Mindfulness is....
Deliberately paying attention, without judgment, to one's own experiences.
Cultivating an appreciation of all experiences.
Happens in the present moment.
....don't get concerned. These aren't touchy, feely concepts. They are the basis of a very practical strategy that will allow you to start understanding why you eat (are you hungry, bored, highly suggestible), how much you eat (do you eat until your stuffed or do you graze all day and never really get physically hungry), and when you eat (all the time, anytime you're with others, any time you get into the car...)
Yesterday, I said we're going to start reviewing the use of the Hunger/Fullness scale. But first -- let's get you practiced up in the skill of being able to write down EVERYTHING you put into your mouth.
Nothing tricky here except actually getting it done. You don't need to estimate amounts or anything. Just write down:
7a coffee with cream
10a Oatmeal
2.30p chips and cheese / cookie
etc.
The time you ate and what you ate.
And don't judge! Yes...I know what that list looks like! There's not a veggie to be seen on that list-- nutrition is atrocious! But...it's what I have eaten so far...I could lie and make myself feel and look better. But it wouldn't change my actually choices (because I've already made them!)
If I can do it, so can you!
Tackle mindfulness for 4 days. I'll see you back here on Tuesday to review the Hunger/Fullness scale.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
My Blog
I just printed out all of the posts on this blog since I moved it here (June 2009!). I'm getting ready to use it as a jumping off place for another project. It's just under 800 posts long! The stack of pages (with .3 inch margins) is larger than a ream of paper. Woo hoo!
But flipping through the stack, I realized this pile of paper is a pretty good metaphor for our diets.
There's some really good stuff in there. There's also some crap. And there's a bunch of stuff that seemed pretty good at the time but looking at it now it makes me think I could have made some different choices.
So now comes the task of sorting through all that and finding the high points. Once I can identify them, I can build on those experiences to become better at what I do.
How 'bout you? Are you ready to start your own catalogue of high (and not so high) points? Tomorrow, we're starting the review of how to use the hunger scale. Grab your pencils, paper, or smart phones and get set!
But flipping through the stack, I realized this pile of paper is a pretty good metaphor for our diets.
There's some really good stuff in there. There's also some crap. And there's a bunch of stuff that seemed pretty good at the time but looking at it now it makes me think I could have made some different choices.
So now comes the task of sorting through all that and finding the high points. Once I can identify them, I can build on those experiences to become better at what I do.
How 'bout you? Are you ready to start your own catalogue of high (and not so high) points? Tomorrow, we're starting the review of how to use the hunger scale. Grab your pencils, paper, or smart phones and get set!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Tools vs insight
Knowing about a tool is one thing.......Perhaps we need to spend less time learning new tools and more time using them.
I have a saying -- no knowledge is ever wasted. To me, it means even if I take the time to learn
something today but have no conceivable way to use that knowledge just yet, I fully expect that at some point in the future, I will be able to use that knowledge -- so learning is never a waste of time.
But what happens if you never use that knowledge? For me, the process of learning is enjoyable (most of the time) so even if I never use that specific knowledge, if I got joy from the process --viola! not a waste!
But what about you and managing your weight?
Reading this blog is fantastic.....if:
a. it entertains you (and hopefully it does)
b. you learn something you can integrate into your eating behaviors. (which hopefully you do...at least sometimes)
And if one of those two (or maybe even both) are true for you then the time you spend with me isn't wasted.
But....if you want to make progress with your weight management skills -- you have to start PUTTING INTO PRACTICE those skills that strike you as do-able.
Eat less.
Move more.
Find a few extra way to use both those skills in a week (and in the next and the next) --- now that is a recipe for weight management success!
I have a saying -- no knowledge is ever wasted. To me, it means even if I take the time to learn
something today but have no conceivable way to use that knowledge just yet, I fully expect that at some point in the future, I will be able to use that knowledge -- so learning is never a waste of time.
But what happens if you never use that knowledge? For me, the process of learning is enjoyable (most of the time) so even if I never use that specific knowledge, if I got joy from the process --viola! not a waste!
But what about you and managing your weight?
Reading this blog is fantastic.....if:
a. it entertains you (and hopefully it does)
b. you learn something you can integrate into your eating behaviors. (which hopefully you do...at least sometimes)
And if one of those two (or maybe even both) are true for you then the time you spend with me isn't wasted.
But....if you want to make progress with your weight management skills -- you have to start PUTTING INTO PRACTICE those skills that strike you as do-able.
Eat less.
Move more.
Find a few extra way to use both those skills in a week (and in the next and the next) --- now that is a recipe for weight management success!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Diet Coke and other calorie free foods
About a week ago I watched a very interesting lecture by a physician from UCSF called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." It's long but totally worth the watch. (or you could wait a couple weeks and I will be doing a presentation at the FC based on some of that program called Dying for Sweets).
The presentation went in depth on the differences and similarities of glucose (fuel of life), fructose (sugar found in fruit or industrially created as crystalline fructose or high fructose corn syrup ... or ironically renamed: corn sugar), and sucrose (table sugar made up of one glucose hooked to one fructose).
Basically, the take home from this 90+ minute program was:
We eat too much sugar. Period.
Doesn't matter where it comes from -- we're making ourselves ill because historically we haven't ever had to deal with as much sugar as we are now exposed to. The presenter in the video called it "toxic" and "a poison". And I agree.
Now, like alcohol, some sugar isn't going to kill us. But the massive amounts we are exposed to actually is killing us (diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease -- sugar contributes to all of these!)
To add on top of this -- I got an email from one of our fellow reader. She asked me to remind all of you that "Diet" soda isn't any better for us than regular soda -- people are still gaining weight from the non-calorie options!
My question to you is: why are you drinking the soda (diet or not) in the first place???
"Because it tastes soooo good", you say?
Well...couple things:
First -- soda/fizzy drinks/crystal light/etc have no nutritional value....at all. Milk has calcium and Vitamin D needed for strong bones. Red wine has components thought to reduces the risk of heart disease. Fruit juices (the real ones -- that actually are comprised of juice from fruit -- not water, sugar, red dye number 6 and 5% "Real Juice") provide vitamins, minerals, and sometimes even some fiber.
Sodas? Nada. They provide sugar (or some fake substitute) -- which none of us need, salt (again -- very few of us should have more salt in our diet), caffeine, and colorants. Hmmmm.....
But it tastes so good......or does it?
It's kind of a long story -- but since the beginning of the year, I have worked really hard to limit my intake of sugars. Yesterday, I thought I would treat myself to a fountain Coke (y'all know how I LOVE fountain Cokes!) I haven't had Coke in better than a month. And you know what? It tasted syrupy, sickly sweet, and so nasty I had to throw it away!
I'm really disappointed that it didn't taste good! I really thought it would. But -- cutting down on the sugar must have made me more sensitive to the sweetness in the drink. --so it didn't taste good -- which means taste is in the mouth of the beholder. You could reduce your taste for sweet drinks....if you wanted to.
And yes, I'm sure if I persisted, all I would have to do was get back into the habit of drinking fountain cokes and they would start tasting good -- but why would I do that? They have no redeeming value.
And yes, I could switch to diet coke -- that would probably take care of the too-sweet taste of the soda. But, again....why would I do that?
And, just one more thing: We can't outsmart Mother Nature. Studies show that if you give kids a regular soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup before the head into the fast food restaurant, they will eat more calories than if they didn't have the soda. Fructose doesn't simulate insulin -- which is one of the signals that allow the brain to recognize the calories we are consuming. Without the insulin response those calories fly under the brain's radar and it won't account for them as it's calculating when to turn off our hunger -- so we eat more.
You know what else doesn't cause insulin to be released? The fake sugars in sodas (and everything else). We have been lead to believe these are no-calorie foods but research is showing us that even though the mechanism is not clearly understood, fake-sugar foods are causing us to gain weight too.
They're not "free" foods. All foods come with a price.
Are your choices in foods the ones that are serving you best? Or are you just running on autopilot because you assume you like your choices?
The presentation went in depth on the differences and similarities of glucose (fuel of life), fructose (sugar found in fruit or industrially created as crystalline fructose or high fructose corn syrup ... or ironically renamed: corn sugar), and sucrose (table sugar made up of one glucose hooked to one fructose).
Basically, the take home from this 90+ minute program was:
We eat too much sugar. Period.
Doesn't matter where it comes from -- we're making ourselves ill because historically we haven't ever had to deal with as much sugar as we are now exposed to. The presenter in the video called it "toxic" and "a poison". And I agree.
Now, like alcohol, some sugar isn't going to kill us. But the massive amounts we are exposed to actually is killing us (diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease -- sugar contributes to all of these!)
To add on top of this -- I got an email from one of our fellow reader. She asked me to remind all of you that "Diet" soda isn't any better for us than regular soda -- people are still gaining weight from the non-calorie options!
My question to you is: why are you drinking the soda (diet or not) in the first place???
"Because it tastes soooo good", you say?
Well...couple things:
First -- soda/fizzy drinks/crystal light/etc have no nutritional value....at all. Milk has calcium and Vitamin D needed for strong bones. Red wine has components thought to reduces the risk of heart disease. Fruit juices (the real ones -- that actually are comprised of juice from fruit -- not water, sugar, red dye number 6 and 5% "Real Juice") provide vitamins, minerals, and sometimes even some fiber.
Sodas? Nada. They provide sugar (or some fake substitute) -- which none of us need, salt (again -- very few of us should have more salt in our diet), caffeine, and colorants. Hmmmm.....
But it tastes so good......or does it?
It's kind of a long story -- but since the beginning of the year, I have worked really hard to limit my intake of sugars. Yesterday, I thought I would treat myself to a fountain Coke (y'all know how I LOVE fountain Cokes!) I haven't had Coke in better than a month. And you know what? It tasted syrupy, sickly sweet, and so nasty I had to throw it away!
I'm really disappointed that it didn't taste good! I really thought it would. But -- cutting down on the sugar must have made me more sensitive to the sweetness in the drink. --so it didn't taste good -- which means taste is in the mouth of the beholder. You could reduce your taste for sweet drinks....if you wanted to.
And yes, I'm sure if I persisted, all I would have to do was get back into the habit of drinking fountain cokes and they would start tasting good -- but why would I do that? They have no redeeming value.
And yes, I could switch to diet coke -- that would probably take care of the too-sweet taste of the soda. But, again....why would I do that?
And, just one more thing: We can't outsmart Mother Nature. Studies show that if you give kids a regular soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup before the head into the fast food restaurant, they will eat more calories than if they didn't have the soda. Fructose doesn't simulate insulin -- which is one of the signals that allow the brain to recognize the calories we are consuming. Without the insulin response those calories fly under the brain's radar and it won't account for them as it's calculating when to turn off our hunger -- so we eat more.
You know what else doesn't cause insulin to be released? The fake sugars in sodas (and everything else). We have been lead to believe these are no-calorie foods but research is showing us that even though the mechanism is not clearly understood, fake-sugar foods are causing us to gain weight too.
They're not "free" foods. All foods come with a price.
Are your choices in foods the ones that are serving you best? Or are you just running on autopilot because you assume you like your choices?
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thought for the Day...
Trust yourself....
You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. --Winnie the Pooh
You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. --Winnie the Pooh
Friday, January 27, 2012
Do something Friday -- Scattered, Splattered, and Covered
We've already reached the last week of January! How does time fly so fast? As a Fitness Professional, I know this is an important week for all of us trying to stick to our New Year's resolution. This is the week that can make or break the deal.
For a majority of the Resolution gym goers, this is the week that things you've been putting on hold while you go to the gym, have piled up to such an extent that they DEMAND your attention and you HAVE to take time to deal with them.
For those of you having made Resolutions about changing your eating habits, this is the week where life typically starts to distract you from your goal and purpose. (or your frustration at the amount of work vs. the movement on the scale reaches a frustration point and you start wondering whether it's worth it)
We, at the FC, know that in another 3 weeks, much of our New Year volume increase will fall away and there will be more open treadmills again.
There is an upside to all of this: This doesn't have to be you. You don't have to be the one to let life swing you off track and derail you success this year. You have a choice.
Ok -- in this last weekend of January 2012, it's time to reassess what's worked and what hasn't. If you've let life pile up around you while you've been busy hitting the gym and cooking more so you need to eat out less, it's time to get caught up. Better to tackle life on your time-table (with a plan) than to have to drop all of your newly formed positive habits because you haven't done laundry in 3 weeks and have no clean undies!
Today, get out a piece of paper and write down 3 changes you've made that are working for you. Then write down 2 changes you've made that aren't.
Let the changes that aren't working go for now. Use that time to catch up on your everyday chores.
Focus on the changes that ARE working -- make a plan to keep those up AND get your everyday tasks done.
Small, sustainable changes are better predictors of a healthier, happier life than crazy, turn-your-life-upside-down-because-you're-fixing-all-your-flaws-at-once (you know you're going to burn out on that, right?) changes.
Don't be the majority and quit on your goals for 2012. You can accomplish them! But it's probably going to take more time than you thought (and be quite a bit messier than you envisioned). Don't give up --- we've still got 11 more months to go in the Year of You!
For a majority of the Resolution gym goers, this is the week that things you've been putting on hold while you go to the gym, have piled up to such an extent that they DEMAND your attention and you HAVE to take time to deal with them.
For those of you having made Resolutions about changing your eating habits, this is the week where life typically starts to distract you from your goal and purpose. (or your frustration at the amount of work vs. the movement on the scale reaches a frustration point and you start wondering whether it's worth it)
We, at the FC, know that in another 3 weeks, much of our New Year volume increase will fall away and there will be more open treadmills again.
There is an upside to all of this: This doesn't have to be you. You don't have to be the one to let life swing you off track and derail you success this year. You have a choice.
Ok -- in this last weekend of January 2012, it's time to reassess what's worked and what hasn't. If you've let life pile up around you while you've been busy hitting the gym and cooking more so you need to eat out less, it's time to get caught up. Better to tackle life on your time-table (with a plan) than to have to drop all of your newly formed positive habits because you haven't done laundry in 3 weeks and have no clean undies!
Today, get out a piece of paper and write down 3 changes you've made that are working for you. Then write down 2 changes you've made that aren't.
Let the changes that aren't working go for now. Use that time to catch up on your everyday chores.
Focus on the changes that ARE working -- make a plan to keep those up AND get your everyday tasks done.
Small, sustainable changes are better predictors of a healthier, happier life than crazy, turn-your-life-upside-down-because-you're-fixing-all-your-flaws-at-once (you know you're going to burn out on that, right?) changes.
Don't be the majority and quit on your goals for 2012. You can accomplish them! But it's probably going to take more time than you thought (and be quite a bit messier than you envisioned). Don't give up --- we've still got 11 more months to go in the Year of You!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Prisoners of the Urgent
It's also a theme on which I hear variations every day. Think of it as a madness loop — a vicious cycle. We react to what's in front of us, whether it truly matters or not. More than ever, we're prisoners of the urgent.
Have you read that quote that say something like "The urgent isn't usually important and the important isn't usually urgent"? (Obviously my paraphrasing).
We do get stuck putting out fires. Like the fire of "I'm so hungry I need to run through this drive-thru and grab something before I starve to death!"
Or
"I need to lose these 10 (or 100) pounds before ______ . I don't want people to see me like this".
Or
"My doctors appointment is next week! I better hit the gym every day this week!"
The drive-thru because you didn't plan well enough and are going to starve to death -- really?
You want to lose weight because you don't want _______ to see you like this? People see you all day, everyday. You really care what that person or group thinks about you more than all the people that see you everyday and think you're fantastic?
Hitting the gym for a week? Great start to a new habit! But seriously, how much is it going to change the outcome of your doctor's appointment? (although I will tell you that much exercise is enough to raise your HDL's so your cholesterol ratio will look better!)
Are these urgent matters what you want to focus on? Or do you have important things that need your attention -- like...
Preparing for your busy day by making sure you have a snack in your bag that is going to leave you energized, feeling positive, and not so hungry that you undo a week's worth of mindful eating with one stop at a drive-thru.
like...
Learning to manage your eating habits so you feel comfortable in clothes and confident in your body -- as the rule not the exception.
like...
Being able to head into your doctors appointment without worrying you are going to "get in trouble" because you are already doing the things (from eating to stress management to sleeping enough to moving more) that are letting you enjoy your life more than you ever have.
What's feeling urgent today? And is it really important?
Have you read that quote that say something like "The urgent isn't usually important and the important isn't usually urgent"? (Obviously my paraphrasing).
We do get stuck putting out fires. Like the fire of "I'm so hungry I need to run through this drive-thru and grab something before I starve to death!"
Or
"I need to lose these 10 (or 100) pounds before ______ . I don't want people to see me like this".
Or
"My doctors appointment is next week! I better hit the gym every day this week!"
The drive-thru because you didn't plan well enough and are going to starve to death -- really?
You want to lose weight because you don't want _______ to see you like this? People see you all day, everyday. You really care what that person or group thinks about you more than all the people that see you everyday and think you're fantastic?
Hitting the gym for a week? Great start to a new habit! But seriously, how much is it going to change the outcome of your doctor's appointment? (although I will tell you that much exercise is enough to raise your HDL's so your cholesterol ratio will look better!)
Are these urgent matters what you want to focus on? Or do you have important things that need your attention -- like...
Preparing for your busy day by making sure you have a snack in your bag that is going to leave you energized, feeling positive, and not so hungry that you undo a week's worth of mindful eating with one stop at a drive-thru.
like...
Learning to manage your eating habits so you feel comfortable in clothes and confident in your body -- as the rule not the exception.
like...
Being able to head into your doctors appointment without worrying you are going to "get in trouble" because you are already doing the things (from eating to stress management to sleeping enough to moving more) that are letting you enjoy your life more than you ever have.
What's feeling urgent today? And is it really important?
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