Fit In Real Life

And Now...Inertia

Yesterday, I mentioned that I'd be reflecting on the five big challenges I've faced during my first year of weight maintenance. The first post was all about guilt. Today's challenge? Inertia (or, a really fancy way of saying "laziness.").

 

It's not that I'm lazy about working out in general. I know I need to exercise and I try my best to make time for it every day. What I'm really lazy about is changing things up. And if you think creating new ways to challenge your body isn't vital to keeping weight off, well...you're just wrong.

 

See, the body gets used to just about anything -- which means that if I walk the same route, lift the same number of pounds the same number of times, etc., my body will soon adapt and I'll no longer see a real benefit from what I'm doing. To continually make progress, you have to "shock the body," as my trainer, Nicole, used to say.

 

Fortunately, it doesn't take much to shock my body. A new route, a faster time, a heavier weight or an increased number of repetitions will all do the trick. But really, it takes effort (there's that inertia) to think of new ways to work out.

 

That's my challenge. When I'm struggling to meet work deadlines, get the kids to all the practices and games they need to get to, make dinner, attend a Board meeting, do laundry, walk the dog, etc., who has the energy to sit and think, "How can I challenge my body in a new way tomorrow?"

 

But that's exactly what needs to be done to make sure I don't fall into a fitness rut. So I'm researching new exercise DVDs online, I'm pulling pages out of fitness magazines and I'm calling local gyms for their class schedules. Oddly enough, a little pre-planning helps create some spontaneity in my fitness routine.

 

I also feel the effects of inertia when I have bouts of fear that I can't do it alone. When I'm not sure what to do next, the temptation is to do nothing. That's when I have to remind myself that yes, my dietitian, trainer and life coach gave me lots of support last year. But they also gave me something much more important -- the foundation, the building blocks, for a lifetime of healthy living. When I take a moment to stop and re-group, I find I have all the information I need to keep moving forward.

 

Now, I just have to use it.

 

Oh, The Guilt

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the end of my weight-loss program as Shape magazine's Weight-Loss Diary columnist. Ironically enough, it'll end with a weigh-in, since I have a doctor's appointment scheduled later in the week. Now that I've had a year on my own -- no dietitian, no trainer, no life coach -- it feels like a good time to reflect on what I've learned, and what I still need to learn, about maintaining a healthy weight and living a healthy lifestyle.

 

I've identified five personal challenges that continue to plague me, but I suspect they're the same challenges that frustrate others as well. So, for today and the remainder of the week, I'll be looking a little more closely at these challenges. Today's challenge? Guilt.

 

Of all the obstacles I face, guilt is right up there at the top. Slowly -- slowly -- I'm learning to ease up on myself, but it's been a long, hard road. First up is the universal working-mom-want-to-be-a-good-wife-and-oh,yeah-I'm-supposed-to-have-a-fantastic-clean-home-and-look-great-too kind of guilt. Like many women, I suffer from "I'll just..." syndrome. As in, "I'll just finish writing this" or "I'll just throw in a load of laundry and clean the bathroom." Before you know it, the day's over and guess what? No workout. No healthy lunch. I've suspected it for years, but it turns out there actually are only so many hours in a day.

 

It feels very contrary and wrong for me to put responsibilities -- work, family, home, etc. -- off to concentrate on myself. But there's a reason airlines caution you to put on your own oxygen mask first before taking care of others. What I've learned this year is that when I push my guilt aside and focus on getting in a good workout early in the day and eating right, it improves not only my body, but my state of mind, my work, my interactions with others and the very course of the day itself. Guess what? Everybody benefits when Dara takes care of herself.

 

You might think knowing that would make it easier to push guilt aside. But it doesn't. I don't know if it's my personality or my upbringing, but overcoming my own guilt remains one of my biggest healthy-living challenges. But what's that recovery mantra? The first step is admitting you have a problem. Somehow, knowing that guilt is a challenge for me helps. I've learned to welcome it like an old friend -- "oh, here's the guilt" -- and do what I need to do anyway.  

 

Besides, if I don't make time to work out and eat well, I'll feel guilty about not doing that, too. If the guilt's coming anyway, I might as well be healthy.

 

How about you? Does guilt ever get in the way of your healthy intentions?

Next Time, I'll Just Make A Donation

When my walking buddy came over for our walk yesterday, she came bearing eight -- count 'em, eight! -- candy bars. Her talented kid is selling them for school to raise money for one of her camps or programs. Really, how could I say no?

 

Well, I could have said no. Or I could have bought just a couple. Instead, I found myself writing her a check for all eight bars. You know what this means, right?

 

There's chocolate in my pantry.

 

If you've learned anything at all about me by reading this blog, then you know this is what we'd call a "situation."

 

Fortunately, we're already down to six bars (one bar for each kid after yesterday's baseball game). OK, five-and-a-half bars...I ate half of the dark chocolate bar yesterday after finishing a story. But hey, it's not all bad. Have you seen this study that points out the health benefits of dark chocolate? I can feel the antioxidants coursing through my veins.

 

Or maybe that's just a sugar rush.

 

In any case, I realized after the fact that I can prevent these situations. I could have just said, "I don't want any chocolate, but here, let me write her a check for what I would have spent." That's even better, I suppose. She can take my donation and still have the bars to sell to someone else.

 

See how great I am at coming up with creative and healthy solutions after the fact? In that moment, though, the only thought that came to mind was, "Chocolate!"

 

Never fear, though. I'm in control. I've already read the nutritional facts and chosen my bar for the day. I'll adjust my overall calorie intake accordingly, soldier on with my planned workout and enjoy my chocolate, guilt-free.

 

Because really, life's too short not to, isn't it?

 

Get Me A TV Show -- Stat

Have you seen this new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which showed that viewers of the TV show Grey's Anatomy absorbed health information included in a recent episode featuring an HIV-positive pregnant woman? Researchers found that in the week following the show's airing, viewers showed increased awareness of the condition.

 

That got me thinking about where I get my health information (and, of course, that this week is the start of the new fall TV season) and how much I trust it. I used to be a huge ER fan and would often marvel at the medical mumbo-jumbo spewing forth from the characters' mouths. Did I understand any of it? No. But it did make me think about health issues -- which, as an aside, is why I stopped watching the show. I just couldn't take the torturous demise of Dr. Mark Green.

 

But I digress...

 

It's important for us to remember -- especially us parents -- that we are absorbing what we see and hear on television and in other media. What a great opportunity to address topics like eating disorders and body image! Wouldn't you like to see one of those silly Gossip Girl characters (a show I just caught for the first time last week) turn to another and say, "You're looking too thin. Have you eaten lunch today? Let's go to the cafeteria and get some protein."

 

A mom can dream, right?

 

 

I'd Post, But I Need to Eat

It's been a crazy morning, people -- beginning with early orthodontia and a deadline. It's 11 a.m. right now and guess what? I haven't eaten a thing yet today.

 

That's a no-no.

 

I learned that during my year with Shape. Regular eating is the key to stoking the metabolism and skipping meals is a first-class ticket to bad choices and weight gain. Unfortunately, eating is usually the first thing to go when I'm busy -- a very bad habit that I thought I'd overcome.

 

So while I'm tempted to wax poetic about the perils of not eating, I'm going to spare you. And get myself some breakfast.

Ask the Dietitian: An Apple A Day

Melissa Kirdzik, my dietitian during my year as Shape magazine's Weight-Loss Diary columnist, is back today to talk about one of my favorite fall treats: Apples. Here's what she had to say on this tasty subject:

 

Apples are an excellent addition to any healthy diet. Not only are they high in soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps to control cholesterol levels and improve bowel health, they've also got Vitamin C, potassium, phytochemicals and antioxidants. What don't apples have? Fat, saturated fat, sodium or cholesterol!

 

The best apples for eating are Macintosh, Gala, Golden Supreme, Macoun, Cortland, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Fuji and more. Pretty much any variety that you like can be enjoyed as a fresh snack.

 

If you're making applesauce, try Granny Smith, Macintosh, Crispin, Jonagold or Red Rome. Apples like Honeycrisp, Gala, Cortland and Empire are also great chopped up in a salad. If you want to make sweet cider, try Red or Green Delicious, or Fuji varieties. Granny Smith and Macintosh make a great sharp cider. You can also use Granny Smith, Macintosh or any tart apple to make apple butter, which is a great replacement for shortening in many recipes.

 

If you're making a pie (What? Do my ears deceive me?), try Macintosh, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Cortland or any crisp apple variety.

 

Thanks, Melissa, for stopping by to tell us why apples are good for us. And just think -- if you go pick your own, you're bound to burn off some calories, and enjoy a beautiful fall day, in the process. Happy picking!

Functional Fitness (Or, Why My Shoulders Are Sore Today)

Like many married couples, my husband and I have an agreed-upon division of labor. He (usually) takes out the trash and I (usually) do the grocery shopping. We mix and match tasks now and then, but for the most part, he's happy to do his thing and I'm happy to do mine.

 

He's been working really hard lately to finish our under-construction kitchen, so I decided to help him out yesterday by mowing the lawn. I haven't mowed the lawn in years. Seriously. Let's just say that by the time I finished, I was soaked with sweat and covered in grass clippings. Pushing that mower (even though it's gas powered) is hard work. I'm feeling it in my back and shoulders today.

 

It occurs to me that taking on a physical chore that you normally don't is a great way to spot gaps in your strength and places where you might want to strengthen (pun intended!) your fitness routine. Though I have really strong legs, my upper-body strength has always been somewhat lacking and my lawn-mowing experience really spotlighted that fact. I tend to go easier on my upper-body workouts simply because they're so hard for me, but I think I'm doing myself a disservice. I suspect that a good set of push-ups every day will go a long way toward improving my strength -- even though I hate doing them.

 

I'd love to hear what all of you do to build upper-body strength.

School Picture Day

Remember school picture day? Agonizing over the perfect outfit to wear, what to do with your hair...it was all planned down to the last detail. As I watched my daughter get ready this morning, I flashed back to my own junior high school days. Even though those photos weren't always my best look, they're a record -- not only of who I was, but of how far I've come.

 

As a mom, there's something humbling about sliding your child's new school picture into the frame. We keep all of ours in the same frame, so every time I put a new picture in, I go through all the old photos and marvel at how much my kids have changed. If you've ever wanted proof of how quickly time flies, just look at the changes in a child from year to year.

 

Of course, grown-ups change, too. And even though we no longer have a yearly photo documenting those changes, it's good to stop and reflect on how we're different. I can look at photos taken of me throughout adulthood and tell you, simply by the way I look, what I was going through at the time. There are the happy young bride photos. There are the exhausted new mother photos. There are the overwhelmed mother-of-two-toddlers photos. There are the grief-stricken daughter who's lost her mother and is now consoling herself with food photos. And then, there are the photos of the woman who's found herself again.

 

Just as with my junior high photos, they're not always my best looks. But I wouldn't trade them for anything. They're documentation of the journey that's brought me right to the place I was meant to be.

 

 

The Great Weight Debate

I happened to turn on the TV yesterday afternoon while I was prepping chicken for dinner and I caught Gwyneth Paltrow on the Oprah Show, talking about how hard she worked -- and still does work -- to get herself back in shape after giving birth. I had to put down the knife and watch as footage rolled of Gwyneth's workout; she was sweating hard as her trainer, Tracy Anderson, put her through a workout that looked deceptively easy.

 

But my ears really perked up when I heard Tracy say this: No woman should ever lift more than three pounds.

 

Umm, MizFit ...where are you?

 

I haven't used three-pound weights since, I don't know, 1987. Seriously, if I told my trainer that I wasn't going to lift more than three pounds, she'd have laughed me right out of that gym. But I admit I'm intrigued by Tracy's approach. I researched her DVDs and I'm thinking about ordering some, just to give her method a try. After all, it works for Gwyneth and Madonna, right?

 

As with many things, there's more than one way to get results, for sure. And in the interest of changing up my workout, I'm willing to give Tracy's method a try. Besides, three pounds will be a nice break from those 15's I've been using.

 

 

What Motivates You?

As I sat here this morning, staring at a blank page with nary an idea, I was reminded that fear can be its own motivator. The very thought of not being able to come up with something to write about actually gave me an idea of something to consider...which got me thinking about what motivates me on a daily basis.

 

Most writers will agree that a blank page, no ideas and a deadline is a special kind of terror. When I'm writing, I usually get my best ideas away from the blank page -- or screen, in this case. Whether I'm out walking, in the shower, knitting or doing something else, those times when I'm actively engaged elsewhere is when the perfect lead will strike me or the best way to organize a piece will appear. Fear -- that pressure of "gotta do it right now" -- tends to make me freeze.

 

I'm thinking about fear, too, as it relates to maintaining weight loss. If you're a regular reader, you know that I don't keep a scale in my house. There's too much potential for an obsession with numbers to develop. However, I do have a doctor's appointment coming up in two weeks, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of the end of my Weight-Loss Diary column with Shape, and I find myself feeling a bit of fear. What if the doctor's scale says my weight is way up?

 

It's a little bit irrational -- all of my clothes still fit. But still I find myself a bit nervous about stepping into that office.

 

That spark of fear might be just what I need to boost my workout and healthy eating efforts during the next two weeks. But what will motivate me after that? In the end, for me, fear-based action never amounts to lasting change.

 

As I come to the end of my first year after weight loss, it's good to reflect on the reasons behind the healthy changes I've made and the reasons why I want to keep going with this lifestyle. I do know this, though -- it can't be about fear.