Posted by Julie Kinney on Fri, May 14, 2010 @ 03:57 PM
Hi Everyone!
My name is Julie Kinney and I am a Personal Coach with Full Life. I would like to announce to you that I will be starting a *NEW* blog every Thursday called "The Mommy Post" and hope you will enjoy it! It will contain strategies and tips on how to eat healthfully and teach your children along the way, even though you are a busy Mom (or Dad). So often, we get caught up in what our children are doing that we forget about ourselves. I will hopefully offer you some insight on how you can do both!
In case you haven't read the About Me section on me, let me give you an idea of who I am....
I have been happily married for 7 years to a husband who travels often for work and coaches a high school sport, and I am a stay-at-home mom of 3 VERY busy children--aged 2 to 5. I also have my work with Full Life and an at-home business. While most of my energy is focused on my family, I make a concerted effort to take care of myself, although it is NOT always an easy task.
This new blog will give you some insight on how to lose or maintain your weight, teach your children about healthy eating and exercise to avoid childhood obesity, and have fun all at the same time!
Look forward to next Thursday!
Julie
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Wed, Dec 16, 2009 @ 12:15 PM
There are lots of low calorie products on the market designed to capture the calorie conscious consumer. None irk me more than the 100 calorie snack packs of your favorite high calorie cookies.
On the face of it, providing the consumer with a portion controlled calorie controlled option is not a bad idea. The problem with the snack packs is that no matter how you slice and dice it - 100 calories of oreos is still 100 empty calories - and it's easy to rationalize having another little bag because, after all, it's only another 100 calories.
Achieving Balance Weight Maintenance Tip #5 - Don't just count calories - make your calories count!
The key to making a healthy lifestyle change, and managing your weight more successfully, is changing your choices. Have fruit (around 16 calories per ounce) instead of cookies (around 100 calories per ounce), shakes instead of ice cream, potato wedges instead of potato chips... get more bang for your calorie buck by choosing more nutrition everytime.
Check out Full Life's Transition to Maintenance Guide for more tips, tools and strategies for long term, successful weight loss maintenance.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Sep 21, 2009 @ 08:09 PM
In maintenance it can be really difficult to remember how much you have accomplished. If you have a slip, you may forget all the things you are doing today that were new for you not too long ago.
Learning to appreciate your accomplishments is a sure way out of the "all or nothings" that plague a lot of us in maintenance. To lose weight, you stuck to your diet - but in maintenance - the decisions feel like constant negotiations. And they are! But making a bad decision for lunch doesn't ruin the day or the week or the month. A 1000 calorie lunch is a 1000 calorie lunch. Too many calories - yes... but not the beginning of the end and not a reason to go overboard either.
If you have $200 to spend at the mall and you spend $250 - do you spend the rest of the day buying everything in sight - only to vow to start sticking to your budget tomorrow (or next week, or after your birthday)? If so - you know that when the first of the month rolls around, the details of your splurge will show up on that 4 page credit card bill! Don't be surprised if they cut you off, too!
I can't tell you how many times I have heard, "I'm an all or nothing gal"... Move past that. Maintenance is technicolor even though it would be easier to see our food choices in black and white.
You eat the cheesecake at lunch - ok. But you still have the rest of the day to practice your healthy behaviors. You haven't jumped off the calorie cruise - just hovered over the edge. You can pull yourself back! Try a conversation with yourself that goes something like this, "Hey - that was really delicious cheesecake - and even though I didn't plan to eat it - it was there. It was there, so I ate it and that's perfectly normal. What can I do now to turn the day around and minimize the damage done to my calorie budget? Hmmm. The kids have a game later - instead of sitting by the sidelines, I will walk around the field a couple of times. It's been a long time since I had a piece of cheesecake - wow - come to think of it - I have done a really good job sticking to my healthy lifestyle plan for a year now. I'm going to get right back on my plan - I am going to go home and make my favorite HMR 120 chocolate shake with extra cocoa..."
It's OK if you slip. It's OK if you have a high calorie lunch. It's NOT OK to use a piece of cheesecake as a launching off point for your bottomless binge or spend a day beating yourself up.
Don't forget how far you have come. Don't forget all the good things you have learned to do for your health. Give yourself a pat on the back (even if you had cheesecake for lunch). And then get out and go for a walk!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Thu, Sep 17, 2009 @ 09:23 PM
When I speak to moms about their concerns for the kids' healthy lifestyle, I always say, "No Soda. None. Period."
Then the "Buts..." come...the ball game, the birthday party, the pizza night, a special treat...
I say No. No Soda. None. Period.
All the research that is not sponsored by the soda companies themselves says the same thing. Soda makes us fat. Soda makes our kids fat.
Try this: Right now - go to your kitchen and measure 17 teaspoons of sugar into your favorite coffee mug. 17. That's what's in a 20 oz soda. Now, I dare you to pour some coffee in there and try to drink it.
Here's what 17 teaspoons of sugar looks like.
Need more? Read this:
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2188612.html
So, the next time you consider "treating" yourself to a soda - consider what a treat is. And consider how you want to treat yourself and your kids.
No Soda. None. Period.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 @ 11:41 AM
For many of us, keeping up our healthy lifestyle routine is easier during the week than on weekends. But whether it's because we want to reward ourselves for a job well done, or because our social occasions center around food, or just because we have more free time on our hands - the weekends can be a weight management disaster.
In 2004 the International Journal of Obesity published an analysis of the lifestyle habits of people from the National Weight Control Registry and found that there was a direct correlation between dieting consistency throughout the week and weight change over a one year period.
In fact, people who maintained consistent health habits throughout the week were 58% more likely to maintain their weight within 5 pounds by the end of the year.
Letting go of your diet and exercise plan on the weekends can result in calories and pounds adding up fast - even though it feels like being "good" 4-5 days a week should cover it.
Let's say your weekday plan results in a 200 calorie deficit each day for M-Th. (-800 calories) On Friday - you don't have the pizza but you do have a couple of glasses of wine. (+ 300 calories). Saturday you go to a birthday party and have a small piece of cake. (+ 400 calories). Sunday, you skip your PA (+ 300 calories) and go out for chinese food with friends (+ 700 calories).
The weekend hasn't been outrageous - but the 800 calorie deficit you worked hard for all week has not only been been wiped out - but you end the week with an extra 900 calories. You'll gain about a pound a month - 12 months a year - and pretty soon the 50 pounds you worked so hard to lose is creeping right back up again.
Balance your weekend calories by adding in more PA, more V/F and more HMR shakes and HMR entrees. By over planning and adding structure - you can actually figure out how to fit the wine, cake and chinese food into your overall plan without weight gain. You may not be able to do them all in one weekend - but by being consistent with your habits and paying closer attention to the little things - you could save yourself a lot of calories (and pounds) over time.
Here are a few easy wins:
Have an HMR shake before you go out to the restaurant (if it saves you from the bread bowl you already come out ahead)
Have a double HMR entree with veggies before a birthday party and bring a fruit plate or veggie platter with you.
Keep HMR 70+ pudding packets in your purse or car for errand days so you don't end up in the food court - all you need is water!
Add in an extra bout of PA on the weekends - make it a fun and healthy way to spend time with family and friends.
Remember, just because it's the weekend for you - doesn't mean the calories don't count. When you let go of the "start over Monday" kind of thinking you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Sep 14, 2009 @ 11:56 AM
I just spent a wonderful week with a dear friend whom I have not seen for a long time. For me, it was a week of challenges to meet my healthy lifestyle - For her, it was healthy living boot camp.
Most of my family and friends live a very healthy lifestyle. One of the things that struck me during this week with my friend was how much I take that for granted.
When I make plans to spend the day with my Dad, I know at some point we will take a walk around the pond near his home. When I meet my sister for lunch it's always at a place we can get a salad or fresh fish and vegetables. It's customary for a day with friends to include some physical activity - a bike ride or a hike, a walk along the beach or a stroll through the city.
But last week was different. My friend prefered to drive rather than walk. I found myself having to choose between spending time with her and being physically active. While I ordered salads she ordered burgers and fries. I loved spending time with my friend but diet and exercise wise - I had a really hard time.
We did some walking and I still ate planty of fruits and vegetables and I think that by the end of our visit some of my healthy lifestyle skills had rubbed off on her. She talked about adding a daily walk to her routine back home. She had learned that the oil she cooked her rice in had more calories than the rice itself. She had seen first hand that to weigh less you can actually eat more when you eat fruits and vegetables.
Managing our weight in America is hard not only because we are surrounded by unhealthy choices - but because we live among friends and family who influence the choices we make one way or the other. More than 67% of Americans are overweight and obese. Most Americans don't eat enough fruits and vegetables or get enough physical activity. That's most of our friends and families.
So here's a shout out to you if you are the only one in your community of friends and family trying to make healthier choices. It's hard out there. But if you want to be different you have to be different - and who knows - maybe your healthy habits will eventually rub off on them, too.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 @ 03:18 PM
Do you have a piece of cake and then, (not wanting to have a second piece) find yourself cutting (and eating) a tiny slice of cake to make it even, then a corner here, maybe an edge there... just one more little...bite... In the presence of a tray of brownies I am likely to do this, even after having a second or third brownie - I will keep slicing off one bite at a time until I force myself to walk away.
I have learned over the years that I can only control my behavior (and my calorie intake) around brownies if I don't have the first bite. Not a small one, not a taste, not a nibble. In fact, it is much better for me to never be in the same room as brownies - but at times that is out of my hands. I do my best to avoid brownies at all costs... Why? - Because I will respond appropriately to brownies in my environment. I will eat them.
In Dr David Kessler's new book, The End of Overeating - Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, he quotes many research studies which show the powerful reinforcing qualities of certain types of foods. These studies show that animals are willing to work hard for those foods that are higher in sugar and fat, and hardest for those foods that combine the two. In one study, mice were rewarded with high sugar/high fat Chocolate Ensure after poking their noses into a hole a certain number of times. The sugar/fat combination in Ensure was so reinforcing to them that they poked their noses 77 times to receive their reward!
In fact, "The breaking point at which the animals will no longer work for the (sugar/fat) reward... is just slightly lower than the breaking point for cocaine."
In other words - when we are in the presence of foods which are reinforcing to us, foods which stimulate the pleasure centers of our brains, we are biologically driven to eat them. We will eat them even if we know we shouldn't. We cannot rely on willpower to overcome what is a natural and appropriate response to stimuli in our environment.
If you can't put the chips down and walk away from the bag, or you find yourself headed to the freezer for another bowl of ice cream even before you have finished the first one... you are not crazy, out of control, weak, or a failure. These are simply foods (often called trigger foods) that are so reinforcing to you that you are compelled to eat more of them.
The problem with the foods that are most reinforcing is that they are the same foods that are typically low in nutrition and high in calories. They are the foods that cause weight gain, or at the very least, make it more difficult to maintain your weight successfully. The solution is easy. Environmental control. To the best of your ability, keep those foods out of your environment. To the best of your ability, keep yourself out of those environments where those foods are readily available.
Here's a trick I use if I find myself contemplating having the box of _______________ in the house. I assume I will eat the whole box, figure out how many calories in the whole box and then decide if I really want to buy it. A box of brownie mix usually runs about 2400 calories... more than a week's worth of PA for me. (7 - 1 hour walks plus 4 yoga classes)
My trigger - brownies. I just have to walk away. Not a taste, not a nibble... not a bite. 'Cause I never met a tray of brownies I didn't like.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 @ 02:38 PM
Seems simple, really. And, if I had to pick one statement that would sum up years of clinical work as an HMR Health Educator it would be, "If it's there, you will eat it".
Had a couple of conversations with clients today. One was with a client who was struggling with her weight management this week because she had been eating too much candy. Candy is her downfall and occasionally she picks up a couple of bags of candy, brings it home, and then has trouble managing her calories because she eats the candy until it's gone. It might take a few days - and, if she's in a rut, she heads to the store for another bag to replace the one she's finished. We have worked on the candy eating for a long time.
In January she made a resolution to not buy bags of candy. She still ate candy occasionally, but she kept her not buying resolution for about 8 weeks and throughout that time she didn't gain any weight as a result of eating too much candy.
Another client had a breakthrough today - he actually lost weight while visiting his family for four days. Usually these visits are the perfect storm for overeating and underexercising - so he comes home discouraged, crabby and sluggish, usually having gained a pound or two. Family visits can be emotional, and he has blamed the emotional stress with his family for his struggle with his weight in the past.
"Wow! Great Job this week", I said - "What was different about this visit?"
"Well, the cabinets were empty when I got there, so I went out and bought fruits and veggies. Also, the dog was restless so I took her out about six times a day. One night we ordered chicken and steamed veggies form the Chinese Place, and my sister has been doing Weight Watchers so she didn't bring along her famous baked goods."
Which brings me to the logical negative of ,"If it's there you'll eat it"... "IF IT'S NOT THERE YOU CAN'T EAT IT!"
Client #1 eats candy because it is there. Client #2 stayed on track this week because the foods that he typically eats with his family were not there.
Dr. Kessler, former head of the FDA, has written a new book called, "The End of Overeating". One of his main messages is that overeating is not due to an absence of willpower, but a biological challenge made more difficult by the overstimulating food environment that surrounds us.
Control your environment if you want to succeed at weight management! Work on accepting the "If it's there...If it's not there..." rule, (which means stop kidding yourself that you are buying the goodies for the kids...) and you will make the changes necessary to be more successful managing your weight!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 @ 06:29 PM
After months of planning I am finally (mostly) moved in to my new place in Sausalito, CA. Everything has been turned upside down, my once familiar routines all in the past. And, while it has been great to start off on this new adventure, I find myself struggling to reestablish those behaviors that have helped me stay healthy, sane and happy in Boston.
I've been trying out new walks (and the hills around here are giving me a great workout!), checked out the yoga studio, and am on my way to the farmer's market for veggies this afternoon. It's all challenging and unfamiliar, yet, these are the things I must do to reconnect and get back on track.
My HMR shakes have been a lifesaver. On the road, I mixed up the puddings at rest stops. My blender was the first appliance to get unpacked so I could make my frozen blueberry and banana pick me up. Easy, nutritious, and familiar.
Moving is stressful - but you certainly don't have to move 3000 miles across the country to be faced with upsets in the routine. A job change, an unexpected guest, a new puppy... all of life's changes, great and small, can provide an opportunity to create new solutions to the challenges of living a healthy lifestyle. You can give in to the temptation to let it go... until... and, yes, I have to admit, that with all the added stresses in my life lately, some things have fallen to the bottom of the list...
But for me, there always comes the time when I get out my notebook, write down my goals, recommit to my health and uncover new strategies to help me get there, wherever there may be... As they say, "wherever you go - there you are".
So, this week, in addition to my HMR shakes, I will add more fruits and veggies - set my goals for 7 servings a day. I will add additional structured PA - 3 yoga classes - to my daily walk. I will commit to building on the basics that the HMR shakes have helped me keep in place - and begin to create a new set of strategies for health in my new digs.
It sure is good to be here!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Wed, May 20, 2009 @ 07:57 AM
I'm just about to take off for a drive across the country! I am really looking forward to the trip but worried about keeping up my healthy eating and exercise.
I've got the cooler packed and ready to go with apples and frozen blueberries, chobani yogurt, grapes, baby carrots and cold cooked potato wedges. So I've got the sweet, crunchy and salty covered. Also, packed some HMR Mexican Enchilladas (great over a salad), HMR Lasagna, HMR Chicken Pasta Parmesan, and HMR Cheese Ravioli - all of which are delicious at room temperature.
Using the HMR 70+ pudding will be an easy way to whip up breakfast and snacks - I can just stop and pick up a coffee cup, buy a bottle of water, stir and go.
I'll bring along a box of Kashi Go Lean Cereal to munch on or add to the yogurt and maybe a HMR Benefit Bar or two cut up in a baggie for a super sweet treat.
I've got a plan to stop every couple of hours for a ten minute walk (and will make sure this happens by drinking plenty of water!) so I can fit in all my PA in multiple short bouts.
It's a tough road out there when you're trying to manage your weight and health, but HMR makes it a little easier.
See you on the left coast!