With the Fourth of July coming up quickly, I thought it would be a good time to think about all the freedoms you enjoy by following a healthier lifestyle. This includes freedom from what you don't want and freedom for the things you do want.
As for me, I am glad to be free from all that wasted time I spent wishing I were doing something but wasn't. I am free from wondering what I was supposed to be doing. Instead, I know what a healthy lifestyle looks like. I am free to choose. I can eat anywhere. I can eat from all the food groups and make room for indulgences. I am free from guilt. All foods are on the plan, so there is no reason to feel guilty. I am free to make a fresh start whenever I realize I want one. What about you? What are the freedoms you enjoy by following a healthier lifestyle?
With summer in full swing, you may be enjoying picnics, BBQs or grilling out. We know the old standbys of burgers and brats. What about some fun ideas I heard lately. Kabobs? These can be vegetable, chicken, seafood or fruit. I heard about putting cut up watermelon in a paper cone with a small fork or frilly toothpick. Kids and adults would love this. It's like eating a "cone," but the "cone" is zero-point fruit. I am a huge fan of grilled peaches. Other grilled fruits that work are pineapple, nectarines and even bananas. I am including my recipe for grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad. Make it your own by adding or subbing ingredients to your liking. Savor summer!
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad
Serves 4 3 SMARTPOINTS PER SALAD
4 Portobello mushroom caps with scales removed
1 Vidalia sweet onion sliced in rings
salad greens like arugula, spring greens, romaine
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup reduced fat blue cheese crumbles
balsamic vinegar
Spray olive oil PAM on both sides of mushrooms and onions. Salt and pepper both sides. Place on grill for 5 minutes and then flip to other side and grill until done. Remove from grill.
Divide salad greens evenly onto four plates and put one mushroom cap with 1/8 cup of blue cheese on top. Add onions, tomatoes and thyme. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
This could be a vegetarian entrée salad for 3 SmartPoints, or add grilled chicken, steak or pork tenderloin for more protein and maybe more SmartPoints.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Be Body Positive
Believe it or not, focusing your mind on the negative aspects of your physical body is all it takes to feel bad about yourself. If you feel bad about yourself, then you lower your expectations for yourself and maybe your life. Of course, none of us sets out for this to happen. Images from media, impossible standards, and the unexpected but normal changes that occur over a lifetime are real. Comparing yourself to an ideal of yourself in your 20's isn't helpful, unless you are in your 20's.
Instead of focusing on your body image, muscles or lack thereof, shape or size, what would it be like to focus your attention on what your body can do? What about all that your body has done? Start making a list of every single thing you did today because of your legs. This includes getting out of bed unassisted. This includes walking towards your car. This includes walking away from danger. What about your arms? What have you picked up lately? Whom have you hugged lately? Whose hands have you shaken? What meals have you lovingly prepared for yourself and family? We don't need legs or arms to survive, but we are not giving them up. We only need the torso, neck and head to survive--the parts along the spinal column and brain. It's a humbling way to think about it.
I am keenly aware of body appreciation when I get sick. I recently had a headache and neck ache that wouldn't quit. After a trip to urgent care, two trips to the ER, two Chinese massages, acupuncture and a visit to my internist, I had to stop what I was doing and let whatever strain was in there, heal. I couldn't do my usual Orangetheory workout. I couldn't do all I wished to do in yoga. I couldn't ride my bike. I was frustrated for several weeks. The massage therapist looked at me and said, you are not 22 anymore. Your body is not going to recover as quickly as it used to. Another reminder to appreciate all that I have taken for granted when it comes to what these parts do for me--like producing children. Let's not forget that either.
On our long journey of good living, good health and wellness, we benefit from a reality check once in a while. The reality check for this week is about being body positive. No shaming ourselves or others for being less than perfect. Everyone is less than perfect. Everyone is human. Everyone would look fabulous photo shopped into their lives. Unfortunately, that's not real. That's not helpful. If you are working on your health, weight loss or weight maintenance, then you are putting your energy where it belongs. Let that be the focus of your attention as you silence the judgments and criticism. Reconsider all that you can do with what you've got, and then make the most of it.
This one precious life is yours for the making, one moment at a time.
Instead of focusing on your body image, muscles or lack thereof, shape or size, what would it be like to focus your attention on what your body can do? What about all that your body has done? Start making a list of every single thing you did today because of your legs. This includes getting out of bed unassisted. This includes walking towards your car. This includes walking away from danger. What about your arms? What have you picked up lately? Whom have you hugged lately? Whose hands have you shaken? What meals have you lovingly prepared for yourself and family? We don't need legs or arms to survive, but we are not giving them up. We only need the torso, neck and head to survive--the parts along the spinal column and brain. It's a humbling way to think about it.
I am keenly aware of body appreciation when I get sick. I recently had a headache and neck ache that wouldn't quit. After a trip to urgent care, two trips to the ER, two Chinese massages, acupuncture and a visit to my internist, I had to stop what I was doing and let whatever strain was in there, heal. I couldn't do my usual Orangetheory workout. I couldn't do all I wished to do in yoga. I couldn't ride my bike. I was frustrated for several weeks. The massage therapist looked at me and said, you are not 22 anymore. Your body is not going to recover as quickly as it used to. Another reminder to appreciate all that I have taken for granted when it comes to what these parts do for me--like producing children. Let's not forget that either.
On our long journey of good living, good health and wellness, we benefit from a reality check once in a while. The reality check for this week is about being body positive. No shaming ourselves or others for being less than perfect. Everyone is less than perfect. Everyone is human. Everyone would look fabulous photo shopped into their lives. Unfortunately, that's not real. That's not helpful. If you are working on your health, weight loss or weight maintenance, then you are putting your energy where it belongs. Let that be the focus of your attention as you silence the judgments and criticism. Reconsider all that you can do with what you've got, and then make the most of it.
This one precious life is yours for the making, one moment at a time.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Savor Summer's Bounty
There is so much to love about the ease of summer from the sunny weather, the vacations that await, the downshift from school schedules and the child-like wish for a break. As adults, most of us don't get to take the summer "off" from our jobs and certainly not our responsibilities, but there is a real part of us that might like to.
It was the news about a lost raccoon scaling a high-rise building in St. Paul this week that reminded me we all need some good news and something positive to focus on. This story went viral and around the world in no time. The gift of the internet. What about the days before technology, though? What about summer days stretched out long before us when we felt the sun beating down, the attraction of a cool lake or pool? What about enjoying ourselves outdoors even if that just meant sitting outside and appreciating freshly cut grass, gardens, trees in bloom and the freedom from being cold and bundled? What about enjoying the best produce of the year because it is so fresh and maybe even local? What about the simplicity of a bike ride. No worries about earning enough calorie-burn to make up for indulgences later... just an easy ride?
I may sound nostalgic, but this is part of my summer plan to really savor this time. Living in a cold climate has made me very aware of how short the season is and how quickly it slips away. I don't want to miss out or regret not having enjoyed myself and June, July and August.
Just like we talk about savoring our food by slowing down and being mindful of our choices, we can savor our experiences. My plan is to slow down my appreciation of all of the summer's bounty, to really take in the best time of year for me. When I was walking my dog, Pippa, I noticed the strong smell of lilacs. I looked around and didn't see any bushes at eye level, but then I looked up, and there was a lilac tree, still in bloom--albeit on the fade. I was glad I stopped to smell it in, because it won't be but days or hours until it is gone for an entire year. That's a long time to wait, but savoring helps.
This week, be sure to savor the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures of what you are eating...not to mention the beauty and bounty of summer itself. This is healthy. This is mindful. This is free. This is gratitude in motion.
It was the news about a lost raccoon scaling a high-rise building in St. Paul this week that reminded me we all need some good news and something positive to focus on. This story went viral and around the world in no time. The gift of the internet. What about the days before technology, though? What about summer days stretched out long before us when we felt the sun beating down, the attraction of a cool lake or pool? What about enjoying ourselves outdoors even if that just meant sitting outside and appreciating freshly cut grass, gardens, trees in bloom and the freedom from being cold and bundled? What about enjoying the best produce of the year because it is so fresh and maybe even local? What about the simplicity of a bike ride. No worries about earning enough calorie-burn to make up for indulgences later... just an easy ride?
I may sound nostalgic, but this is part of my summer plan to really savor this time. Living in a cold climate has made me very aware of how short the season is and how quickly it slips away. I don't want to miss out or regret not having enjoyed myself and June, July and August.
Just like we talk about savoring our food by slowing down and being mindful of our choices, we can savor our experiences. My plan is to slow down my appreciation of all of the summer's bounty, to really take in the best time of year for me. When I was walking my dog, Pippa, I noticed the strong smell of lilacs. I looked around and didn't see any bushes at eye level, but then I looked up, and there was a lilac tree, still in bloom--albeit on the fade. I was glad I stopped to smell it in, because it won't be but days or hours until it is gone for an entire year. That's a long time to wait, but savoring helps.
This week, be sure to savor the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures of what you are eating...not to mention the beauty and bounty of summer itself. This is healthy. This is mindful. This is free. This is gratitude in motion.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Small Steps Count
It's the summer fun time of year. When we think about how much we'd like do, where we'd like to go, how we'd like to enjoy ourselves, we begin to get a vision for what we really want. This vision tells us what's important to us and where our thoughts are. I have a coworker on the WW Cruise who facilitates a vision board workshop so that members can create a collage of images, colors and icons to "picture" their goals and to be reminded of what they really want. This puts intention behind the behavior.
No matter how you go about this thought process, the facts remain the same. We have to have a clear idea of where we are going and what we want--in order to know where to start. We can begin with a simple weight loss question: do you want to lose, maintain or gain weight this summer? Depending upon that answer alone, we can walk ourselves backwards and contemplate specific steps we can take to achieve. We can ask when are the special occasions, holidays, birthdays, vacations or staycations coming up? Depending upon whether your plan is to lose, maintain or gain, you know what small steps you can take to make that happen. For example, if you want to lose weight on vacation, you can think about what you have control over. Are you in charge of where you go for meals? Are you able to make your own meals or easily find what you need to lose weight? Can you manage breakfasts easily but not so much at dinner? It is this thought process that leads us to our behavior plan--small goals.
You can use the flexibility of the Freestyle plan to set yourself up for success. You can bank up to 4 smartpoints per day to your weekly allowance if you undereat your daily target. You can save all of your weekly points for the great unknown? that is the weekend at the cabin. You can get creative with zero point recipes.
Maybe your small goals are not food related. Maybe you'd like to be walking after dinner. Make it a priority, and stick to your plan. I have one member who would like to just put on her tennis shoes every day. If it leads to exercise, then fine, but if not, at least she got started. See what I mean about small goals? All they have to be is a bit more than what you are presently doing to count.
It all comes back to you. What is important? What matters? What do you want to say about your summer when you look back on it? How do you want to feel? How much of how you feel is tied to your behavior?
We are never done becoming the person we'd be most proud of. We are never done finding something new to try to make our lives more interesting and fulfilling. This is a good thing.
No matter how you go about this thought process, the facts remain the same. We have to have a clear idea of where we are going and what we want--in order to know where to start. We can begin with a simple weight loss question: do you want to lose, maintain or gain weight this summer? Depending upon that answer alone, we can walk ourselves backwards and contemplate specific steps we can take to achieve. We can ask when are the special occasions, holidays, birthdays, vacations or staycations coming up? Depending upon whether your plan is to lose, maintain or gain, you know what small steps you can take to make that happen. For example, if you want to lose weight on vacation, you can think about what you have control over. Are you in charge of where you go for meals? Are you able to make your own meals or easily find what you need to lose weight? Can you manage breakfasts easily but not so much at dinner? It is this thought process that leads us to our behavior plan--small goals.
You can use the flexibility of the Freestyle plan to set yourself up for success. You can bank up to 4 smartpoints per day to your weekly allowance if you undereat your daily target. You can save all of your weekly points for the great unknown? that is the weekend at the cabin. You can get creative with zero point recipes.
Maybe your small goals are not food related. Maybe you'd like to be walking after dinner. Make it a priority, and stick to your plan. I have one member who would like to just put on her tennis shoes every day. If it leads to exercise, then fine, but if not, at least she got started. See what I mean about small goals? All they have to be is a bit more than what you are presently doing to count.
It all comes back to you. What is important? What matters? What do you want to say about your summer when you look back on it? How do you want to feel? How much of how you feel is tied to your behavior?
We are never done becoming the person we'd be most proud of. We are never done finding something new to try to make our lives more interesting and fulfilling. This is a good thing.
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