the compliments.  Everyone likes a pat on the back once in a while.
4. Spend a day doing activities with the family. Go bowling, skating or to a movie.
5. Do something you enjoy but rarely have time to do.
6. Reflect on your journey.

Here are some reasons to celebrate:

1. Clarity – if we set measurable goals it is clear reason to celebrate
2. Motivation to continue – We get a sense of accomplishment when we meet a goal and if we reward/celebrate it makes those successes stand out and make you want to reach the next goal.
3. Creativity – a sense of accomplishment makes us feel good which frees up creative thoughts within and when we feel good we are more positive.
4. Quicker results – All the above combine to keep us productive and lead to quicker results because we stay focused.

That was a much-needed reminder for me!  It is easy to slide back into old habits, if we keep this up pretty soon this will be an old habit.  Stay focused, what is your next goal?  I would love to be able to share some of your successes; you can email them (fitness@lenoxia.com) or stop in and share.  Hearing other people’s successes is great motivation also!  I have heard probably at least 5 times this week people mentioning that they can tell they are making a difference and it never gets old. Great job, and keep up the good work!

Results!

Each week I talk about different obstacles on our journey.  It is high time I talk about some milestones.  Very seldom have I started a “diet” and taken measurements other than my weight.  You have heard me talk before about trying not to get so wrapped up in what the scales say because there is so much that goes into what you weigh.  A few times I have actually forced myself to take measurements only to not think of it again until the next time I start a “diet”.  Last year about this time I started an 8-week Fitness Challenge, which began with a fitness assessment including taking measurements, weight and performing a series of exercises.  Once again I didn’t really take my measurements at the end.  Well the other day I had a couple of members who wanted to take measurements so I took mine too.  I retrieved the assessment results from last year and then compared.  My weight change was 7 pounds.  Ok now normally I would look at this and think…A whole year and I only lost 7 pounds!  This is where the measurements show a better picture.  I lost a total of 9 ¾”! Including 2” off my waist, 1 ½” off my hips and 1 ¼ off each thigh (which have always been tree trunks).  Now I ask myself why I never followed through to take end measurements.  I wonder if I had, if it would have made a difference in my attitude towards making healthy changes.  And I wonder this because I put so much focus on what the scales said.  How many of you will get up in the morning and step on the scales to either find that you only lost one pound this week or you gained ½ of a pound?  Instantly you feel discouraged and helpless, right?  And then go get a donut for breakfast and spend the day gorging on chocolate and self-pity.  Oh yes I have been there plenty.  This could have very well been my perception of looking back at my weight had I not taken measurements.  Really, a whole year and only 7 pounds?  I can remember losing that in a week.  By seeing the measurements I felt like I can actually say “muscle weighs more than fat” and not feel like I was making an excuse.  We all know it is a fact that muscle does weigh more than fat, it also takes up less space than fat.  It becomes an excuse when deep down you know the reason you didn’t loose is because you ate at McDonald’s twice this week and three servings of a cheesy pasta dish not to mention the snacks.  Check out the picture at the top of five pounds of fat vs. five pounds of lean muscle: Imagine you could actually weigh the exact same as you do now and be about ¾ your size.

I do hear a lot of people say that they pay attention to how clothes fit or can tell when they have to buy smaller sizes.  In this case this still wouldn’t have saved me from the disappointment because I still wear the same size, I suppose they were possibly the wrong fit before…

So if you would like to have another form of measurement than just the scales try this fitness assessment.  Take your measurements at your chest, waist, hips, thighs, and biceps, be sure to write them down with the date.  Then time yourself for a minute each and track how many you can do of crunches and push-ups.  Write it down.  Now see how long you can do a wall sit (lean against a wall slide down to a seated position with legs @ 90) be sure to write it down.  Now run or walk a mile and write down your time.  Reassess this every month to two months.  Keep in mind the longer you work on something the better the results.  Remember to have reasonable expectations and not set yourself up for failure.  Also everyone starts somewhere, DO NOT COMPARE yourself to your friend or even yourself 5 years ago.  What is now is what it is!

Begin or continue your journey of healthier living with nutrition and exercise.  Don’t forget to follow through to the post assessment.  It really does make a difference!

Accepting Compliments

Have you ever really thought about how you take a compliment?  This is something that I have been working on (well on and off).  If you are like me, so often when someone compliments us we brush it off “Oh it was nothing”, “I had a lot of help” or somehow we try to convince the person giving the compliment that they must be insane.  It’s kind of like when you spend the whole week cleaning the house for company and when they get there the first thing you say is “Sorry the house is such a mess!” When you are really thinking “I have worked my a$$ off on this house you better notice how clean it is!” It’s a good thing people really are not mind readers sometimes.  Why is it so easy to dismiss a compliment but the minute someone says something negative it must be gospel?  I have something that I have been working really hard at for quite a while and I hear great things about it, then one person who knows nothing about this project smarts off a derogatory comment and it has me stewing for weeks.  When I get a compliment it puts me on cloud 9 for about 20 seconds just long enough for me to say how it could be better and then one negative comment that I know is crap hangs there for weeks.  Does this make sense? Absolutely not!  How do we get this way? Or a better question is how do we change this way?

This same habit plays havoc on many things in our lives including our quest to be healthier.   It seems like sometimes you can loose 30 pounds before someone takes notice and the minute they do… the first thing we say is “I have got a long way to go” When we should be saying “Thank you it is not easy but I am working on it and I feel great thanks for noticing” Now when you slip a little and gain back 5 pounds or wear the wrong outfit that just isn’t that flattering and someone comments “wow she/he is really packing it back on” Even if you have not gained anything back your confidence takes a nose dive and your progress slows or even vanishes.  Or maybe you had gained a little back it is so much harder to start again because you have that one comment lingering and it must make you worthless. (That was sarcasm by the way) Well guess what! You are probably being harder on yourself than the person making the comment and the only person who can value your self worth is your self.  Words are just words your thoughts give them meaning.  Making healthy changes or working on a project are likely to always need improving but the progress you have made is outstanding!  The day we stop improving or learning is the day we die.  I am not ready to call it quits just like I am not going to let this comment slow me on the road to success.  It doesn’t matter where you have been or where you expected you would be, you are what you are right now and you are shaping your road for the future.  It is your choice and only your choice of what kind of road it will be.

Life’s Hectic

Life is getting very busy around here! Some days I feel a bit overwhelmed and just want to hideaway for a day but of course that would only make tomorrow worse… When life gets busy it is very easy to let our healthy habits venture slide to the wayside.  We tend to slip a little and then get disappointed and fall off completely only to regret it ten fold when we come to our senses.  It seems to me the only thing that keeps me grounded right now is my workouts.  Thank goodness letting that slip really isn’t an option for me because before Your Life Fitness that is one of the first things to go just like it is for most people.  I am becoming a firm believer in the stress relief of exercise, I always believed it but just didn’t really make it top priority.  Now my workouts are very refreshing and it just seems to stop the world for that time and I have more energy.

Here are a couple of tips to help you fit your workouts in on such a busy schedule.

1. Workouts do not have to be 90 minutes long!  A brief 10-15 minute workout can be very effective especially when it is either that or nothing.
2. Find a workout buddy.  It is harder to cut it out when someone else is depending on you.  Find a class to join where people are expecting you.
3. Schedule workouts 2-3 days a week.  So many times we pencil in a workout for everyday of the week and then feel overwhelmed by adding that much more on our list.  By making our goal more attainable we put less pressure on ourselves and still benefit greatly from exercise.
4. Split your workouts into 3 parts.  It is still effective to workout 10 minutes in the morning; maybe a brief 10-minute walk on your lunch, and 10 minutes while supper is in the oven.  These days we have become great at multi tasking.
5. Make a list! Write down a list each day and prioritize what you need to do.  No matter how small the task write it down.  By making a list we eliminate the time we spend thinking about what to do next. (I know I am not the only one who does this)  Also being able to cross off tasks on your list and see how much you are getting done can be very motivating.  Be careful not to go over zealous either; be sure you are being reasonable in your expectations.  And put your workout on your list at least 2-3 days a week.
6. Slow down! I saved this for last because it is probably the hardest and if we were able to do this we probably wouldn’t need the tips above.  That being said you are 10x more effective when you are well rested so be sure that you are allowing your body to rest also.

Believe me I am not perfect at these tips and they are meant to remind me as well as you.  I also need a constant reminder that the more I take care of myself the more I am able to take care of those around me.  This week is going to require a lot of focus for me and after writing this; my list is the next thing on my list!

Have a great week!

Diet = Deprivation, Healthy Habits = Satisfaction

If you look up the word “diet” in the dictionary it states: diet – n. the usual food and drink of a person or animal.  In the American language we use it as a verb meaning: to eat or drink according to a regulated system in order to loose weight.  (Actually in the website dictionary I used) Definition and what I hear when saying the word “diet”: torture, cutting our many things I enjoy and feeling hungry.  This my friends is why I refuse to “diet” ever again! I am positive that I will always make adjustments to my usual food or drink but telling myself I am going on a diet is like setting myself up to gain weight in the next 6 months.

The hardest thing about adjusting your food intake as a spouse, parent or friend for that matter, is “I still have to fix something for the rest of the family” or “my friends are still eating what ever they want.” I don’t think I have met anyone who hasn’t had this problem.  But is it really a problem, an excuse or just a distorted perception?  Think about it. If we are making changes that are really healthy, are going to better our health AND making changes that are going to last, aren’t these changes good for everyone around us?  And now that you are laughing saying “My kids/husband won’t eat that” stop and think how long are you going to stick with these changes if you are sure you are in this alone?  And when you stop chances are you are going right back in the direction you are now or when it was that you decided you needed a change.  So how about changing your habits on how you prepare the food you eat now? And how much you eat?  There are so many alternatives to so many ingredients.  If you prepare a meal vs. convenience food such as chicken nuggets or take out, it is a pretty good chance that you are already making a difference.  Most of the time you can make changes no one will notice unless you point it out.  I changed to using whole-wheat pasta and no one noticed…my husband notices when I use season salt (which I don’t anymore) and he didn’t notice and likes it.  I also don’t buy white bread in fact I haven’t for so long that I did once because it was on sale and I am a sucker for a sale, and my kids didn’t like it!  When I make a cake I use applesauce instead of oil.  There are 50 calories in 1 cup of applesauce vs. 1927 in a cup of vegetable oil! You can also make cookies with half the amount of sugar and still get the same consistency most people would never guess that, I didn’t.  Obviously these examples should still be consumed in moderation but moderation I can do, eliminating forever not so much.  Another trick is to make your spice cabinet your friend!  It is amazing how blah the convenience food can be when you start learning how to use different spices and cutting a bit of salt.  I could go forever on this topic if you are interested in more you should join the Healthy Habits weight loss program starting January 24^th.

So the main point is as we learn to eat healthier we should be teaching our kids the same habits and we can do so without the torture and deprivation.  Healthy Habits is about so much more than just weight loss, they affect our bodies on the inside and out more than you can imagine!  Even mentally for that matter, but that is another article.  Have a good week!

Oh and by the way I made my goal of staying at the same weight or less through the holidays.  I was up a couple of pounds through them but quickly reversed and I am actually .2 lighter!  Doesn’t sound like much but in the weight loss world sometimes it is huge!