Taking it slow and steady

Most of us get impatient when it comes to losing weight, toning up, building strength or other fitness goals. We typically want to make faster progress than is realistic. Consistently following a healthy diet and exercise program works magic, but it is slow-working magic.

When dieting, it can be pretty tempting to try short cuts such as using the latest diet-aid fad, skipping meals, or driving ourselves with extreme exercise. Unfortunately, most often such attempts at cheating nature end up setting us back on our health and fitness journey. I’ve definitely experienced that a time or two myself. Try to avoid falling for the short-cut trap, or if you fall in, climb out, dust yourself off and begin again with a wiser, more patient attitude.

One colleague I know who has tried to lose weight for more than six months has gained weight instead. She continues to set herself up for failure because she won’t recognize what she’s doing wrong or try a different strategy. She severely restricts her calories during the day because she’s “dieting” but then she has strong food cravings at night and compulsively binges. If she ate enough during the day, properly fueling her body with healthy foods, including a balance of lean protein, veggies, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats, she likely wouldn’t be famished and binge at night. She would end up eating fewer calories.

The best way to promote weight loss is to keep your body fueled. Otherwise not only do you develop cravings, your body goes into “famine mode” and burns less calories. It’s important to address your hunger throughout the day. I keep a pack of peanuts or another healthy snack with me whenever I’m out so I can satisfy my hunger if need be rather than becoming ravenous and later shoveling in food indiscriminately.

Another woman I know who is trying to lose weight heard on television about the wonders of using green coffee bean extract to boost metabolism and assist in appetite suppression. I discouraged her from using a diet aid unless it was part of a reputable medical weight-loss program supervised by a physician. Unfortunately, soon after beginning to use the supplement she developed atrial fibrillation. While there is no way of knowing whether the caffeine (or some other substance) in the supplement precipitated her health condition, her doctor told her not to take it anymore because the effects of the supplement have not been thoroughly studied. Also, dietary supplements are not FDA approved and vary by manufacturer.

A third common mistake when it comes to short cuts is to overdo it with exercise to the point that you hurt yourself or give up on exercise. In part I blame cultural influences such as “The Biggest Loser” for making folks want to push themselves so hard. It’s best to start off slow and build your cardio, strength and flexibility over time. Listen to your body. When you first begin training especially you should be able to talk comfortably while you’re doing your cardio.

When I hear about gyms that provide a bucket to vomit in for those who are really pushing themselves, I truly believe we have become far too enamored with the boot camp approach. The reality is that it’s completely unnecessary to drive yourself that hard in order to get fit and/or lose weight. The bottom line: Research has proven that high intensity exercise leads to more injuries and higher exercise dropout rates. Why short cut your way to a set back? Like Aesop said, “Slow and steady wins the race."

What works for you

Starting off the New Year with new resolutions – especially those concerning fitness and wellness - is an energizing feeling, but the key to fulfilling them is a combination of desire, will and strategy.

Sometimes following a resolution is a snap. You decide to go after something, and you just seem to do it. Love it when that happens!

But many times a resolution may be challenging to fulfill. If you slip up it’s important not to be too hard on yourself and give up. Instead you can “fail forward” by becoming a student of your own behavior; learning from what went wrong and making adjustments.

Social scientist Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., recommends analyzing what does and does not work for us in her book “The Willpower Instinct.” She says it greatly helps to consider what obstacles we may face and how we will overcome them. For example, if you can’t resist ice cream, but want to cut down on it to reduce calories, best not to keep it in the refrigerator at home. If you tend to forget your gym bag, put it by the door the night before.

Another aid to boosting our willpower is reducing stress in our life. We need down time to refresh ourselves whether it is listening to music, walking through the woods or meditating. The more stressed we are, the more difficult it is to make healthy choices, research has shown. When we are agitated we tend to seek relief, including through comfort foods and watching too much TV.

Not addressing internal conflicts may keep us from being fully committed to our goals and derail us.  For example, is a loved one pressuring you to do something you want to do but you are resisting doing it because of their insistence? Or is a friend trying to talk you out of doing something you want to do? Find an individual or a group who will be in your corner and maybe even exercise, diet or quit smoking with you.

It can help to shore up your resolve to fulfill those New Year’s resolutions by listening to inspirational speakers or reading encouraging literature. Journaling about the ups and downs of your wellness journey can be helpful. And many find calling upon their higher power makes all the difference. Find out what works for you and make it work for you!

A few tips for healthier holiday eating

It's just way too easy to mindlessly overindulge during the holidays and then have extra work to do at the beginning of the new year to lose those extra pounds. Fortunately with a little focus and a plan we can reduce the amount of extra calories we're taking in during the festivities and still enjoy ourselves. Here are a few of my favorite strategies for healthier holiday eating.

Always carry a healthy snack. A small bag of nuts (100 to 150 calorie portion) can be a good choice. Use them when needed to take the edge off hunger. Otherwise if you let yourself get to the point of ravenous hunger before a party, when you are presented with a table full of holiday treats, the natural course of action is to go wild devouring goodies. I've done that more than once and it's not pretty.

Seek out raw fruits and veggies first. Fiber and well-hydrated food (versus food that is sugary, fatty, dry and/or crisp) is our friend. Our favorite fruits and veggies can keep us full and satisfied. So if we eat plenty of salad or the carrot sticks and apple slices first, we'll likely eat less of the calorie-laden casserole, chips and cookies.

Opt for whole grains versus stripped down wheat, rice, etc. when available. Again, the more fiber we eat, the more satisfied we will feel. Plus whole grains are soooo much more nutritious.

Avoid going back for seconds or grazing. When you can see how much you truly are eating, you eat less. We tend to underestimate how much we have eaten when we go back to the table over and over again. It's especially insidious when we're having a wonderful time talking with our family and friends over the holidays. Studies have shown that people actually tend to eat more when they are happy!

Stay hydrated and avoid excess alcohol consumption. Drinking plenty of water will help keep your appetite down. Sometimes hunger is actually pangs caused by dehydration. And please watch out for how alcohol affects your food consumption. Because alcohol loosens our inhibitions in general, it tends to promote heavier eating at meals and more frequent snacking between them.