Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
July 14th, 2008, 7:47 am by Michelle May, M.D.
Today I need to take a quick side trip from my series on healthy eating while traveling. Over the weekend I read a blog about taking risks and it dawned on me that three years ago this week, I left my medical practice of 14 years. I loved my patients but I had developed a passion for helping people break free from yoyo dieting. This anniversary inspired me to look back at something I wrote right after I made that risky decision. I hope it will inspire you today.
It was scary to contemplate leaving the security of a successful career as a family physician to pursue my dream of creating resources for people done with dieting. Once I made the decision to step off into the unknown, I was flying! Instead of regret or fear, I felt grateful for the people and experiences I had to leave behind. Ahead of me I saw (and still see) infinite possibilities and the freedom to choose among them. As I soar (and sometimes drift), I continue to sense purpose and growth.
What is the view like from where you are flying—or standing? Are you content or afraid? Are you inspired or tired? Are you planning or paralyzed? Are you making a difference or making excuses?
These choices are yours to make. Whether it’s your health, your career, your environment, or your relationships, you cannot control everything that happens to you. But you can choose how you will respond. Fortunately most of your decisions won’t require you to leap from the security of your job or family. But they will require you to either change your attitude or take purposeful action to change your altitude.
Enough of the bird’s eye view. What will it take for you to make a change?
- First, take a look around. Perhaps your situation is good—but your attitude isn’t. It may be hard to tell the difference because what you expect is usually what you get. If you leave the circumstances but take your negative attitude with you, you won’t move forward. As trite as it may sound, when you look for the best in each person and each situation, you will usually find it. Perhaps you need to try that before you jump up and down in the same spot.
- Once you’re aware that you need to make a change, accept the path that brought you here. Getting lost in regret or stuck in the past will keep you from moving forward. Good or bad, every step along the way has meaning and significance.
- First consider your options. This is no time for “yeah buts.” Let your imagination explore the infinite possibilities, even those you wouldn’t ordinarily consider. As you look at each opportunity, what is the worst thing that could happen? What is the best thing that could happen? How do these outcomes line up with your values, your passions, and your purpose?
- Even when it’s necessary, change is difficult because there’s comfort and security in staying where you are. Beware of your internal resistance that will look for all of the reasons you should stay put. Remember the power of inertia. A body at rest stays at rest.
- If you choose change, empower yourself to take small meaningful steps. Do you want to rid yourself of a limiting habit or develop a new skill? Do you need to do some research or talk to an advisor? Is it time to test the waters or chart your course? Any action, no matter how small, will energize more action. A body in motion stays in motion.
- Change won’t always come easily so be gentle with yourself. You are bound to have false starts and make many mistakes along the way. I do. Just remember that there are no failures, only lessons.
The hardest part for me was walking to the edge and looking out. After that, a little nudge was all it took. The risky leap has paid off in personal happiness and the ability to control my own destiny. Now I’m able to serve many others in a way that wasn’t possible while I stayed on deck. Risky - but well worth it!
When was the last time you looked beyond your comfort zone to see the possibilities? What are you waiting for?
Michelle
http://www.michellemaymd.com/
Posted in: Healthy Attitudes • Uncategorized • Changing careers • Positive attitude • power of thought • risk taking | 6 Comments »
July 11th, 2008, 7:58 am by Michelle May, M.D.
We flew to Brisbane, Australia then drove to Maroochy River where we rented a fully furnished apartment in the house next door to my sister-in-law’s home. It was great to have a kitchenette so we could fix our own breakfast and the snacks of our choice and a private space to relax between activities.
The houses were about halfway up a steep road with a “yield for kangaroos” sign at the bottom. Though I never saw a kangaroo on that road, my two+ mile morning walks revealed incredible views of the Maroochy River, the Pacific Ocean and the farmland far below.
Even when I’m staying at a hotel in the middle of a city for more than a day or two, I ask the concierge for a walking map. I have a lot of friends that hit the hotel treadmill but when possible, I prefer to get my exercise while I explore the area outside on foot. I always feel more connected and refreshed for my presentations or meetings.
Travelers’ Fitness Tip: A vacation or travel for work is a good time to take a break from your usual exercise routine. Walking, jogging, or hiking will give you a flavor for the area while bumping up your stamina and calming your mind. If that’s not possible (because of safety, weather or time constraints), try a new piece of equipment in the hotel fitness facility, find a nearby yoga studio, or do a few minutes of floor exercises in your room. The return on your investment will be huge.
Posted in: Active Lifestyle • Healthy Travel Tips • Uncategorized • exercise • Fitness while traveling • Maroochy River • staying fit while traveling | 1 Comment »
July 7th, 2008, 1:53 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
As Stanly pointed out, although my son Tyler seems to effortlessly eat exactly what he needs, most of the rest of us need to conscioulsy override or work with our Clean Plate tendencies. For example, at Jack Stacks, Owen and I decided to split a platter that included smaller portions of several of their most popular meats and side dishes. When it came we found it hard to believe that one person could eat it all but the waiter insisted they do!
You’ve probably heard lots of advice about cutting back on portion sizes; the tips section below outlines some specific strategies for doing just that. However, my best advice is to shift away from thinking about portions in terms of calories (an external measure that can result in feelings of deprivation) to thinking about them in terms of how you’ll feel (an internal measure that results in positive feelings).
In other words, it’s not about being good, it’s about feeling good. How many times have you ruined a fabulous meal by eating so much that you felt stuffed and miserable afterward?
I love to share meals with my husband, my daughter, or my friends. I call it “co-ordering and co-eating.” The meal is more of a shared experience; we get more variety and just the right amount of food, usually for less money. And the big bonus is that we feel comfortable and energetic when we’re through.
Food Lovers’ Restaurant Tip: Portion sizes at many restaurants are large enough for two – think of it as “Two for the price of one.” You can share an appetizer or a salad and split an entrée; you can order two entrees and have some left to take home; or you can share an entrée and a dessert. If you don’t want to share with someone, get your to-go container before you start eating and put some aside for another meal. You’ll get to enjoy it all over again!
Posted in: Healthy Families • Healthy Travel Tips • Intuitive Eating • Mindful Eating • Uncategorized • dealing with large portion sizes at restaurants • portion control • portion distortion | 1 Comment »
July 6th, 2008, 7:03 am by Michelle May, M.D.
While I was in meetings, my family was on their own. My son Tyler who is 17, tall and thin, told me they ate breakfast at the old fashioned Harvey House Diner in historic Union Station before visiting Science City. He ordered a cinnamon roll for $2.99 that turned out to be as big as a plate (“It made a Cinnabon look like an appetizer!”).
As a person who has maintained his instinctive ability to manage his weight with no effort whatsoever, he ate 3/4 of it and wasn’t hungry again until early afternoon. (To find out whether you are an Instinctive Eater, take this quiz.)
I don’t believe in being overly restrictive or shaming my kids into eating healthy but this did prompt a conversation about what would happen if we ignored our bodies’ nutrition needs for the next three weeks. They were more selective the next couple of mornings but he still says it was the best cinnamon roll he’s ever had!
Effortless Weight Management Tip: Your choices don’t need to be perfect every time to reach and maintain a healthy weight. In fact, people who eat instinctively can eat whatever they want so they’re able to balance eating for enjoyment with eating for nutrition. When they choose a less than healthy food, they don’t eat it all because they’ve “already blown it.” They don’t feel guilty which for most people just leads to more overeating. And they don’t use exercise to punish themselves when they overeat. Instead, they practice intuitive eating: They eat what they want, enjoy it without guilt, and use the fuel for their active lifestyle. When their fuel tank is low, they eat again.
Posted in: Healthy Families • Intuitive Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • eating without guilt • feeding children • Healthy Families • Intuitive Eating • large portions • Restaurants at Union Station • weight managment | 4 Comments »
July 3rd, 2008, 6:16 am by Michelle May, M.D.
My travels began with a three day meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on the Health of the Public. Nice opportunity to consider my OWN health while discussing issues and initiatives important to the American people!
Since we had nearly three weeks of travel ahead, I decided to try to stick to my usual eating habits as much as possible when possible and save my “eating for fun” for when it mattered. I held my breath as I surveyed the breakfast offerings. All too often conference breakfasts consist of just Danish and coffee. That always struck me as odd since they need attendees to be alert and productive all the way until lunch. Luckily at this meeting there was a nice spread of other breakfast choices each day including eggs, fresh fruit, cereal and skim milk so that meal was easy.
They did an equally good job with lunches – salad with chicken one day and pasta with a nice tomato-based sauce loaded with vegetables the other. Even the dessert was a light angel food cake with strawberries. However, it’s still easy to overeat at conference banquets unless you stay conscious. They serve warm rolls with butter while you’re waiting to be served. They spoon way too much dressing (if you don’t say “enough!”) on your salad topped with croutons, cheese and bacon. The servings are usually too large, especially the inexpensive fillers like pasta and rice. And the icing on the cake (literally) is some type of dessert (though I love it when it’s already on the table rather than surprising me with it when I am already full!).
I don’t know about you but that’s way more than I usually have for lunch. So why would we suddenly throw our common sense out the window? Because meetings and conferences are loaded with triggers for overeating. You sit through long meetings so you may subconsciously feel like you’ve “earned” it. Then suddenly there’s all this free food just sitting in front of you. When you become distracted by socializing or networking during the meal, you lose track of how much you’ve eaten.
Meeting Tip: The key to handling the abundant food at meetings and conferences is to remain selective and mindful. Don’t abdicate the responsibility for how you’ll feel all day to the meeting planner or hotel staff who selected the menu. Choose the items and the portions that nourish you rather than mindlessly eating whatever is offered. That doesn’t mean “Don’t eat the roll and butter.” It means decide consciously. If you eat the roll, all the pasta they serve you, AND all of the dessert, how will you feel in an hour? Probably uncomfortable, drowsy, and foggy. But don’t worry; you’ll probably wake up in time for the afternoon cookie break!
For more, read my article “Three Questions to Make the Perfect Food Choice Everytime.”
Posted in: Head Hunger • Healthy Travel Tips • Mindful Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • conscious eating • Eating at conferences • eating at meetings • Mindful Eating • mindless eating • overeating triggers | 4 Comments »
July 2nd, 2008, 8:37 am by Michelle May, M.D.
During our recent trip to Kansas City, I ate two meals a day during my meetings then ventured out in the evenings with my husband and two teenagers for great Kansas City fare. Even at home we try to eat dinner together most nights of the week so it’s a real treat when we don’t have to do the cooking!
I think our favorite family meal was at Lydia’s Kansas City (Lydia also has Italian cookbooks and a cooking show on PBS ). We all ordered the homemade pasta trio they make fresh in the basement kitchen. Chefs moved around the dining room refilling any (or all) of the pastas from large, hot skillets.
The four of us had a great time playing “Name the Secret Ingredient,” a game we made up on the spot. By tasting each dish mindfully, we identified capers, butternut squash, nutmeg, lemon, and other subtle but delicious flavors. The chefs seemed concerned though. I guess they thought we didn’t like the food because we turned down refills on all but a little more of each of our favorites. I suppose they’re used to people eating until they can’t eat another bite.
Restaurant Tip: The key to feeling satisfied is to value quality over quantity. Slowly and mindfully savor small portions of rich, flavorful foods. Even free refills are no bargain if you feel stuffed and miserable when you’re finished eating.
P.S. We created our version of the butternut squash ravioli with walnuts this week (see photo of our version below).
Posted in: Healthy Families • Healthy Travel Tips • Mindful Eating • Nutrition for Non-Dieters • Uncategorized • family meals • homemade ravioli • Lydia's Kansas City • Mindful Eating | 2 Comments »
July 1st, 2008, 6:07 am by Michelle May, M.D.
As I said in my last post before I hit the road, June was a big travel month for me. I made lots of notes about handling challenging situations when it comes to eating, physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Every day in July my posts will chronicle my trips and provide practical applications you can use to manage your weight EVEN (or more accurately, ESPECIALLY) if you love food.
The first leg of our trip was Kansas City; strange stop for a trip down under, I know. I was there to participate in a meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission on the Health of the Public. The rest of my family had never been to Kansas City so we added it to the beginning of our trip.
We arrived in Kansas City in late afternoon. After checking into our hotel, we went to the lounge at Skies, a revolving restaurant on top of the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. (You might remember that hotel from the atrium walkways that collapsed in 1981 killing 114 people.)
We had a beautiful, panoramic, 360 degree view of Kansas City. Because it was two hours ahead of Phoenix, we weren’t hungry enough to eat dinner yet so we ordered a quesadilla to share. This simple appetizer was beautifully presented, resembling the skyscape below. We each had just a few bites and with the views of the city slowly parading by, we all felt satisfied.
Travel Tip: Keep in mind that food should be enjoyable but doesn’t always have to be the main event. Focus on the ambience, the occasion, and your company while you indulge yourself in a few moments of relaxation.
Posted in: Healthy Travel Tips • Mindful Eating • Uncategorized • healthy restaurant dining • Kansas City • Skies • walkway collapse | Post a Comment »
June 30th, 2008, 6:32 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
June was a full month of business and leisure travel—and wonderful meals enjoyed without the bitter taste of guilt to spoil them. Since people sometimes ask, “What exactly do you eat?” I’ve decided to chronicle my recent trips with a tip-a-day throughout July to show you Am I Hungry?® mindful eating strategies in action.
I’ll be sharing short stories, tips and photos based on my recent travels to Kansas City, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, California, Nevada, and Washington. During July, I’m also headed to Ohio and New York City (my first visit there).
Several of my friends have committed to blogging daily throughout the month of July too. Take a moment to visit their blogs during our “blogathon”:
http://bikewithjackie.blogspot.com/
http://www.thephoenixtraveler.com/
http://www.blingmybooth.com/
http://www.conspiracyoflove.net/
http://blog.thegoodnessgrows.com/
http://www.corporatecowgirl.com/
http://hressential.com/wordpress
http://mullinscreative.blogspot.com
http://www.nonfictioneditor.wordpress.com/
http://quinncreative.wordpress.com/
http://vickiemullins.wordpress.com/
http://www.leadingachievers.com/
http://www.lessonsforyourmilliondollarlife.com/
http://stanleybronstein.com/
Let the blogging begin!
Michelle
Posted in: Uncategorized • blogathon • eating without guilt | 6 Comments »
June 1st, 2008, 1:05 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
For most of June I will be traveling - Kansas City, Brisbane Australia, Auckland New Zealand, and Fiji for my family’s summer vacation. This one is coming to you from the airport in Kansas City.
While we’re traveling I’ll be making notes for future blogs to answer some of the most common questions I hear from people about how to practice a healthy lifestyle under some of the most challenging social conditions:
• Business meetings and conferences
• Dining out
• Airports
• Vacations
• Eating with your family
• Special occasions
If you’ve followed my blogs or visited my website, you already know that I’m NOT going to focus on what you should or shouldn’t eat. Instead this is more of a “have your cake and eat it too” approach.
I will share practical ideas about how mindful eating can you bring more enjoyment from eating - without deprivation, obsession, or having to lose that extra five pounds when you get home.
My plane is boarding but check back – I’ll even tell you how my husband, kids (17 and 13), and I handle twenty four hours straight in airports and airplanes!
Posted in: Uncategorized • eating healthy while traveling | 1 Comment »
May 23rd, 2008, 6:59 pm by Michelle May, M.D.
Even healthy doctors end up on the other side of the stethoscope sometimes. No worries; I’m fine now but the experience was a wonderful reminder of how valuable it is to be able to “sit” with discomfort rather than trying to push it away.
Recognizing that I needed to have surgery, I found myself dreading the pre-op clear liquid diet. A person who names her company “Am I Hungry?” wouldn’t intentionally ignore her hunger signals, would she? As I stocked up on tea, Jell-O, and bullion, I realized that I actually felt anxious about going 36 hours without food. The anxiety reminded me of times in the past when I automatically reached for food to make other uncomfortable feelings go away, like boredom or feeling overwhelmed.
When I made the connection between how I felt just anticipating the discomfort of hunger (which I knew I would survive) and the discomfort of stress and other triggers (which I also knew I could survive), I realized that I had been given a gift. I had an opportunity to mindfully experience something I wouldn’t have voluntarily chosen but had no choice but to endure. The moment I stopped resisting the idea and began to embrace it instead, my whole perspective shifted.
I became alive and in tune with my body and everything that was going on around me. I had previously considered canceling my morning hike because of the fast ahead, but now I relished every step, knowing it would be several weeks before I could climb my favorite trail again. Afterward I treated myself to one final yoga class and settled easily and deeply into “corpse pose” at the end of my practice despite the audible grumbling of my stomach.
As the day progressed, I simply noticed the details of each level of hunger as I passed through it: hunger pangs > growling > emptiness in the pit of my stomach > distracted by thoughts of food > headache > difficulty concentrating > irritability. Why does every commercial seem to be about food? And why is my husband eating in front of me?
Since eating anything more than a cup of broth was not an option, I remained calm and introspective. Other than feeling less energetic than usual, nothing bad happened. The hunger would subside then come back stronger awhile later to remind me that I was still ignoring it.
All too often, we resist any sort of physical or emotional discomfort. As soon as we notice loneliness, anger, fear, stress, pain or other unavoidable suffering that comes with being human, we turn on the tube, shovel food in our mouths, have a glass of wine – or sometimes all three simultaneously. It’s as though we believe we can tune it out, shove it down, or drown it. Sooner or later, it comes bubbling back up to the surface, so we reach for our next quick fix.
What’s your fix? Shopping? Work? Sex? Chocolate? Exercise? Dieting? Perfection? It doesn’t matter; none of them work for long because what you resist, persists; and the longer, the stronger.
In our “gotta feel good all the time” culture, we’ve been taught that buying more, eating more, or achieving more will keep us happy all the time. This is the greatest lie ever told and perhaps it is keeping you trapped in an endless quest to avoid feeling anything at all.
To be clear, your emotional and physical feelings (both wonderful and painful) are your body’s way of communicating your needs with you. Rather than pushing them away with food or some other quick fix, practice observing them, accepting them, even embracing them. Here are some ways you can sit with your feelings when you’re ready to try it:
• Become aware of your breathing.
• Watch your feelings ebb and flow naturally.
• Write your feelings down, unedited, using a journal, computer or even a scrap of paper.
• Complete the sentence: I feel… or I am… For example, “I feel lonely,” or “I am angry with my boss” or “I am worried about my children.”
• Discuss your feelings with a trusted friend or family member.
• Seek the assistance of a counselor or therapist if you feel overwhelmed, scared or unable to identify or work through your emotions.
When I woke up in pain after surgery, my first impulse was to tense up and somehow try to make it go away. From somewhere, the lessons I learned during my fast emerged. I took a few deep breaths, asked for a back rub, and was soon back asleep. Sixty hours passed before I ate again (who knew hospital eggs could taste so good!).
I am grateful for the experience and to be honest, glad it was only temporary. I absolutely don’t advocate fasting for weight loss and I’m not convinced that it’s necessary for cleansing despite all the crazy claims out there. However, that feeling of peace in the face of discomfort helped me finally understand why people fast for spiritual reasons.
It also left me more convinced than ever that asking yourself, “Am I hungry?” when you feel like eating is a wonderful first step for tuning into your true needs. But next time, instead of rushing in to make yourself feel better, simply remain present to the experience and the lessons you might discover in that moment.
To read the full article, go to http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-05-08.pdf
Copyright 2008 Michelle May, MD
Posted in: Head Hunger • Uncategorized • Fasting • hunger • mindfulness • pre-op prep • quick fix • tolerating emotions | Post a Comment »
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