Month: January 2009

How do you treat YOU?

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We are our own worst critics! How do we get to the point where we love ourselves enough to take care of ourselves? 

Here’s something to think about.  How do you talk to yourself?  Think about it.  Do you look in the mirror and think about all the things you don’t like about yourself?  Do you think negative things in your head when it comes to your body or appearance?  

Try this now….call up your best friend and say those same things to her about her body. 

Would you? 

Why? 

Because it’s mean?!  Because it’s cruel? 

Than why would you EVER say it to yourself?

Healthy Oils and Relaxing Music

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I read in a magazine today that some fats – omega-3 fats- are actually good for your heart.  “They’re a type of unsaturated fat that can help reduce the risk of heart disease, fight inflammation and may even keep brain cells healthy as we age”. (Leslie Beck, author of Heart Healthy Food for Life) I’ve read that before, but what I found interesting was  that another study showed that listening to relaxing music up to 12 minutes (what a random number), 3 times a week can lower high-blood pressure.  

In a Seattle University study of 41 seniors living in retirement communities, researchers found that regularly listening to relaxation tapes reduced average systolic (the top number) blood pressure readings by 9mm Hg, while those who regularly listened to Mozart saw a 7 mm Hg reduction to their blood pressure.

So, as I type this I’m listening to relaxing music and I must say I’m feeling pretty calm and relaxed right about now!  lol

Move off the Beaten Path

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Move Off the Beaten Path

Good Morning!  I was thinking this morning about motivation and inspiration in the area of weight loss.  If you think back to past big life changes, what was the motivation behind your change?  I read a quote from a school teacher who wanted to lose weight.  She wrote…

“I just see something going on in kids today, there’s just such a lack of motivation and then I think about myself, I do the same thing day in and day out, I’m never challenged I’ve got it down to a science you know, I’m as complacent as they are.”

Lynn 

It’s the same if you travel the same path everyday, you are going to create ruts.  Before you know it, the rut is so deep that it’s almost impossible to get out of it.  So how do you get out of it?  By traveling different paths…  By taking chances and making small corrections that take you off the beaten path…Over the past few years I’ve made huge changes in my life, but the truth of the matter is, I didn’t start out making a ton of changes in my lifestyle all at once; but rather a few manageable changes at a time.  Each week, I added a bit more activity to my day.  I started out walking 10 minutes.  Before long, I could walk 15 minutes, then 20 minutes.  I started cutting out fat here and there, stopped drinking Pepsi, and started eating breakfast.  As long as I truly challenged myself every week; I was proud of my accomplishments. 

There is no point in making huge changes that are impossible to sustain in the long-term.  One of the reasons we fail in the area of weight loss is because it’s too many impossible changes all at once!  If we rely on will power; we will inevitably resign at some point, and then eat more to stuff the disappointment.  It’s a vicious cycle and one of self-loathing and negativity. 

Focus on positive, small changes, which lead to bigger changes!  Draw support and motivation from those who love you, or find a support system!  Don’t look at the amount of pounds you need to lose in its entirety, but rather focus on the first 10 pounds, or dropping one size. That’s manageable!  It’s a great time to start fresh don’t you think?!

It’s All About Choices

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“Your choices today determine your tomorrow and you make your life through the power of choice.”

Kathy Smith (Exercise Expert) author of Kathy Smith’s Moving Through Menopause: The Complete Program for Exercise, Nutrition, and Total Wellness

It’s all about choices isn’t it?  If you want to super simplify it all, we can make a difference in our bodies and minds little choice, by little choice.  I watched a 20/20 show on body myths awhile ago and one myth dealt with weather or not a slow metabolism made the difference between those who are obese and those who have always been thin. 

Medical studies showed that those who are obese actually had a higher metabolism because their bodies had to work harder to burn the calories.  What was the difference?  They strapped on a monitor to an overweight woman and another monitor to a woman who had always been thin and tracked their every move.  The outcome was that the thin woman moved around much more in everyday life.  It amounted to 2 hours more of everyday activities such as parking farther away and walking more, doing more activities with the kids, standing more (yes even standing), etc.  Can it really be as easy as doing a little more each day?  I think we know it’s a little more complicated than that when it comes to losing the weight, but it goes to show you that in the grand scheme of things, little choices do make a difference and make a huge impact to keeping the weight off once lost. 

Thoughts?

It’s Not About The Food

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It’s not about the food. 

I had heard that before, but I didn’t understand it.  I thought I was overweight because I loved food.  Looking back, it’s so wasn’t about the food!   After reading Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Solution, I started being aware of why I was eating.  It’s natural to use SOMETHING to cope with the hard moments in life.  I used food, and I used food to cope with so many emotions.  The thought never occurred to me for sometime that I could one day be in control of my eating.  I was somewhat at peace with the fact that I was always going to be the “big girl”.   When I started reading, and learning about the root of my weight issues, it was like someone turned on the light.   I didn’t know I could CHANGE my metabolism.  I didn’t know  I could still enjoy my favourite foods if I changed the way I thought about food!

Here’s some of what I learned:

Food is Fuel…put good stuff in, you feel good!  Put crap in…well, you feel like crap.

You CAN change your metabolism.  All it takes is to live a healthy and active lifestyle. 

Start listening to your body.  Eat when your hungry, don’t eat when your not!

Follow your passions!  You need a creative outlet.  What is yours?  I pursued my passion for photography and it’s my new “SOMETHING” to cope!  What do you love to do?  Figure that out, and do it!

Love yourself enough to take care of yourself!  As mothers, we get trapped in the idea that we come LAST.  The only way you can be a good Mom is to take care of yourself!  A good Mom is a happy Mom.  Your kids deserve a happy and fulfilled Mom.  If you’ve lost the joy  and zest for life and confidence in yourself, GET IT BACK!

The only person standing in the way of your success is you.  Take the power back, no more excuses. 

Set manageable goals, and achieve them.  Little by little, you’ll get there.

Journal everything you eat!  If you have to write each and everything you eat, you are less likely to eat it.

Think…instead of or rather than.  If you change your way of thinking, you can save 100’s of calories in a day.
Instead of a Big Mac at McDonald’s, I chose a salad with diced chicken from McDonald’s. 
Rather than an biggie Mars Bar, I chose a 100 calorie chocolate bar. 
Instead of pasta with Alfredo sauce, I chose multi-Grain pasta with marinara sauce.

New Year…Time to Regroup!

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I can’t believe we are already into January of 09!  Over the Christmas holidays, I wasn’t doing very much conscious eating, and I was also doing little to no exercise.  As with every new year, with it comes new resolve and some time to reflect.  I’m back on track this week.  I was scared to step on the scale, but I did it.  It read 154 this morning…up 7 pounds from last time I weighed in before the Christmas holidays.

I’m just going to regroup, and get back on track.  My eating today was good and my dear hubby bought me Dance, Dance Revolution for the Wii.  I’m not very coordinated and have little to no grace (I sort of flap around the dance mat), but hey as long as I work up a sweat, that’s all that matters right?!  I’m my kids new entertainment.  They just watch  me and giggle.

Happy New Year! 

Christine