Bonus!!

Hi All!  For those of you who haven't been to class with me to discuss Michelle May, her wonderful books, and her outlook on the difference between mindful eating and dieting -- here is a wonderful!!  short article to explain the differences.

Enjoy!

For those of you who loved the idea of "not right now"...

How do you feel about Michelle May's statement: This lawsuit [Weight Watchers suing Jenny Craig]and your own experience should not cause you to ask, "What do I do now?" but "What do I do from now on?"


Changes you can live with. Perhaps even changes that make you feel great -- not because you're losing weight (although that can be part of it) but the changes that make you feel like you are successfully in charge of your destiny.

Sometimes, choosing to have the perfect dessert at the end of a beautiful meal is what is going to make you feel successful. Sometimes, choosing to say "not right now" is the success of the moment. But here's the important part: You are choosing. You are not running on autopilot or letting yourself be run by habits that are no longer working for you.

Mindfulness -- getting into tune with your sensations of hunger and fullness -- learning to ask the question "Am I hungry?"/"Do I want this right now?"/"Is this piece of xyz worth it to me right now?" --We are not looking for rules to follow -- we are looking to find what fits most perfectly in THIS moment. Long term success is a string of "This Moment" successes.

Chemicaly Altered Diet-Friendly versions of Food

This was a descriptor from Michelle May's new book "Eat What you Love, Love what you Eat.

I was talking to someone the other day who is not fully verse in the whole mindful eating concept. He was telling me about his want to lose a couple pounds -- not many -- just a few. But, his current lifestyle (freewheelin' recent retireree traveling here, there and everywhere) was not supporting his weight loss plans. Bar burgers and fries are not generally considered "diet" foods.

So what are "diet" foods? Who makes up the rules? Honestly, "diet" foods are foods marketed to be just that.

Weightloss shakes are liquid chemicals that will supress your natural appetite -- that isn't as sellable of a concept as "A shake that tastes great and helps you lose weight!" But it doesn't change what it is just because we call it something else.

Protein bars instead of real food -- can it be truly good for you if it has a shelf life longer than a Presidential Term? Food that looks like your grandma might have known what to do with it -- that is the kind of lifestyle I am advocating.

I have said it before -- just because something says it's low fat doesn't mean you can eat as much of it as you want. Does it taste great? I love soda! Just because Coke is laden with high-fructose corn syrup doesn't mean I have to give it up -- I just need to be sensible with how much of it I drink. If you love Luna bars -- you don't need to give them up -- just be aware of how many you are eating in a week. Make sure you balance the things you love that are highly processed with other things you love that are less processed.

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.