by Lucy | Jan 5, 2017 | Well Balanced Wisdom
One of the easiest things you can do for weight loss is simply to step on the scale every day. I know, I know… you would rather eat a frog than see that number on the scale but hear me out. Once you own a scale it’s free to use, it takes just a second to complete, anyone can do it and research has shown that it is an effective weight loss tool.
In one study, participants were asked to weigh daily on a smart scale. The weight was sent automatically to researchers and the participants received weekly feedback by email. Participants were not told to change any other behaviors. On average, the intervention group weighed 6 days a week and consumed fewer calories/day (approx 300 calories less!) compared to the control group who weighed sporadically. That led to an average 13.5-pound weight loss in the intervention group and all they had to do was weigh themselves! Other studies that included daily weighing for weight control had similar results.
But what if the number you see on the scale makes you fret? Doesn’t it have negative effects on how you feel? Contrary to what you might expect, intervention participants in the study mentioned above, perceived daily weighing positively. And results of another study indicate that daily self-weighing does not cause adverse psychological outcomes such as depression, binge eating or other signs of disordered eating.*
While it may seem scary at first, the scale is not your enemy. The magic is all in the way you use it.
Here are some rules for daily self-weighing.
- Expect some fluctuation. Your weight will fluctuate 1-3 pounds every day regardless of your behaviors. Any fluctuation within that range is normal and to be expected. This is your grace period. Weight gain beyond 3lbs should serve as a warning sign to change your behaviors.
- Use your weight as feedback that lets you know what’s working and what is not. When you see a significant change on the scale think back to what you’ve been doing the past day or two that may be affecting your weight. If your weight is going up, use the opportunity to make tweaks to your eating and exercise habits now before it creeps up even higher and becomes harder to get off.
- Weigh at the same time every day on the same scale. Your weight not only fluctuates from day to day but also hour to hour. For example, you will likely weigh more in the evening than you will in the morning. Sticking to the same time every day gives you the most accurate comparison.
- Be consistent. Research shows those who way every day lose more weight than those who weigh 4 or 5 times a week. Think of it as a morning ritual just like brushing your teeth.
- Remember that your weight is only part of your health picture. It shouldn’t be the ONLY tool you use to monitor your eating and exercise behavior. Use it in combination with how you are sleeping, how much energy you have, how your clothes fit and so on. Weighing every day does not mean you shouldn’t look for those other non-scale victories.
So there you have it. While it may not sound fun to face that number every day, daily weighing is a simple tool that can influence your lifestyle habits and help you lose weight.
Were you shocked to hear that weighing every day can help you lose weight?
What fears, hesitations or thoughts do you have about weighing regularly?
What’s the worst thing and the best thing that could happen if you started weighing every day?
Will you give it a try? Let me know in the comments!
*An important caveat: These studies have screened out people with a history of eating disorders — who might obsess about weight and respond to falling or rising numbers with extreme dieting or binging.
by Lucy | Jan 1, 2017 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, Jan 2, 2017
We are all story tellers. I used to say I’m a terrible story teller, mostly because of my tendency to get off track and ruin the punch line (I call it my “shiny object syndrome”).
Now I see the story my mind is telling me on almost a daily basis. If I’m tired or run down the story is not all sunshine and butterflies but instead my thoughts are focused on what it difficult or “wrong.” Most days I choose a better story. I am healthy. I love my job. I enjoy helping people. I am blessed. I am grateful.
As the New Year began I asked a few healthy people – like yourself – about their own wellness story that separated them from the pack. After listening to many stories I noticed a trend. For most successful well-balanced people their lifestyle choices are simple, mindful, and fun/delicious.
It’s simple
A hair stylist and friend of mine was telling me his own 20 pound weight loss story of 2016. He said it was “almost so simple it’s silly,” but he stopped buying the trigger foods that were preventing
him from reaching his goal weight. When he cut out fast food, stopped buying Oreos, and included breakfast daily the weight easily came off (and that was without exercise!). Instead of going out for fast food he bought pita bread and alternated between hummus, peanut butter, or deli meat with cheese as an easy lunch or dinner option. He consistently eats boiled eggs with fruit for breakfast and occasionally treats himself to fried eggs, bacon and hash browns.
It’s mindful
A client of mine, who we will call Janice, was mostly on-track when we started to meet last Summer, but she struggled with her snack habit. Janice knew the candy, granola bars, and other munchies at the office were preventing her from reaching her goals. She worked in a high stress environment and often turned to snacks as a stress reliever. Janice put the DATA system into action and practiced mindful eating consistently for three weeks. In that time she lost 6 pounds! Each time she thought about reaching for a snack she paused, described the situation to herself, acknowledged it was just a temporary craving, and turned to a different activity such as deep breathing or a walk around the office. Janice soon discovered she didn’t need to force herself to eat salads for lunch every day and instead she cut the mindless snacks out and remains on-track today.
It’s fun or delicious
I met a gal, Carla, last week who loves cheesecake. She is a diabetic and knows how carbohydrates and simple sugars affect her glucose (sugar in the blood). In the last 4 years, she has progressively changed her diet to primarily eating fruits, vegetables, protein, and some complex carbs – such as whole wheat bread or pasta, quinoa, and oats. However, she still hears the call of the cheesecake when she goes grocery shopping. Carla will occasionally give into the call and buys a small cake with the intention of eating one slice a day for a week. She admits the cake is usually gone within 24 hours. While we talked, I suggested a delicious alternative to the cheesecake. Now, Carla mitigates her cheesecake cravings with 1 graham cracker, a bit of all fruit spread, and whipped cream cheese. She reports this offers a sweet and creamy alternative without guilt or running the risk of high blood sugars!
Another example, when Mama Cathy decided to get more active she knew weight training and walking on the treadmill at the gym was not her idea of a good time. Instead, she tapped into her love of group fitness classes and religiously signs up for the 10-week water aerobics sessions every quarter. She looks forward to playing in the water and getting a great workout every Monday and Wednesday evening. Having a fun exercise also stops her from making less healthy food choices so as to not “undo” all of the work in the pool.
Food for thought:
New Year’s resolutions aside, when thinking about your own wellness goals and initiatives are they simple, mindful, or fun?
If not, how can you simplify your good habits?
How can you make them more mindful?
And where’s the fun?!
If you’re looking for more guidance in 2017, we hope you’ll check out Restart, Rebalance to get you the personalized support you need!
by Lucy | Dec 28, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
If your house is anything like mine, the carols have been sung, the party was enjoyed, the presents have been unwrapped and now Santa and his elves have gone on vacation. Nothing remains but the mess: a mess of toys, a mess of food, a mess of the budget and a mess of all the usual routines. This can make it hard to see past this week and into the New Year let alone the Summer.
BUT if you can, for just a moment, consider this. In a recent study, researchers found that Americans gained more 10 days after Christmas, compared to the 10 days leading up to Christmas and HALF of that weight didn’t come off until the Summer months and beyond. Perhaps it is because we spend the time before Christmas running around preparing for all the events and then once it’s over we sink back into our chairs, take a deep breath and finally get to relax. It can also be easy to over indulge in all the excess food and drinks remaining from the celebrations. It’s important to kick back for a bit and recharge with family and friends, but not to the point that our health should suffer.
You don’t have to stay on this path if you don’t like where it’s taking you. Yes, it is hard to get back on track after a major holiday. Yes, you can do it. Don’t shy away from doing hard things. Instead, remember that today’s choices affect tomorrow’s experiences. We can have the best intentions but it’s our actual choices that will lead us somewhere.
So today is your chance to focus on what you want the most (good health, energy, longevity, positivity, a well-balanced lifestyle, a healthy budget and so on), in order to say no to what you might want in the moment.
Here are some choices to get you thinking:
- Choose water or tea instead of soda, wine, beer, and other sugary beverages.
- Choose to stop when you are full and satisfied regardless of food pushers around you
- Choose to put the sweets away, off the counter and hidden in the back of the fridge
- Choose to put a bowl of fruit on the counter and the vegetables at eye level in your fridge
- Choose to move more and get outside instead of watching Christmas movies all day
Food for thought:
What DO you want most?
What could happen when you choose to focus on what you want the most, rather than what you want in the moment?
If you are ready to lose weight and do not want to do it alone, let us help. Check out Restart, Rebalance to learn more.
by Lucy | Dec 18, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, December 19, 2016
Fold your laundry! Do the dishes! Why do you always leave your toys on the floor??
A few years ago, I received a book called The Gift of Feedback from my mentor and friend, Heather Miranda. Prior to receiving this book, I had a serious conversation with a supervisor regarding my tendency to be late. At the time, I did not see the feedback about my tardiness as a gift. It felt more like a punch in the gut!
What happens if you criticize or offer constructive feedback to someone? Likely, they get defensive and tell you why you’re wrong. Or they start making excuses to explain or defend their behavior.
Sometimes, especially during the holidays, (aka the season of sugar) we make decisions that we think are bad or wrong. The “bad food” does not perfectly follow our diet or we may have overeaten the good stuff. For example, a friend of mine went to a holiday party last week and decided not to eat any sweets, but after being persuaded by coworkers she ate a few bites of dessert. The next day, my friend checked her weight at the gym and instantly felt terrible because of the number on the scale. She attributed the weight gain to the 3 bites of dessert she ate the day before. Inside, she was highly critical of herself and the story in her mind focused on the “mistake” that she made.
As discovered by the world-famous psychologist, B. F. Skinner, animals learn more rapidly when rewarded for good behavior versus being punished for bad behavior. Studies show this concept applies to us humans too. Some parents may agree they are more likely to get their kids to do chores or homework when praised versus being nagged or threatened.
Food for thought:
If we know criticizing doesn’t work why do we keep doing it ourselves…? As my lovely business partner, Kristen, says: Would those comments in your head be the same thing you’d say to your best friend or mother?
What are 3 accomplishments you are proud of from the past year?
- _____________________________________________
- _____________________________________________
- _____________________________________________
What are 3 choices that you’re proud of from the last week?
- _____________________________________________
- _____________________________________________
- _____________________________________________
by Lucy | Dec 14, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
It’s 2pm and you’re starting to feel exhausted. Your brain is a little slow and you are day dreaming about a nap. There’s a good chance that you are on a sugar crash from all those holiday treats or maybe it’s just been a really long day. You could reach for another sugary pick me up from the break room OR you could try some peppermint tea instead! A study found peppermint tea improves brain function and alertness – a boost we could all use when the afternoon slump has us feeling foggy.
This study took 180 participants and randomly allocated them to receive a drink of peppermint tea, chamomile tea or hot water. Analysis of the results showed that peppermint tea helped improve long-term memory, working memory and alertness compared to both chamomile and hot water. Chamomile tea significantly slowed memory and attention speed compared to both peppermint and hot water.”
From this study, we also see that chamomile tea lives up to its reputation of being a sleepy time tea. Have a mug of it before bed to slow down and relax.
Cheers!
by Lucy | Dec 9, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, December 12, 2016
I have a client, we will call her Clare, and last week she told me how she is such a procrastinator after not implementing the evening exercise routine we discussed at her previous appointment. Clare works a desk job in Durham from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday-Friday. After work, she has a 30 minute commute home, a puppy to take outside, and dinner to fix for her elderly father. When finished with dinner, cleaning up, and getting ready for the next workday, Clare enjoys lounging on the sofa watching TV or visiting with her father. This is not the time of day she feels motivated to get up and start exercising!
Clare spent 4 weeks between appointments feeling guilty about not getting into the exercise routine we had planned. She continued to work hard monitoring her eating and portion sizes; however, all of that work was overshadowed in her mind by her lack of physical activity.
What went wrong?
We can see the exercise strategy we put together was not conducive to Clare’s lifestyle. The other underlying issue, that’s less obvious, is the story that played in her mind over those 4 weeks. Clare was convinced the only way she could be successful at exercise was to walk or do another activity that raised her heart rate for 30 consecutive minutes. In this scenario, Clare demonstrates a fixed mindset, meaning when she was not successful she could not think of other options that would work better for her. In our conversation, I gave Clare a gift – the gift of a growth mindset! Now she can use these barriers or “problems” as learning opportunities instead of brick walls that stop her from achieving her goals.
Food for thought
Have you been hitting your head against a brick wall?
Most of us have a personal or professional improvement goal, and sometimes all we see are the barriers keeping us from reaching that goal.
Today, take a moment to think of your barriers as learning opportunities instead of problems. What can you learn and do differently?
by Lucy | Dec 7, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Cough, hack, sneeze! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing this everywhere! From work to daycare to friends and family… everyone is coming down with something. It has me thinking about these 3 things we all could be doing to stay well this winter.
Get your Vitamin D level checked. Our vitamin D levels are lowest in the winter months which means we may be missing out on some helpful immune benefits. One research study reported that adults who have low vitamin D levels are more likely to have had a recent cough, cold or upper respiratory infection. There is still a lot of research to be done about vitamin D but we do know that the active form of vitamin D can tame inflammation and boost production of microbe-fighting proteins in your body.
Dietary sources of vitamin D include salmon, tuna, fortified milk or juice, liver, cheese and egg yolks. It is not likely that you will be able to meet your needs through diet alone and the level of vitamin D supplementation you need will depend on your blood level. So talk to your doctor today if you think your vitamin D levels are low. In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to be taking a multivitamin that includes some vitamin D.
Stay hydrated. If you are anything like me, a glass of cold water doesn’t sound great this time of year. That’s trouble considering we still need to stay hydrated in the winter months. The good news is we can choose other ways to fill our bodies with the fluids we need. My favorite options? Tea and soup! Now doesn’t Candy Cane Green Tea sound delightful? Or what about unwinding with a little a cup of honey lavender stress relief tea?? And I can’t tell you how excited I am about this new local product for making soups. Thank you, Kate Elia, for transforming high quality, under-appreciated local scraps into a heavenly tasting kitchen staple that I can’t wait to get my hands on for winter cooking.
Move more. The shorter, colder and sometimes gloomy days of winter can encourage us to stay inside at our desk, on the couch or snuggled in bed longer. It can be hard to be as active as we are in the warmer seasons. It’s worth the effort though. Exercise makes you feel healthier and more energetic, it can ward off depression and it keeps our waist line slim. I love to find creative ways to move more in the winter. After sitting for a bit, I will get up and shake my sillies out (can you tell I have a 3 year old?) or I might run to my car instead of walk. Sometimes I do push ups while letting the kids play in the bath tub or do squats while I brush my teeth. These may seem small and insignificant but every lit bit of movement adds up. Of course, it’s also great to do more stretching, walking or a weight-lifting, too.
Food for thought:
What are you doing to stay well this winter?
Tell us:
What is your favorite winter wellness tip?
Looking for an immunity boost in your diet and lifestyle? We can help!
by Lucy | Dec 3, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, December 5, 2016
I have an awesome job. I get to sit and talk to healthy people every day, learn about their strategies and hear their success stories. What I’ve learned is each of us has our own system and strategies to be healthy and well-balanced. We’ve talked about different diets such as Paleo, Atkins, and I have even referenced the military diet… Ice cream every day y’all! As you know, Kristen and I do not promote diets because we want you to have a lifestyle that is conducive to living well without restrictions. We believe in the Well-Balanced Plate.
Lately, I’ve heard a recurring message from family members and clients as they strive to eat well through the holiday season. First step… Cut out the fat. For many years fat has endured a bad reputation and not surprisingly, it’s a pretty complex macro nutrient. For example, 1 g of fat has 9 calories versus 1 g of protein or carbohydrate has 4 calories. That means foods with fat are more energy dense.
Recently, I came across an article, Sugar and heart disease: The sour side of industry funded research. I felt empowered and frustrated while reading about how the Sugar Research Foundation paid the scientists and doctors doing the research to detract attention from any evidence linking sugar and coronary heart disease.
What we know now: Fat is our friend.
How fat is our friend:
- Makes food tastier
- It fill us up
- Keep us full longer
- Helps us absorb other nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins.
About a year ago, I got really frustrated with my sugar cravings and talked about it with my good friend and fellow dietitian, Brenna Thompson. She helped shine light on the benefits of incorporating more fat (and protein!), which essentially makes less room for my body to crave sugar. I changed my diet gradually over the past year and typically include at least 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat with most meals. Not surprisingly, breakfast includes peanut butter or almond butter, at lunch I usually have salad dressing or mayonnaise (not necessarily the healthiest choice). I typically cook with olive oil or butter on my vegetables at dinner. When I first made this change I was genuinely upset after finishing dinner and realizing I was so satisfied and did not have any room for the chocolate or other sweets I typically indulged in after a meal.
Food for thought:
As we are surrounded by sweets, treats and goodies this holiday season I wonder if you will make fat your friend too? If you’re struggling with cravings, I suggest a tablespoon of peanut butter or handful of almonds.
What’s one way you can add, our friend, fat into your diet?___________________________________________
by Lucy | Nov 30, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
The other day I was listening to a play back of a message I left for someone. It is so strange to hear your own voice, right? The first thing I noticed was that I took really long pauses in between my words. Maybe it is something that only I notice or maybe it is something other people pick up on too. Either way, I am a bit self conscience about it but here is why it happens.
I have grown incredibly aware of how important our words can be. Words, the things that fly out of our mouths, sometimes all willy-nilly like, can leave a lasting impact. You might remember a specific moment when someone’s words made a lasting impression on you – for better or for worse. Maybe it was a motivational speaker or something that was said during an argument. Those are big moments.
Even in the small, everyday mundane moments, our words matter. We can really be in the habit of saying the same words over and over without realizing it. A simple example is how many times we go around saying something like… “How are you?” “Fine, and you?” “Have a good day!”
Now dig a little deeper and think about all the other things we just automatically say. As a parent, I say “See?! Now that’s what you get for doing XYZ.” Or, “That’s why we don’t stand up in the chair.” Ugh… it just comes out like word vomit. I cringe when I hear myself saying that because no one needs to be reminded of a mistake they made in the midst of the pain. Chances are they’ve learned the lesson and they just need a little empathy and understanding.
We can say similar things to ourselves, often without noticing. I ask my clients to weigh themselves daily if they are trying to lose weight, but I tell them to be careful of their words and thoughts as they are doing it.
“I’m so fat.” “I can’t believe I ate all that.” “I’ll never lose this weight.”
These are the kinds of words and thoughts that can really sabotage our best efforts. When we see or hear negative words our bodies send out stress signals. Even worse, when we do it over and over again we can really start to believe those words. The more we hear, read, or speak a word or phrase, the more power it has over us. This is because the brain is always searching for patterns and repetitions in order to make sense of the world around us.
Instead of letting words get the best of us, we can use the power of words our advantage. We first have to gain awareness and then control over that which we are exposing ourselves to daily. Our natural tendency is to focus on the negative, and it takes work to turn that around. So when I speak slowly, it’s because I am consciously making an effort to catch and cancel out those negative words. It’s definitely a work in progress.
Food for thought:
What words do you speak, read or think repeatedly?
Try this today:
Go on a negativity diet.
- First, notice and be aware of your negative words and thoughts.
- When they pop up, you can say, “cancel, cancel, cancel!”
- Replace negative words with positive ones. Try saying challenge instead of problem or yes, later instead of no, not right now.
- Replace judgments and criticisms with words of kindness. We are all doing the best we can so be kind to yourself and others. Or if you must give negative feedback try sandwiching it between two positive statements/thoughts.
Boost the Power of Positivity. The next key is feeding your brain more good thoughts than bad.
- For every one negative thought you have, generate 3 to 5 positive thoughts. Your positive thoughts don’t have to be perfect, sound good or even make sense.
Feed your brain a hefty portion of positive words at least 3 times a day.
- Start your day by reading or saying positive affirmations, quotes or scripture.
- End your emails with a happy message.
- Drink from a cup with an uplifting message on it.
- Plaster sticky notes with positivity on your mirror, computer, phone, etc.
Tell us..
What ideas or thoughts do you have on the power of words?
by Lucy | Nov 25, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, November 28, 2016
It’s here! We’re in it. The infamous holiday season. No matter how busy you decide to be this season it’s no excuse to put your wellness goals to the backburner.
Last week, while listening to Darren Hardy talk about how to succeed in business and life I got to thinking about his use of tough love. Sometimes his message makes me a little angry; however, he’s got a good point.
Most of the time, for anything we want to do it’s a matter of having the right knowledge and being brave enough to try. For example, all summer I kept saying I wanted to swim in the quarry at Eno State Park but could never figure out where to get in so it never happened. Last weekend, my friend showed me the way and now I know for next time (when it’s warm enough to get in the water!).
I believe this is often the case for our healthy habits. We want to do well and we “know” what to do, but we might need someone to show us how. Thank goodness for YouTube!
What seems like it should be simple can often feel overwhelming. Think about when you learned how to drive… This may be harder to recall for some of us! It’s an exciting but daunting task. Driving is a lot of responsibility and there are many moving parts, literally. Nowadays, you get in the car to drive without thinking about all the steps.
There is always a learning curve to each new activity we take on. Whether you’re eager to become a grill master or learning how to cook for one, it’s important to be gentle with yourself and take it one step at a time.
Food for thought:
Have you been making excuses to put off learning a new skill? ______ If yes, what do you want to conquer? _________________________________________________________________
Do you need more information? _____ Where can you find it?
_________________________________________________________________
Maybe you need a class or someone to guide and support you. Who can you ask for help?
_________________________________________________________________
