There is so much that goes into being satisfied with our food. We use all of our senses to enhance the enjoyment of the pleasurable act of eating. We want our food to smell appetizing. We want it to be presented nicely so that it looks appealing. We want the crunchy foods to crunch, and the creamy foods to be smooth. We want the steaks to sizzle when they hit the grill. We want it to taste fabulous, most importantly of all. We also benefit from a clutter-free and technology-free eating environment. That costs us zero points plus values but adds exponentially to our eating satisfaction.
As we know, however, there is so much that competes with our attention, not the least of which is the sense that we have to move on quickly--get it done--go on to the next activity. This destroys our ability to use all of our senses and actually profit from the mindful eating experience we are trying to promote.
As Weight Watchers members, one of our life-long goals is to discover ways to get satisfied with less, e.g. how little can we eat and still be happy. This is a life-long pursuit, because sometimes, we are fine with a pile of salad and nice protein on the side. Other times, we want more indulgent choices. NOT A PROBLEM. We can find a healthy balance, and then we can actually look forward to our treats and get satisfied when we have them.
It would be lovely if the world we live in could help with this pursuit. Unfortunately, we don't live in that healthy, balanced world where treats are reserved for special occasions, where points plus values are posted on all the foods at the grocery store, where restaurants serve right-size portions, where our friends and family don't push food....
My response to this is--SAVE YOURSELF. You and I, and every person I know who is pursuing a healthy lifestyle, on a journey of self improvement know how true this is. We simply do not have extra points plus values for others. We do not have enough points plus values for foods we regret having eaten. We do not have enough points plus values to eat every single thing we are offered.
The art of eating well--and I believe it can be an art--means that we take good care of ourselves, honor our commitment to feed ourselves healthy, nutritious food that fuels the body and maybe even the soul (think of some family favorites). The art of eating well means that we plan ahead for meals that we can look forward to. No more ho hum chicken in salt and pepper. We can have Greek style chicken with a little olive oil, oregano and lemon zest/juice. We can have Asian-style kebobs if we buy the ginger, soy, miso, etc. and make it interesting. We can buy a plant or flower or candle and put it on the dinner table with a nice place setting. We can have a technology-free table and enjoy the art of eating well.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
PREPARE FOR SUMMER FUN
This week, we consider the joys of summer: longer days, more sunshine, vacations, long weekends, holidays, graduations, weddings, birthdays....trips to the ice cream store, barbeques with the neighbors... The list goes on. We want to make the most of what we have, however, as people creating a healthy lifestyle, this takes some planning.
How can we plan and be "fun and spontaneous" at the same time? First we might consider our goals for summer. What looks like a specific, doable goal for weight loss, maintenance, behavior change, activity increase? If you've never lost 20 pounds in your life, is it realistic to think that a 20 pound weight loss during the summer with all of the aforementioned activities is a doable goal? Maybe and then again maybe not. We want to set ourselves up for the winning challenge, but we want to travel on a path to meeting that challenge. A path we can chart and stick to.
One great way to stay focused and mindful about eating and drinking when away from home is by asking yourself whether the reason for the gathering is a real celebration (wedding, graduation) or is it just a meal out on the run, unplanned with no special occasion attached. The reason for the eating does matter. We often splurge a bit on celebrations. Not a license to overdo it, but to use extra points indulge in cocktails or dessert, yes. If, however, you don't care about the celebration (your l0th grad party), then maybe you can hold yourself tight to your daily points target and skip the extras? If you are eating out just because you can't eat at home (road trip, unplanned stop, after soccer game), then consider this an occasion to stick with your regularly scheduled points values for that meal. No drinks or extras. Finding which restaurants, grocery stores (all) have healthy options on the run, ahead of time, is crucial to this plan working out.
Of course, the mystery detour off of our charted path is likely. The unexpected does occur. In those situations, we do our very best to practice intentional eating, choose the better option, take half home, drink a lot of water... Better is a behavioral change. And, in those situations, it will be enough.
I know how good all of these thoughts are when we are at home, and then in the thick of the moment, hunger, fatigue, stress, we don't follow through. Let's all challenge ourselves this week to actually follow through. Fight off the difficulty of the situation and rise up to the challenge. Face it straightaway. Discover, in that difficult moment, just how strong you are; how strong you can be; how much you can do to make your healthy lifestyle a happy one.
I am going to be busy this weekend with planting, riding bikes, taking walks (my coworker challenged me with fitbit steps) and sticking to my points strictly. What will you do to make your healthy, happy lifestyle your very own?
How can we plan and be "fun and spontaneous" at the same time? First we might consider our goals for summer. What looks like a specific, doable goal for weight loss, maintenance, behavior change, activity increase? If you've never lost 20 pounds in your life, is it realistic to think that a 20 pound weight loss during the summer with all of the aforementioned activities is a doable goal? Maybe and then again maybe not. We want to set ourselves up for the winning challenge, but we want to travel on a path to meeting that challenge. A path we can chart and stick to.
One great way to stay focused and mindful about eating and drinking when away from home is by asking yourself whether the reason for the gathering is a real celebration (wedding, graduation) or is it just a meal out on the run, unplanned with no special occasion attached. The reason for the eating does matter. We often splurge a bit on celebrations. Not a license to overdo it, but to use extra points indulge in cocktails or dessert, yes. If, however, you don't care about the celebration (your l0th grad party), then maybe you can hold yourself tight to your daily points target and skip the extras? If you are eating out just because you can't eat at home (road trip, unplanned stop, after soccer game), then consider this an occasion to stick with your regularly scheduled points values for that meal. No drinks or extras. Finding which restaurants, grocery stores (all) have healthy options on the run, ahead of time, is crucial to this plan working out.
Of course, the mystery detour off of our charted path is likely. The unexpected does occur. In those situations, we do our very best to practice intentional eating, choose the better option, take half home, drink a lot of water... Better is a behavioral change. And, in those situations, it will be enough.
I know how good all of these thoughts are when we are at home, and then in the thick of the moment, hunger, fatigue, stress, we don't follow through. Let's all challenge ourselves this week to actually follow through. Fight off the difficulty of the situation and rise up to the challenge. Face it straightaway. Discover, in that difficult moment, just how strong you are; how strong you can be; how much you can do to make your healthy lifestyle a happy one.
I am going to be busy this weekend with planting, riding bikes, taking walks (my coworker challenged me with fitbit steps) and sticking to my points strictly. What will you do to make your healthy, happy lifestyle your very own?
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
CHANGE COMES FROM A DARK PLACE
This week I had an interesting question from a Weight Watchers member. On one hand, she was happy that she had lost 25 pounds. On the other hand, she was not where she really wanted to be--25 more pounds down. She had reflected on the fact that she made sacrifices, behavioral changes and created a new lifestyle. She was conflicted about this as well. Was this good enough?
This made me think about what spurs us to make a change in the first place: something uncomfortable. That something uncomfortable, sad, frustrating, depressing, upsetting--that forces us out of our comfort zone and into the unknown is usually strong enough to take action. It's a long time in coming, however, for most of us.
There are several stages of change. They begin with denial, i.e. I don't have a problem. This can be about anything from a poor credit rating to weight to cleanliness to punctuality. Then comes the next stage: awareness. Maybe, I do have a problem, but I am not sure what to do or where to go or how to solve it. I can acknowledge the issue, but that's it. Then comes ambivalence. I need to make a change, and I am considering my options, but I really don't want to act on them just yet. Then, finally after some period of time, I can reach the action stage, i.e. actually making a change. I am going to a financial counselor to clear up credit card debt. I am joining a health club. I am going to Weight Watchers and signing up tomorrow at 10AM.
We can all return to ambivalence, but we cannot return to denial. This member I mentioned above was in the ambivalence stage of change. She was satisfied with the progress so far, and she was contemplating whether it was good enough. No one can say for sure but her.
Let's be sure that we don't sell ourselves short. Living our best life is not about doing things only a little bit right some of the time; it is about doing a lot of things right a lot of the time. "Living the dream" whether it is vacation at Disney with grandchildren or weighing what you did on your wedding takes time, effort, energy and commitment. I have to mention patience, attention, sacrifice, forgiveness. Any other virtues? It's not a one-time proposition. It's a life long pursuit. The good news is that the rewards that come with making dreams come true, fully true, is that the hard work, time, effort and energy have paid off, and we know it. We feel it. We look it. We act it. We are 100% satisfied with our results. We are not 50% satisfied.
There is no perfection in this game of life. We are human, and it's not possible to give 100% to everything we do. It's not even required. But, when it comes to our heart's desire, we don't ever want to stop short of the best life we can live. It doesn't look lovely all the time, but it does look intentional most of the time.
Stopping at the half way point to take a break and reflect, yes, by all means that is a good idea. Taking stock of accomplishment, success, effort and all the other virtues involved is a nice place to be, for a while. Then, it's time to get back on the road, the life long pursuit of a lifetime of intentional, balanced, healthy, active living.
At the end of my yoga classes, I always read a quote from a book called "NOW IS THE TIME." I also gently rest my hands on each student's shoulders and whisper an affirmation to them during the final resting pose of the class. Tonight, I said "you are stronger than you know." I believe this is true. We all need to be reminded. We are all stronger than we realize. We will never know how strong we are until we rise up to the challenges that confront us. NOW IS THE TIME to do just that.
This made me think about what spurs us to make a change in the first place: something uncomfortable. That something uncomfortable, sad, frustrating, depressing, upsetting--that forces us out of our comfort zone and into the unknown is usually strong enough to take action. It's a long time in coming, however, for most of us.
There are several stages of change. They begin with denial, i.e. I don't have a problem. This can be about anything from a poor credit rating to weight to cleanliness to punctuality. Then comes the next stage: awareness. Maybe, I do have a problem, but I am not sure what to do or where to go or how to solve it. I can acknowledge the issue, but that's it. Then comes ambivalence. I need to make a change, and I am considering my options, but I really don't want to act on them just yet. Then, finally after some period of time, I can reach the action stage, i.e. actually making a change. I am going to a financial counselor to clear up credit card debt. I am joining a health club. I am going to Weight Watchers and signing up tomorrow at 10AM.
We can all return to ambivalence, but we cannot return to denial. This member I mentioned above was in the ambivalence stage of change. She was satisfied with the progress so far, and she was contemplating whether it was good enough. No one can say for sure but her.
Let's be sure that we don't sell ourselves short. Living our best life is not about doing things only a little bit right some of the time; it is about doing a lot of things right a lot of the time. "Living the dream" whether it is vacation at Disney with grandchildren or weighing what you did on your wedding takes time, effort, energy and commitment. I have to mention patience, attention, sacrifice, forgiveness. Any other virtues? It's not a one-time proposition. It's a life long pursuit. The good news is that the rewards that come with making dreams come true, fully true, is that the hard work, time, effort and energy have paid off, and we know it. We feel it. We look it. We act it. We are 100% satisfied with our results. We are not 50% satisfied.
There is no perfection in this game of life. We are human, and it's not possible to give 100% to everything we do. It's not even required. But, when it comes to our heart's desire, we don't ever want to stop short of the best life we can live. It doesn't look lovely all the time, but it does look intentional most of the time.
Stopping at the half way point to take a break and reflect, yes, by all means that is a good idea. Taking stock of accomplishment, success, effort and all the other virtues involved is a nice place to be, for a while. Then, it's time to get back on the road, the life long pursuit of a lifetime of intentional, balanced, healthy, active living.
At the end of my yoga classes, I always read a quote from a book called "NOW IS THE TIME." I also gently rest my hands on each student's shoulders and whisper an affirmation to them during the final resting pose of the class. Tonight, I said "you are stronger than you know." I believe this is true. We all need to be reminded. We are all stronger than we realize. We will never know how strong we are until we rise up to the challenges that confront us. NOW IS THE TIME to do just that.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Spring Cleaning: REMOVE WHATEVER IS NO LONGER SERVING YOU
It's that time of year--the time to spring clean your closets, reorganize your clothes and make way for a lighter, less dramatic season. It's time to get rid of the clutter that accumulated in the garage over the winter,and make way for the gardening, lawn mowing and planting that lies ahead. It's really a breath of fresh air both literally and figuratively--that the season brings.
I was reading and someone I know mentioned, that some people choose to have a wardrobe "uniform"--one style of clothing or color that works with everything. By doing this, their minds are freed up for bigger things. There is no debate when it's the morning rush and you don't know what to wear. You might not think this is such a big deal, but I even heard a woman on NPR who works in a creative field in New York that she opted to do this very thing. Of course, being New York, it's black. She's got her uniform for work, and she no longer spends any mental energy on her work clothes. Casual outings, when she has time are a different story. That's wear her fun and creativity come in. By doing this, her brainwaves are moving in a different, more intentional direction.
What it comes down to is living your best life. If the definition of your best life is making time for what really matters to you, quieting the "noise" and limiting the clutter, this might be the way to go. If your best life involves reducing the piles of paper, shoes, projects, foods on the kitchen counters, then that area deserves some attention.
When we limit what is NO LONGER SERVING US, we are free to pursue our dreams.
What is your dream, now that you are thinking of removing the clutter of daily detritus? What is your dream for the day? A walk in the park, a great book, writing a poem, saying a kind word to a stranger, hugging your teenager? What is your bliss? Planning a summer vacation, getting through your therapy in one piece, taking a nap with your dog? What is the best version of yourself? Are you living the dream that you wish? Are you creating it? Are you defining it? Are you reflecting?
Life is busy, hectic and demanding. There are endless avenues to stress and tension. That's only part of life, however. Create the life you are looking for by first reflecting on what your heart's desire is revealing to you.
I was reading and someone I know mentioned, that some people choose to have a wardrobe "uniform"--one style of clothing or color that works with everything. By doing this, their minds are freed up for bigger things. There is no debate when it's the morning rush and you don't know what to wear. You might not think this is such a big deal, but I even heard a woman on NPR who works in a creative field in New York that she opted to do this very thing. Of course, being New York, it's black. She's got her uniform for work, and she no longer spends any mental energy on her work clothes. Casual outings, when she has time are a different story. That's wear her fun and creativity come in. By doing this, her brainwaves are moving in a different, more intentional direction.
What it comes down to is living your best life. If the definition of your best life is making time for what really matters to you, quieting the "noise" and limiting the clutter, this might be the way to go. If your best life involves reducing the piles of paper, shoes, projects, foods on the kitchen counters, then that area deserves some attention.
When we limit what is NO LONGER SERVING US, we are free to pursue our dreams.
What is your dream, now that you are thinking of removing the clutter of daily detritus? What is your dream for the day? A walk in the park, a great book, writing a poem, saying a kind word to a stranger, hugging your teenager? What is your bliss? Planning a summer vacation, getting through your therapy in one piece, taking a nap with your dog? What is the best version of yourself? Are you living the dream that you wish? Are you creating it? Are you defining it? Are you reflecting?
Life is busy, hectic and demanding. There are endless avenues to stress and tension. That's only part of life, however. Create the life you are looking for by first reflecting on what your heart's desire is revealing to you.
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