Continue the Plan

Yesterday was not a great day for healthy habits.  I will not let that hinder me from ultimately reaching my goals.  Today will be better.  I will keep pursuing my plan.

Tough Weekend, Opportunity for New Choices

I had a great weekend with my kids, but it did include eating out too much.  And the food choices weren't normally on my diet.  I am up a handful of pounds, but that is not the end of the story.  I am very grateful to have woken up on Monday with the thought of what food can I take to work.  The bad choices don't have to linger.  Each day you and I get to decide to make healthy choices or not to make healthy choices.  I do feel lucky that my mind is where I need it be.  This week will be a good week. 240.4

Keep Striving for Balance in Life (all areas)

Habit management won't work if your life is not in balance.  Stress tends to drag us back to comfort, and comfort sometimes takes the form of ice cream, pizza, cigarettes, alcohol, or casual sex.  Of course that list is not evil incarnate, but they tend to increase of risk for disease, as well as not solve the underlying issue.

I was given a book today.  One of my colleagues gave me "Daily Spirit Blessings".  Yesterday, I was flustered and hurried.  I am going out of town and going to miss two days at work.  I was stressing about getting stuff done and answered.  Luckily, my boss was laughing at me.  He didn't care as much as I did.  That by itself helped.

So here I was, trying to find balance in my life (family time vs work), only to be stressed about it.  And today, I am ready a quick devotional about blessing of the Spirit.  Perfect timing.

New Day

I chose to relax the rules this weekend.  I am up a couple of pounds, but some of that will erode quickly with healthy choices.  I feel good about where I am at and how to continue.

It is scary to lose momentum and possibly forget how to choose health.  It seems silly, but I have been there before.  Be sure to follow a day off with healthy choices so that a lapse, does not become a behavior management relapse.

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Rowing Challenge

I believe that I have mentioned before that my employer offers a handful of wellness incentives throughout the year.  One of the programs includes a battery of fitness tests that we are offered.  The results that we get decide whether or not we get paid a monthly stipend.

In theory, if we are fit, then the employer pays less throughout the year on insurance premiums.  Additionally, the employer benefits from decreased absenteeism, and therefore higher productivity.

This year, instead of the battery of six different tests of strength, power and endurance, we can simply do a rowing test.  There is an equation that spits out your time goals based on 40%, 60% and 80% of your VO2 max.  Depending on your time in rowing 2000 m. on a Concept II row machine, you would receive $50, $100, or $150 respective to the percents above.

I am working hard on getting the $100.  The $150 time will be a future goal.  Right now, I have about 2 weeks to get the time I need to get PAID!  236.8

Exercise is not Enough

Research continues to demonstrate that exercise and physical activity is not the answer to weight loss. The process of losing weight is more about what you don't eat than what you do activity-wise.  If you hate exercise, this news might sound awesome.  But make sure that you hear the whole story.

Yes, it is true that to lose weight all someone needs to do is to monitor their diet.  The calories in and way more important than the plan for calories out.  That being said, physical activity, and its higher profile cousin exercise, are beneficial in supporting weight loss.  Additionally, movement activities and caloric burn are crucial in future weight management.

Furthermore, exercise has many health benefits. Reducing the risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, stress, anxiety, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, exercise is still worth your time and effort.  So don't give up, give it your best. 237.6

Living with Intent

I don't know about you, but my days get busy.  It can be very easy for me to lose my focus.

I want to: pray more, to be a better father, to be a better friend, to be more outgoing, to eat healthier, to exercise or move around more.  I want to be a good role model for the things that I talk about.  I want to be accountable and transparent.  I need to work on not being slothful, glutonous, or lustful.

But by the end of the day, most of that simply didn't happen unless I planned for it.  I need to pack my lunch or bring workout clothes.  I must have a quite time for prayer or God is only a fleeting part of my day. 

All areas of our lives must be in balance or something will go wrong.  Try to live without an active relationship with God, while understanding who he is.  It is regretful and inefficient.  Without social and emotional balance, your/my physical health will be at risk. 

Now that being said, trying to overhaul your life in one swoop is a dicey proposition.  Improve one behavior and make that new thing a part of your life.  Once that behavior is ingrained, add another.  Health and wellness won't happen by accident.  You have to plan for those victories. We can do it.

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A Little Success Goes a Long Way

When I teach personal training seminars, I talk a lot about finding small victories.  Think about the good that is done mentally when someone reaches a goal.  The building of self-confidence and self-efficacy that can continue forward.  That momentum is important for adherence.

It is when motivation and momentum are both lost that and individual can lose track of their goals. Maybe they write off one day or one choice, or tell themselves that tomorrow will be different?  I know that once I learned that I could do it, I used that knowledge as a crutch and an excuse.  I would say to myself, "I will change or fix that issue tomorrow."  But tomorrow didn't come, only another excuse.

It is only when we search for that small victory each day (which might be maintenance), that we tend to have better focus and adherence to our new behaviors.

How will you win the day? I have packed my meals and have a lunch date with a row machine! 238.8

Challenge Yourself

To keep yourself accountable and adhere to your new behavior, challenge yourself to reach a new goal.  Log and track your efforts. It will help to keep you mindful of your behavior changes.  Make it something fun that you don't hate to do.  Accomplish an easier level or task, and feel good about yourself! Then increase the challenge and find another victory!  Let's get this.

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The Power of Positive Peer Pressure

We all can remember or if you are too old to remember, imagine a young child being peer pressured into doing something they didn't want to do.  However in the adult world, peer pressure still exists.

I have never been a drinker.  But at 42, I still have friends that want to be the ones to get me drunk for the first time.

But not all peer pressure needs to focus on a negative behavior.  Yesterday, my work mates and I set out some rules for weight loss to challenge ourselves to focus on our behaviors to increase the likelihood of success.  We will weigh in weekly to monitor our progress. 

A couple of usefull tips when trying to manage a behavior.
- make a public declaration
- be accountable
- have SMART goals
- reassess if needed.

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