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August 29th, 2008, 11:07 am by Michelle May, M.D.
Like many of you, during August I tuned in nightly to watch Olympians compete on the world stage. As incredible as the events were, the stories of athletes who made personal sacrifices to train every day or who overcame daunting challenge to represent their countries inspired me most.
It didn’t motivate me to hurdle my dining room chairs or do a handstand from my roof into my pool. (I don’t usually dwell on limitations but there are just some things this 45 year old body was never meant to do.) Instead, the athletes’ accomplishments represented the daily to-do’s I sometimes slog through as well as the larger goals that I’ve set for my life.
I’d like to share a few great quotes from past Olympians and some of the take-home lessons I can apply each day (even without setting up a balance beam in my family room):
Change your Thoughts to Change your Results
“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” -Scott Hamilton, figure skater
Realize that what you believe and think causes you to feel a certain way, which causes you to do certain things, which ultimately leads to specific results. In other words, your thoughts are self-fulfilling prophecies. Of course, your results usually reinforce your beliefs and thoughts, resulting in either a positive feedback loop or a vicious cycle. If you’ve taken an Am I Hungry? workshop, this will look familiar: Thoughts > Feelings > Actions > Results.
If you don’t like your results, become aware of what you’ve been thinking. With practice, you can change your thoughts about eating, physical activity, and anything else, to get the results you desire.
Mistakes are Just Lessons
“The worst thing is to be paralyzed by fear. It’s better to fall trying. Then you learn what to do so you don’t fall again.” -Brian Boitano, figure skater
Every mistake brings you one step closer to being an expert by discovering what’s most effective for you. Just do the best you can and learn from what didn’t work.
Advance the Ball
“Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve ever done before.” -Bonnie Blair, speed skater
Don’t get trapped into thinking you have to do something perfectly and nothing else will do. I like the football analogy of “advancing the ball.” Rarely is a football game won on 80 yard passes. Instead, think in terms of advancing down the field a few yards and first downs at a time. When the window of opportunity to reach your goal opens up, you’ll have the momentum and be in position to score.
Consistency and Repetition Win
“To be an Olympian you only have to work out twice; when you want to and when you don’t.” –Darn, I couldn’t find the name of the athlete that said this! Please post the answer (with a source) as a comment below.
Practice, practice, practice. Consistency and repetition are the keys to energizing new behaviors. Baby steps that you’re willing to practice consistently will help you gradually rewire what feels good to you. Encourage yourself to move forward toward your goals every day.
I’d love to hear your favorite Olympic quotes and how they inspired you too!
Copyright 2008 Michelle May, M.D.
(This is an excerpt from my monthly E-Newsletter; to read more, visit http://www.amihungry.com/enews.shtml.)
Posted in: Active Lifestyle • Healthy Attitudes • Healthy Families • Uncategorized • exercise motivation • inspirational fitness quotes • Olympic quotes | 4 Comments »
August 23rd, 2008, 8:30 am by Michelle May, M.D.
A new study called Prevention for a Healthier America by the Trust for America’s Health showed that investments in disease prevention yeilds significant savings. This is an important report for communities and corporations deciding where to invest their limited resources. The bottom line: What is the return on investment (ROI) for increasing physical activity and eating healthier?
Even if you’re not a city planner or CEO, you still have to decide whether investing in getting healthier is worth your precious resources - your time, attention, money, and energy. If you already have a healthy lifestyle, I can safely assume that you’ve seen a significant pay-off which is why you continue to invest regularly. If you don’t, maybe it’s time to measure the ROI.
As the CEO of your body, approach this like any important investment decision. Take out a piece of paper and title it ”Getting More Active,” “Eating Healthier,” or some other decision you’ve been contemplating. Make two columns: “Costs” and “Benefits” and write down everything you can think of that may impact your decision and try to quantify them in measurable terms. You should even put a dollar amount on the value of your time.
For example, let’s say you’re considering whether to invest in a new exercise program. Your lists might look like this:
Costs
New tennis shoes = $60
4 hours a week - $40/hr = $160 per week
Less time to spend with family = priceless
New clothes when I lose weight = $500
Benefits
Get off blood pressure medicine = $80 per month
Increased energy and productivity (est. 1 hr/day) = $280 a week
Live longer = priceless
In this analysis, the cost of lost time spent with family as a result of the time spent exercising could be a deal breaker so you’ll need to address it up front. Possible solutions could include getting up earlier, exercising during the lunch hour, or including the kids in the activities - which of course will pay huge dividends in the long run. Bottom line: Exercise appears to be a good investment.
You are the CEO of yourself. Do your job!
Michelle May MD
More weight management articles: http://www.amihungry.com/weight-management-articles.shtml
Copyright Michelle May MD. For permission to reprint go to http://www.amihungry.com/.
Posted in: Active Lifestyle • Healthy Attitudes • Healthy Families • Uncategorized • benefits of exercise • Prevention for a Healthier America • ROI on exercise • Trust for America's Health | Post a Comment »
August 8th, 2008, 4:18 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
In my last post I talked about the Why bother? Affect that often occurs when exercise advice is too far from a person’s current reality. One reader mentioned how helpful a pedometer had been for becoming more active.
A pedometer is a fun way to measure your activity level throughout the day, both during routine activities and while exercising. It is a small device that is worn on your waist to measure the number of steps you take making it easy to set realistic goals for yourself. It’s really motivating to see those steps add up—and see your energy level rise as your fitness improves.
How do you use a pedometer?
- Wear your pedometer on your waist, attached to your belt, skirt or pants (even your underclothes as long as it fits snugly against your body.)
- Place it in line with the seam of your slacks or over the center of your kneecap, parallel to the ground. It will not give accurate readings if it is tilted to one side.
- Try it out in different positions along the waist; count the number of steps you take and compare that to what the pedometer actually reads.
- Put your pedometer on when you first get up and wear it all day long.
- At the end of the day, record the number of steps you took then press the reset button to return the step counts back to “0” for the next day.
One Step at a Time
- Get an idea of your baseline activity level by recording the number of steps you take without changing your normal routine.
- Once you know your baseline, set specific goals for increasing the number of steps you take each day or week. You can pick a number or a percent increase to shoot for.
- Watch the steps add up when you pace while you talk on the phone, walk a flight of stairs, skip a half hour TV program and walk the dog (add about 2000 steps!), stroll instead of sit at the airport, park further, or window shop with friends instead of sitting to talk.
- Of course not all activities can be counted in steps (for example, swimming or yoga) but they still count toward your fitness.
I think you’ll find that using a pedometer for simple, accurate feedback will motivate you to take a few more steps in the right direction.
Posted in: Active Lifestyle • Healthy Families • Uncategorized • increasing activity • Pedometers • step counters | Post a Comment »
July 29th, 2008, 8:16 am by Michelle May, M.D.
A study from the University of Pittsburgh published in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine finds that overweight and obese women need to to exercise 55 minutes per day, five days per week in order to sustain a 10 percent weight loss over two years.
Could recommendations like this trigger the “why bother” affect?
Although I am a huge proponent of regular exercise, I am very concerned that recommendations for 60 minutes of daily exercise overwhelm people that aren’t getting any. They may respond with “I can’t do that so why bother even trying.”
Based on my work with overweight and/or sedentary individuals over the last ten years, many already think of exercise as punishment for eating. I’ve found that rather than threatening them with failure if they don’t get enough exercise, they respond extremely well when the focus is on small, sustainable changes that allow them to adapt physically and mentally to a more active lifestyle.
What do you think? Do these recommendations motivate you…or trigger the “why bother” affect?
Michelle May MD
http://www.amihungry.com/
Posted in: Active Lifestyle • Healthy Attitudes • Uncategorized • exercise recommendations • July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine • study from the University of Pittsburgh • The Why Bother Affect | 7 Comments »
July 22nd, 2008, 10:42 am by Michelle May, M.D.
Yesterday I confessed that I had become a bit of a wine snob. I’m not proud and I’m certainly no sommelier, just grateful that I’ve discovered the similarity between the enjoyment of both wine and food in moderation.
Here’s my take on the essence of wine tasting and the Mindful Eating Corollaries:
Step One
Wine Tasting: Pour your wine in a clear, stemmed glass, filling it only halfway or less so there’s room to swirl.
Mindful Eating: Serve your food on a plate rather than eating it out of cartons, bags, or other containers that are destined for the dump or that prevent you from fully seeing what you’re putting in your mouth. And if you’ve got too much food to see the plate, you’ve probably got more than you actually need.
Step Two
Wine Tasting: Notice the color and viscosity of the wine. Swirl it gently in the glass then put your nose in and sniff deeply to appreciate the aromas that hint about the terroir and winemaking process used.
Mindful Eating: Notice the colors, textures, and aromas of your food. Take a moment to express gratitude for the food on your plate and everything it took to get it there.
Step 3
Wine Tasting: Sip a small mouthful of wine. Swish the wine over your tongue and open your mouth slightly as you inhale, bringing the aromas into the back of your nose.
Mindful Eating: Put a small amount of food in your mouth and set your f ork down so you can focus on the bite that is in your mouth rather than the next one. Chew your food thoroughly as you breathe to bring the flavors up to the back of your nose where much of the “taste” of food actually comes from.
Step 4
Wine Tasting: Mentally describe the flavors, identifying subtleties, similarities to other familiar flavors, and noting how the wine complements or detracts from any food you’re eating.
Mindful Eating: Be aware of the flavors, textures, and temperatures of your food. See if you can identify the ingredients and notice how they layer to create new flavors.
Step 5
Wine Tasting: Spit out the wine if you’ll be tasting several wines in a row so you don’t dull your senses or cross that invisible line between enjoyment and intoxication.
Mindful Eating: DON’T spit out the food! Instead, take small servings and small bites to pace yourself so you don’t cross that invisible live between enjoyment and misery.
Food and Wine Lovers’ Tip: Taste and eat with attention and intention - attention to the experience and the intention of enjoyment without having to pay the price of excess.
Posted in: Healthy Attitudes • Healthy Travel Tips • Intuitive Eating • Mindful Eating • Uncategorized • • Mindful Eating • mindfulness • wine tasting | 4 Comments »
July 21st, 2008, 5:59 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
Wine Lovers’ Tip: Maintain a healthy weight by enjoying food MORE. Eat the same way you taste wine. (Open a bottle tonight and tell everyone you’re on a new diet!)
New Zealand and Australia are known for their outstanding “new world” wines. We weren’t in the heart of wine region in either country but we managed to find some interesting tasting rooms for a little ”practice.”
One tasting room was built in an old mortuary (I know, that should have been our first clue). They served old (I don’t mean aged) wine in little plastic communion-style cups. The wines had creepy names that bore no relation to the grapes that gave their life for us. The wine maker, a retired chemist, said, “Making wine is easy.” I whispered in my husband’s ear, “Making good wine - now that’s the hard part!”
It dawned on me that sometime during the 15 years since I quit drinking white zinfandel (not that there’s anything wrong with that), I had actually learned to appreciate good wine. I’m no expert but I know what I like (and it isn’t usually served in plastic). So how did I become a wine snob?
The same way I became a foodie: one taste at a time.
By simply deciding to be attentive to what I am eating (and drinking), I’ve become much more aware of the aromas, flavors, textures of food. More importantly, I’ve become much more connected to the experience and its affect on my body. Just as I know that there’s an invisible but very real line between enjoyment and abuse of wine, there’s a similar line that many people cross with food.
That is a simple but profound lesson that has allowed me to enjoy food more while eating less. I am no longer dazzled by large portion sizes or distracted by packaging, health claims or other attempts to lure me into eating marginal food (any more than the wine cellar viewed through the hole in the floor where they used to raise the casket could distract me into believing the wine was worth drinking!).
Tomorrow I’ll share the steps for wine tasting and the corollaries in Mindful Eating.
Posted in: Healthy Attitudes • Healthy Travel Tips • Intuitive Eating • Mindful Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • Mindful Eating • wine tasting | 5 Comments »
July 19th, 2008, 7:03 am by Michelle May, M.D.
Just over the halfway point, I’ve had a blast during this Blogathon with a dozen of my fellow authors and professional speakers. It has given me a reason to “virtually” move out of my surroundings to visit the sites of my fellow bloggers. Check them out and see what you discover on your expanded horizons!
Jackie Dishner, a travel writer, loves biking with “mental” components. Visit http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com and her fabulous new travel blog, http://www/thephoenixtraveler.com
Susan Ratliff is a trade show expert who shares great ideas for entrepreneurs to increase their visibility at http://www.blingmybooth.com
Andrea Beaulieu teaches how to find your authentic voice and live life at its best at http://www.ConspiracyOfLove.net
Mimi Meredith inspires people to build better lives, workplaces, and communities at http://blog.thegoodnessgrows.com/
Beth Terry shares commonsense solutions to everyday work and life issues at http://corporatecowgirl.com
Vickie Mullins is a designer of logos and print collateral who shows her stuff at http://vickiemullins.wordpress.com
Stanley Bronstein, Mr. Achiever, motivates people to perform at their best. http://stanleybronstein.com
Suzanne Holman, a productivity coach, helps you earn the millions that you deserve at http://www.LessonsforYourMillionDollarLife.com
Suzy Graven, an inspiring speaker and life/business coach, offers a fresh perspective for women who feel stuck in their professional and personal lives at http://articles.secretsofthesavvywoman.com
Stephanie Angelo helps organizations raise productivity by reducing domestic violence at http://hressential.com/wordpress
Quinn McDonald is a trainer, speaker, and life/creativity coach who blogs at http://quinncreative.wordpress.com/
Arlene Rosenberg, a professional and personal development coach and consultant, provides tips and tools to help executives and entrepreneurs get to the next level in business at www.leadingachievers.com
Jean McFarland at http://bulliesamongus.blogspot.com does consulting and speaking on cross-cultural and conflict-oriented business behaviors
And of course, I’d love to have you come back here and visit regularly - better yet, tell me what you’d like to see me write about!
Michelle
Posted in: Uncategorized • blogathon | Post a Comment »
July 18th, 2008, 4:35 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
Yesterday I promised you a quick and easy recipe for grilled vegetables for your Tuscan Salad so check it out. These are great this time of year - especially here in Phoenix, Arizona where nobody wants to cook inside!
Today I had leftover grilled veggies in a panini for lunch - just spread a little pesto and sprinkle some cheese for an amazing grown-up version of grilled cheese sandwiches. Tomorrow we’ll buy whatever veggies look fresh and beautiful for grilling and serve them as a side dish to our dinner guests.
In health, ENJOY!
Michelle
Posted in: Healthy Recipes • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • grilled vegetables | 2 Comments »
July 17th, 2008, 9:52 am by Michelle May, M.D.
Speaking of simple, we spent a lovely rainy day in the Hinterlands above Brisbane, Australia where we had a fabulous late lunch that has become a favorite at home now too.
Hungry and wet, we found a quaint Italian restaurant amid all the shops of trinkets, antiques, and art. Since it was only a few hours before dinner with my sister-in-law’s family, Owen and I decided to share a Tuscan salad. It was light yet satisfying and full of nutritious, delicious ingredients. In other words, perfect!
As foodies, my husband (who happens to be a chef, lucky me) and I have long urged people to keep simple ingredients on hand to throw together easy salads, pastas, stir frys, wraps, and other quick meals. When you know you can have a wonderful dinner within minutes by chopping a few veggies, opening a jar, tossing in some dressing or sauce, it’s a lot easier to drive right past the expensive, greasy, predictable fast food joint.
Try your own version of this salad by combining any of the following ingredients:
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland, tasteless, or complicated. Just keep key ingredients on hand and be creative! For other simple, healthy recipes, visit http://www.amihungry.com/nutrition.shtml
Michelle (along with Chef Owen May)
Posted in: Healthy Recipes • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • grilled vegetables • Healthy Recipes • Hinterlands • Tuscan salad | 4 Comments »
July 16th, 2008, 2:28 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
While we were in Australia visiting my sister-in-law, I had the opportunity to observe her twin ten month old boys and three year old daughter. Here I am at a restaurant entertaining one of the twins who’d lost interest in eating once he was full:
The children affirmed my belief that the solution to resolving our weight problems is to go back to eating like we did when we were kids. Here are five things they did consistently:
- They only ate when they were hungry. On the occasion when they were eating simply for fun (a taste of mum’s scone), one or two bites was plenty.
- They stopped when they were full - even when mum tried to coax them into eating more.
- They only ate what they liked - and they liked a surprising variety of foods. How much less food would adults eat if we skipped the so-so stuff?
- They used up their energy playing, exploring, and growing. TV was just too boring to hold their attention compared to learning new things.
- When they were tired, they slept.
We’re making weight management too hard! It’s time to get back to the basics.
Michelle
Posted in: Healthy Attitudes • Healthy Families • Intuitive Eating • Uncategorized • feeding children • hunger • Intuitive Eating | 4 Comments »
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