Mind and Body

It’s so easy to get absorbed in our worries, plans and dreams in this busy, high-tech world that we lose touch with ourselves. Somehow when we spend too much of our time in our head we become disconnected with our physical and sensory being. We may easily come to think and feel like it doesn’t matter so much if we don’t give our bodies enough rest, hydration, nutrients and movement. Or if we stuff processed food mindlessly into our mouths while trying to zone out in front of the TV.

Luckily exercise, especially mindful exercise, is a great antidote to the many ills caused by overthinking and the harried “monkey mind.” Exercise naturally leads to a more focused mind, elevated mood and honoring our bodies. It can help us to get back to sensing, being and reconnecting with ourselves. More like we felt as children in wonder over the magic of experiencing our world in the moment. 

Any exercise, including walking, weight lifting, etc., can help integrate brain and body - especially when done mindfully. But some exercise modes, such as yoga and tai chi are specifically designed to focus our awareness on the here and now. Those disciplines in particular teach you to breath slowly and deeply, noticing and concentrating on the sensations of your physical self, including the activation of your muscles.

One of the greatest benefits I’ve received from exercising regularly, especially practicing tai chi and yoga, is to have reawakened my sensory system and developed a more unified sense of my mind-body. I'm more often present and aware, experiencing more moments vs. being on autopilot. In general I feel I'm living more fully and intentionally. A greater sense of mind-body unity has made me feel more confident, positive, relaxed, patient, empowered and spiritually centered. Not that I never feel agitated, anxious, bummed out or disconnected, but just less often and less intensely.

The body and mind are one and the same on both a physiological and spiritual level. And the mind-body system works much better in harmony, when our sense of the here and now is not always ignored and suppressed. The good news is that if we consciously choose to spend more time focusing on our sensations and reconnecting with ourselves we will feel more comfortable in our own skin. We will develop more energy and will power to shape not only our bodies but our lives.

Being dominated by non-stop thinking can leave us feeling unhappy and stressed with little relief except to sedate ourselves with food, medications, alcohol or other less-than-healthy relaxation options. As an alternative, we can choose to relax and reconnect by becoming mindful of our breath, noticing our surrounding and the sensations of our body as we exercise and/or even when we go through the activities of daily living. Mindfulness makes us more aware and boosts our feelings of gratitude for the many blessings of our life - which is the key to happiness. Try it! All you’ve got to lose is some stress, disconnectedness and self-doubt. And maybe even some extra weight!

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.

Beyond That Weight-Loss Plateau

Periodically during a long weight-loss journey many of us hit a plateau where weight loss pretty much slows to a standstill. Plateaus may not be our favorite weight-loss phase, but they can be productive if we embrace them. Don’t worry, after resting a bit on a natural plateau and reanalyzing your weight loss strategy, you can again start making steady progress toward attaining a healthy weight. 
 
What’s good about a plateau? If you’ve been on diet for a while and have lost a significant amount of weight, you likely need a psychological break from focusing on losing weight. Maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits without feeling the need to be super strict can be a nice change of pace. Plus your body periodically needs time to adjust to the weight loss you have already accomplished.
 
As you rest and gear up for the next phase of your journey keep this in mind: As we take off significant amounts of weight, it’s a cold, hard fact that we must further increase our activity levels and/or reduce our caloric intake to continue to lose weight. A body that weighs less requires fewer calories, especially when weight loss has not been accompanied by strength training.

While you’re enjoying your plateau, look carefully at what you’ve been eating. The more high-fiber, nutrient-dense foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) you work into your diet the better. The less processed foods and alcohol you consume the better. Are you opting for healthy fats such as olive oil and choosing lean meats? Keeping your portion sizes in check? You know the drill. And if you need to know more, read up on good nutrition (www.choosemyplate.gov for example) and/or consider joining a healthy weight loss program that provides such information.
 
Next look at your activity level: If you’ve been walking 4 days a week, maybe you need to up it to 6 days. And/or maybe you’ll increase your distance/time/intensity during each walking session. If you’ve been walking an hour at least 5 days a week, you may need to substitute a few walking sessions for a higher-intensity cardio option such as Zumba, Jazzercise or step aerobics. Cycling, swimming, running, etc., can also be good.

But before significantly increasing your activity level, consider any health conditions you may have. Have you been cleared to exercise by your physician? Do you have any chronic conditions that will affect your exercise choices? Please keep health considerations in mind and seek professional guidance when you need it.
 
There’s another part of the equation of the weight loss equation to consider: your muscle vs. fat ratio. The more muscle mass we have the more calories we burn even at rest. You don’t have to have the bulging muscles of a body builder, just healthy muscle tone to boost your metabolism rate.
 
It’s a fact that as we lose pounds we lose muscle weight as well as fat unless we’re building our muscles with resistance exercises. We also lose muscle mass as we age unless we strength train or otherwise keep challenging our muscles (as in hard labor). That’s a significant reason why the average person’s metabolism slows as they grow older.

How much strength training have you done as you’ve lost weight? Whatever the level, consider kicking it up a notch or two during the next phase of your weight loss push. A good, all-round strength training program may initially slow the number of pounds you lose because muscle is heavier than fat. But it will quickly start tightening your body, actually making your waist smaller, so you will look better and feel better.
 
When you see those mind-boggling “before and after” pictures every national “revolutionary diet plan” uses to advertise themselves, keep in mind that the incredible muscle definition of the person in the “after” shot either comes from strength training or Photoshop trickery. I have lost weight at various times with and without strength training. Strength training provides much more attractive results.

If you’re a gym/fitness club member you have access to strength machines as well as free weights and cable machines. Clubs oftentimes have group strength classes as well as access to personal trainers. If you can’t afford to join a gym or hire a personal trainer, don’t worry. With just a few inexpensive items such as a resistance band, pair of hand weights and a mat, you can get going. Although I sometimes work out with the equipment at my church rec center, I oftentimes work out at home with just my resistance band, hand weights and mat.

Try some of these great individual exercises and workout routines suggested by The American Council on Exercise.  I love that these workouts come with detailed written instructions as well as photo and video demonstrations. And they're free!

While you’re working on your strength, please remember to work on your flexibility. Integrating stretching into your workout routine will help you attain and/or maintain a healthy posture, balanced gait, plus improve your general fitness level. Soon you’ll be able to reach the high shelf better and twist to get something with less risk of straining your back. I have become a fan of yoga because during the course of a good class you generally stretch out from head to toe.

One more thing: A great overall resource for helping you educate yourself on the fine points of fitness and weight loss is The American College of Sports Medicine's “The Complete Guide to Fitness & Health."  The book, which I highly recommend, provides a science-based overview on strength, flexibility and cardio training, as well as good nutrition/healthy diet information.