by Lucy | Nov 30, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
A wise man once told me:
“If you want to make someone happy, do something nice for them; if you want to make yourself happy, do something nice for someone else.” -Andrew Sessions
Now that we are on the other side of Thanksgiving, the holiday season has officially begun!
Starting with Black Friday shopping, followed by small business Saturday and cyber Monday there are many ways to get into the holiday spirit. I am personally most excited for the newest addition in the holiday season: Giving Tuesday.
Tomorrow Tuesday, December 1st is Giving Tuesday, which encourages people to refocus on what the season is really about. They call it the gift of giving because it feels good to give something to someone who wants or needs that gift. Nothing like watching a young child open the long-awaited (enter toy-of-the-year) gift to see the look of sheer delight on their face. Or the words of appreciation by the hungry families at the local food bank. So many ways to give.
Here’s a few ways to give back this Giving Tuesday:
Sharing time –We have so much pulling us in different directions taking our time and energy. When you choose to give some of that to someone that might benefit from a friendly smile or a pleasant conversation you are sharing a generous gift.
Sharing talent – I believe each of us is blessed with a special talent. I was blessed with an enthusiasm for health and fitness, which I try to share with as many people as I can. You have special powers too. How are you sharing them?
Sharing treasure – One way is to donate money to a foundation or nonprofit that you want to support. Or give clothing, shoes and gently used household goods to a donation center or family in need.
Food for thought:
When you go out for holiday gift shopping this season remember the gift you are receiving with each person you celebrate with.
In 5, 10 or 20 years it is unlikely your sister, mom, dad or hard to shop for brother-in-law (not you Jamie!) will remember what you bought them. Instead, it is the memories of the time together and special moments shared.
What is a unique holiday-of-giving tradition you’d like to start with your friends and family this year?
by Lucy | Nov 23, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Tis the season to put everything else above your own health. As humans and especially women, we have a tendency to take care of other people’s needs first.
The caretaker mentality does not always translate into taking care of our own needs. While walking in the woods I think how wonderful it is that everybody else on the trail is using this time to take a walk and and do something good for themselves. Ultimately this benefits not just their own health but that of everyone they encounter.
How?
The adage goes, we need to put on our own oxygen mask first in the event of an emergency…
This holiday season I’m going to offer the thought to make time to address your own physical or mental health – not for yourself – but for all your loved ones that need you.
A few strategies to stay well this holiday season:
- Put the workouts on your calendar – Then no matter what parties come up, potlucks at work, church events, etc; you will have this appointment already in the calendar to be able to graciously say ‘thanks for the invite but I’m busy’ OR ‘yes, would love to but I will be an hour late.’
- Practice saying no – One holiday party per weekend is probably enough! Prioritize and be okay with not making it to every event.
- Don’t be a statistic – The average American gains 1-2 pounds over the holiday season.Ask yourself, “is that calorie really worth it?” You can skim off the extra calories by mindfully deciding to eat more before grabbing seconds (or thirds!).
Here’s a link for more ways to be a healthy holiday eater: Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain.
Food for thought:
As we enter the holiday season it is easy to let ourselves get swept up in the hustle and bustle this time of year.
You may already see the calendar filling up and making less time for a workout or preparing healthy food to take to work.
This week, I challenge you to take 30 minutes and decide how you are going to take care of you over the next 6-weeks.
by Lucy | Nov 17, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Every day we wake up with the opportunity to change our lives. Stepping out of the box or going against the grain takes us from the expected to the unexpected.
As Darren Hardy summed up in Darren Daily;
Remember that doing what scares us is not only good, it is essential. If you want to step away from average and mediocrity, you have to do what you are afraid of.
Professionally, that might mean talking to your boss about a raise. On a personal note, it might mean trying a new food or restaurant you are unsure if you will like. (more…)
by Lucy | Nov 9, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
In a spin class I found myself in the “not wanting” mentality. The music was not upbeat fitness tunes. The instructor did not believe in doing anything “wild and crazy” such as coming out of the saddle to climb a hill (all of which only makes since if you have taken a cycling class). The minutes seemed to drag on longer than 60 seconds.
You get the picture.
As I sat there peddling and pouting, it occurred to me I thought I was going into class without expectations; however, that’s clearly not the case.
I have taken spin classes before and therefore I expected this one to be like the others. Then I realized having expectations also sets us up for having disappointments. For example, a client of mine made the effort to eat well for the whole weekend and did more than normal physical activity only to hop on the scale Monday morning and find that she had gained 3 pounds – how frustrating!
When I noticed my bad attitude I decided that was bad energy and may be negatively affecting my fellow classmates.
I changed my attention on the things I am grateful for; such as having the time to go to class as well as having my health and physical ability to do spin and other exercises. This led to me taking time to be grateful for the things that I’ve taken for granted lately. Before I knew it we were cooling down and stretching.
Food for thought:
What isn’t meeting your expectations? Better yet, who isn’t meeting your expectations?
If you’re feeling disappointed in your body or yourself, I suggest you take a moment and think of five things about your body you are grateful for. Do you have 2 working legs? How about those gorgeous eyes?
This simple act can get us out of the negative feedback loop or the “I just don’t care anymore” attitude.
You do care. So do I. And for the record, I’m really proud of you.
by Lucy | Nov 2, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Diet.
I was recently talking with a coworker about the South Beach diet. She and 7 other coworkers have taken up this diet together. I love the team approach!
Dieting is a form of mindfulness. At least for the time that we commit to it! Y’all may know, I’m not a big believer in diets; however, there is a time and place for them depending on the person and the situation.
Another coworker, friend and dietitian just finished doing the Whole 30 Challenge – focused on eating whole foods, eliminating sugar, dairy and processed foods for 30 days. It all sounds a little too dramatic for me, but I applaud people that are willing to take that step toward healthy living.
The mindful piece, is most diets encourage all meals and snacks are planned day-by-day or for the entire week. People on a diet know they have to bring their own food because restaurants, a friend’s house or family gathering may not include any foods in their diet. This planning and preparation is the contributing factor to their success and longevity on the program. Meal planning removes the unconscious eating tendencies and makes it more mindful.
Food for thought:
Not feeling motivated or interested in starting a diet at this time? No problem.
Still want to lose weight or feel like you’re making better choices? That’s great! Let’s make a plan.
by Lucy | Oct 26, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
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Picture this: Your awesome neighbor baked cookies and brought them over because she heard you were having a rough week. You decide to share the cookies with your roommates or family (aren’t you so sweet?)
Do you: (A) leave them on the counter to make them available or (B) tell everyone they can help themselves to the cookies in the fridge or cupboard? Or (C) Forget sharing, stand there and eat all the cookies!
In a study at The Ohio State University researchers monitored food storage and eating habits of obese individuals (having an average BMI of 36) compared to non-obese people. A few of the most interesting differences were, the obese population:
1. Had more food visible in the house, especially sweets
2. Kept food distributed in other locations outside of the kitchen
3. Ate more fast food and other convenient food options
I was especially surprised to learn that the amount of food in the house was similar, but the arrangement of food was different. The study goes on to discuss how obesity affects self-esteem. This is significant because adults with low self-esteem have less initiative to make behavior changes at home. The article also looks into what came first, the weight or the food accessibility. Very interesting! Click here: http://bit.ly/1HQXG4z to read more.
Food for thought:
Have you ever found yourself standing in the kitchen eating the plate of cookies? Yea, me too. Not great for our waistlines, but sure tastes good going down.
Time to take an inventory of the food storage and see if there’s a simple change – such as keeping cereal in a cupboard instead of on top of the fridge. This way it’s an out-of-sight, out-of-mind solution to the mindless munchies that sneak up around 9pm each night! |
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by Lucy | Oct 19, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
| Do you remember the computer blue screen of death?! Or do you suffer from a frustrating and sluggish computer that is not cooperating? If you have not already picked up the phone to call the IT department, the solution is typically to turn off the devise then turn it back on.
Here’s something to consider… A good night of sleep is the equivalent of powering off and back on for our body and brain. It’s the magic reset button that returns us to our fully functioning selves.
There are a lot of reasons to get a good night’s sleep – according to the National Institutes of Health getting sufficient sleep can effect our mental & physical health, safety and quality of life. Up to 60% of American adults report a few nights or more of sleep problems each week. Below are a few tips for good sleep hygiene shared by Fast Company.
1. Set up your bedtime routine and stick with it! It could include writing in a journal, spending 15-30 minutes in a good book, doing meditation or prayers. Tell me about your healthy bedtime routine.
2. Taking naps is good. Looks like we did learn everything we need to know if Kindergarten. Companies such as Google and Hubspot offer a space for mid-day napping for their teams.
3. Make a cozy sleeping space. It important to note that light from our cell phones and TV’s may effect our internal clock and make falling or staying asleep more difficult.
Thanks to the awesome folks at Techinsider, here are a few new-age tools (aka apps!) to help you learn more about your sleep patterns and make changes to get a better night’s sleep!
Food for thought:
While laying awake at 4am because I did not have the common sense to follow my own advice (who knew coffee porter beer had real coffee in it?!) it occurred to me how difficult this concept can be.
Is there one easy change you can work on this week? I’m partial to incorporating a bedtime routine. It is amazing how cozy and relaxed I feel after putting on warm socks, spending time in prayer and/or meditation and reading.
What works for you? |
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by Lucy | Oct 12, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Out to dinner last week I had the opportunity to put mindful eating into practice in the restaurant setting.
I enjoyed each crunchy bite of salad combined with a tasty piece of seasoned shrimp, savoring the taste and textures as I munched and chatted. By the bottom of the bowl my taste buds had grown bored, but I felt comfortably full.
Then it came time for the waiter to ask if we wanted dessert… It was a free meal and I still had a few dollars on my card and said “those salted caramel pretzel bites sound pretty good. Sure, what the heck!” When dessert arrived I was aware of how full I felt and asked the waiter to bring a box because no way was I going to finish those sugar-coated pretzel bites. Funny story, after my dinner partner and I parted ways I proceeded to devour not only the rest of the pretzel bites but also the brownie that he left behind. Oh, did I mention that there was ice cream too?
Okay, now that I’ve got you all thinking about these delicious foods on a Monday morning I will explain the lesson behind this experience, hoping it will help you avoid a similar situation.
At dinner I decided to “be good” and get a salad with shrimp when I actually wanted sweet potato fries and a beer. I set myself up for failure or more precisely for dissatisfaction, which led me to what I call the dieters reward trap. This is the belief: “that because you’ve been so good you should have a tiny treat because really, what’s the harm?” Well if you’re like me and find when you start eating sweets that your brain won’t let you stop until it’s ALL gone then the harm is a few hundred empty calories and maybe an upset tummy.
Food for thought:
Have you ever experienced something like this?
I’m not saying you should never eat a brownie and ice cream because I believe there’s room for treats in anyone’s diet.
My hope is you can be spared from making a similar mistake and just get what you want while still aiming for balance. (i.e. a baked potato instead of fries if that will fulfill your craving).
by Lucy | Oct 5, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
You can make any changes to your body that you want. It is a matter of knowing how to change your ways and finding the motivation to stick with it.
A few years ago I received a lovely ring. Prior to receiving this gift I was an avid nail biter, but having that new shiny accessory to show off encouraged me to work on growing my nails to make them pretty. I bought monthly manicures to reward my progress. Also, I had no idea how to take care of my nails so the manicures gave me a chance to learn from the pros.
To this day, I can proudly say I am no longer a nail-biter (most of the time). When I look at my nails I am reminded of how it was not easy at first, but over time I readjusted… and chewed a lot of gum!
Some people say it only takes 21 days to make a new habit. I’m not sure I believe that’s true for everyone; however, when you have the right motivation you will change and it will stick. According to research in Appetite, changing a habit can be approached 3 ways:
- Identify the triggers for an unwanted habitual behavior
- Make a conscience effort to change the response
- Remove the temptations or barriers to the undesired habit
Food for thought:
What is motivating you? Are you looking for more energy? Do you want to feel better in your clothes?
It’s not wrong to make healthy changes for aesthetic reasons; however, that can be frustrating as it takes time. From my experience in clinic, medical reasons are usually the strongest initiators for change. Whatever starts your journey to a self-improvement I encourage you to reward your success along the way.
by Lucy | Sep 28, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Stop what you’re doing. Think of something that’s really easy to do. Close your eyes and take a moment to think about it.
For me the first thing that came to my mind was brushing my teeth. I do it at least 2 times a day and it feels good!
Okay, what did you think of?
Now that we know what’s easy for us let’s take it a step further…
Why is it easy? Maybe it’s something you’ve been doing every day for the past several years. Driving a car is easy, right?
Next step, think of something difficult regarding your health and wellness. Maybe it’s finding a good doctor, working out at the gym consistently or packing lunch to take to work. What makes it a challenge? Maybe it’s new or something you have not done for a while. Chances are whatever change you are seeking is not a habit (yet!).
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Food for thought:
Making healthy changes is not easy if you try to change everything all at once. You can make it easy by setting some smaller bite-sized goals to get to your bigger goals.
How can you make it easy this week?
