Peel Away the Layers

First, clearly identify your personal reasons for making a change. It’s important to peel away the layers to make sure you get to the heart of your motivation. Some sources of motivation are internal: thoughts and feelings like fear or longing. Others are external: events, people, situations or rewards that inspire you. Both internal and external motivators can fuel the process of change, especially when you tap into those that create strong emotion for you. These powerful motivators will keep you moving in the right direction.

Candace was surprised to discover that what she really wanted was more significant than she initially thought:

I stopped setting New Years Resolutions several years ago. Before that it was the same thing every year: 1. Lose Weight. 2. Exercise. Who wants to keep failing year after year? However, as I “mature” I realize that “losing weight and exercising” isn’t really what matters to me so that’s why my resolutions just left me feeling deprived and guilty. What I really want is to experience more enjoyment in my life and to feel more vibrant and healthy. This year I’ve decided to set two resolutions that inspire me:

1. Practice mindful eating during at least one (if not all) of my meals each day.

2. Find opportunities to move more every day.     

Here are ten tried and true tips to help you set succesful New Years Resolutions.

Motivation Top 10  

1.       Why Now? In order to identify your own powerful motivators, take out a piece of paper and answer these two questions: 

• Why is it important to me to make a change (for example, stop yoyo dieting)?
• Why do I want to make this change now, at this point in my life?

Now, think about what you’ve written and challenge yourself to dig deeper to uncover even more meaningful answers. Ask yourself the two questions again: So why is that important to me? And why now? You may need to ask the “why” questions a few times to peel back the layers and get to the personal inspiration that’s the fuel for meaningful change. You’ll know you’ve hit on something important when you experience a strong emotion.

2.       Set Goals. You wouldn’t start out on a trip without knowing where you’re going, would you? Visualizing your endpoint will help you determine the path for getting there so your brain has a detailed map to follow. See http://amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-12-07.pdf to learn how to set Meaningful Magnetic New Years Resolutions.

3.       Start Small. One of your greatest sources of motivation is seeing progress. If you’re having a hard time getting started, ask yourself, “What is the smallest goal I could set that I’d be likely to achieve?” and start there. Keep in mind that your goal isn’t perfection, it’s direction.

4.       Be Consistent. Consistency is one of the keys to creating a habit. For example, if your goal is to walk five days a week or to start meditating daily, write it down on your calendar or on your “to do” list then treat it like any other important commitment.

5.       Be Flexible. Too often, people wait for the perfect time to make a change, like getting more exercise. It’s unlikely the perfect time will ever come—and it won’t last anyway—so make fitness fit into your life just the way it is today. When life gets in the way (and it will), adjust your routine so you can still fit it in.

6.       Use Reminders. Your motivation can fade simply because you’ve lost touch with what inspired you in the first place. Create reminders to keep your source of inspiration top of mind. Some examples: If you’re motivated to eat healthier because you want to inspire your children, have them draw a picture of all of you at the dinner table or cooking together. If your goal is to be more active, set an alarm on your computer that reminds you to get up and walk around the office once every hour. If you want to eat more mindfully, wear an Am I Hungry? bracelet (see below) or download a sign from http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/am-i-hungry…if-not-sign.pdf to put on your refrigerator that says:

Am I hungry?

If not, then what I need ISN’T IN HERE!

7.       Anticipate Challenges. Set yourself up for success by thinking through possible challenges and come up with coping strategies ahead of time. When you make a mistake or get off track, consider it a learning opportunity. Use the feedback to create a plan for what you’ll do differently when that challenge comes up again. For example, if you find you can’t get yourself to the gym after you get home at night, take your exercise clothes to work with you. 

8.       Team Up. When you’re feeling low in motivation, you can borrow some from others around you. Find an accountability partner, exercise buddy, coach, personal trainer or support group. (I’d love to be part of your team to get your New Year off to a great start. See my 10^th Anniversary Bonus below!)

9.       Be Patient. One of the things I hear most frequently from people I work with is that although it takes time, they eventually reach a point where eating mindfully or being more active becomes natural. You may not feel that way initially so you’ll have to operate on faith that that it will get easier (unless you quit).

10.   Reward Yourself. Since it takes time to see results, come up with both small and large incentives to motivate yourself to reach your short and long term goals. For example, you could give yourself points for the minutes you spend exercising then trade them in for the time to do other things you enjoy too. And be sure to celebrate your success as you achieve the goals you’ve set.

Of course the greatest inspiration is seeing the fruits of your labor – and the greatest reward is in knowing that you’ve done your best.

Eat Mindfully. Live Vibrantly!

Michelle May, M.D.

http://www.amihungry.com/ 

Post from: Consumed

(Excerpt from Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don’t Work)

I love the holidays. For weeks, our family has been planning for the significant meals we’ll share. We’re each assigned to bring the traditional dishes we’ve become known for—and with our large family, there’s always plenty. During the blessing my uncle always gives thanks for the food that nourishes our bodies. Then the nourishment begins!

I know these types of gatherings take place all over the world, year after year. The comments are as traditional as the food. “Honey, this is the best turkey you’ve ever made. Please pass the potatoes and gravy again.” “I can’t eat another bite or I swear I’ll explode.” “Alright, just a little sliver of pie then.” After dinner people are sprawled out in front of the television, occasionally groaning or dozing off.

As much I love these special occasions, I now know that there’s an invisible line that I can cross if I’m not mindful. That line separates a great celebration with wonderful food from an afternoon of discomfort and regret. I constantly remind myself I live in a land of abundance where turkey and potatoes are available year round and food will always taste good. So why eat until I’m miserable? Why not enjoy the event and still feel good when it’s over? 

When you live in a land of abundance, deciding how much food you need to eat is critical for lifelong weight management and health. As importantly, when you eat the perfect amount of food, you’ll feel satisfied—just right!

Just Right

Think for a moment about how you feel when you’re satisfied. If you’re mindful, you’ll notice that as you become full, the flavor of the food goes from fabulous to just OK and it gets harder to give food and eating your full attention. You are content, fulfilled, and happy. You feel light and energetic and ready for your next activity.

When you eat more than you need, you’ll feel unnecessarily uncomfortable, sleepy and sluggish. Eating too much causes you to feel low energy so you may not want to be active. Of course your body will have no choice but to store the excess as fat. It can also lead to feeling guilty which often leads to even more overeating.

So what can you do to prevent overeating – and what should you do when it happens anyway?

Prevention is the Best Medicine

• Before you start eating, decide how full you want to be when you’re done. It’s fine to decide you want to be stuffed, as long as you’ve thought about the consequences.
• Estimate how much food you’ll need to eat to reach that level of fullness. Prepare, serve or order only as much as you think you’ll need; if you were served too much, move the extra food aside.
• Before you start eating, visually or physically divide the food in half to create a “speed bump.”
• Eat mindfully and check your fullness level when you hit that speed bump in the middle of eating, at the end of your meal, and again 20-30 minutes later.
• If your goal is to feel satisfied and comfortable, it will help to move away from the table or move the food away from you to signal that you’re done as soon as you are get even close.

Am I Full?

Some questions you might want to ask yourself to help you determine how full you are:

·         How does my stomach feel? Can I feel the food? Is there any discomfort or pain? Does my stomach full, stretched, full or bloated?

·         How does my body feel? Do I feel comfortable and content? Do my clothes feel tight? Is there any nausea or heart burn? Do I feel short of breath?

·         How is my energy level? Do I feel energetic and ready for the next activity? Or am I sleepy, sluggish, tired or lethargic?

·         What do I feel like doing now?

If you’ve overeaten, sit quietly for a few moments and become completely aware of how you feel. Don’t beat yourself up; just focus on the sensations so you’ll remember them the next time you’re tempted to overeat. You may be less likely to repeat the mistake if you think through the consequences first.

Don’t Miss the Lesson

When you realize you’ve eaten too much, ask yourself, “Why did it happen?”  and “What could I do differently next time?” Turn your mistake into a learning experience.

There are a lot of reasons people eat past the point of satisfaction: habits, learned behaviors, past dieting, and mindless eating. For example:

“It was a special occasion.” You’re more likely to overeat if you only give yourself permission to eat enjoyable foods on special occasions. You don’t need an excuse to have a wonderful meal—so why use a special occasion as a reason to overeat? Ask yourself, “If this occasion is so special, why would I want to eat until I feel miserable?”

Here are some of the other holiday triggers you’ll learn how to handle in chapter 7 of Am I Hungry?

I felt obligated.

It tasted good so I just kept eating.

I wanted to taste everything.

I was afraid I wouldn’t get that food again.

I saved the best for last.

I ate food I didn’t enjoy.

I wasn’t paying attention as I ate.

I ate too fast.

I mindlessly picked at the leftovers.

I had too much on my plate.

I was keeping up with someone else.

I wanted to get my money’s worth.

I hate to let food go to waste.

I Ate Too Much! Now What?

Even people who eat instinctively sometimes overeat. However, although they may feel regretful and uncomfortable, they don’t typically feel guilty. They don’t think, “Well, I’ve already blown it; I might as well keep eating then start my diet tomorrow.” Instead, they just listen to their body and return to eating instinctively by allowing hunger to drive their next cycle. By listening to your body’s wisdom, you can compensate for occasional overeating.

After you overeat, wait and see when you get hungry again. Rather than continuing to eat out of guilt or by the clock, listen to your body. It probably won’t need food as soon so you may not be hungry for your usual snack or even your next meal.

When you get hungry again, ask yourself, “What do I want?” and “What do I need?” Don’t punish yourself or try to compensate for overeating by restricting yourself. If you try to make yourself eat foods you don’t really want, you’ll feel deprived and fuel your eat-repent-repeat cycle. Trust and respect what your body tells you because it’s likely that it will naturally seek balance, variety and moderation. You might notice that you’re hungry for something small or something light—maybe a bowl of soup or cereal, a piece of fruit or a salad.

Lastly, don’t use exercise to punish yourself for overeating; instead be active all the time and use the fuel you consume to live a full and satisfying life.

Eat Mindfully. Live Vibrantly!

Michelle May, M.D.

Post from: Consumed

Here are a dozen ways to keep from having to loosen your belt while you tighten it:

1.      If you’re facing a financial (or any other) challenge, use it as an opportunity to reassess your priorities. Isn’t your health your most valuable asset?

2.      Practice mindful eating; you’ll eat less by enjoying it more. For more on mindful eating, see my article “Leave the Stuffing for the Turkey” http://amihungry.com/pdf/newsletter-11-07.pdf

3.      Treat yourself to small quantities of high quality foods; for example savor one square of imported chocolate instead of scarfing a whole bag of a bargain brand.

4.      Learn to cook or teach someone else how to. It costs less and it’s a great way to spend time with your family passing on valuable skills to your kids. (Shameless Plug: You may be interested in my daughter’s brand new cookbook called Veggie Teens at www.VeggieTeensCookbook.com.)

5.      Try new healthy recipes. Surf the Internet for recipes for ethnic foods, use of new ingredients, or new ways to prepare familiar foods.

6.      Don’t skimp on healthful ingredients.

-      Fruits and Veggies: Buy in season; shop farmer’s markets; join a co-op; grow your own; buy frozen; add plenty to soups, stews and pastas to stretch your meal and your nutrients.

-      Whole Grains: Buy brown rice, oatmeal, cereals and other whole grain products in bulk or economy sizes. Shop for whole grain breads at bakery outlet stores and club stores (bread freezes well).

-      Low Fat Dairy: Buy generic/store brands or buy name brands on sale; buy economy size yogurt and transfer to single portion containers as needed; shred your own cheese.

-      Lean Protein: Experiment with a variety of dried beans and lentils; buy lean cuts of meat on sale and freeze for later.

7.      Take your lunch to work. You’ll save money and calories.

8.      Entertain at home; light candles, put on beautiful music, and use your best dishes. Follow dinner with a long walk, a great DVD, or game night.

9.      When you eat out, share meals or take half home for a second meal. Most restaurant serving sizes are large enough to make every meal two-for-the-price-of-one.

10.  Maintain or start a balanced fitness program. It’s a great stress reliever and will increase your energy and improve your outlook.

11.  Exercise doesn’t have to be expensive. A few ideas: walk with friends, bring your dusty exercise equipment in from the garage, check out fitness DVDs from the library, or take a yoga class at a community center.

12.  Instead of reaching for food, build your inventory of other coping strategies such as journaling, talking, reading, playing music, painting, praying, and meditating.

You may not be able to control economic inflation – but you can prevent your own!

Copyright 2008 Michelle May MD

Post from: Consumed

1.      As prices rise, you may be more tempted to go for the bargains, for example:

-      Ordering the super meal deal and saying yes to upsizing.

-      Purchasing the large, economy packages, forgoing the more expensive smaller sizes and portion-controlled packaging.

2.      On a limited budget you may choose quantity over quality, for example:

-      Going to the all-you-can-eat buffet instead of that cute little bistro that serves small portions.

-      Buying mac ‘n cheese on special instead of fresh fruits and veggies.

3.      Compared to many other forms of entertainment, eating is less expensive.

4.      As it becomes more difficult to afford luxuries like a new car, a bigger home or fancy vacations, you may turn to an excess amount of food to experience a sense of abundance.

5.      Being distracted by money worries can lead to mindless munching.

6.      You may turn to food to soothe stress, anxiety and uncertainty.

7.      Your body may store fat more easily when you’re under stress.

8.      Loss of control in one area of your life may cause you to feel out of control in other areas, such as your eating or exercise patterns.

9.      Financial stress may trigger memories of prior food scarcity. For example:

-      Perhaps there was a lot of competition for food in your family when you were a kid.

-      Your family’s lack of money meant you really did need to clean your plate.

10.  Worry can keep you up at night. Inadequate sleep can contribute to weight gain in several ways:

-      Physiological changes occur that lead to more efficient fat storage

-      When you’re tired you may reach for food as a quick pick-me-up

-      You may not handle stress as well, leading to overeating to cope

11.  You may give up exercise time to work a few more hours.

12.  You may give up your gym membership or personal trainer to save a few dollars—a big mistake if exercise was helping you manage stress and your weight.

In my next post I’ll give you 12 ways you can keep from having to loosen your belt while you tighten it.

Post from: Consumed

Here’s one innovative resource I think you’ll love: www.SpacesToPlay.org, a great website that provides links to play spaces throughout Maricopa County. Listings include parks, public golf courses, skateparks, dog parks, basketball courts, ball fields, tennis, swimming…well you get the idea.

Each listing includes maps, details, amenities - just about anything you need to know to play in Maricopa County. So what are you sitting around for???

Post from: Consumed

Literally in our back yard is South Mountain Park, the largest municipal park in the country. It would take almost all day to hike the 15 miles end to end. There are numerous shorter side trails that offer a variety of scenery, views and level of difficulty. There’s something for everybody.

For the last ten years I’ve hiked in South Mountain one to five times a week, mostly Telegraph Pass. I considered writing a description that would compel you to try it out for yourself but the truth is I’m just not all that sure I want all of you out there.

Suffice it to say, within just a few hundred steps, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the desert with only occasional glimpses of pink tiled roofs to remind you that you’re so close to home. Ok, ok. If you want more details and maps, you can look them up yourself. 

What you won’t find on that website is a description of the other hikers that have discovered this treasure. It isn’t a parade like some of the trails in the middle of Phoenix, but unless you’re the first one in or the last one out, you’re bound to cross paths with some of them. Many are regulars and though I don’t know their actual names, they are a familiar and welcome part of my hike.

First Timers: They carefully gaze at the map at the base of the trail. You’ll overhear them saying something like, “A mile and a half one way doesn’t sound too bad.” And it’s really not. The first mile is mostly flat - and the first half mile is even paved. It’s that last half mile that gets you. Skip it the first few times if you want.

Alone But Not Lonely: These hikers fall into two subtypes – those who appear deep in thought and those who scale the mountain to whatever beat their i-Pod is pumping out. Either way, they seem to be enjoying what may be the only hour to themselves all day.

Coffee Klatch: These women travel in twos and threes and hike early before work or after their kids are safely on the school bus. You’ll hear just snippets of their conversations as you pass, like “My boss was caught…”, “The entire cheer squad…”, and “…goes great with Sauvignon Blanc.” Beats spending four dollars at Starbucks.

Couples Connecting: Steeling away to plan the day or catch up when it is over, these pairs have found a great way to keep their bodies and their relationship in shape.  

Fitness Buffs: Easy to spot wearing sports bras and expensive heart rate monitors, these are runners rather than hikers. You’ll spot them gracefully flying down the mountain, barely skimming the rocks as they rush to make it to their 7 a.m. spin class.   

Melting Woman: It isn’t the heat. This woman seems to weigh another pound less every time I see her. I just had to tell her how much I admired her as we passed. She gave me a broad smile and tossed back, “Only another 30 to go!”   

Senior Warriors: These gray-haired marvels in wide-brimmed hats ward off advancing age with their weekly, and in some cases daily, treks up the mountain. They put most 30- and 40-somethings to shame. They always say hi and something about what a beautiful day it is. I silently promise myself that I’ll still hike when I’m their age too.

Doggy Bag Lady: This one is very rare. She doesn’t own a dog but takes ten or so doggie doo-doo bags from the stand and picks up other people’s dog poop as she walks. I thanked her one day and she simply said, “I’m just doing my little part to make the world a better place.” And a better place it is, indeed.

You’ll also pass photographers hoping for a smog-free view of the Valley from the top, backpackers training for a Grand Canyon rim to rim and mountain bikers that have to carry rather than ride their bikes up the steepest parts (I still haven’t figured that one out). You’ll see lots of dogs, a home-schooled child out for P.E. and an occasional cross country team. You probably won’t see a rattlesnake; I’ve only seen four in my hundreds of hikes - but I’m always on the lookout.

And you’ll probably see me. I’ll be the one with the dog, gabbing with my girlfriend, connecting with my husband, or by hiking myself deep in thought. If you say hi, I’ll say hi back.

Michelle

http://www.michellemaymd.com/meet-michelle.shtml

Post from: Consumed

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.)

Post from: Consumed

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/.

Post from: Consumed

What are the take-home messages?

It’s possible to be overweight and have a low risk for heart disease.

• This can be interpreted in a couple of ways: 1) Some people are just genetically lucky and 2) A healthy diet and exercise are important no matter what you weigh.
• Therefore, since you can’t do much about your gene pool, eat healthy and exercise no matter what your jean size!

It’s possible to be a normal weight but have risk factors for heart disease.

• In other words, don’t assume you get a free pass just because you still fit in your jeans.
• See your family doctor and find out your personal risk profile. Be sure to have your waist circumference measured too. (Waist circumference may be a better measure than just BMI).
• Follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly so your insides are as healthy as your outsides might look.

Here’s to breaking more stereotypes!
Michelle May MD
http://www.amihungry.com/

Post from: Consumed