New Year, New You… What Are Your New Plans?

Happy New Year! There’s something so exciting about the start of a new year. Possibilities are endless and the feeling of fresh starts is in the air. So what kind of plans do you have for this shiny New Year?

Even if you don’t have official resolutions in mind, most of us have some thoughts on things we’d like to do better, do more of (or less of!) or try once the calendar turns to January.

And I don’t have to be clairvoyant to know that health is at the top of many lists! 

Can I give you some advice? Stay calm. I know, I know, you are super excited to start working out and eating right and losing the extra weight or toning up the chicken arms (sorry, that was totally not personal, just a guess about what some of you may think you see in the mirror) and I love that enthusiasm, but it can be dangerous.

While January is shiny and bright with possibilities, February can be fraught with failures.  If you jump in too fast with too many things on your “To Do” list for the New Year, you may just end up overwhelmed and give up on everything.

Some Ideas On Going Slow… But Still Getting There!

·                                             Losing Weight:

o   Be specific about your goals.

o   Be realistic about your goals.

o   Set small goals as part of a larger plan.

o   Celebrate small victories!

o   Don’t weigh yourself every day.

o   Don’t let one ugly moment in the candy bar isle cause you to give up. Each day is a new day; let yesterday’s chocolate frenzy go.

o   Consider your current life – if you live by a donut factory and love donuts, then work out a plan that gives you 1 donut a week so you can live with your plans and still lose weight.

·                                             Exercise:

o   Make an investment: new shoes, join a gym, hire a trainer, something that will be inspiring to commit.

o   Be realistic. Set goals that you can achieve and feel good about, then increase them if and when you are ready. Starting out at 3 hours a day 7 days a week in the gym is going to sandbag your efforts from the beginning!

o   Try something new!  Shake things up from last year with a fun new class or a challenging new routine of some kind. Just because exercise is already part of your life doesn’t mean it can’t be more rewarding… and if those rewards include a somewhat tighter behind? Awesome!

o   Never think, “I can’t” because almost all of us can. Talk to your doctor if you have special concerns and find out what is appropriate for you. Then do it!

Healthy Eating:

o   Find some simple ideas to try with new veggies, or healthy recipes.

o   Go experiment in the spice isle and see what new exotic flavors you can bring to a healthy meal to give it some zapp!

o   Have fun trying to eat a rainbow every day (and not just from the Lucky Charms box please.)

o   Try something new like being a vegetarian one day a week, or super low fat meals every Wednesday. Small changes can have surprising impact!

Your plans might be more in the mental health category, to start reading more books, going out to lunch with a special friend each week, or being kinder to those around you each day. Kudos! We all need a world full of kind, lunching-with-friends readers! 

Outside beauty? How about a new hair cut, or maybe even some highlights or color (guys too!) for a beautiful change of pace?

You don’t have to tell me what your plans for the New Year include, but I hope two things are on the list:

1.     Something that makes you feel good about who you are (you are wonderful!)

2.     Dropping by my blog regularly this year – I love having you visit!

Happy New Year!

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Exercise, Anyone? It’s NEVER Too Late To Start!

Ask any expert – exercise is great for you! It has so many health benefits, like controlling your weight, giving you increased energy, heart health, stamina, flexibility, higher metabolism, releasing endorphins to feel good mentally… the list could keep going.

If you are not currently a devotee of exercise, you might be feeling that you are too old, too overweight, too out of shape to start. Wrong!  It is never too late to start exercising. Even people with special health considerations can find ways to exercise!

(Please check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routines.)

5 Tips for Starting To Exercise – No matter what point you are starting from!

1.     Start Slow.  A common error is to get fired up with exercise commitment and enthusiasm and over-do it in a big way the first time or two. This can lead to excessive soreness, actual injury, and feeling very overwhelmed with the belief you have to be an Olympian the very first week.  Gradually add exercise to your life. As you build up your fitness levels, you can increase the length of time, number of times a week, and intensity to be whatever works for you. Starting slow is a great way to ease into the idea.

2.     Low Impact.  Choosing ways to exercise that are low impact can really help you when you are starting out. Walking, swimming, and cycling can all give you a great workout for many muscle groups without putting you in a lot of injury risk.

3.     Simple. Don’t make it complicated. You don’t have to figure out sets and reps and machines, you can just find something you enjoy doing that keeps you active and moving more than before. As you get used to being more active, you can try new ways to exercise – or not! Stick with what you like and what works for you, because liking exercise is a huge factor in continuing to do it. And continuing to do it is the point!

4.     Be Creative. Exercise doesn’t have to mean “going to the gym.”  If you love to shop, walk each level of the mall an extra 15 minutes before hitting the stores.  Exercise is all about moving more, particularly when you are starting out. Try out some sports like golf or tennis. Take your dog for longer walks – you’ll both enjoy it! 

If your fitness or health won’t allow you to get out and about, look into chair exercising.  A fitness band (long, stretchy, latex band) can be a great exercise tool to work out various muscle groups, and is often used by physical therapists for regaining strength. It allows you to adjust the tension and resistance as your own fitness increases, and can be used sitting, standing, or even in bed lying down. It can help with strength, flexibility, and toning.

5.     Faster than you think! Just adding 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week can make a dramatic difference in your health. If that is too much for you to contemplate, don’t focus on that right now. Start with 10 minutes a day and then gradually increase your time and frequency as you being to enjoy it and see improvements in your fitness.  Any exercise you get beyond what you are currently doing is a good thing!

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Losing Weight After Your Baby is Born - Ideas and Strategies

If the arrival of your new little bundle of joy has left you with an unwanted bundle of extra pounds, don’t despair. With the right mindset, and the right strategy, you will be back to your ideal weight sooner than you think!

Babies are such a joy… but also require lots of energy, time, and work! Not many moms can instantly revert to what life was like prior to baby coming along, and that includes pre-pregnancy weight and often exercise routines as well.  You aren’t getting as much sleep, you may be breastfeeding, you are recovering from birth and your hormones are in flux.

Think about what you just went through; 9 months of growing a life, your body changing, giving birth.

1.  Be Patient.  You didn’t gain all the weight at once, and you won’t lose it all at once, either.   Set some realistic goals – maybe losing a pound a week, and 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week – and focus on one day at a time.

2.  Baby Steps.  Your life is full of change, and it may be a while before a new routine is established that you can count on. So take small steps where you can to regain your health and lose extra pounds, and don’t spend energy lamenting what you can’t do right now.

3. Be Realistic.  A new baby is a lot of work. You need rest, you need exercise, you need healthy meals. Ask for help to make sure your own health doesn’t get pushed to the back of the line.

Here are some great ideas for helping you lose the extra baby weight (even if your “baby” is now a teenager… never to late to start!)

·      Plan regular meals. I know – I hear the hysterical laughter out there. The words “plan” and “regular” aren’t often associated with babies. But you can have salad ingredients washed, chopped and ready to go, microwave steam bags of veggies in your freezer, fresh fruit on hand, and some healthy dairy snacks like yogurt and string cheese to be sure you are always able to eat regular and healthy meals and snacks. That helps your energy levels and metabolism. Don’t forget the protein!

·      Be creative with exercise.  You may not be able to work out the same ways you used to (for a while anyway), but that doesn’t mean you can’t exercise!

o   As soon as you have clearance from your doctor, you can start taking long walks around your neighborhood with the baby.

o   Use the baby as part of your weight resistance! Pick him up and put him down to do waist bends, or arm exercise (keeping the baby safe and secure at all times of course!)

o   Go up and down your stairs more times than you have to just for the exercise, or make extra trips to and from the laundry room.

o   If your baby likes to be walked around for soothing, figure out a pattern in your home that makes a track, or walk around your driveway. Buy a pedometer to count your steps!

o   Use grocery shopping to do some speed walking through the store with the baby securely in a stroller, in a sling you are wearing, or in his baby seat secured to the cart.

o   Use the grocery bags to do some arm curls in and out of the car, and into the house.

o   The mall makes an ideal place to go walking with a baby; no time restraints, perfect for the stroller, a built-in track impervious to weather, and it gets you out of the house for some real life activity.

·      Watch your diet. Many of us indulge while pregnant, but now is the time to put that behind you (particularly since the extra pounds may be behind you as a reminder!) Cut out the high fat, high calorie treats and eat a rainbow of healthy colors each day. It will help you have more energy to care for the baby as a bonus to losing the extra pounds faster!

·      Find something you enjoy!  It is much easier to exercise regularly if you are doing things you enjoy, and the great news is there are a lot of “Mommy and Baby” classes out there for yoga, or stroller walking groups to give you socialization and support.

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Keep a positive outlook. You have a wonderful new baby, and you should celebrate the victories in life. Focus on the things you are doing right for your health, and the pounds you have lost already. Buy a new outfit that fits you as you are now, and one for the next level of weight loss that is closer to your goal.

No matter how many post-baby pounds you would like to lose, feel good about who you are right now!  Goals are a lot easier to reach when you have the right frame of mind.  

I’m So Disappointed… You’ve Cheated On Me Signed, Your Weekend Diet

Ah, the weekend.  Two glorious days (possibly a few hours more if you begin weekend observance on Friday afternoon!) where you are free to be the relaxed version of you. 

That is great when it means relaxing and enjoying life with time spent among friends and family, fun hikes, family walks, a long bike ride.  Not so great?  When it also relaxes your commitment to healthy eating!

We’ve all been there.  We think, “what the heck?  Weekend!” and proceed to eat several days worth of less-than-healthy to downright junk.  Then comes the guilt, and probably the sluggish Ick Factor feeling too.  Stop the madness!

Why are weekends such a temptation?  There are a number of reasons, some of the biggest include:

·      Lack of Structure: Weekends are generally less structured and change from one weekend to the next, often with loosely planned events or one-time things.

·      More Entertaining: backyard barbeques, eating out at restaurants, date nights, family gatherings, kids birthday parties (and cake)… so many things include food.

·      Mentality: We think of weekends as being fun and relaxing, and too often, we associate that with freedom to eat anything that makes us feel fun and relaxed… but we have the wrong foods on that list!

So what can you do to fight this situation?  How do you reclaim your healthy eating on the weekends? 

I have some ideas (you knew that I would!)

·      Remember that “Healthy Eating” is not a punishment!  There are so many great foods that are delicious and healthy… why would anyone think that rosemary grilled chicken breast with some grilled onions, red peppers and zucchini served over ½ cup of whole wheat couscous is a horrible fate?

Not only is it not a punishment, you will feel so fulfilled eating healthy, balanced and satisfying foods and will probably have a sunnier, more energetic outlook to enjoy your weekend!

·      Have a Weekend Recipes File of healthy menu ideas:

·      Things that are a little more special, maybe take a little more prep and shopping time than you have during the week. 

·      Include new, never tried but sound great recipes and be adventurous.

·      Include old favorites, and things that incorporate something social like grilling during the warmer months or comforting like a crock-pot during the chilly months.

·      Just go to the Farmer’s Market or local organic store (like a Whole Foods if you have one or something similar, or just the organic meat and produce section of your own store) and let the freshest, most beautiful ingredients inspire you!

·      Have some Weekend Food Rules you follow, whatever is right for you:

a.     Make them specific enough to really guide you and become habit.

b.     Allow yourself one blow it all treat once a week so you don’t feel deprived (things in moderation are usually not evil!) and weekends can make an excellent time for that treat (that ONE treat!)

c.      For dining out, know in advance the type of places that serve more healthy items, or how to order from any menu and get a better balance – salad dressings on the side, steamed veggies instead of fries, etc.

·      Don’t skip meals!  You have to treat your body right, and eating regular meals keeps your blood sugar stable and your metabolism firing!  Weekends with their odd schedules can sometimes leave you too hungry and making poor choices.

·      Exercise!  It will help you feel great, and if you choose to have your once a week treat on the weekends, you can know you are still following all your other healthy habits. 

·      Plan for special events.  If you know you’ll be eating things not on your healthy plan (gasp, it does happen) then plan for it with some SUPER healthy meals in between or all week long to create a little more balance.  It isn’t ideal to do trade offs regularly, but there are actually people who are very strict six days a week and pick the seventh to just eat whatever crosses their path and really believe it helps them.  Not everyone has the willpower though – one day of “whatever” eating becomes two, then three… then trouble!

Relax, enjoy your weekend, and embrace the beautiful, healthy foods that also wear the labels of scrumptious and fun!

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