by Lucy | May 9, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
| The struggle you are in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. |
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Last week, I had the opportunity to get a lot of administrative work done because it was national reschedule your nutrition appointment week… I tease ;-).
Anywho, I was working on a few tasks on Thursday afternoon when I noticed a nagging desire to continue eating. It was strange because I had just finished a delicious lunch. I decided to take a moment to pause and meditate over my cravings. During that time, I realized something that I already kind of suspected…
I’m an entertainment eater! I find eating to be a very fun activity so if I’m doing something boring, my mind chooses to wander to food or the idea of eating.
Below are a few common reasons – other than hunger – that people eat. You may identify with more than one description.
A stressed out eater: These are my “I just need something crunchy to relieve the stress” eater’s – you know who you are! Crunching can help relieve some stress; however, it is not helping our waistline.
A procrastinator eater: These folks tend to turn to food when they want to put off another task such as cleaning the house, doing homework, studying or preparing for a presentation.
A social eater: The social eaters are those that love to eat whenever somebody else is eating and may overindulge whenever they are eating with other people – especially in the all-you-can-eat environment.
A reward eater: Someone who is so pleased with whatever task they’ve completed that they decided they deserve a treat, salty snack, pizza or another comfort food.
A lonely eater: These folks may turn to food as their friend when they feel lonely, because food has always been there for them.
Food for thought:
The first step is recognizing why we want to eat. The next step is discovering how to better serve our bodies.
There is a power in naming the problem. Now you get to choose how to respond to it!
by Lucy | May 2, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Last week at a group presentation, one of the attendees commented I was only suggesting foods and habits to quit. He asked, “wouldn’t there be a benefit to making a healthy addition?” I took a paused… and replied “brilliant!”
This group often frequented a local sandwich shop for a convenient lunch, but typically ate burgers, fried chicken or other fried foods – including very few vegetables. His idea was to eat a serving of vegetables, perhaps a salad, baby carrots or steamed broccoli before going out for lunch. So clever!
By making a healthy choice your mind will then be more likely to want to make more healthy choices.
This idea of adding a healthy habit reminds me of the Keystone habits, which include behaviors that lead to more good habits. For example, when someone makes sure to get 8 hours of sleep they are more likely to make time for exercise, be more productive and consume less junk food. By getting sufficient sleep, it causes a cascade effect of other healthy decisions for rest of the day.
Caution!
Sometimes our minds operate on a reward system. Occasionally, when we exercise or drink a calorie-free beverage we decide we can splurge and eat or drink whatever because we’ve earned it.
Ideas for healthy additions:
1.Add some avo – Did you know ounce-for-ounce an avocado has more potassium than a banana? And an avocado has healthy monounsaturated fatty acids – these are good for the heart. Not to mention, they are very satisfying and fiberful (that’s a new word, I just made up) to keep us satiated longer. Why not add 1/2 of an avocado to your salad, sandwich or leftovers from the night before?
2. Do a smoothie – If you’ve been considering blending up a fruit and veggie smoothie in the morning now is the perfect time to start! Fresh produce is prolific at the farmers market and grocery stores right now.
3. Add 20 minutes of activity – We all have 20 minutes. Maybe it’s 20 minutes you’re looking at Pinterest or Facebook, maybe it’s 20 minutes of a TV show or playing a video game. Consider taking a short walk around the block when you get home from work before settling in for the evening. Or using 20 minutes of the lunch hour to do yoga or a short workout video – such as the Ultimate Fat Burn Workout w/ Denise Austin!
4. Incorporate meditation – Taking time each day – maybe 10-15 minutes to sit and be in the moment. You can find a mantra to repeat, watch the breath or observe the thoughts coming and going as if they are clouds overhead. Or spend time with the poem included in Today is the day!
Food for thought:
Sometimes being healthy feels like we have to deprive ourselves. By looking at it as an opportunity to add to or enhance your current lifestyle you can have the same results with a more positive outlook.
What’s your healthy addition this week?
by Lucy | Apr 25, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Power is in the choices you make each day. Eat well. Live well. Be well.
This week’s post was written by Kristen Norton, RD, LDN
I have a confession. Although I wish it could, my title of dietitian does not make me immune to cravings and the tendency to overeat sugary foods. I am only human after all. Furthermore, I am an abstainer which means I find it easier to make something completely off limits than trying to enjoy it in moderation.
I am pretty sure you’ve heard the food advice “everything in moderation.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t work for abstainers.
You can read more about abstainers and moderators here. So, here’s what happened this weekend when I found myself confronted with soooo… much… candy…
You know the old Pringles commercial, “Once you pop you can’t stop?” That is so me! I’m an abstainer. One bite of something sweet usually leads to a whole lot more. I do best when I abstain from really sugary foods like chocolate, candy or cookies altogether. Which I normally do… but then it happened. I found myself confronted with So. Much. Candy.
After a stressful morning, I found myself staring at this basket of candy from my daughter’s Egg hunt. I grab one bite-size candy bar. Yuummmm. I immediately want more and the rest of the day ALL. I WANT. IS CANDY. It didn’t stop there. The cravings lasted until the next day and were intensified when I hadn’t packed enough healthy snacks for the afternoon. I wound up eating cookies and candy instead of my usual snack of fruit, nuts, yogurt or granola bar. Sigh..
You see as an abstainer once I rock the boat with a little taste of something highly palatable like cookies and candy it can steer me in the wrong direction and trigger intense cravings. Are you an abstainer??
Food for thought:
At first, I didn’t really want to admit to you all that I ate a bunch of candy, but I don’t feel guilty. It is what it is.
The key is to not letting moments of weakness steer us so far off track that we can’t easily get ourselves back. I acknowledged it, accepted it and I’ve moved on…now back to healthy snacking and avoiding sugary treats.
This week’s post was written by Kristen Norton, RD, LDN (thanks, Kristen!)
by Lucy | Apr 18, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Happiness comes to those who appreciate what they already have.
I like eating vegetables. I enjoy walking in the woods, around the city or wherever I happen to be. I thoroughly enjoy preparing food for dinner and leftovers to eat during the week (I actually call it my cooking therapy).
No, I’m not bragging! I’m just letting you know that my hobbies and fun activities include healthy habits… and yours can too.
In an article from Entrepreneur magazine “To get what you want, get happy first,” the author shared the following concepts – that I cleverly tied to living well-balanced ;-).
Step 1: Shift your focus
When we focus on the goal, such as reaching a certain body fat percentage, we will only be happy 1% of the time. When we learn to love the process we can be more happy or satisfied most of the time. Success then becomes a byproduct of enjoying the practice and continuously improving.
Step 2: Change your mind
Reaching your ideal body weight is less about the right goals – instead about having the right strategies and changing the mindset to see these changes as the privilege or an opportunity.
Step 3: Start with “I get to…”
Are you saying “I have to…” when talking or thinking about eating healthy foods, going to the gym or the park for exercise? What happens when you change that statement to “I get to go to work out!” Or “I get to eat delicious and nutritious homemade food for lunch today.”
Food for thought:
Focusing on the goal alone will not make you happy. It often doesn’t keep us motivated because if we don’t see the numbers change on the scale, we lose confidence in our practice.
When we start to see difficulties or day-to-day tasks as opportunities to improve and enjoy the journey we can be happy doing just about anything.
by Lucy | Apr 11, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
| Don’t just be good to others… Be good to yourself too. |
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| I’ve had an interesting and reoccurring question come up in nutrition sessions lately. The first was with a client who was talking about her affinity for sweets and not wanting to “be rude” when a friend or neighbor offers her dessert. While she was running through the scenario she blurted out:
“How is taking care of myself rude?!”
It was as though a lightbulb went off above her head as she made this connection. It is not rude to say no, especially when the purpose is to take care of yourself.
My client, a funny gal with a great sense of humor, continued on and plans to tell her friends “I’m sorry I can’t have that, the sugar puts fat on me.”
| How to get better at taking care of ourselves:
Learning to say “No, thank you” – It feels a little awkward at first… Everyone at the table is eating cake, but you know what that does to your blood sugars and you choose to opt out.
Take breaks, seriously – Are you are wondering how you will crawl through the door when you get home from work? While it’s not always conducive, I highly recommend at least two 15 to 30 minute unplugged breaks during the day. Maybe that includes a walk where you choose not to look at your phone for that time or you completely turn off all electronics for meals and focus on enjoying the food and the company.
Identify your areas of weakness (and respect your energy!) – For me, by Friday night I am out of steam. I choose to make good choices including healthy and delicious food – likes sushi! Then reduce potential temptations, such as drinking excessively to “unwind” from the week.
Be nice to yourself – You’re human! I’m human! We are all human! Our all or nothing mentality does not serve us well.
If you slipped up and ate the doughnuts in the break room at breakfast, be nice to yourself and say “good thing I plan to eat a well-balanced lunch.”
Food for thought:
Why do I need to apologize about taking care of myself? We can all serve our own needs and each other better by learning to take care of ourselves every day. |
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