It's HOT Out There

As a resident of the Southwestern part of the United States, it's hot out there and it's going to get more unbearable to be active outside for many hours of the day once summer rolls around.  I slept in yesterday, pretending that I would fit in a run right after work in order to justify my extra pillow time.  Alas, as the day progressed and I felt the hot mid-day sun on my face, the prospect of outdoor exercise drained me. It was a great time to remember my membership that included pool time.  So immediately after work -avoiding the hazardous distraction of arriving home and deciding that the many tasks at home trumped a badly needed workout- I put on my swim suit, grabbed a towel, drank some water and headed to the pool.  I haven't been swimming in over 4 months.  The slight chill of the water was a blessed relief on a hot April day.  Trust me, in December the chill was most unwelcome. 

The manner in which we get physically active is less important than any specific activity we choose.  Components of physical activity include broad categories such as strength (think Mr. New Mexico) and cardiovascular (think Ironman) activity.  But the areas of physical health also include things such as flexibility, balance, endurance and the other benefits that we each focus on based on our individual goals.  These components are all part of a comprehensive fitness plan.  In order to reach my goal of completing a half marathon at my target pace, I will have to ensure that my training includes more than just the cardiovascular activity.

Planning for that Half Marathon

I'm feeling unusually motivated for a Monday morning.  The productive weekend has lead to a good start to the week.  All going well, my friend (the treadmill) will help me go on a short run while avoiding the New Mexico Heat.  I will complete anywhere from 4-6 miles depending on my time.  The scale and my target date are my motivating companions.

Get on This Bandwagon-Reuinion Time!

It is officially four months from 20 year high school reunion time.  If it wasn’t’ for venues such as Facebook, I wouldn’t have been back in touch with my high school days.  I moved away to pursue my education then my career.  Needless to say, professional pursuits along with gaining new experiences have really filled the years.  I had spent so much time training for races that my “exercise” time started to feel more like a chore than the escape and luxurious "me time" that it had represented most of my life.  The timeline until the reunion brought to mind, the various motivators that we can each fine thru the course of our lives to support us in making healthful lifestyle changes.   Milestones can also help us set reasonable goals (4 months, 6 months, 1 year) that lead to long term success because eventually each of those 3-4 month increments result in years of lifestyle changes. 

My goals really focus on those lifestyle changes such as increased physical activity and putting a halt to the night time grazing.  This process entails taking a realistic look at my schedule in order to make sure that on those travel days or special events thru the summer I make better if not the best choices for managing my weight and training for that half marathon.  Yes, that’s what’s next.  It may or may not be more challenging than a triathlon – they each have their ups and downs.  The bottom line is working on that commitment.  I love a program to which I subscribe (yes there are many free options but I like greater detail) for tracking my nutritional intake by planning in advance and thus being proactive.  This program can be provided free if you are established with a health care provider whom works with the Nutrihand program.  I use this program for clients, now I’ll be using it for myself.

Goals: 

Train for a Half Marathon to be completed around September thru November of this year. (Run keeper is already my friend.)

Lose those pesky 20 lbs that have made running more difficult.

Anyone interested in jumping on this bandwagon, let me know.

Long Time No See

Time is flying by in a sea of events.  The interview regarding HCG went well.  I haven't picked up my copy and I might forgo the excitement.  Sometimes the "facts" reported aren't all what they were intended to convey.  While I am a proponent of a variety of tools that may be used to achieve better health, performance and happiness, I find the bombardment of less than scientific and sometimes blatantly untruthful claims to be frustrating.  Trust me; I would love to eat whatever I wanted to eat in unlimited quantities while turning into a couch potato all while losing 30 lbs this month.  But that isn’t my reality.  I was once told that the problem with dietitians is that we don’t have a gimmick and that all the choices are just too much, that people want simple.  Most people want to know that 1 thing that will fix all their ailments. 

Right now, I’m continuing to follow my own advice.  I said NO NO NO to taquitos covered in cheese sauce yesterday.  Once home, I fixed my planned dinner of chicken breast sautéed with Pico de Gallo cradled in some corn tortillas and it was wonderful.  It was wonderful, healthful, easy and on track with what I want to accomplish.  In the process I found a great replacement for sour cream (a mixture of Greek style yogurt with jalapenos and cilantro). 

Today’s course focus was more on making weight loss a reality thru lifestyle changes rather than setting goals.  Goals are a tool I use in most sessions but when you are confronted with pattern of falling off track or the ever enchanting yo yo weight cycle it’s time to do a little restructuring of concepts.  I was asking people to identify the strategies that supported their success. 

Today’s Strategies:
No Skipping Breakfast
Daily Physical Activity

Happy Registered Dietitian's Day!

A Registered Dietitian is the expert in human nutrition and food science.  While there are courses or programs being offered promoting "nutrition", they do not have a set standard as to what skills and knowledge those individuals must demonstrate in order to practice in the field of nutrition.  Would it surprise you to know these regulations are highly variable from state to state?  For instance, some states allow the people to hang their shingle and claim "nutrition expertise" without any demonstration of actual expertise in the field. 

For science based information - see a Registered Dietitian (A title that is not dependent on political, social or corporate agendas that vary from state to state.)

Next Post:  HCG the Myth and Science

Get Organized-Reduce the Bail Out

Every Monday (when I’m truly organized it’s every Sunday) I take a look at my week and determine what my priorities for the week will be.  This week I will continue on my no spending plan which results in a better diet since it means meals at home and fewer distractions as it means the gym is an almost free opportunity to get out of the house, see friends and get in a great workout. 

Learn more about low cost healthful foods at sites such as www.cookinglight.com or www.realsimple.com .  Eating healthy does not inherently cost more money.  This evening I made spaghetti with 94% lean beef and extra veggies added to the sauce.  The result was at least 6 hearty servings of pasta with meat sauce for less than $10.  Diet minded mode turned the meal into 8 servings rather than 6 but both divisions meant a very low cost meal that was reasonable in calories and high in nutritional value. 

Tips for Reducing the Bail Out

1) Get your gym bag ready the night before or have several outfits (socks included) set out for the week.

2)  Set a time - be specific.  Some may find signing up for a class helpful.  Those that plan and complete their physical acitivity first thing in the day reportedly have higher rates of success.

3)  Pack your lunch.  I love leftovers for this very reason.  What was prepared for dinner becomes a packed lunch.  It's not as tiresome as eating the same food all week but gives us more results for our cooking time.

Set a Date

I searched weight loss goals and received over 8 million results on one search engine.  So why do I feel all alone when I’m sweating my time away at the gym?  There are so many options to choose from as strategies for eating healthier foods as well as ways to increase physical activity.  Sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves and decide – does my difficulty lie in KNOWING what to do or does it lie in MOTIVATION.  I have gotten myself out of bed on many mornings to get my 6 am workout at the gym with a simple strategy- I’m not going alone.  The simple act of making a “workout date” gets me to exercise more.  I don’t sleep in and pretend that I’m going to fit in my work out later in the day.  The concept of getting people you see often involved in your goals is that they become a support system.  People often gain weight together.  The advantage is that we can also get healthier together.  Tell people your goals and get those around you involved in making healthier choices right along with you.  People move, have children, change schedules - so be sure to have as many people as you can within your support system.

For me – it’s really hard to be in a bad mood after a great workout.  If you’re looking for tips and ideas both for yourself or your clientele, see the site below for some helpful information to pass on.

http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/