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.

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 be up in the gym just working on my fitness"

Fergy, Britney, JT, Christina, 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, Timberland...These are just a few of my favorites that I listen too when I'm working out. Now I love me some great mellow music, but not when I'm working out. To be honest I've never been able to figure out why people go to the gym and read a book. Next time you're at the gym take a look at those people and you'll notice they usually aren't going at a very fast pace.

After doing a little research there are studies that prove my theory to be true. What you are doing while working out can actually enhace your performance. A recent study showed that music can enhance endurance by 15% and help you enjoy your workout more. Another study I found suggests that listening to music while exercising helped to increase scores on a verbal fluency test among cardiac rehabilitation patients. There are also several websites dedicated just to this topic of working out and music. A few of my favorites were the top ten health benefits of working out to music you can find here and another website that maps out the best songs and playlists that will increase your pace and thus your overall beats per minute. Have a favorite song? Go to this website and see if it's at a fast enough pace for you to be working out to.

Take home message: Working out has to be fun and adding music to your routine is one more way to motivate and encourage you to keep going. My rule of thumb is to mix up my play list and get new tunes when I start to feel sluggish in my workouts. It's amazing what a few new songs can do!!! Give this tip a try and I guarantee you'll be looking like Fergalicious in no time.

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!!!

Exercise and Satiety

Do you ever feel more or less hungry after working out? For me it depends on what I'm doing. After running I'm never really hungry just thirsty, but after lifting weights or swimming I am ravenous. I headed to the research to see what I could find on this topic.

The verdict...It looks like the harder you work and the hotter your body gets the less you want to eat. For example if you go for a morning swim you will still feel ready for a big breakfast versus going for a morning run it's more likely that you're not going to be hungry at all. This difference is largely due to the cool water keeping your core body temperature low. Swimming is not the only exercise that seems to not decrease your appetite. If you go work out but you're not working very hard you're likely to not reap the benefits of a decreased appetite either.

Take home message...work out to help trick your stomach into feeling more full and also when working out you'll want to make healthier decisions with your diet so you don't ruin the extra calories that you just burned off.

(click here for more information on this topic. Also I got this post idea from one of my readers. Please feel free to keep throwing questions out there and I'll do my best to answer them!)

An interesting new study...

There's a new study that suggests the the way you think can lead you to a healthier lifestyle. It's called "Directed Thinking" and this is something I've always believed in so I was so excited to find research that it's been tested.

A group of 61 inactive college students were asked to think about ideas that fell into either "actions" or "reasons." Some of the students were asked to think and list reasons to increase cardiovascular performance and the other students were asked to list actions needed to do more cardio.

For eight weeks those that brought to mind the list of actions had an increase in their exercise routines whereas the group that thought of the reasons to workout didn't have an increase in their time spent exercising.

The mind has a greater impact on our body than we might think. I believe when you think of reasons to exercise we all probably think to be healthy, to lose weight, to feel good. These are all great things, but sometimes this can feel overwhelming especially if you are out of shape. By thinking of the actions such as join a gym, get a workout buddy, buy a new workout video, etc. These things motivate you to action. They get you moving. Instead of just thinking about the goal you break it down into what you can do.

Take home message: Don't underestimate the power of the mind. If you tell yourself over and over again working out is hard, you don't have time, you can't do it...it's very likely you're not going to. Use that brain power to your advantage and think of some ways to take action on your fitness goals and get moving!

Do you have a healthy body image?

I was at the pool today and I overheard two young girls (like 9 years old) talking about how fat their thighs were and how they need to lose weight. These girls were miniature and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I think as women we are attacked daily about not feeling pretty, thin, and/or young enough. Satan has really figured something out by getting us down about our body and self esteem he can keep us from building up the kingdom and serving others. Poor body images are starting younger and younger. There has to be something we can do. Hopefully this post will give everyone a few insights on their body image and ways to make it a better.

With a positive or healthy body image, a woman has a real perception of her size and shape, and she feels comfortable with her body. With a negative body image, a woman has a distorted perception of her shape and size, compares her body to others, and feels shame and anxiety about her body. Being unhappy with your body can affect how you think and feel about yourself as a person. A poor body image can also lead to emotional distress, low self-esteem, dieting, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Developing a positive body image and a healthy mental attitude is crucial to a woman's happiness.

If you think you have a negative body image you are not alone. Women in the U.S. are under pressure to measure up to a certain ideal of beauty, which can lead to poor body image. Women are constantly bombarded with perfect celebrities in movies, models on magazines, people on TV, the super slim coworker who looks amazing, etc. By presenting an ideal that is so difficult to achieve and maintain, the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured growth and profits.

We all want to look our best, but a healthy body is not always linked to appearance. In fact, healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes! Changing your body image means changing the way you think about your body. At the same time, healthy lifestyle choices are also key to improving body image. Make lifestyle changes: eat right, exercise, sleep 8 hours, and just take care of yourself. If you do these things you're naturally going to feel better about yourself. Along with making lifestyle changes, try not to obsess about what size pants you're wearing or what number the scale reads. If you need to lose weight to be healthy and get back to your natural weight that's one thing, but if your trying to force your 150 pound frame to be 20 pounds lighter you are never going to be happy.

It's definitely a process to change one's body image. Keep working at it and take it a day at a time. Hopefully if we all keep working together and encourage our sisters, friends, daughters, etc. we can change so many people's negative body image mindset to a more positive one.

The All-or-Nothing Mindset

Have you ever filled up on your favorite foods the day before a diet? Or slipped off your diet and then figured the damage is done, so why not go for broke? If so, you've fallen victim to the all-or-nothing mentality, and research shows that people who think this way are more likely to overeat when they believe they've blown their diets (and then they feel like this angry dieting piggy.)

Changing this mindset and adopting a more moderate approach can help you achieve lasting weight loss. Nobody can be good all the time and if you expect that from yourself, you really are setting yourself up for failure, because there are occasions when you want to eat whatever you feel like, and there are times you need treats.

Here are a few solutions:

• Think differently. Changing your eating habits takes time and practice. Pick a catchphrase to focus on when the going gets tough such as
  
• "Progress not perfection"
  
• "I deserve to eat healthfully"
  
• "Every day is an opportunity to eat better"
  
• "Every little step adds up"
• "How will I feel after I eat that..."
  
• Include your favorite foods. Instead of being "on" a diet or "off" it, shoot for eating nutritiously in a way you enjoy and can continue to do. If you deprive yourself of your favorite foods, you'll be miserable and more likely to binge or abandon your healthy eating plan. (Myself for example I have to have ice cream and brownies in my food plan or I'll go crazy.)
  
• Change your dietary focus. Expand your diet to include a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. Make a conscious effort to eat produce, and you'll naturally wind up consuming fewer calories. Aim for a minimum of five servings a day.
• Honor your hunger. Break the diet mindset that says that feeling hungry is a good sign. Go too long without eating, and you'll feel tired and cranky and more likely to overeat when you finally do eat. Feed your body on a regular schedule.
• Stay on track. Slipping off your diet doesn't mean your weight loss efforts have been sunk. Even if you had two donuts for breakfast, you can still opt for a light lunch and dinner. By not letting minor setbacks derail you, you'll help ensure that your healthier habits have a lasting effect.
• Lastly, get rid of the mindset that there are good foods and bad foods. You can eat everything within moderation. It's just when we overindulge and consume too much of one thing that we end up feeling guilty.