You Are What You Eat

I'm on a mission today, people, to have you come away from this discussion with a clearer idea of what you need to do to make some lifestyle changes in your eating habits. You are going to say "Ah-ha, I've got it now!", and you are going to take control over the knife, the fork, and your dinner plate to reclaim your good health and get into alignment with your perfect body. And I believe that you really, Really, REALLY (!), have the desire and the will to make those everyday practices and decisions to succeed at having a healthier, happier, and more energetic lifestyle. And I submit that you are going to make use of this information to fuel the three ‘Really(s)’ you must have to succeed at your particular physical goals.

Eating poorly is a source of concern. Unhealthy eating habits would include skipping meals, or making poor food choices, and over consuming; sodium, sugars, fats, or habitually eating more calories than your body needs. These poor food choices have you experiencing depleted energy, weight gain, disease, disability, and premature death. Good health is dependent upon healthy eating habits.

We do have some challenges in our relationship with food. We are a "fast food nation" and we ask the cashier to "super-size me". The fast food chains are almost relentless in the advertising of dollar menus and we've got fast, fattening, low-nutritious food that caters to our sweet, salt, and fat cravings and is really cheap. People have decided that a healthy banana that cost 69 - 89 cents a pound or a small fruit salad bowl at $3.99 cannot compete with a juicy cheesy 99 cent burger.

We sometimes get ourselves into trouble with food addiction where we seek the food to fill some emptiness, disappointment, or soothe a hurt. Or maybe even to suppress a negative emotional expression on our part. I can think of countless times when I popped open the quart of Edy's ice-cream ('death by chocolate' is my all time favorite), when I really should have first assessed the situation and then used positive self-talk in the conflict or situation to release the need to stuff the negativity down with food.

Thankfully, we have solutions to these poor eating habits and we can make the changes by altering our thoughts. Visualize what your healthy body would look and feel like. Every time you make healthy food choices and exercise, see these actions getting you closer to better health and fitness. Practice becoming mindful of your eating habits. Mindfulness is going from being on auto-pilot to being aware of your food choices and conscious of the physical act of eating your meal. Put your fork down at intervals from time to time to pause and relax...allow yourself to think about your level of satisfaction.

Make food the blessing that it is supposed to be in your life and develop the habit of consuming your food in moderation. You can change unskillful eating habits, and stop struggling with diets. You can lose your fear of food, make meals more meaningful, and become less judgmental of yourself in eating situations. We all have our favorite snacks and sweet treats we like to indulge in from time to time. However, many of us need to practice moderation when making eating choices. Fattening foods loaded with sugar should be replaced with healthier snacks like fresh fruit, vegetable trays, orange juice and bottled water at your various meetings and social events.

Become proactive and involved in your goal for good health. Ask questions and get more information. Learn how to plan healthy meals and snacks, and use the resources available to you like books and the internet. Take notes when getting information from your personal trainers, dieticians and nutrition coaches. Become the driving force in your transition to better health and a better body as you change your lifestyle habits to include regular exercise and sensible eating.

Rev Up Your Exercise Motivation

“I'm too tired to workout.” “I'm too busy to focus on myself.” “I always fail.” “I'm sad... depressed... stressed”, and on and on.

Yes, it is difficult to change our habits. We want to. We want to lose weight and change our shape desperately. We feel terrible and frustrated when we haven't stayed with the program. When you are thinking, 'It's too hard' to workout, kick in that exercise motivation by thinking back to how good you feel after a workout. If you've never (gasp!!) exercised, just trust what healthy, energetic, and successful exercisers are saying and what science has proven: It works! Exercise really works!!

If you have stopped exercising because you say ‘Ohh, it's so boring’, switch your program. Get a workout buddy. You already have one? SWITCH!! There are more fun things you can do and get your exercise in. You can go dancing, jump on a rebounder, or use a Wii console. The options are many. If you really want results you will overcome the resistance to exercising.

“I'll start on Monday” or, “I’ll start tomorrow.” Now that is a classic excuse. I call it the ‘procrastination enabler’. We use it for almost everything, don’t we? On Monday we will organize the closet, give up junk food, get bills in order, quit the nicotine habit, stop drinking, call the Mother-in-law, and so on. What is so special about Monday?? Just think, say today is Tuesday, if you start now you are a pound or two closer to your goal by the time next Monday rolls around!

You say you have ‘No time for exercise.’ Fitness-Diva-Knows you DO have time if you use some creative scheduling. You can use 5 to 15 minute blocks of time throughout your day to exercise. Heck, we waste that much time and more doing unnecessary tasks don’t we? You can shorten your lunch break and take a brisk walk or climb stairs. You can wake up a little earlier and exercise. If you have children play with them instead of watching them play.

There’s no rule that says you have to go to a gym or buy expensive equipment. Be creative and mix things up. Having a variety of activities like weight lifting, walking, running, tennis, cycling, dancing, aerobics classes, will ensure that you can do something regardless of the weather or time of day and it will help you avoid boredom.

Begin by making a commitment, a conscious decision, to exercise. Tell yourself that you can make exercise a habit if you want to. And if you work at it consistently, your health and your physique will improve.

Will a Sweat Belt help me Lose Weight?

Indulge me in a little side note here. I neglected to mention in my 'premier post' that I am new to this blogging activity. So if I get a little sidetracked or come off a little 'old school-ish'...just...cut me a little slack.



Anyway, I get this question about three or four times a month about the neoprene sweat belts. (Sometimes I elicit the question because I took the liberty to feel her up 'cause I see something strange through the t-shirt.) Do they help you lose weight? Will the belt (or plastic wrap for those on a budget) make the waist smaller? Will it make you sweat??



Ahh, what a person will plunk their money down for in the quest for quick and easy weight loss. Of course, no one admits out loud that they're looking for the method that's going to require the least time and effort.I kind of turn the tables and answer the 'potentially slimmer' person by asking a few questions of my own. Don't you hate that when it's done to you? But, what I'm really doing, here, is exposing the weight loss misconception and directing the thought process by way of some information.



If the sweat belts and plastic wraps really and truly worked for weight reduction and trimming those hard to trim areas, wouldn't more people be wearing them most of the time? Yes, you can lose weight with these belts. Temporarily and not a lot. It will be water weight. And, you'll gain it back once you consume more fluids. Most of us want to lose fat. Right?Yes, your waist may get smaller. Again, temporarily. The result is from compression, kind of like the effect of body wrapping to slip easily into that tight fitting special occasion dress. Think of Cinderella and the pumpkin, only YOU are the pumpkin at midnight.



So, you see where I'm going with this? Adapting a continuous healthy lifestyle habit of sensible eating and exercise will improve your shape. More on that topic later...

Making Time for Fitness

Okay...summer is over. Labor Day marked the end of the delicious barbecue season and sunny poolside afternoons. The days are starting to seem shorter already and I am anticipating the griping from the 'wanna be fit' babes. All of a sudden, with work and kids in school, and the earlier nightfall, no one is going to have time for fitness. Until...magically...January 1st (actually the day or two after), the same 24 hour period holds more promise of getting back in shape.

What about making time for fitness now? Sure your schedule is more hectic with the lazy summer days behind you; you still want to feel good and look good in your clothes, right? Do you remember the pain of starting over after the new year and the agony of working to shape, and sculpt, and sweat yourself back into condition in only 4-1/2 months?

I say, it's time to end this cycle. I want my 'wanna be fit' babes to enjoy fitness year round. Year after year, after year!