8 Weeks to a Healthier You

We've launched a new program at the FC recently to help new members engage and meet the goals that brought them here in the first place.  The program we built asks people to focus on one goal, even if you have others, for 8 weeks. 

Our idea was, if you focus on achieving one thing, for 8 weeks, you are going to see results.  You might not be where you ultimately want to end up but you would achieve enough success to inspire you keep up the good work.  You would also have spent so much time planning and carrying out your plan, you would have a great start on the developing the habits it takes to be successful in managing your weight, becoming stronger, or achieving some other health related goal.

I just came from talking to one of our Fitness Specialists.  These are the professionals that guide, help, and provide accountability for those who choose to participate in this program.  The FS I talked to said there as a few people doing great with the program!  And there are a few who are only doing the planning and the prep-work because the FS is egging them on.

Here's the struggle:  Having the tools at your disposal doesn't get the job done.  If that was the case, my car would never have to go in to the mechanic.  Tools are only helpful if they get used properly.  The new participants who aren't journalling, planning their workouts and engaging with the professionals there to help them are not going to get the same results as those who plan, organize, and carry out their health behavior changes using the knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm available to them (both their own and the professionals', too).

This is a difficulty I see often in the world (and who am I kidding -- often in myself, as well).  We want the results but we don't really want to do the work.

Do the work!  It's the only way you'll ever get the results!

This has been bothering me for a while...

There is the concept many of us hold that we have a "right" to eat whatever we want. While in principle that it true, it doesn't mean that there aren't consequences for overeating.

The Borgess Heart Institute just put out it's next edition of the Light Hearted Living cookbook -- that's cool. All of the recipes have been taste tested and analyzed by dietitians so they meet heart healthy guidelines. But, here's my problem with the whole thing....

The tag line on the promotion stuff is:

"Eat to your Heart's Content."

What this says to me is that the food in this book is heart healthy so I have a free pass -- I can enjoy as much of this heart healthy food as I want and the consequences will be different than if I enjoy as much McDonald's as I want.

Is this actually true? Would the consequences be different?

I don't think so.

If I spend all of my disposable income on a really, really expensive gym membership, wouldn't I still have a problem when faced with an unexpected bill? But...wait...the gym membership being a healthy choice should count for something, right? Well, maybe working out would help me manage the stress of not having any money to pay the unexpected bill but it wouldn't be the best solution for the problem.

Same goes for food -- it is a great thing to be able to eat great tasting, healthier food options. But if you over eat, it doesn't matter what you are over eating on -- it is possible to over eat on carrots! If you are eating when you are not physically hungry -- that is the definition of over eating. We do it all the time -- I just want you aware that there aren't "get out of jail free" foods because they are healthy. Don't let the media tell you different!

Something I Hate!!

Last week I was fortunate enough to be involved in a conversation with Michelle May, among others, on HOW WRONG IT IS TO TURN EXERCISE INTO PUNISHMENT FOR EATING!!!!

This is, obviously, a subject close to my heart. As many of you know, I am an exercise physiologist. Everyday, I work with people to increase the ease with which they move. Sometimes, their barriers to activity are physical -- sometimes, they are psychological.

Michelle was voicing my side of the argument. When people use exercise to punish themselves because 1. they feel they weigh too much and exercise is how they are going beat themselves into the correct shape or 2. they ate something they "shouldn't have" and now they need to "work it off" or 3. they want to eat something they "shouldn't eat" but need to exercise to "earn the right" -- this makes exercise PUNISHMENT!

Seriously, people -- what are we doing to ourselves when we do this?????

We diminish the pleasure of the food we have eaten/will eat. Guilt? Hello!!

We make ourselves feel bad about the way we look.

AND....

We take something that could be equally as pleasurable as eating (movement) and turn it into a negative consequence for enjoying life.

NOW ...

I work with people EVERYDAY who are struggling to maintain their abilities to move through this world. When I say that -- I just want you to be clear -- I mean, some of my members here are working hard every day to stay mobile enough to assist in their transfers from their wheelchairs to bed/car/tub/etc.

And then there are people who take the amazing gift of movement (the ability to get up from your desk chair and walk to the water cooler/copier/etc.) and turn that gift into a punishment.

We are talking about two separte things here -- eating and movement. I am asking you to enjoy them both. Find the pleasure in them both.

Eat the bites you can while ENJOYING/EMBRACING/BEING DELIGHTED with each bite.

Move as much as you can while ENJOYING/EMBRACING/BEING DELIGHTED with each step.

Please, please, please (aaaahhhhh...the asking has now degenerated into something one step up from begging) don't punish yourself!! The world will do enough of that for you -- care for yourself both in eating and in movement. Add a little more love to the world by being loving to yourself.

Never underestimate the power of Connected

I was looking around the fitness center today -- and what did I see???

Why are weight loss programs like Biggest Loser, Weight Watchers, and Atkin's successful?

A big reason people come to my fitness center is to be connected. Connected with others who are battling illness, recovering from an event, or struggling with a diagnosis. Biggest Loser, Weight Watchers, and the Atkin's revolution connected people -- gave them something to talk about. Gave them common ground to share their experiences. Let them belong to a tribe of others like themselves. Humans need that. --It is not a want -- it is a very basic essence of being human.

I just read an article that said 25% of Americans currently live alone (compared with 7% in 1940).

Research out of Duke University says that between 1985 and 2004 the number of people with whom the average American discussed "important matters" dropped from three to two. The number of people who said that there was no one with whom they discussed important matters tripled" In 2004 individuals without a single confidant made up a quarter of those surveyed.

Interesting statistic but how does this figure into our discussion??

If (and there is a large amount scientific data to support this)we humans need to be connected to each other -- and we have all watched the success of those lucky few on Biggest Loser or experienced the power (abet in the short term) of Weight Watchers -- why not harness this need to help us achieve our long-term weight loss success.

Get connected. Start talking to your friends -- the ones that will really support you in deed, not just in words. Talk to your family -- get their buy in for slowing down mealtime. Find the friends that are willing to explore their eating behaviors with you. Create your network of support. Talk, blog, compare notes. Don't just drone on about food -- explore your attitudes and listen to others talk about theirs.

You will all gain support and end up losing inches.