It's really not rocket science - the idea of taking a food that you love and giving it a "healthy tweak!" But sometimes fresh ideas for alternatives to our favorites is all we need to re-energize us and help us make better efforts at substitutions and healthy choices.
Joy Bauer, nutritionist (featured on NBC's Today show) and author, recently shared five kid-friendly alternatives to not so weight-friendly meals. But don't be fooled. These alternatives aren't just for kids! So whether you're seeking fresh ideas for you OR your loved ones, check out:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34753673/ns/today-today_health/
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Resistance to Change/Patterned Responses
Who would have thought that one of my MBA courses would correlate to weight loss?! But lo and behold, like many things in life, lessons learned in one area of life can transfer to other areas.
This particular business class was covering the topic of performing periodic audits within a company to evaluate strengths, weaknesses and any areas needing improvement. Sounds reasonable and intuitive, right? But just like how driving a four-wheel drive SUV in the winter can give you a false sense of security, so, too, can audits. Dr. Barry Eisenberg, assistant professor in the MBA program at Empire State College, was quick to point out that audits, or evaluations, aren't enough. Even changing your mindset to embrace what an audit reveals, isn't enough! Hang on...
Get where I'm going yet?
Many of you are embarking on New Year's resolutions. You've evaluated whatever "health" or "fitness" weaknesses you may have in your life, you've pinpointed areas that need improvement... and you might be feeling really good that you've realized these things about your fitness.
I've always said that the weight-loss battle, or ANY battle in life, begins in the mind. Truly! But let's take this a step further. The following will take some processing - but once you get it, it can be life changing! The long and short of it is that while making a fitness commitment might feel good and have you pumped up with enthusiasm, if the change is ONLY attitudinal, without behavioral change to back it up, then you're maintaining the status quo in your life - keeping to what you know and what is comfortable. No true change can occur in this case. Here are words of wisdom from Professor Eisenberg (emphasis mine):
It’s easy to say that we resist change. We all know that. But we should not underestimate the degree to which this is true. We tend to accept or pursue change when the perception of the reward exceeds the perception of the effort that goes into achieving it. But systems theory (and for those interested, the second law of thermodynamics) posits that systems – groups, organizations – and people bend back toward the mean, that is, they seek homeostasis. That is one explanation for why we tend to repeat behavior when it appears ill-advised or when it produces the same results, notwithstanding how dissatisfying or frustrating those results may be.
(Prof. Eisenberg goes on to discuss organizations and their tendency to want stability by remaining the same):
But stability is a powerful human and organizational force. You have been discussing ways of resisting that force in order to engage yourselves in ongoing audits. The tools and awareness this program will provide will fortify your capability to achieve that objective. But so too will an awareness of how easily trapped we become by our patterned responses and how our organizations are motivated by the natural tendency to maintain things as they are.
(Prof. Eisenberg then discusses a hospital that tried to initiate changes according to JCAHO requirements)....
The point is that the hospital believed it conducted an audit and made the necessary changes. Rather, what really occurred is that they absorbed relatively minor changes into their existing structure, culture, and set of rules. Could we say they deluded themselves into believing they made change?
(OKAY WAKE UP - THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH SHOULD GRAB YOU!)
It’s not unusual for us to believe we are making change…and we even convince ourselves of it, when, in fact, change on the required order of magnitude has not occurred. Consider the smoker who declares he is quitting the habit. Once such a declaration has occurred, the person may come to believe that he has engaged in change. That is, the declaration itself is believed to constitute some measure of change. Why? Because the commitment represents some version of change. The commitment was not there one day, and the next day it was. Presto! Change. Even if the deadline comes and goes, the commitment remains with the person. In fact, if actually quitting the habit is too difficult, the person may go through in series of activities to help bring about the behavior change…nicotine patches, hypnotism, classes, etc. What sustains the person is that change did occur; however, it occurred attitudinally, not behaviorally. Yet, the person may cope with the dissonance of not actually quitting by coming to believe that the commitment to quit represents a change of sufficient magnitude. Sure, we may call this rationalizing. But it’s a very powerful psychological mechanism for resisting change. ... When we consider how continuous improvement can occur, it’s important to be mindful of the tendency to resist change so that we are more prepared to embrace it.
This particular business class was covering the topic of performing periodic audits within a company to evaluate strengths, weaknesses and any areas needing improvement. Sounds reasonable and intuitive, right? But just like how driving a four-wheel drive SUV in the winter can give you a false sense of security, so, too, can audits. Dr. Barry Eisenberg, assistant professor in the MBA program at Empire State College, was quick to point out that audits, or evaluations, aren't enough. Even changing your mindset to embrace what an audit reveals, isn't enough! Hang on...
Get where I'm going yet?
Many of you are embarking on New Year's resolutions. You've evaluated whatever "health" or "fitness" weaknesses you may have in your life, you've pinpointed areas that need improvement... and you might be feeling really good that you've realized these things about your fitness.
I've always said that the weight-loss battle, or ANY battle in life, begins in the mind. Truly! But let's take this a step further. The following will take some processing - but once you get it, it can be life changing! The long and short of it is that while making a fitness commitment might feel good and have you pumped up with enthusiasm, if the change is ONLY attitudinal, without behavioral change to back it up, then you're maintaining the status quo in your life - keeping to what you know and what is comfortable. No true change can occur in this case. Here are words of wisdom from Professor Eisenberg (emphasis mine):
It’s easy to say that we resist change. We all know that. But we should not underestimate the degree to which this is true. We tend to accept or pursue change when the perception of the reward exceeds the perception of the effort that goes into achieving it. But systems theory (and for those interested, the second law of thermodynamics) posits that systems – groups, organizations – and people bend back toward the mean, that is, they seek homeostasis. That is one explanation for why we tend to repeat behavior when it appears ill-advised or when it produces the same results, notwithstanding how dissatisfying or frustrating those results may be.
(Prof. Eisenberg goes on to discuss organizations and their tendency to want stability by remaining the same):
But stability is a powerful human and organizational force. You have been discussing ways of resisting that force in order to engage yourselves in ongoing audits. The tools and awareness this program will provide will fortify your capability to achieve that objective. But so too will an awareness of how easily trapped we become by our patterned responses and how our organizations are motivated by the natural tendency to maintain things as they are.
(Prof. Eisenberg then discusses a hospital that tried to initiate changes according to JCAHO requirements)....
The point is that the hospital believed it conducted an audit and made the necessary changes. Rather, what really occurred is that they absorbed relatively minor changes into their existing structure, culture, and set of rules. Could we say they deluded themselves into believing they made change?
(OKAY WAKE UP - THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH SHOULD GRAB YOU!)
It’s not unusual for us to believe we are making change…and we even convince ourselves of it, when, in fact, change on the required order of magnitude has not occurred. Consider the smoker who declares he is quitting the habit. Once such a declaration has occurred, the person may come to believe that he has engaged in change. That is, the declaration itself is believed to constitute some measure of change. Why? Because the commitment represents some version of change. The commitment was not there one day, and the next day it was. Presto! Change. Even if the deadline comes and goes, the commitment remains with the person. In fact, if actually quitting the habit is too difficult, the person may go through in series of activities to help bring about the behavior change…nicotine patches, hypnotism, classes, etc. What sustains the person is that change did occur; however, it occurred attitudinally, not behaviorally. Yet, the person may cope with the dissonance of not actually quitting by coming to believe that the commitment to quit represents a change of sufficient magnitude. Sure, we may call this rationalizing. But it’s a very powerful psychological mechanism for resisting change. ... When we consider how continuous improvement can occur, it’s important to be mindful of the tendency to resist change so that we are more prepared to embrace it.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A Low-Cal Drink for New Year's Eve
For those of you prone to welcoming the New Year with alcohol, don't blow your calorie intake with high calorie drinks - and all the ensuing snacks!
First, let me caution you to drink responsibly! Nuff said!
Second, you KNOW the drill. Choose diet soda for your mixed drinks. Stay away from full calorie beers and high-sugar drinks. Everything in MODERATION.
Let me share a yummy martini recipe - and low cal to boot - from fitnessmagazine.com!
Low-Calorie Drink Recipes
Pomegranate Martinis (orange and apple, too)
Start to Finish: 10 minutes Makes: 8 servings
1/2 of a medium orange, cut into wedges
Sugar1 1/2 cups vodka or gin
1/3 cup pomegranate syrup (grenadine)
3 tablespoons dry vermouth
Ice cubes
Small pomegranates (optional)
1. Rub orange wedges around rims of 8 martini glasses. Invert glasses into a dish of sugar to coat rims; set glasses aside. In a small pitcher, combine the vodka, pomegranate syrup, and vermouth. Place ice cubes in a martini shaker. For each drink, add 1/4 cup of the syrup mixture; shake. Strain into one of the prepared martini glasses. Garnish with a small pomegranate, if desired.
Nutrition Information per serving: 146 calories, 0g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 0g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber
Orange Martinis: Prepare as above, except use 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, in place of the syrup. Omit garnish.
Apple Martinis: Prepare as above except use 1/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, in place of the syrup. Garnish with fresh orange peel curls.
Happy New Year 2010!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Yay, a Treadmill!
Hello everyone,
Thanks for bearing with my sporadic posts! In case you didn't know, I'm pursuing my MBA degree and so my posts are much fewer during semesters due to my course load, working full time, and managing a family.
And while my time to post is much less, my passion for health is unchanged! Some of you know that I debated about buying a treadmill last year, and chose a membership at a local health club instead.
Well, I bit the bullet and bought a treadmill this week! I'm so pumped about it. It's my investment in our family's health. My daughter and I are diligent about exercise - and running. We run outdoors in good weather and daylight, and indoors on treadmills during inclement weather or evening hours.
My membership at the fitness club ran out at the end of November. What to do??? I could renew it for about $200. That's my membership only. If I wanted to make a family membership, we're talking a lot more money. So I put the idea of a treadmill up for debate again. I know for a fact that my daughter and I will use it faithfully, and I'm confident that my other children will as well.... With my MBA course load, I'm finding that I can't find the time to run until late in the evening - and I WON'T run in the dark. (That's another story!)
I already have an elliptical machine in my basement. I use that on days I take a break from running. I obviously have a flight of stairs into the basement - they're my "stairmaster" (my kids HATE that I run those stairs - ha!). And now I have the treadmill. I went down at 10:00 p.m. tonight and ran 3 miles and walked 1.5 miles. Yeehaw. And I didn't have to drive 15 minutes to the club and 15 minutes back home. I LOVE IT! Running is my number one choice of drug. Um, exercise! :-)
I refuse to let the busyness of life get in the way of my health. I've been overweight and out of shape before....and I don't want to go back. Living with energy and vitality is well worth the effort.
Maybe you don't have the funds for a treadmill, or an elliptical, or any other machine. That's not the point. What I hope to communicate is that you can find ways to integrate exercise in your life. It's not how much you spend (look at my "stairmaster" steps!) - it's that you don't allow excuses to keep you from pursuing good health! While a treadmill is what I chose as the instrument to continue my exercise in the circumstances of MY life right now, yours might be something else. Maybe you NEED a fitness club membership to give you accountability. Maybe exercise DVDs work better for you so you can follow someone else's lead in the privacy of your home. Or maybe home equipment is what will energize you and keep you on track. Whatever. But please don't let the busyness of life stop you from keeping your body strong and healthy.
You're worth it - and I'm sure your loved ones think so, too! You CAN do it.
Thanks for bearing with my sporadic posts! In case you didn't know, I'm pursuing my MBA degree and so my posts are much fewer during semesters due to my course load, working full time, and managing a family.
And while my time to post is much less, my passion for health is unchanged! Some of you know that I debated about buying a treadmill last year, and chose a membership at a local health club instead.
Well, I bit the bullet and bought a treadmill this week! I'm so pumped about it. It's my investment in our family's health. My daughter and I are diligent about exercise - and running. We run outdoors in good weather and daylight, and indoors on treadmills during inclement weather or evening hours.
My membership at the fitness club ran out at the end of November. What to do??? I could renew it for about $200. That's my membership only. If I wanted to make a family membership, we're talking a lot more money. So I put the idea of a treadmill up for debate again. I know for a fact that my daughter and I will use it faithfully, and I'm confident that my other children will as well.... With my MBA course load, I'm finding that I can't find the time to run until late in the evening - and I WON'T run in the dark. (That's another story!)
I already have an elliptical machine in my basement. I use that on days I take a break from running. I obviously have a flight of stairs into the basement - they're my "stairmaster" (my kids HATE that I run those stairs - ha!). And now I have the treadmill. I went down at 10:00 p.m. tonight and ran 3 miles and walked 1.5 miles. Yeehaw. And I didn't have to drive 15 minutes to the club and 15 minutes back home. I LOVE IT! Running is my number one choice of drug. Um, exercise! :-)
I refuse to let the busyness of life get in the way of my health. I've been overweight and out of shape before....and I don't want to go back. Living with energy and vitality is well worth the effort.
Maybe you don't have the funds for a treadmill, or an elliptical, or any other machine. That's not the point. What I hope to communicate is that you can find ways to integrate exercise in your life. It's not how much you spend (look at my "stairmaster" steps!) - it's that you don't allow excuses to keep you from pursuing good health! While a treadmill is what I chose as the instrument to continue my exercise in the circumstances of MY life right now, yours might be something else. Maybe you NEED a fitness club membership to give you accountability. Maybe exercise DVDs work better for you so you can follow someone else's lead in the privacy of your home. Or maybe home equipment is what will energize you and keep you on track. Whatever. But please don't let the busyness of life stop you from keeping your body strong and healthy.
You're worth it - and I'm sure your loved ones think so, too! You CAN do it.
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