Resolutions...

I have a few strong thoughts about resolutions. Especially in regards to fitness resolutions. When I worked in the gym I always hated January. People are ready to tackle their weight/fitness goals. The gym is super packed with people who just seem to be walking around acting like their doing something in their brand new white shoes. Everyone is strict on their diets passing on sweets, soda, and fast food. This soon wears off after a week...two...three weeks. Then soon the thought of, "Crap I'm doing bad so I'll just try again next week or on Monday." This cycle soon turns back into the "I've failed category b/c I can't stick with my resolution so why even bother trying?" Whey does society set themselves up for failure such as this I ask myself?

Here are a few resolutions (even just plain fitness goals) I hear all the time that I hate:

1. I'm cutting out sweets
2. I'm going to work out for an hour every day
3. I have to lose 20 pounds by such and such date
4. I need to lose weight so I can be skinny then more boys will ask me out

I could go on and on, but the reason why I hate these resolutions in particular is they are shallow and based on stupid expectations.

*1. No one can cut out sweets forever. This is impossible. You're setting yourself up for failure which in turn will lead you back to your mindset of "Whatever. I'll just eat what I want." I say allow yourself everything in moderation. It's amazing by allowing yourself treats, sweets, even sugar that you'll naturally stop craving it.
*2. Same goes for the second one. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. If you're going from not working out at all to working out everyday this is too much. Even if you're regularly working out maybe you won't always have time to get in an hour. I'd change this resolution to I'm going to be physically active in some way every day. Even if it ends up being a walk, doing push ups and sit ups during commercials, throwing in a quick workout video.
*3. While I like setting goals and working towards them I'm more for finding a healthy body weight to strive for and giving yourself a few pounds to work with. For example shoot for 150-155 pounds. Also get there in a healthy way. You can't lose 10 pounds in two weeks. Shoot for 1-2 pounds per week and if some weeks you don't drop weight you just keep working. By setting a specific goal and not reaching it by that date I've found most people more often then not just give up and then go back to their old habits.
*4. I really don't have to say much about why this is a bad goal. It's sad how often I've heard this from my female clients. If you're going to lose weight and get healthy do it for yourself not for guys. Any guy who only dates you b/c you're skinny isn't the guy you want to be with.

So there you have it a few of my thoughts. Have you set resolutions/goals like the one's I hate? If so sorry if I've offended you. These are just my thoughts and opinions based on what I've seen time and time again. Maybe reconsider how/why you're going about your resolutions and tweaking them just a bit. The real goal is making resolutions a lifestyle change and that's all I'm trying to convey. Try and honestly challenge your goal to see if it's lifestyle change worthy. If it's not figure out how to make it so it is.

Weight Loss Olympics

One of my favorite shows is The Biggest Loser. I've been watching it for the last three years. It's amazing to see these people change their lives and transform over a period of just a few months.

I do notice a small problem with it though...I think people get jaded and think that they can lose 10 pounds in a week and if they're not losing at this rate then what's the point in trying? I like to compare the Biggest Loser to the Olympics for losing weight. What these people are doing is amazing, incredible, and impossible to do in the real world.

I heard this season a few of the contestants say that they're only eating 1200 calories and burning at least 6000 calories everyday (men have to burn 8000 calories.) This is incredible. An average person only burns 100-150 calories running a mile. Can you imagine how many miles you'd have to run to burn this amount? Now granted since they weigh more they are burning more calories than someone who only needs to lose 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 even 50 pounds.

Something else I don't like about the show is how they restrict the contestants diet so much. I think anyone can have a treat and enjoy it as long as it's in moderation. But I guess really what they're doing is breaking these people of their addictions. Anyone who is over 300 pounds has an addiction to food. I just hope that people watching don't think that for me to lose weight I can never have a piece of chocolate cake again for the rest of my life.

Take home message: Once again don't look for the quick fix. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. If you only have a few pounds to lose it will come off even slower. You might only lose a half a pound in a week, but the goal is to be consistent. You have to cut calories (think junk food, processed food, eating out), move more, and make lifestyle changes that you can stick with. If you notice during the biggest loser they give little trainer tips before the commercials. These are great things you can do. Incorporate these into your life and don't expect that the only way you can get to your goal weight is if you give up your job, family, and four months of your life so you can work out for 8-10 hours every day.

Exercise???

Anybody else read this article in Time Magazine?

Well I did and let me just tell you it made me pretty angry. If you took the time to read it and you're struggling with a weight problem you'll probably think, "Yeah this is exactly how I feel."

Do not buy this crap. These are just excuses and a perfect example of how one study gets blown up to show that not exercising is good for you. I wish they would have shown the studies of people who lose weight by diet alone vs. diet and exercise and how long they keep it off. Our society is just lazy and looking for an excuse to not have to exercise.

If you really want to know how I feel I'll tell you. Stop making excuses for yourself and why you're not healthy. It's not genetics, exercise, or your metabolism. We are trying to analyze this and make it extremely difficult. News flash it's not. Stop eating so much food and get moving. I do agree that when you work out it's easy to think that you deserve a treat and to blow the calories you burned, but this is not an excuse to stop working out.

Wanting to lose weight? It's not as hard as we make it out to be. Stop trying to make it such a huge battle. Exercise period. Every day preferably. Be more active in general. Stop sitting on the couch and at the office. Eat healthy. Write down what you're eating. Increase fruits, veggies, whole grains, and cut back processed junk food. Cut back your calories. Don't indulge on everything, but still allow for treats. Make it a lifestyle change. It's not a one time thing. It's a way of life.

And stop pointing the finger at everyone else except for yourself. If it took you ten years to gain the weight it's going to take some time to get rid of it. Be patient and work hard. There is no quick fix, but it is possible.

p.s. If you're asking yourself what does Kim know about losing weight? She's never had to struggle? Correction I have. Freshman year of college I packed on weight and at my heaviest I was 175. I'm now around 140-145 so that's 30 pounds. I've done it too!

Something to think about...

I think all girls and women should see this video. We can't all look the same and fit into the perfect mold that magazines, actresses, and advertisements lead us to believe. It's nice to see people like J-Lo and Beyonce who are beautiful and not stick thin, and I loved it when Kelly Clarkson let everyone know that Shape had retouched her magazine cover. (That's a whole other post b/c Shape should be promoting healthy body image NOT cropping and editing her bottom.) We need to stop chasing after an idealistic perfect body/image/look/appearance that not even models these days can uphold.

Quote of the Day...

"Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning."
Thomas Jefferson

I couldn't have said it better myself. Things sure have changed since he was in office. Our society has taken a totally different shift. Long gone are the days of working in the fields, riding horses, and manual labor. We now are a society of computers, cars, fast food, and convenience in everything we do. I will say education is still important in the world today maybe even more so. You can't even be competitive at getting a job without at least a college degree or higher.

Why is health more important than learning you might ask? Because without your health you won't be able to use all the knowledge you've worked so hard to gain. Now I know I might get some scholars that would like to argue with me on this one, but I could argue this until the cows come home. Without your health it's hard to do anything in this life. It's ultimately the most important thing because no amount of money can buy you a healthy body. You either have it or you don't. So we need to take care of it by getting active and using it.

Let's just use this reminder from our dear friend Mr. Jefferson and get outside and enjoy moving our bodies and recognize the gift that being healthy is. You have to move it or you'll lose it. Exercise is as vital to our health as water and air. Get it in everyday and make it part of your lifestyle.

Changing bad habits...

I just started reading this book "Banish Bad Habits Forever" by Vera Peiffer and I love it. Mike always makes fun of me for getting random self help books like this, but I always figure you can learn something new about yourself and who doesn't have at least one bad habit I ask you? I'm also a firm believer in positive thinking and self hypnosis and this book talks more about that too so it's a great blend of Mind/Body/Health which I find fascinating.

I've only read about 30 pages and I highly recommend it, but I'd like to share with you one bit of advice that I've taken away from it so far. It gives a great recommendation when trying to change habits to set daily goals and an immediate reward system. Instead of planning for months at a time or weeks ahead just plan day to day what you have to do and then reward yourself daily instead of just when you hit your ultimate/long term goal.

I'd like to apply this to working out. Often it's easy to say, "I'll work out today," and then when we don't we say, "Well I'll do it everyday for the rest of the week to make up for not doing it today." Most often than not this doesn't happen either. Then we go on to tell ourselves, "Well I'll start up again next week and be perfect from then on." Does this sound familiar to anyone?

This book suggests if you want to make a goal to work out do it just for that day and then set a reward to either watch your favorite TV show, read a book, take a hot bath, etc. Then tomorrow do it again. Eventually you'll be able to set bigger goals, but to initially start a new habit or break a bad habit this is what Peiffer recommends. I really like this way of thinking and I'm going to apply it to a few things that I want to work on and I hope you will too.

I'm Back...

I apologize to my viewers for my absence the last month and a half. Due to a recent move, vacation, lack of home/internet, and a busy schedule I haven't had much time to blog. I'm back though and I hope everyone missed me!

I have lots of great ideas for posts to come so keep checking back for those, but tonight I just want to share my feelings on new years resolutions specifically when they relate to one's health. I don't particularly like resolutions b/c it's something that people stop doing within a few weeks. When I worked at the gym I always hated how crowded it would get and how suddenly people were going from never working out to working out 6 times a week. Motivation soon dies and people fade away and another year goes by where everyone is overweight or unhappy with the way they look and feel.

My suggestion...Set a resolution everyday of your life to be healthy. Eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, take care of your body. It's the only one you'll get so treat it like the temple it is. Of course you'll have days or weeks where you might get off track, but tomorrow is another day and you can start over. I challenge you to look at your motivation and goals that you might have set earlier this year and break them down to a day to day thing so each day you succeed. Use these positive changes to keep you wanting to move forward and get better. Improve each day and make it a lifestyle. In time being healthy will be like brushing your teeth. Good luck and keep up the great work!!!

Having a slump?

Sometimes this time of year, when it starts to get cold, it can become more of a challenge to get to the gym or get your daily workouts in. Something I like to do is try looking for a race or something new to do. There are so many things out there 5K's, 10K's, triathlons, splash and dashes, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, cycling, mommy and me classes, dance, etc.

The options are limitless. All it takes is the decision to get off your booty and do something. I find it helpful particularly this time of year to mix everything up a bit because it's so easy to get stuck in a rut and say, "I'll stay curled up in the sheets and do it tomorrow" or you end up skipping a day which turns into a week. Keep your workouts fun, exciting, and new and your mindset will follow.

Step out of your box, get off of your couch, and try something new and fun. That's an order!!!

Hollywood's Thin Obsession

The new 90210 is in the public eye for showing too much bone. What's new in Hollywood? I hate how beauty in today's society is perceived as being a stick figure and having absolutely zero percent body fat. Not only does this make people feel they have to strive to reach an unrealistic goal, but it puts extra pressure on those behind the camera. I heard just the other day on TV that people on the set are saying the magazine is just rumors and that the girls eat like horses. They just have super fast metabolisms. If this is true it makes me mad that the producers or whoever is in charge of hiring picked such thin girls for the show. What's wrong with showing a more realistic image of what teenagers really look like and not putting extra pressure on the females in society? I say stop trying to be something your not and what's wrong with a little curves and junk food now and then. Stop the weight obsessed frenzy of forcing your natural body type into a size zero. Not everyone was born to be that small naturally and I'm getting tired of seeing it in all of the magazines, on TV, and in movies.

Treadmill Desk-Primetime 20/20

Extreme weight gain calls for extreme fitness measures. According to the CDC in 2007 66.3% of people over the age of 20 are overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and 32% are obese (BMI 30 and above.) As a society we are eating too much and not getting enough activity. There are lots of things that can cause a person to gain weight, but I think a couple of the biggest things are desk jobs, fast food, cars, and not inconveniencing ourselves.
We've come from just about 100 years ago where we had to hunt our food, walk everywhere, and prepare our food/clothes/shelter from the ground, scratch, and whatever we were able to find. Verses today where everything is convenient and you can buy food cheap, quick, and lacking any type of nutrition.
Someone is definitely thinking outside the box with this treadmill desk. Do I think it will work? I don't think it will really take off, but I could be wrong and if it's making a difference and getting people moving I'm all for it.
This video was just one more reminder to me of the importance of keeping your body moving, trying to eat healthy, and take that extra walk around the neighborhood to avoid those extra pounds that tend to pile on when sitting in front of the computer or whatever else might be keeping you sedentary.

Addicted to sugar?

I just have a little thought I'd like to share. I was reading in a magazine the other day and it said something that really stuck out to me. It was talking about breaking drug addictions and how when people are trying to get off of drug addictions they have to break them of the habit cold turkey. They don't take them off the drug and then let them shoot up a little bit at the end of the week to take off the edge.

I'd like to apply this to addictions we might have such as: sugar, soda, chocolate, fast food, etc. When you're trying to break the habit of these things it's really hard to do if you keep letting this stuff back into your system. The best way to get rid of bad habits is to get rid of it completely, and not allow yourself weekly or monthly splurges.

My challenge to you and to myself is to look at our diets and see what things we need to break free of to live a healthier life. Eat to live. Don't live to eat.

Teen Girls' Pregnancy Pact

I am really trying to wrap my brain around this whole thing. A few of my thoughts...

I feel really bad for these girls. Are they just screaming for attention? Uneducated? Coming from poor families? Or are they really just falling into the buzz of hollywood and thinking that having a baby is glamorous and fun?

Then media/school officials/their families try to point the finger. It's the movies out today like Juno and Knocked Up that are making people want to have a baby and they think things will turn out the same for them. No it's Jamie Lynn Spears fault. (She's Britney Spears little sister from the Disney show Zoey 101 that got pregnant at 16 years old.) Everyone's just trying to be like her. Let's face it today's teens are sexually active. This group of girls just went way to far and somehow made a bad idea sound like a really good one and they all jumped on the bandwagon.

I don't think it does any good trying to figure it out and blame someone. I guess the idea is to learn from these things, reach out to those that we can, and move on. It's really sad to me and I just hope it doesn't become a tipping point like high school shootings and now that one group of girls has done it that another group in Arizona or Wisconsin is going to jump on board.

Let me know your thoughts. I'm interested to see if this has struck a chord with anyone else besides me.