Posted by Alicia Leeds on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 03:17 PM
"Can I have that?" is a question I often hear as a weight loss coach. And my answer is always the same.
You can have whatever you want to have, today, tomorrow, next week and next year... AND you will also have the consequences of those choices.
What most people really want to know is can they eat _______ and lose weight... and the answer to that question is usually... uhm, no.
When we want the consequences of our choices to change - we want to weigh less, we want to be healthier, we want to feel better, we have to back up and change our choices.
(Here is the HMR Calorie Chart that explains very simply how making different choices will help you manage your weight and health more effectively.)
Think of your food choices like your finances. The wine is like a trip to France and the chocolate cake is like a diamond bracelet. Of course you want them both! It's your birthday!
But you still have to pay the rent.
Living beyond your calorie budget is like putting all the extras on your AMEX, and the interest... compound, annually... on your waistline.
Having a health educator, personal trainer or Personal Coach can help you make better choices more consistently until those choices become habits and you build a healthier lifestyle. But no one can do it for you - and that's actually the good news. You have the power to change in any moment.
Say this, "I can have whatever I want to eat at any time, and I am making the choice to have ________ right now because the consequence I want is ______________".
So while we know that chocolate cake and weight loss don't go together in this statement, we can reaffirm our power to make the chocolate cake choice as long as we change the consequence. Say this a few times and it starts to get easier.
This statement EMPOWERS. Instead of saying I am eating this right now because I am tired, angry, celebrating, joyful, in the car, on a plane or at the movies, as though our choices happen to us, we can instead affirm our ACTIVE ROLE in choosing and thus take responsibility for the consequences.
Weight gain is not a result of having a birthday. But people say this to me, "I gained weight because it was my birthday."
I usually pause, uh huh... uhm, no. Not buying. Because... I do not believe that some demonic Betty Crocker forced chocolate upon you before allowing you another year of human life.
"I gained weight because it was my birthday" is like telling me birthday cake is inevitable and it just happened to you.
Try telling Bank of America you can't pay the rent because it's your birthday. You were in Tiffany's... "and the diamond bracelet looked so good and everyone else was wearing one... did I mention it was my birthday?" (it probably won't work on your spouse either)
Now say this; "I can have whatever I want to eat at any time and I am making the choice to have an Edible Arrangement because the consequence I want is to lose weight on my 50th Birthday"
Instead of focusing on the whys of your choices (emotion, location, expectation) confront the whats, the consequences of making the choices instead. It will be easier to change!
Yes, you can have it. And in America you can have it any time, any place, in any quantity, at any price AND for any reason! Have it your way! But Your choices = Your consequences. So You Decide.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 @ 02:32 PM
I have a bad shoulder lately. Not sure what I did, but as some of you know - what happens after 40 happens harder and longer.
I am frustrated by this because my yoga practice is a big part of my weekly Physical Activity and I now have to rest the shoulder during practice, do fewer down dogs and more child poses, and take days off in between classes to rest. In addition to that, I have to change the way I do things, change the way I position my hands on the floor, change the way I move from pose to pose. I have to unlearn my routines and make space for new ones.
And, I have to find some other type of PA to do on the off days. I don't want to.
But what I need to do to maintain my health doesn't change just because my shoulder is bumming me out right now.
As a weight loss coach I pull no punches when it comes to knowing what it takes to change, to lose weight and keep it off. It isn't easy and sometimes you just don't want to. That's OK.
But what you need to do to maintain your health doesn't change just because _____________
- your shoulder hurts
- it's raining outside
- your mother-in-law is here for a visit
- it's windy outside
- your boss brought in donuts
- I'm tired today (you're tired today)
- it's hot, sunny, humid, snowing, blustery, or partly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms...
What you need to do to lose weight doesn't change. What you need to do to maintain your health doesn't change.
The way you problem solve life's challenges does.
I have taken up swimming. It's inconvenient. I have to be semi naked in front of other people (ugh!). Worst of all I have to get wet which ruins my hairdo and my mascara.
But I LOVE it! Really! I love the quiet, the rhythm of my breath, the way I feel energized, clean, cool and refreshed. I get my heart rate up without pounding the pavement, dodging oncoming traffic or sweating it out amidst the whir of machines and TVs and music blasting on the gym floor. No shouting, pumping grunting or jumping. I swim!
My injury turned into an opportunity because I had to find a new solution.
In order to make long term lifestyle change give yourself some rules to follow. Rules like doing some type of PA every day. And eating 5 servings of fruits and veggies.
Then find the opportunity within every obstacle, recommit to your health with each challenge. And have some fun! Be the change you want to see in your own life and the world!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 06:10 PM
Last week I did a little research on Junk Drawers. I have one where all the little things I don't have a place for but I don't want to throw away right now end up. Every once in a while the drawer gets full and I need to take the time to clean it out.
Many of the people I queried have a Junk Drawer, too. What's in there? Broken toys, safety pins, the owners manual for the blender, a Bed Bath and Beyond Coupon, gum, staples, bandaids and a tiny snack pack of cashews from Jet Blue. (Your old HMR record book? that's there, too!)
The Junk Drawers are full of stuff (useful or not) that people have decided to deal with later and it occurred to me recently that "Having to Lose Weight" is like an emotional Junk Drawer for those of us who struggle with food and weight.
Think about it. You go to your mother's house and she says something and pretty soon you find your hand in the cookie jar. Or your coworker takes the credit for the multimedia project you worked hard on last month and suddenly you find yourself eating the stale donuts in the break room. Or Verizon is threatening to shut off your daughter's cell because she owes $600, and you find yourself polishing off the Cheezits as you write out a check.
Whatever you might be feeling about your parent, coworker, offspring (or maybe just the driver of the Hummer in front of you) goes into the emotional Junk Drawer and you find yourself snacking. Then as soon as you have finished off the pint of Ben and Jerry's, you hear the familiar voice say " why did I eat that?". And now what are you thinking about? "Having to Lose Weight".
So instead of dealing with being mad, frustrated, disappointed or upset with whatever situation is at hand, you're mad, frustrated, disappointed, and upset with yourself for doing what you always do which is eating your way out of the Junk Drawer. And you'll do it again until the Junk Drawer gets too full and you decide to clean it out. Yes, You are going on a diet.
So the next time Aunt Bessie comes over and she tells you what a delightful meal your sister prepared last week, but how she really does appreciate that your mother never taught you to cook and what could you do in this tiny kitchen you have anyway? And now you don't have any Cracker Jacks to fall back on... all of a sudden you have no Junk Drawer to put Aunt Bessie in. You are already dealing with "Having to Lose Weight", and so now you have to deal with Aunt Bessie, too.
Taking care of "Having to Lose Weight" is like gluing the Junk Drawer shut. Of course you could open other drawers like "Getting out of Debt" but that's Suze Orman's specialty.
I am not saying that the challenges we face in life are trivial like the items we throw in the Junk Drawer - I am saying that when we finally decide that "Having to Lose Weight" cannot be the Junk Drawer of our complicated lives - we get to face those challenges head on, right now. Do not pass Mickey D's do not collect a quarter pounder with a side of fries.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 @ 04:58 PM
In our quest to have better health, to lose weight or to improve our physical bodies... remember that giving thanks for the choices we are able to make in this moment can light our path to change.
When we pause with gratitude before downing a perfectly ripe apple we can become more aware of the process of nourishing ourselves. We can notice how eating is regenerating life's energies, and we can become more fully renewed.
Next time you grab an apple, think about what needed to happen for this moment to occur. Someone planted a tree which was fed by the earth and the sun and the rain in all the right proportions. Someone climbed a ladder and picked the fruit and put it in a bucket and someone else carried it to a truck which drove it to the store where someone else place it carefully on the shelves for you to purchase. All those people have families and hopes and dreams that they hold while bringing you the apple. And the apple itself holds the promise of all the elements of earth, air and rain - and will deliver them to you.
Then there's your perfect body - and no matter what you weigh or look like, believe in its perfection just for the moment - because your body knows what to do with the apple when you bite into it. All your cells come together to transfer the energies of the earth and the sun and the rain and all the other people who brought you the apple and turn all this into energy for you to use to live and love and fufill your dreams and realize your hopes - or just do the laundry - it doesn't matter.
The point is, when you take a bite you are connected, and for this, be grateful. Take a minute to say thanks for being able to make this choice for the sake of the your health, and appreciate the perfection in this moment. Know that each moment you are perfect, just as you are right now. Cultivating gratitude will light your way, allowing you to gently move forward on your path to change, with compassion, with love, and with forgiveness.
Posted by Monica Bautista on Sun, May 02, 2010 @ 11:41 AM
Happy Sunday to all! We hope you are enjoying a beautiful weekend.
Please take a moment to download our May Calendar of healthy living tips and ideas. Our focus this month is Exercise is Medicine. We encourage you to join us in recognizing and celebrating the valuable benefits of regular exercise. And, of course, if you need any help getting started or staying on track, give us a call!
Click here to download the calendar.
Posted by Natalie Deangelo on Fri, Apr 09, 2010 @ 05:38 AM
Happy Friday, Fighters!! I hope you had an active and healthy week!
Today's post is no April Fool's joke (although many thought so when word of KFC's new sandwich leaked on April 1st) and it has certainly shocked the staffers here at Full Life. Check out the post below from the blog 5 Blogs Before Lunch about KFC's new Double-Down sandwich.
KFC has made big strides in convincing Americans that "grilled" chicken could be a healthier, and tasty alternative to "fried" chicken.
So, when the fast food chain introduced a new sandwich on April 1, made up of bacon and Monterey Jack cheese snuggled between two "fried" chicken fillets as the "bun," it should come as no surprise that a lot of folks assumed this was an April Fool's prank.Unfortunately it wasn't.
The KFC Double Down, which the company describes as "so meaty there's no room for the bun" will launch April 12.
The sandwiches are backed with 540 calories, 32g fat and 1380mg of sodium.
Source: The Consumerist, 5 Blogs Before Lunch
Full Life's Take on FRIED BUN? Eat this and you certainly will not have Buns of steel! It would take 50 minutes of running at high intensity to burn this baby off. Not to mention, we're pretty sure this Double Down would have you doubled over after about 10 minutes. So remember Full Lifers, skip the fried bun and just go for the run. Your weight and your heart will be glad you did!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Thu, Oct 01, 2009 @ 10:00 AM
Turns out giving kids candy may endanger more than their teeth. A new study that will appear in the British Journal of Psychiatry in October reports a significant link between daily consumption of sweets in childhood and agressive behavior in adulthood.
Researchers found that 69% of participants who were violent by the age of 34 had eaten sweets almost every day whan they were children, compared with 42% of those who showed no agressive behavior. The association was consistant even after many other variables had been controlled for.
Giving children sweets on a daily basis is thought to stop children from learning how to wait for something they want. "Instant gratification can nurture impulsive behavior", say researchers from Cardiff University who looked at data collected from 17,500 participants over 35 years.
The link between sweets and violence is both "novel and "robust" and "needs further attention" researchers wrote.
Will a bag of Halloween candy make your kids criminals? That remains to be seen. But what we know for sure is that giving kids junk to eat doesn't do them any favors... and it is at least part of the reason our next generation is the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Our children are being treated for hypertension and diabetes at alarming rates - and it is clear that childhood obesity is one of our most pressing public health concerns.
We haven't come to the point where we look at M&Ms like we look at Marlboros... but as the evidence piles up against the fat on sugar on fat on sugar "food" we feed our kids (and ourselves) - it's time to make some changes.
Be creative this Halloween season... make the treats at your house non candy related. Give fancy pencils or party favors to the trick or treaters at your door, make clementines into jack o' lanterns with black sharpies, and roast up the seeds from your pumpkin carving for healthy snacks. Teach the kids that the fall harvest offers a wide range of healthy, delicious fruits and veggies. Pick apples and learn about the tens of different varieties to choose from - make baked apples with cinnamon for a warm, sweet treat.
It's up to all of us to create the change we want to see in the world - and if you want a world that's healthier for your family - question the status quo, reject the relentless push of the candy industry, boycott the bags of mini Mounds bars, and create healthier family traditions this season. A trip to the haunted house should be scary - not a visit to the pediatrician.
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 Fri, Jul 03, 2009 @ 10:52 AM
Are you getting ready for a long holiday weekend? What are your plans for healthy eating? If you are like most Americans, all thoughts of healthy eating have been pushed aside until "after". Even if you have been practicing healthy behaviors for a while, you might still be tempted to let things go.
So what's wrong with that?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America's Health have published their annual report, "F as in Fat", on the state of obesity in America. Their conclusion? "Obesity policies are failing."
Americans are the fattest people on the planet.
Adult obesity rates continued to rise in 23 states in 2009. Obesity rates did not decrease in any state! 31 states have obesity rates above 25%. That means 1 in 4 Americans (have a BMI > 30) are at least 30 or more pounds overweight.
(Look around the BBQ this weekend. See for yourself.)
What's worse? The percentage of obese and overweight children is at or above 30% in 30 states. Studies have consistently shown that obese children become obese adults. The next generation is the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents, and pediatricians are now treating their young patients for diseases typically associated with aging, including hypertension and diabetes.
What does all this have to do with America's famous holiday? Well, think about the foods typically associated with the 4th of July. Think about what you plan to eat. Are you willing to make different choices? Are you willing to rock the boat? Serve turkey burgers or veggie burgers instead of hamburgers, make roasted potatoes instead of potato salad, serve veggie platters instead of chips and dip? Will you have fresh fruit available instead of cookies? Will you get your workout in before the party? Are you willing to have 1 drink instead of 4? Serve sparkling water instead of soda? What are you willing to change?
As long as we accept the status quo we will have to accept the status quo. And that means accepting that the majority of American adults will be overweight and/or unhealthy, our children will look forward to a lifetime of chronic disease and premature death, and our already strained healthcare system will likely go bust.
On the 4th of July we celebrate, we are proud to be American. Are we proud enough to do what it takes to change what that means?
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Sun, Apr 19, 2009 @ 11:56 AM
Mark Bittman is a food columnist for the New York Times. Here's how Mark found his way to fitness even while eating for a living...
A couple of years ago, I had the typical experience of every normal, middle-aged American guy. My doctor told me I had to lose weight and lower my cholesterol and blood sugar levels. In other words, take drugs or stop eating.
But since I eat and cook for a living, and because I wanted to avoid the drug thing, I needed a different route. As it happens, the fix is pretty straight-forward, and not only does it work - when the recession arrived, I was already eating on the cheap. It's just about making the right food choices.
But before you call me a nutritionist, think about this. The nuts-and-berries stories of our ancestors - the eating-turnips-and-cabbage-all-winter stories of our great grandparents - these aren't myths. Until recently, most people struggled to get enough calories to thrive. Meat was a feast food; sugar, a luxury; fat, a treasure. As we got smarter, we converted plant energy into high-calorie food that kept well. Things like cooking oil, meat, cheese and alcohol. And by the 20th century, we were doing that so efficiently that we started to eat in a way that makes us fat and unhealthy.
We now produce a billion animals like they were widgets; animals that produce 18 percent of all greenhouse gases. And we've ended up paying more for food that's bad for us than we do for what actually sustains us.
I'm not exactly a back-to-the-earth type, but it's clear that the key to avoiding the lifestyle diseases that plague many of us - even me! - is the same key to saving money on food: go to the source. Eat more plants, fewer animals, less processed foods. Easy to say, but tempted by delicious burgers, fries and hazelnut gelato at every turn, how to do?
For me the answer turned out to be simple: I began to eat plants and only plants. Vegetables and fruits, mostly. But beans and whole grains too, all day. At night, I reverted to the indulgent omnivore, and let myself eat the food I love most, but with a little restraint. I lost 30 pounds. My cholesterol and blood sugar went back to normal and my doctors love me. I go to the supermarket and spend half as much money for twice as much food. I have a smug smile on my face, because by an infinitesimal amount, I'm reducing the pace of global warming. And all by doing what my mother told me: I eat my vegetables.
Follow this link to hear Mark tell his story on NPR Weekend Edition, Sunday April 19, 2009:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103257424