Coach Doug is available for one-on-one phone coaching. He is uniquely skilled at helping folks get to the root of their food and weight issues and take practical steps forward!
Fee is $25 per half hour.
To schedule a time with Coach Doug, please call or text 904-735-3432.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Facebook Support Group
Want daily support from fellow travelers and Coach Doug? Join our free Facebook Support Group today!
Each day we post a success, a challenge, and an action step. It's fun, and it works!
Best of all it's FREE!!
Try it out today by clicking HERE.
Each day we post a success, a challenge, and an action step. It's fun, and it works!
Best of all it's FREE!!
Try it out today by clicking HERE.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sustainable Habit #2: Examine the reasons why you eat when you're not physically hungry and get those needs met in other ways
This is where the rubber meets the road. If we are overweight it is because we have eaten for other reasons than physical hunger. Period.
To achieve and maintain a healthy body weight for life we are going to need to re-learn how to eat within the boundaries of hunger and satiety. We were born with this ability, but for a variety of internal and external reasons we learned to eat for other reasons.
Some of us are so far from this habit that we don't even know what hunger feels like. We have lost touch with our body. We eat because we want to, because it's time to eat, because others are pushing food on us, habit, etc. We need to develop a new habit, a new mindset. Before putting each bite in our mouth we need to ask, "Am I hungry?" If not, put it down and wait until later.
The process of discovering the reasons why you eat when you're not physically hungry and finding other ways to meet those needs other than food is the most important task you have in this program. It may not easy. It may not be quick. You may need help in order to do it well and thoroughly. But it is crucial. If you ignore this habit you will chronically fail in your weight loss or weight maintenance efforts.
Following are a list of possible reasons/triggers and solutions. These are meant to get you thinking. But it is up to you to figure out your unique reasons and solutions.
Possible Internal Reasons/Triggers
To achieve and maintain a healthy body weight for life we are going to need to re-learn how to eat within the boundaries of hunger and satiety. We were born with this ability, but for a variety of internal and external reasons we learned to eat for other reasons.
Some of us are so far from this habit that we don't even know what hunger feels like. We have lost touch with our body. We eat because we want to, because it's time to eat, because others are pushing food on us, habit, etc. We need to develop a new habit, a new mindset. Before putting each bite in our mouth we need to ask, "Am I hungry?" If not, put it down and wait until later.
The process of discovering the reasons why you eat when you're not physically hungry and finding other ways to meet those needs other than food is the most important task you have in this program. It may not easy. It may not be quick. You may need help in order to do it well and thoroughly. But it is crucial. If you ignore this habit you will chronically fail in your weight loss or weight maintenance efforts.
Following are a list of possible reasons/triggers and solutions. These are meant to get you thinking. But it is up to you to figure out your unique reasons and solutions.
Possible Internal Reasons/Triggers
- anxiety
- depression
- self-hate
- punishing someone else
- stress
- lack of meaning and purpose in life
- lack of joy
- boredom
- loneliness
- rewarding yourself
- sadness
- habit
- mouth hunger
- conflict
- advertisements
- peer pressure
- wanting to please someone
- someone bringing food into your surroundings
- restaurants
- social situations
- special events
- customs
- trigger foods in the home
- exercise
- talking to friends
- working on your relationships
- counseling
- psychiatric medication
- spirituality
- life balance
- stress management
- turn off the TV
- confront those that push food
- support groups
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sustainable Habit #7 -Develop Strategies for Ongoing Motivation
Most of us have experienced the cycle of disgust with ourselves, followed by intense weight loss efforts, followed by falling off the wagon, ending with despair. Then we start over again.
In this program we put an end to that cycle. We slowly develop sustainable habits that become part of our permanent lifestyle. Usually, in our disgust with ourselves, we launch major offenses on the enemy and get burnt out quickly. With this problem, long-term success only comes when we incorporate changes in our lifestyle that are sustainable. This will mean changing attitudes, schedules, relationships, etc. It's a lot of work! And to keep from getting burned out and quitting, you need to give yourself time to get used to small changes. In this program it's not just about changing the weight, it's about YOU changing as a person.
It is said that it takes an aircraft carrier 28 minutes to turn around. And during that time it is exerting a lot of energy, even though, for all practical purposes, it is not going anywhere! We are kind of like battleships. We need to change life direction. We don't need to learn how to go faster in the direction we have always been going. Therefor, you may need to put out a lot of effort before you begin to see tangible results. For example, it may be critical for you to learn to love your body and love yourself before you have the hope of incorporating permanent changes in your lifestyle and get successful at weight loss. And learning to love your body and yourself may take awhile. (This is just one example.)
The good news is that once you are heading in the right direction you will have momentum, meaning that it will be easier to keep going in that direction. You will still need to pay attention, and continue doing the habits, but it won't require so much effort.
Short-term motivation
We're all familiar with trying to lose weight for a wedding, vacation, bikini season, etc. The trouble with these motivations is that they have an end-date. Generally speaking, after the awaited day/season has arrived we go back to old habits, and maybe even worse because we are making up for all the deprivation we experienced. Then we frantically search for another short-term motivation.
Long-term motivation
Long-term motivation, on the other hand, has no end date. These motivations are sustainable for a lifetime, and therefor, more effective for the permanent changes we really desire. These motivations are not as flashy as short-term motivations are, but they are ultimately more effective. So let's look at some possible long-term motivations.
In this program we put an end to that cycle. We slowly develop sustainable habits that become part of our permanent lifestyle. Usually, in our disgust with ourselves, we launch major offenses on the enemy and get burnt out quickly. With this problem, long-term success only comes when we incorporate changes in our lifestyle that are sustainable. This will mean changing attitudes, schedules, relationships, etc. It's a lot of work! And to keep from getting burned out and quitting, you need to give yourself time to get used to small changes. In this program it's not just about changing the weight, it's about YOU changing as a person.
It is said that it takes an aircraft carrier 28 minutes to turn around. And during that time it is exerting a lot of energy, even though, for all practical purposes, it is not going anywhere! We are kind of like battleships. We need to change life direction. We don't need to learn how to go faster in the direction we have always been going. Therefor, you may need to put out a lot of effort before you begin to see tangible results. For example, it may be critical for you to learn to love your body and love yourself before you have the hope of incorporating permanent changes in your lifestyle and get successful at weight loss. And learning to love your body and yourself may take awhile. (This is just one example.)
The good news is that once you are heading in the right direction you will have momentum, meaning that it will be easier to keep going in that direction. You will still need to pay attention, and continue doing the habits, but it won't require so much effort.
Short-term motivation
We're all familiar with trying to lose weight for a wedding, vacation, bikini season, etc. The trouble with these motivations is that they have an end-date. Generally speaking, after the awaited day/season has arrived we go back to old habits, and maybe even worse because we are making up for all the deprivation we experienced. Then we frantically search for another short-term motivation.
Long-term motivation
Long-term motivation, on the other hand, has no end date. These motivations are sustainable for a lifetime, and therefor, more effective for the permanent changes we really desire. These motivations are not as flashy as short-term motivations are, but they are ultimately more effective. So let's look at some possible long-term motivations.
- Health and Longevity: If you want to live a long, disease-free life most medical professionals would recommend a lower weight.
- Comfort: Generally speaking, the less you weigh the easier it is to get around, and to fit comfortable into clothes, chairs, etc.
- Energy: Being fit and healthy usually means you have less fatigue and more energy to deal with life's demands.
- Spirituality: Some people see eating normally and taking care of their body as something that pleases God, or helps them be less focused on the material things of life.
- Mental Health: Over-eating can cover up emotions and situations that need dealt with. In addition, the whole diet/binge cycle causes lots of interference to our peace and serenity.
- Better Sexuality: Generally speaking, being fit and healthy not only allows us to perform better sexually, but may influence us and our partner to want it more!
- Appearance and Self-esteem: This is a tricky one because we don't want to base our self-esteem on our weight and appearance. Also, different cultures have different opinions about what size is attractive. However, being fit and healthy will generally mean we feel better about our appearance, and that can make our self-esteem struggles less intense.
Everyone's motivation is going to be different. The important thing is to have enough long-term motivations of sufficient strength to help us stay with this process forever. If you don't have enough, you can work on it. Pick ones that you have the most inclination toward and work on reinforcing them. Hopefully, the aforementioned suggestions will get you thinking.
Developing a support system to help you make and maintain your changes can be a crucial element to long-term success. Don't try to do this all alone!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sustainable Habit #6 - Love your body. Love yourself.
Most of who have struggled with compulsive food and weight issues hate our bodies. And we may even hate ourselves. It's time to stop this craziness! Beating yourself up does you absolutely no good. It drags down your life and enjoyment, and, ironically, leads to more compulsive eating!
At some point you have to learn to love and accept yourself for exactly who you are today. Many of us are afraid to do that, for fear that we will lose our motivation to improve ourselves. Happily, a solid self-acceptance is a great long-term foundation upon which to base our self-improvement efforts.
Live in the present. Don't get caught up pining away for a former you. Don't spend time fantasizing about a future you. Fully embrace present-you. Yes. Just as you are today. You would do it for somebody else, right? Why not give yourself the same good stuff you give to your best friend? No matter how anyone else treats you, you can treat yourself with pride and dignity. It's your choice. It's completely within your control. And nobody can take it away from you!
Start buying and wearing clothes that fit and flatter you. No more wearing old clothes that don't fit anymore, or that you are hoping you'll fit into again. Get rid of the drab, baggy, "invisible" crap. Dress for the present-you that you love and care for greatly. Live it up! Extreme Makeover has shown us that you can take any body type, any kind of face and hair, and pick the right things to bring out the most beauty.
Get proper medical attention for your current health issues. Don't say, "Well, when I lose weight I won't have that problem anymore. That may very well be true. But today you need to treat the problems you have today. It's part of loving and caring for yourself.
Be careful about weighing yourself. For most of us, our self-esteem is inextricably linked to the number that pops up on the scale. It has the power to tell us whether we can feel good about ourselves or not. This is just wrong! The scale should be used for one thing only. Information. It should give us some objective feedback about how our habits have been affecting our body. Even so, there are a myriad of things that can affect our weight from day to day - salt, exercise, water retention, monthly cycles, medicine, etc., so daily weighing tends to give unreliable information, and can increase our obsession with food and weight. (It's almost impossible to gain or lose a pound of fat in a day since you have to have have a 3,500 calorie surplus or deficit relative to the calories you burn.) Once a week or once a month can give you more reliable information about what's really happening with your body. And make sure you are weighing at the same time of the day, same clothes, etc. That way you can compare apples with apples.
Get comfortable with your sexuality. Our bodies are inherently sexual. Don't run away from it. Some people remain overweight as a way to hide their sexuality, or to avoid dealing with it. If you're afraid of your sexual urges, or other people's sexual advances, there are ways to deal with these issues other than covering yourself in layers of fat.
Some people remain fat as a way to be invisible. They don't like attention, or being noticed. Please get help with your shyness and insecurity. That's a much better option than ruining your body.
Lastly, we must deal with the issue of self-sabotage. Many of us say we want to lose weight. But when push comes to shove we're uncomfortable with success. Do we deserve to be thin? Attractive? Healthy? Happy? Some of us, unfortunately, are more comfortable with misery. We've lived there for a long time, and we know how to get by in this well-worn rut. As much as we despair about our "hopeless" situation, if nothing changes we will endure it, just like we have for years. Success is different. It is change. We may not know how to be happy. We may worry that if we're successful more will be expected from us. (Or, as mentioned before, we'll garner too much attention.) What reasons do you have for sabotaging your progress in this program, in this way of life?
Loving your body and your self is completely up to you. Why not give yourself this gift that you so freely give to others?
Worksheets
At some point you have to learn to love and accept yourself for exactly who you are today. Many of us are afraid to do that, for fear that we will lose our motivation to improve ourselves. Happily, a solid self-acceptance is a great long-term foundation upon which to base our self-improvement efforts.
Live in the present. Don't get caught up pining away for a former you. Don't spend time fantasizing about a future you. Fully embrace present-you. Yes. Just as you are today. You would do it for somebody else, right? Why not give yourself the same good stuff you give to your best friend? No matter how anyone else treats you, you can treat yourself with pride and dignity. It's your choice. It's completely within your control. And nobody can take it away from you!
Start buying and wearing clothes that fit and flatter you. No more wearing old clothes that don't fit anymore, or that you are hoping you'll fit into again. Get rid of the drab, baggy, "invisible" crap. Dress for the present-you that you love and care for greatly. Live it up! Extreme Makeover has shown us that you can take any body type, any kind of face and hair, and pick the right things to bring out the most beauty.
Get proper medical attention for your current health issues. Don't say, "Well, when I lose weight I won't have that problem anymore. That may very well be true. But today you need to treat the problems you have today. It's part of loving and caring for yourself.
Be careful about weighing yourself. For most of us, our self-esteem is inextricably linked to the number that pops up on the scale. It has the power to tell us whether we can feel good about ourselves or not. This is just wrong! The scale should be used for one thing only. Information. It should give us some objective feedback about how our habits have been affecting our body. Even so, there are a myriad of things that can affect our weight from day to day - salt, exercise, water retention, monthly cycles, medicine, etc., so daily weighing tends to give unreliable information, and can increase our obsession with food and weight. (It's almost impossible to gain or lose a pound of fat in a day since you have to have have a 3,500 calorie surplus or deficit relative to the calories you burn.) Once a week or once a month can give you more reliable information about what's really happening with your body. And make sure you are weighing at the same time of the day, same clothes, etc. That way you can compare apples with apples.
Get comfortable with your sexuality. Our bodies are inherently sexual. Don't run away from it. Some people remain overweight as a way to hide their sexuality, or to avoid dealing with it. If you're afraid of your sexual urges, or other people's sexual advances, there are ways to deal with these issues other than covering yourself in layers of fat.
Some people remain fat as a way to be invisible. They don't like attention, or being noticed. Please get help with your shyness and insecurity. That's a much better option than ruining your body.
Lastly, we must deal with the issue of self-sabotage. Many of us say we want to lose weight. But when push comes to shove we're uncomfortable with success. Do we deserve to be thin? Attractive? Healthy? Happy? Some of us, unfortunately, are more comfortable with misery. We've lived there for a long time, and we know how to get by in this well-worn rut. As much as we despair about our "hopeless" situation, if nothing changes we will endure it, just like we have for years. Success is different. It is change. We may not know how to be happy. We may worry that if we're successful more will be expected from us. (Or, as mentioned before, we'll garner too much attention.) What reasons do you have for sabotaging your progress in this program, in this way of life?
Loving your body and your self is completely up to you. Why not give yourself this gift that you so freely give to others?
Worksheets
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sustainable Habit #5 -Create a Satisfying Dining Experience
Eating should be a pleasure! There's nothing wrong with that.
For those of us who have been veteran over-eaters we may have missed that point. We're either binging so fast we don't enjoy it, or we're starving ourselves and dreaming about the food we're missing. Neither of those experiences is satisfying.
One way to have a satisfying dining experience is to only eat food that tastes good to you. Eating things you don't like isn't very satisfying and prompts you to keep on eating in an attempt to get satisfaction. This doesn't mean you should load down your food with all kinds of taste enhancers. (As we talked about in the previous habit, learn to like the natural taste of food.) We're talking about choosing the foods within a particular food group that you like more than other food in that same group - for example, apples vs oranges. Usually, a small amount of something that tastes good is more satisfying that a lot of something you don't like.
Another satisfying practice is to take a break and actually focus on eating! Most of us have developed the habit of eating while we're in the middle of something else... multi-tasking. This is not satisfying. Beware of eating while watching TV, surfing the web, driving, etc. Generally speaking, you will tend to eat more when you are multi-tasking because you're not paying attention to your physical cues of fullness.
Create a pleasant environment. Sit at the table, add music, candles, table settings, flowers, air freshener, etc. Enjoy the experience. Eat with someone you like, so you can enjoy the interaction.
Eat slowly. Chew your food thoroughly. Savor the tastes and textures.
Take pauses and check in with your body to see how hungry or full you are. Slow down when you are getting near the point of being physically satisfied.
When you've had what will be your last bite, push your plate away or put your utensils on your plate, or get up and take the dishes away... anything that signifies you're done with this particular eating experience. Don't be afraid to leave some food behind. Eating it will not save any starving children!
Now go and create a satisfying dining experience!
The 7 Sustainable Habits
Worksheets
For those of us who have been veteran over-eaters we may have missed that point. We're either binging so fast we don't enjoy it, or we're starving ourselves and dreaming about the food we're missing. Neither of those experiences is satisfying.
One way to have a satisfying dining experience is to only eat food that tastes good to you. Eating things you don't like isn't very satisfying and prompts you to keep on eating in an attempt to get satisfaction. This doesn't mean you should load down your food with all kinds of taste enhancers. (As we talked about in the previous habit, learn to like the natural taste of food.) We're talking about choosing the foods within a particular food group that you like more than other food in that same group - for example, apples vs oranges. Usually, a small amount of something that tastes good is more satisfying that a lot of something you don't like.
Another satisfying practice is to take a break and actually focus on eating! Most of us have developed the habit of eating while we're in the middle of something else... multi-tasking. This is not satisfying. Beware of eating while watching TV, surfing the web, driving, etc. Generally speaking, you will tend to eat more when you are multi-tasking because you're not paying attention to your physical cues of fullness.
Create a pleasant environment. Sit at the table, add music, candles, table settings, flowers, air freshener, etc. Enjoy the experience. Eat with someone you like, so you can enjoy the interaction.
Eat slowly. Chew your food thoroughly. Savor the tastes and textures.
Take pauses and check in with your body to see how hungry or full you are. Slow down when you are getting near the point of being physically satisfied.
When you've had what will be your last bite, push your plate away or put your utensils on your plate, or get up and take the dishes away... anything that signifies you're done with this particular eating experience. Don't be afraid to leave some food behind. Eating it will not save any starving children!
Now go and create a satisfying dining experience!
The 7 Sustainable Habits
Worksheets
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sustainable Habit #1 - Eat when you're physically hungry, stop when you're satisfied or comfortably full
Our bodies are remarkably skilled at letting us know when and how much to eat. Unfortunately, most Americans have long since stopped eating in response to physical cues.
We eat for many reasons other than physical hunger, and we sometimes don't stop eating until we're stuffed. On the other side of the coin, we "starve" ourselves to lose weight, again ignoring our body's signals.
Getting back in touch with our body, and following its signals, is of utmost importance in establishing a lifetime of "normal" eating and weight.
Using the following scale we can quantify our hunger level.
1. Famished: Stomach hurts, growls. Can’t think of anything but food. Light-headed, can’t concentrate.
2. Hungry: Stomach feels empty. Desire to eat. Can wait, if needed.
3. Satisfied: Neither hungry nor full. No physical sensation. Stomach is “invisible.”
4. Comfortably Full: Stomach feels heavy. No physical desire to eat more. Sense that you could go a few hours without eating.
5. Stuffed: Uncomfortably full. “Can’t eat another bite.” Stomach protrudes. Loosen belt and buttons. Lethargic, unproductive.
Get used to feeling hungry. It's not horrible. This is the way you should feel when you start eating.
Pay attention to your hunger level as you eat. Take breaks and check in with your body. Learn to dislike the feelings that come when you eat too much.
As long as you eat by following these physical cues, you're on the right track!
Worksheets
We eat for many reasons other than physical hunger, and we sometimes don't stop eating until we're stuffed. On the other side of the coin, we "starve" ourselves to lose weight, again ignoring our body's signals.
Getting back in touch with our body, and following its signals, is of utmost importance in establishing a lifetime of "normal" eating and weight.
Using the following scale we can quantify our hunger level.
1. Famished: Stomach hurts, growls. Can’t think of anything but food. Light-headed, can’t concentrate.
2. Hungry: Stomach feels empty. Desire to eat. Can wait, if needed.
3. Satisfied: Neither hungry nor full. No physical sensation. Stomach is “invisible.”
4. Comfortably Full: Stomach feels heavy. No physical desire to eat more. Sense that you could go a few hours without eating.
5. Stuffed: Uncomfortably full. “Can’t eat another bite.” Stomach protrudes. Loosen belt and buttons. Lethargic, unproductive.
Get used to feeling hungry. It's not horrible. This is the way you should feel when you start eating.
Pay attention to your hunger level as you eat. Take breaks and check in with your body. Learn to dislike the feelings that come when you eat too much.
As long as you eat by following these physical cues, you're on the right track!
Worksheets
ABOUT this program
There are millions of strategies for short term weight loss. There is very little education, however, about how to LIVE.
I developed these habits based on my personal experience, on my observations while helping hundreds of people with this problem, and several non-diet programs, such as:
I developed these habits based on my personal experience, on my observations while helping hundreds of people with this problem, and several non-diet programs, such as:
The main concept is to learn to live and eat like a normal person!
These habits are NOT for you if:
These habits are NOT for you if:
- You are focused on quick weight loss only
- You need someone to tell you exactly what to do
- You are not willing to do the work of looking at underlying issues
Phone Support Groups
Meet for an hour a week with fellow travelers, and Coach Doug, from the comfort and convenience of your own home. Help turn your good intentions into action.
Days/Times: To Be Announced
Cost: $125 for 8 weeks. Includes 30 minute private session with Coach Doug.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Sustainable Habit #3 -Discover Physical Activities that you enjoy and work them into your schedule 3-5 times per week
Although exercise is not mandatory for weight loss or weight maintenance, it does help. Also, we are aiming for a healthy body weight, not just a low body weight.
If exercise is not enjoyable you will probably not keep up your motivation for the long run.
If you experience too much pain or sustain too many injuries you will tend to avoid exercise. Proper equipment, proper clothing, stretching, plenty of water, and warm ups and cool downs decrease the possibility of pain and injury.
Building your activity level slowly is good for your body, and will give you time to reorganize your life so that exercise is part of your lifestyle Sudden increases in activity level set you up to suddenly quit because you get overwhelmed.
Physical activity falls into three categories: Aerobic, Flexibility, and Strength. Including all three types for the best results and greatest level of health.
Mixing up your activities can be beneficial. When you do the same thing every day/week your body gets used to it and becomes remarkably efficient, burning less calories.
Physical activity should not be seen primarily as a weight loss tactic; rather, it should be something that helps you feel better, live longer with less disease, and yes, actually be enjoyable! Viewing it primarily as a weight-loss strategy tends to be a short-term motivator only; to become a lifestyle it should mean more than that. Even if you walk for an hour, it is deceptively easy to eat those calories back in 5 minutes as a reward for your hard work (although it can result in short term depression of appetite).
Many people do better when other people are involved in their physical activities, such as buddys, trainers, or being part of a team. When other people are depending on you, you are less likely to skip the activity.
Daily activities certainly count as physical activity; anything that gets your body moving -shopping, lawn mowing, cleaning, gardening, parking farther from the entrance, taking the stairs, walking or biking to stores, vacuuming, etc. These are things that you can work into your everyday life in a way that doesn't seem overwhelming. Depending on the level of exertion and time spent these activities may count as one of your 3-5 activities for the week, or they may be considered frosting on the cake (so to speak!).
Attitude is key when it comes to physical activity. If you think of it as a necessary evil it will feel that way and you will dread it. If you think of it as a great privilege and a way to increase your health and enjoyment of life, you can actually look forward to it.
Realistically, if you're going to build up to 3-5 times per week you're going to need to start scheduling when you're going to do it. Waiting until the mood strikes you and you have plenty of free time available often degenerates into not doing it at all. Look at your weekly schedule and figure out the most opportune times for you to work it in. Then don't schedule other things on top of it. It's an important appointment you need to keep with yourself, just like any other appointment.You may find you will need to cut down on other activities. Fortunately, the activities you can cut down on are often sedentary ones. Practice good boundaries. Generally, if you develop a routine to your activity schedule you will be more likely to do it.
Some people find it easier to break up their activity into smaller increments. For example, three 15-minute walks instead of one 45-minute walk. If you have the time and opportunity to do that, go for it!
Customize your activity to your Personality, Style, and Lifestyle. These categories come from the Lose it for Life book by Steve Arterburn and Linda Mintle.
Personality
There are many other things that could be said about physical activity, but the main point is to live something other than a sedentary lifestyle!
If exercise is not enjoyable you will probably not keep up your motivation for the long run.
If you experience too much pain or sustain too many injuries you will tend to avoid exercise. Proper equipment, proper clothing, stretching, plenty of water, and warm ups and cool downs decrease the possibility of pain and injury.
Building your activity level slowly is good for your body, and will give you time to reorganize your life so that exercise is part of your lifestyle Sudden increases in activity level set you up to suddenly quit because you get overwhelmed.
Physical activity falls into three categories: Aerobic, Flexibility, and Strength. Including all three types for the best results and greatest level of health.
- Aerobic: Breathing hard, increased heart rate. Strengthens heart and lungs, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces stress, and a host of other benefits.
- Flexibility: Stretching, yoga, Tai Chi, etc. Keeps your body limber and able to perform a full range of motion.
- Strength training: Push ups, sit ups, squat thrusts, pull ups, free weights, weight machines. Builds lean muscle mass, tones body, increases strength for daily tasks, burns more calories when at rest.
Mixing up your activities can be beneficial. When you do the same thing every day/week your body gets used to it and becomes remarkably efficient, burning less calories.
Physical activity should not be seen primarily as a weight loss tactic; rather, it should be something that helps you feel better, live longer with less disease, and yes, actually be enjoyable! Viewing it primarily as a weight-loss strategy tends to be a short-term motivator only; to become a lifestyle it should mean more than that. Even if you walk for an hour, it is deceptively easy to eat those calories back in 5 minutes as a reward for your hard work (although it can result in short term depression of appetite).
Many people do better when other people are involved in their physical activities, such as buddys, trainers, or being part of a team. When other people are depending on you, you are less likely to skip the activity.
Daily activities certainly count as physical activity; anything that gets your body moving -shopping, lawn mowing, cleaning, gardening, parking farther from the entrance, taking the stairs, walking or biking to stores, vacuuming, etc. These are things that you can work into your everyday life in a way that doesn't seem overwhelming. Depending on the level of exertion and time spent these activities may count as one of your 3-5 activities for the week, or they may be considered frosting on the cake (so to speak!).
Attitude is key when it comes to physical activity. If you think of it as a necessary evil it will feel that way and you will dread it. If you think of it as a great privilege and a way to increase your health and enjoyment of life, you can actually look forward to it.
Realistically, if you're going to build up to 3-5 times per week you're going to need to start scheduling when you're going to do it. Waiting until the mood strikes you and you have plenty of free time available often degenerates into not doing it at all. Look at your weekly schedule and figure out the most opportune times for you to work it in. Then don't schedule other things on top of it. It's an important appointment you need to keep with yourself, just like any other appointment.You may find you will need to cut down on other activities. Fortunately, the activities you can cut down on are often sedentary ones. Practice good boundaries. Generally, if you develop a routine to your activity schedule you will be more likely to do it.
Some people find it easier to break up their activity into smaller increments. For example, three 15-minute walks instead of one 45-minute walk. If you have the time and opportunity to do that, go for it!
Customize your activity to your Personality, Style, and Lifestyle. These categories come from the Lose it for Life book by Steve Arterburn and Linda Mintle.
Personality
- Experimenter: Always trying something new
- Outdoors: Love nature and the fresh air
- Competitor: Love to compete with others
- Thinker: Uses the time to think and meditate or learn
- Social Butterfly: Uses the time to chat
- Gung Ho: Puts everything into it. 0-100 in 60 seconds!
- Leisurely: Takes their time. Enjoys the experience.
- Fun-loving: Wants to have a good time
- Morning Dove
- Midday Duck
- Night Owl
There are many other things that could be said about physical activity, but the main point is to live something other than a sedentary lifestyle!
Sustainable Habit # 4: Make Smart Nutrition Choices
Don't worry. You don't have to become a food Nazi! There are no forbidden foods. But we can be smart about our choices.
So how do we manage the dizzying array of choices available to us? Learn to enjoy the most healthy forms of food and do enough planning, preparing, and cooking so they are available throughout our day.
Here are some categories to focus on:
So how do we manage the dizzying array of choices available to us? Learn to enjoy the most healthy forms of food and do enough planning, preparing, and cooking so they are available throughout our day.
Here are some categories to focus on:
- Water - Drinking plenty of water is essential to good health, digestion, and helps with feeling full.
- Vegetables - It's hard to go wrong here. Vegetables are low calorie, have lots of vitamins, and plenty of roughage. Eat a large variety, especially the dark variety.
- Fruit - Again, full of vitamins and roughage. Not as low calorie as vegetables, but nothing to worry about.
- Whole Grains - Not high in nutrients, but a good source of fuel.
- Fiber - Aids with health and digestion, as well as creating a full feeling.
- Nuts - Eaten in moderation, a good source of protein and fat.
- Beans and Legumes - A good source of protein and complex carbohydrates.
- Dairy - High in Vitamin D, calcium, and protein.
- Fish - A great source of protein and essential vitamins.
Remember the old "Food Group Pyramid?" Well, the USDA has come out with something a little more user-friendly, called MyPlate.
Some other tips
- Learn to enjoy food in its most natural, unprocessed, even raw form. Food tastes good, once you wean yourself from a lifetime of taste enhancements.
- Go easy on the condiments. They can easily add a lot of sugar, fat, salt, and calories to an otherwise healthy food.
- Enjoy high-density calorie foods in moderation. A few bites can satisfy.
- Choosing foods that have a low Glycemic Index stave off hunger longer.
- Discover which foods satisfy you, even when you eat small quantities.
- Using lots of artificial sweeteners has been shown to help induce the Metabolic Syndrome - high abdominal fat, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. Learn to get used to the natural taste of food!
- Obviously, if you have medical conditions that require certain nutritional consideration, get the advice of you doctor, nutritionist, or other health practitioner.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The 7 Sustainable Habits of Permanent Weight Loss
- Wait to eat until you're physically hungry. Stop eating when you're physically satisfied.
- Examine the reasons why you eat when you are not physically hungry and get those needs met in other ways.
- Discover enjoyable ways to move your body and work them into your schedule 3-5 times per week.
- Make smart nutrition choices.
- Create a satisfying dining experience.
- Love your body. Love yourself.
- Develop strategies for ongoing motivation.
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