They're Here!

The holidays are here! So, how can we make it to January 2nd without seeing more of ourselves in the mirror than we do now?

• HOLIDAYS are here; not HOLIWEEKS; not HOLIMONTHS! For the next several ‘weeks’, do not give yourself license to forgo the healthy eating principles you have acquired. Thanksgiving is a holiDAY! Christmas is a holiDAY! New Year’s day is a holiDAY! If there are any other days in the next upcoming weeks where you will find yourself surrounded by LOTS of food, remember they are just that: days! When that ‘day ‘ is over get right back on track with your healthy eating and exercising.
  
• GIVE AWAY THE LEFTOVERS. When the meal is at your house, tell folks to bring their containers so they can take all of the leftovers of the food you don't need right back out the door with them!
• DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF. When we deprive ourselves of something we really, really want, we often overindulge on something else, or finally have what we really want along with what we did not really want. Enjoy what you want but use portion control, and try not to eat as much as you would have in the past.
  
• KEEP MOVING! Perhaps you will want to give your regular exercise regimen a hiatus for a few days during the upcoming weeks, but you can still keep moving. Keep taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Keep parking far as you can from the store entrance. Keep making LOTS of trips to the mail room or copy machine. Keep walking the long way to the post office or neighborhood market. Keep moving!
  
• BE PREPARED ON YOUR JOB. From chocolate candies, to muffin baskets, to potlucks, to gift exchange celebrations, you name it! Take your own healthy snacks to work with you. You may still want to indulge on the holiday delicacy, but if you have your own snack you will have options.
  
• THE ALL YOU CAN EAT HOLIDAY BUFFET. 1) Don’t hang out at the food table. 2) Drink water the entire time. 3) Choose lots of fruits and veggies. 4) Beware of dishes cooked in sauces and creams. 5) Choose lean meats. 6) Have your favorite dish, just don’t have so much of it! 7) Chew slowly! 8) Exercise the one plate rule: pile it high with whatever you want but never go back to the buffet!
  
• TAKE YOUR OWN. Who cares what your family members say?! You can’t control what others will bring but you can control what you bring to the family gathering.
  
• FOCUS ON FAMILY, NOT FOOD. Enjoy each other. Play games. Tell stories. Look at pictures. Play outside together! Create memories!
  
• TAKE A BRISK WALK THE MORNING OF THE EVENT, OR THE EVENING OF THE EVENT, AFTER THE MEAL.
  
• THE NEXT MEAL YOU CAN START ALL OVER. Too often we say, ‘Oh, well, since I have overeaten at lunch, there goes the rest of the day.’ WRONG! You can make a different choice. Choose to get back on track at dinner; don’t wait until the next day!
  
• TOMORROW IS A NEW DAY. If you do choose to wait until the next day to get back on track, rather than the next meal, that’s fine too! Just don’t put it off until the next week! Tomorrow means the next day!
• STEP AWAY FROM THE FOOD COURT ! If you must eat at the food court while shopping, 1) try the kid's meal, 2) eat before you go to the mall, 3) don't have lots of cash on you, 4) put a 100 calorie snack in your purse to have to eat first so you won't eat so much.
  
• FAST FORWARD. Imagine how you will look and feel if you gain weight between now and January 2nd. Picture yourself on that morning as you stand before the mirror, or struggle with your zipper on a pair of pants that fit fine in November. Not a pretty sight is it?
  
  Enjoy your holidays! They're here!
  

21 Days - PLUS!

They say it takes 21 days to create or break a habit. Hmmm.....well, I have not had chips of any kind for over 21 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, No......maybe you don't understand!!! I - ME - MOI - Dale W. Hill - the I-don't-need-dip-just-give-me-the-chips, if-there's-chips-at-an-event-that's-where-you'll-find-me...THAT Dale! I love chips - this includes Doritos, pretzels, Tostitos, baked chips, soy chips, flax chips, blue chips, veggie chips - ANY KIND OF CHIPS! But, again, I repeat, I have not had any chips of any kind for over 21 days. HALLELUJAH! The decision to do such a thing resulted from a conversation that went kind of like this:
Self: Maybe I should just stop eating chips altogether.
Old self: Yeah, RIGHT! SIKE!!! Don't be unrealistic!
Self: But it appears that I cannot control myself when I eat chips...even the ones that aren't that bad for you like the baked ones or the flax ones or veggie ones - over eating is still over eating. Healthy chips or not, I just lose control!
Old self: Who do you think you're talking to?! Hello! You love chips! You serve them at your house OFTEN when you have fellowships in your house OFTEN! YOU buy the chips! No one asks you to! YOU buy them! You love them! AND, your husband buys them a LOT! They're in your house weekly! I think you're really going over board with this 'healthy' thing if you think you should stop eating one of your favorite snacks. You're always telling people to be realistic, and to be balanced.....a few chips every once in a while are not going to hurt you.
Self: That's just it! I can't eat a few! I can't eat just 10! I can't eat just 20! Then, afterwards I feel bad physically because of over-eating, and emotionally because I feel guilty!
Old Self: So, what are you going to do?! You're just going to stop eating chips - just like that!? Cold turkey?!
Self: I did it with pork and beef in 1981! You know how I grew up loving bacon, pork chops, barebecue ribs, sausage, etc, but in 1981 I gave it all up! ( NOTE: Though I still don't eat pork and beef, I no longer think that one needs to give up pork and beef to eat healthy...as long as you're eating lean choices of meat, NOT fried, NOT smothered, and NOT all of the time!)
Old self: That was different!
Self: Exactly! That was actually real food! ....a staple.....with vitamins and nutrients.....We're talking chips here! If I can replace pork and beef with soy and veggie products, surely I can replace chips! I don't NEED chips! They're not nutritious! Look, I can't control myself when I eat them and I don't like that....and when I lose control with the chips it just leads to other things that are not good for me.
Old self: So, how do you propose to do this?
Self: One day at at time....they say it takes 21 days to break or create a habit....If I can do it for 21 days then maybe I can do it for a lifetime! But, I'm no fool. I'll add a PLUS! I'll add a prayer, 'Lord, please take away the desire for chips from me."...just like I pray when I pray for people to stop smoking cigarettes; I ask the Lord to take away their desire for nicotine. Well, I KNOW the Lord is going to have to help me do this, so I'll pray this prayer all of time!

This 21 day experiment has been very interesting and fulfilling. There have been some tempting moments to say the least! The hardest one so far was one evening when I took my son to Subways and he got back in the car with his sandwich and some Doritos! Oh, my gosh! Doritos never smelled as good as they smelled that evening! Before I knew it, I said to him, "Give me one please" and my hand reached for his bag then out of nowhere I snatched my hand back and said, "No!...never mind......" That was close! So far, during this time, when my husband brings chips into the house, I put them away where I can't see them, and if I must, I leave the room while he is indulging. I believe I'll keep praying and keep going without chips. ( I included crackers too - Ritz, saltines, Cheese-its, Wheat-thins, veggie crackers.......I lose control when I eat them too.....and I also haven't had any of them in over 21 days.)

Perhaps you too need to create a new habit or break an old one. Give it a try. Give it 21 days with your own PLUS prayer! Maybe such a 21 day-Plus experiment like mine is a bit too drastic for you, but for me, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do - WITH God's help, that is. And honestly, I don't feel deprived or like I'm missing something, but like I said, I'm no fool!.....Thank goodness for the PLUS! "Cast ALL your care upon him, for he cares for you." I Peter 5:7

I've Found the Cure!

Accounting and Accountability!! I've found the cure!....I suppose 'found' is not exactly the appropriate word to use; more accurate would be 'rediscovered'. Not being able to run 20-25 miles per week for the past several months has really been difficult to adjust to - in more ways than one. I miss it, but not only that, it turns out, I was one of those persons that was allowing myself to eat foods that were not very nutritious because I decided all of my running would easily burn off any unwanted calories. Well, I've learned the hard way that for me personally, brisk power walking, riding my bike, nor doing the elliptical machine burns off as much calories as running does, and that discovery resulted in some extra unwanted pounds! For weeks, that woman in the mirror kept telling me she would start journaling but she lied. Journaling is a wonderful Weight Watchers tool that I love to hate! (Other weight loss programs also include this tool in their program but it's called by different names) Journaling (or tracking) requires one to write down what they eat each day. It's so tedious!!! But, this tool always keeps me on or puts me back on track because it makes me accountable and forces me to acknowledge what I'm eating - and NOT eating. Well, about a month ago, I went to my Weight Watchers meeting and asked someone to ask me the following week if I had journaled. I needed someone else to keep me accountable since that woman in the mirror would not. What a great week that was! Was it easy? No! But, boy it felt good getting back on track again. The woman I asked to help me, couldn't wait for me to walk in the door to see if I had been faithful. I proudly showed her my evidence and was looking forward to continuing to journal. I was beginning to get back into my zone again. And best of all, three weeks later of journaling daily I lost those unwanted pounds! This cure can work for you too! I choose Weight Watchers to help me maintain my weight loss, but you don't have to! Perhaps counting calories works best for you. Whatever works, start keeping some kind of food journal each day - the accounting - and ask someone to ask you if you did so a week later - the accountability.

Don't trust the woman in your mirror. I have a feeling your mirror and my mirror know each other!

Death By Helmet

I can just see the look on the medical examiner's face as he writes on his certificate, "Death by Helmet". Surely he would wonder, what would cause this woman to strap on her helmet so tightly that it would take the breath out of her? Couldn't she tell it was too tight? Wasn't she uncomfortable? Who would tell him that she missed running so much that she was desperate to get any kind of cardio work-out she could and since riding her bike did not hurt her foot/ankle, she was DESPERATE to ride no matter what! How would the investigators be able to figure out and tell her loving family, Reuben, Erin and Reub that apparently the rollers in her hair that she had to use because of the new hairstyle she got over the weekend, were really too high for the helmet but she forced the helmet on any way, snapped it closed, and rode for 30 minutes in spite of the trouble that she must have had breathing. At least she went doing what she loved, he'll add to his report, and surely he'll think he's seen it all now. Hmmm...."Death By Helmet".

O.K. Now that we're finished laughing, let's all learn from this. Let's not be so determined to eat right or exercise that we make unwise - O.K....down right stupid - choices. It really was hard to breathe this morning with that helmet snapped so tight on my neck, but I was too stubborn! I was too determined! I had to be that good example! I was going to get my 30 minute work-out no matter what! (O.K...I said you can stop laughing now.) I finally went to see a physician about my ankle/foot last week and he wants to have an MRI done to see what's wrong because the X-rays did not show anything conclusive. It's times like this when I realize that exercise is not enough. This lifestyle of being fit must include both exercise and eating healthy. I enjoy running, Yes, I really do, because of the wonderful feeling I get when I run, but also because running burns LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of calories! ....way-ay-ay more than riding my bike! So, without being able to burn as many calories as I usually do, then I really must eat right. And sometimes that's not so easy. So, we must be disciplined in both areas.

O.K. Really ...stop laughing.

It's a War!

As soon as I get home after work, the war is on! It seems like as soon as I walk in the house the 'eat the first thing in your sight' demons attack! It's got to be more than one because I am often so helpless with seemingly no defense! Somehow they know I didn't eat a healthy lunch. Somehow they know even though I'm hungry I really don't want to wait until I cook to eat something. Somehow they know that I was fasting until a certain time of the day and on quite a wonderful spiritual high but now things are different and I may be a little weak! Somehow they know snacking is my greatest weakness and if they get me quick they've got me for the rest of the evening. Somehow they know I've used so much discipline with my eating earlier in the day that by the time I get home I can't take it any more - I need a snack!!! IT'S A WAR I TELL YOU!! IT'S A WAR!

So, what do I do? Sometimes I just lose it. Sometimes I give into the temptations, snack on whatever I can get my hands on BEFORE dinner and my evening is ruined. And, of course I feel so guilty. It's awful. The next morning I start all over again with a new determination, (and begging the Lord for help in my prayers), to do better at eating healthy ALL DAY - not just until 6pm. Sometimes I eat dinner - if it's leftovers - AS SOON as I walk in the door before my hands can grab anything else! Sometimes I grab a piece of fruit - if I have to cook - to help me until dinner gets done. Sometimes I'll prepare some 94% fat free microwave popcorn just before I leave work and eat it in the car on my way home to keep me from wanting to snack when I arrive. Sometimes, as I drive home, I repeat my health affirmations that I've already said in the morning: 1- I am healthy and fit. 2- I do not want to snack tonight because I am not a snacker!!!; and, 3- I do want to eat a healthy dinner. I DO! I REALLY DO! HELP ME JESUS!!!

I believe we all have an area - or two - that we feel like we're in a war, with regard to our goal of being healthy and fit. To overcome them. let's first of all acknowledge them, then determine strategies to be victorious. And, let's remember, "A person without self-control is like a city with broken down walls" (Proverbs 25:28) And, "Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city." (Proverbs 16:32) OUCH!!!! THAT REALLY HURT!!!

Do Something Different!

Because of some physical challenges I’ve had in my left foot/ankle for the past few weeks, I’ve been unable to run four-five times a week the way I normally do. The first week, I tried walking instead of running for my cardio workout; still uncomfortable. The second week I tried the elliptical machine at the gym; still uncomfortable. So, yesterday I rode my bike instead – not a stationary bike at the gym, but a real bicycle. Yes, it has been a while since I rode. I haven’t ridden my bike much since I did the 25-mile Acura Bike Tour in 2006, but thank goodness, once you learn how to ride a bike you really do never forget. But, I miss running. I miss the track. I miss the gang at the track. Today, day two of riding my bike, as I was riding and feeling sorry for myself, before I knew it, I was reminded how much I love working out outside early in the morning; early before everyone begins their hustle and bustle; while the birds are still singing and the wind is still crisp and the sun is still on the horizon waiting for the perfect time to rise, as the moon gives out one last shout. Hmmm…my pity party soon turned to a praise party, as I seemed to fly along the not-so-busy-yet-but-just-you-wait-and-see streets in my neighborhood. As I rode, I began my daily regimen of reciting scriptures that I meditate on during my morning workouts. Hmmm…. I dare you to try an early morning workout outside. I know…. I know…that means you would have to get up earlier. I know….I know…. O.K. O.K., if not an early workout, because YOU ARE JUST NOT A MORNING PERSON, then at least try something different for your workout routine this week –whether it’s in the morning, noon, or night. Keep it interesting! Keep it fun! Keep it exciting! If we do the same old workout routine all of the time then we risk getting bored and then we may stop altogether. Try the gym instead of the tennis courts! Take a walk instead of swimming! Take a spinning class instead of an aerobics class! Jump rope instead of doing your exercise tape! Walk faster than you usually do! Walk further than you usually do! What a concept!! I can’t wait to hear what you are going to do different this week!

'Where there's a will.....'you know the rest

Bending down these days can be a little painful for me. But let me see one of those 25 cents candy machines in the mall with one of my favorite candies, boston baked baked beans, and WATCH me maneuver myself down to get those candies! Slowly, that's right, feet flat, take my time...hmmm.. got 'em! (Sorry...blame it on a wonderful childhood filled with lemon head candies, sugar babies, and goobers!!...but I digresss....)

Where there's a will, there's a way! Especially for women! Women, you know that once we put our mind to something, we DO IT! This is why we simply don't have any excuses when it comes to exercising! NONE! But incase you are still holding on to a few, let's dispute them, shall we?

1. I can't exercise in the morning. Fine. Exercise during your lunch break or in the evening after work. (Or when the kids are napping if you are a stay-at-home Mom or when you are with them at the park, you can exercise.)
   
2. I want to exercise in the morning but it's so difficult to get up early. Set your alarm clock for the earlier time and move it AWAY - far away, as long as you can still hear it - from your bed so you have to GET UP to turn it off. Or, ask a friend who is already up early to give you a wake up call. Or, ask a friend to ask you every day, 'So, how was your work out this morning?' Better yet, ask your children to ask you that question! They'll love it!
   
3. I'm too tired or too busy to exercise after work but I can't at lunch or in the mornings before work. THEN exercising after work is your only other option so you must make it work!! Keep your exercise clothes at work and change before you leave. Or, keep them in the car. Keep healthy snacks at your desk and/or in your car to snack on something before you get to the gym or your destination so you don't give in to being hungry and claim you can't work out on an empty stomach. Don't over do it. Start with 30 minutes. If you must go home first or pick up children or drop children off, etc. make use of your surroundings: walk or run around the gym or park as you wait for your children. Walk down each grocery store aisle even if you don't need something in every aisle. Stand while you wait, don't sit around, as standing burns more calories. Put an exercise videotape in while cooking dinner and do whatever you can while you're cooking. DO NOT TURN THE TELEVISION ON WHEN YOU GET HOME for any other reason than an exercise video.
4. I hate the gym. Fine. Don't go. Walk. Run. Jump rope. Get exercise videos. Try Curves. DO SOMETHING!
5. I hate exercising! Make it fun. Play tennis. Play with your children. Go swimming. Skip. Jog. Make it fun, just move that body!
   

Where there is a will there is a way! Yet, this is another reason why we must renew our minds as Romans 12:1,2 instructs us. We could have all of the solutions in the WORLD for why we don't exercise but if we first don't decide that exercise is important we'll never make it a priority in our lives.

Enjoy!