Weeks 3&4 - Planning

We had a great workshop this Thursday. I was so impressed with everyone's successes the past two weeks! You are doing such a great job choosing and following through with your goals! Our focus this week was planning - here's the rundown:

Shape the Path 
In Chip and Dan Heath's book, "Switch: How to change things when change is hard," the authors compare us to a man riding an elephant. Imagine trying to ride a giant elephant. Specifically, imagine trying to steer the elephant. It works pretty well if the elephant wants to go the same direction as the rider, but if that elephant wants to go right when you want to go left, what can you do about it? Not much - that elephant is huge! The rider is like our conscious mind - what we think about and intend to do. When we set goals and think about where we would like to be, that is the rider. The elephant, then, is our subconscious, or automatic selves - that part led by habit, emotions, and desires. If that part of ourselves is not on board, we can set all the goals we want and it will be like trying to steer an elephant - possible perhaps, but VERY difficult.

If we really want that elephant to turn, there are two things we can do. We can motivate the elephant (appealing to our emotions/subconscious, making the chosen direction more appealing). The other option is to shape the path. If you make the path you want to take clear and open and easy, the elephant will naturally choose it. In health terms, this could be something like having healthy snacks more accessible than less healthy ones. Or laying your running clothes out the night before.

Planning
There are three phases that happen before you eat a meal or snack.

1. Planning
2. Shopping
3. Preparing food

These all happen, even if the planning is right before you eat, and the preparation is opening a package. If you want to change your eating habits, most likely you will need to be addressing these areas. Which phase is most keeping you from making the meal choices you want to make?

Make a Meal Plan
We spent a good portion of our time actually writing out a two-week meal plan. We included breakfast and lunch if those meals are problems for you, and list out snack options, as well. I try and write my grocery list as I am making my meal plan. You can access our meal planning chart HERE, or go to our handouts section.

Run your day, or it will run you!

QUESTION: What are you going to do to "shape the path," so that it is easier to make the choices you want to make?

Nutrition in a nutshell

Nutrition sure seems complicated sometimes - especially when you read/watch mainstream media! I admit, there are definitely some complex things about nutrition, and we still don't have all the answers about everything, but for the most part, nutrition is actually fairly simple.

Almost every bit of true, scientifically supported advice boils down to, well, many of the things you've been told all your life. And it actually sounds pretty boring, sometimes. It's nothing flashy, like fad diets and super foods, so it doesn't make great headlines, but it can make a BIG difference in people's quality of life.

I can get into more details later, but here are a few principles that most of us can be better about that can also make the biggest difference nutritionally:

1. Eat fruits and vegetables - If I played favorites, this one might win. I don't care if it's carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, or kale, eating vegetables and fruits gives you fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It fills you up, promotes good intestinal health (we are learning more every day about the role of the bacteria in your intestines), and keeps you regular. Whole fruits can satiate that sweet tooth without the hard crash that happens with refined sugar. Not only are they delicious and nutritious in their own right, but eating them displaces some of the less-nutritious foods you might eat. Almost everyone can stand to add more fruits and vegetables.

2. Eat more whole grains - Whole grains have more fiber and staying power than refined grains. This means they won't mess around with your blood sugar the way sugars and white flour do. They also have more nutrients. Whole grains are things like whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, and, obviously, whole grain tortillas and pasta. If you can't stand the taste and texture of whole grain things, at least go pick up some "white whole wheat" -  still whole wheat like its brown counterpart, but much softer - it even tastes good in cookies!

3. Eat fewer refined and processed foods - An occasional candy bar will not kill you. The problem is when "occasional" becomes "frequent," and our diet becomes more and more removed from whole foods that are full of wholesome nutrients. Refined foods tend to be higher in sugar, fat, and sodium. They also tend to be slightly (or more) addictive, and they replace better foods.

4. Drink water - Not soda. Or juice. Milk is okay, but please, please, please drink water! We are 70% water - if we want to remain fully functional, we need to replenish that! Not only is it important for our blood, kidneys, and brains, it also helps us regulate our hunger and fullness. Sugary drinks like soda and juice fill us with empty calories and can really pack on the pounds. Our bodies also have a hard time recognizing the calories from liquids, so it can be harder to recognize fullness.

Hopefully that's enough to get you started! We will be talking more about nutrition in the weeks to come. If you are interested in joining our Weight Loss Group in Doylestown this month, check it out here. We'd love to have you!

Why I don't talk about nutrition the first week

On Thursday night we talked about many many habits that we can change. Some of you had questions about nutrition and I tended to put them off, saying we will talk about nutrition another week. I didn't have time to go into detail about it then, but I feel like it deserves an explanation. So here it is! :)

I am a registered dietitian. I love nutrition. I love talking about nutrition. I think it is fascinating and important. However, I think discussions about what is "best," or "good," or "bad" distract us from making the habit changes we most desperately need. 

As we set goals on Thursday, almost every one of you picked a goal (knowing that you were supposed to pick one that you felt most important to you) that had to do with planning and the logistics of being healthy. Not about specific food items or heavy nutrition topics. The most common answers? Not skipping meals. Making more meals at home. Exercising more regularly. That tells me something. It says that the biggest thing standing between you and your goal is simply habits and logistics - not so much finding what to do, but figuring out a way to do it.

Most people know three or four habit changes just off the top of their heads that they would like to make for their health. They may not know the intricacies of nutrition and what maybe the "ideal diet" would be, but they know the basics, especially if they allow themselves to listen to their intuition. I personally, would rather take the time the first few weeks to get them started on those most important changes to make, and then down the road, substituting more healthy choices will seem like a breeze in comparison! 

There is a lot of noise regarding nutrition. Someone on Thursday said she heard back-to-back reports, one promoting quinoa's health benefits, and the other saying it was harmful. All you have to do is glance at pinterest or facebook and you are bombarded with information and opinions about what you should or shouldn't eat. It can be overwhelming and confusing. I have a degree in it, and it can still be confusing at times, even for me! 

The problem comes when we allow that confusion to act as a crutch that prevents us from action. Sometimes it is tempting, even subconsciously, to say, "Well, I don't know whether meat/paleo/gluten-free/plant-based diets are good or bad for me. I'll just wait to make changes until I figure this out." Unfortunately, there are ALWAYS fad diets and people pushing their nutrition advice out there! They never stop! If you have that mindset, you will never act. 

If you sit back and really think about it, though, you will realize that you know more than you think you do. You know that you should be eating consistently. You know that you should probably be eating more vegetables. Or exercising more. Or trying to plan and make meals more often. When you refuse to be paralyzed by the fear of doing something wrong, you realize that, even if you don't have all the answers, you DO know enough to start!

I really truly know that it is confusing and frustrating to feel adrift in the sea of information, and I don't want to leave you without a compass. That is definitely not my intention. These first few sessions we will talk about making logistical changes, but while we do that, I will be writing some blog posts covering the basic tenets of nutritition to help guide your steps. We will also have an in-depth nutrition night where we can really get into some more of the details, but this will not be until towards the end of this particular session of workshops.

If you have specific questions, please email them to me, or comment on our facebook page, and I will be sure to either address them immediately, or cover them at our nutrition night. You know more about your body than you think. It is often the reliance on diets and outside prescriptions about what to eat that make us mistrust our own instincts about feeding ourselves. Trust that voice inside, and take the steps that will best help you to get where you want to be. Most people at least know the first step or two, and sometimes that is just the jump start you need!

Weeks 1&2 - Pacing

We had a great session this week! Thank you to everyone who joined us - we had a really good turnout and some fantastic discussion. Anyone who missed it, feel free to jump right in to our discussion now, and please join us next time, on January 29!

If you missed it, here is a brief play-by-play:

1. "Tiptoe if you must, but TAKE THE STEP!"
Each week we will give an award to everyone who can name some kind of victory they had - whether it was completing one of their goals, or maybe it was a single instance of success when normally they would have slipped. Perhaps someone even went above and beyond their goal! Our awards are little magnets with a quote on them, and TAKE THE STEP was on it this week. Everyone received one because, hey, sacrificing an evening to come to this meeting? That's a definite victory! It shows you want this and are ready to act!

2. Pacing 
One of our participants described the importance of pacing while running. If you start out at a sprint, you quickly run out of steam, get discouraged, and may even drop out. The same is true of a weight loss journey. When you try to be "perfect" right away, you run out of steam, get discouraged, and drop out. We are shooting for something better than that - consistent lifestyle changes that, over time, will shape your life and get you where you want to be. For GOOD!

3. This is NOT a diet!
Diets typically have you change many habits all at once, and usually the expectation is that you won't have to keep eating this way once you have "arrived" (i.e. lost X number pounds, dieted for X long). When you have this mindset, you are constantly either on or off a diet. Neither is very pretty. You are either killing yourself to be perfect, or you are bingeing on "bad" habits until your next diet starts. We want to change that mentality to something healthier.

4. Think small 
The most important thing we talked about is the importance of setting small enough goals that they are achievable. If you set too big a goal and undershoot it by a little, you feel guilty and are less likely to have confidence that you can achieve your next goal. If you set a small goal, and do the same amount of work - maybe you even go above and beyond - you feel amazing! It boosts your confidence and are ready to take another step - maybe even a bigger step - next time.

We practiced breaking down large goals into smaller, more achievable chunks. For example, if your goal is to stop skipping breakfast, there are many smaller goals beneath that. You could set a goal to buy or make easy breakfasts so that you will have them available (IMPORTANT - the goal would be to BUY the food only. If you eat it, that's just extra points!). Even if the breakfasts aren't healthy, eating it is a victory! If you are able to switch some to healthier choices, that's going above and beyond!


CHALLENGE: Think of a habit that you would like to change/add. Break it down into as many smaller pieces as you can. What is the smallest possible step you can take THIS WEEK? Share it below!

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Tomorrow is the day!

It's almost here! Our first Weight Loss Workshop is tomorrow night at 7:00 pm. We have lots of great things planned for these workshops, so come join the journey!

Our first class we will be setting the foundation for the whole two months. We will try and answer the question, "What is the most effective goal I could set?"

You can register at any time during the course - but I'm pretty sure you won't want to miss this week :)

Sign up here!

What do you REALLY want?

This time of year we talk a lot about goals. We want to lose weight. We want to save money. We want to get more education. I am sure you sincerely, deeply, often desperately want to do these things. Maybe you have wanted (and tried) to for years. But none of them is what you REALLY want.

Most people don't want to lose weight because it's fun (although I am sure there are some out there). In fact, while it feels rewarding to do it, losing weight, saving money, getting an education - all of these can be really hard! That's why they are constantly topping our resolution lists! If it were easy, we would have mastered it last year.

So if you don't want to lose weight for the sake of losing weight, why do it? Why put forth all this effort to change habits that you have had for years? Why do YOU want to lose weight?

Maybe losing weight will help you have more energy. Why do you need energy? Maybe to help take care of your children. Or to work a full day to provide for your family.

Maybe losing weight will protect your body - your joints, your heart, your blood chemistry. This can lead to a longer life. Why do you want to live longer? Sure, everyone wants to live longer, but I bet not everyone wants to for the same reason. Have you ever thought about it? Why is living longer even important? What do you REALLY want your life to be?

Maybe losing weight will make you look and feel better in your clothes. Maybe you want to get pregnant. Maybe your doctor just told you you should. Why are any of these things important to you?

Continue to ask yourself why until you think you have found the ultimate reason you want to lose weight. This is what you REALLY want. This is your core motivation, and it is powerful. If you can keep in your mind an image of what you really want, you will be able to weather the ups and downs of habit change. You will be more able to make healthy choices when it is hard. And you will feel more satisfaction because you will see the most far-reaching benefits.

So there is your challenge as you set goals this year. With each goal, ask why to find your core motivation. Make sure your goal will help get you there. Then get to work!



WHAT IS YOUR CORE MOTIVATION? Share in the comments below!