Write Down Your Goals

Everyone has goals they want to achieve and New Year’s Eve always seems to be the time everybody gets brave enough to say them out loud. Skipping ahead past my rant about the fact that goals can always be set and adjusted no matter what day it is, let me help guide some of your goal writing for 2018.

Goals for the New Year do not need to be fitness and diet related. I do like the idea of keeping intentions positive and of course if they benefit your health that’s an added bonus. Also, try thinking positively about what you actually want TO do rather than what you don’t want to do. Instead of focusing on limiting red meat, think about incorporating more plant based protein or lean protein from chicken, turkey, fish. This is just an example but you see where I’m going here. New Year, New Goals, Positive Vibes.

If your goals are SMART, you’ll have a much better chance at successfully writing them down, forming them into something you can look at every day, and you’ll know exactly when you’ve reached them.

Rather than a vague promise to yourself to workout more this year, it’s important to decide how much exactly is “more”, how often you’ll be doing this, and is there a bigger goal to be achieved such as completing a certain number of hours of exercise, learning a new skill such as mountain biking, being able to hold a plank on your forearms and toes for a minute, etc. The same goes for nutrition goals. If we simply say we want to eat better- what exactly does “better” mean? Do you win if you eat half a large pizza versus a whole one?

The goals are yours and not for anyone to judge, give an opinion on, or try and adjust. These need to be specific to you and what you’re looking to accomplish.

Say you’re trying to cook more meals at home instead of eating out. So say that more specifically and you’ve got yourself something to aim for. How about this- This year I am going to limit eating out by cooking dinner at least twice a week and bringing my lunch from home to work at least once a week until the end of 2018. Now we know exactly what we’re aiming to do (cook our own meals and pack a lunch) and it is measurable (we’re cooking twice per week and packing a lunch from home once per week). It is attainable because we have the skills to prepare at least a couple of meals and it is realistic in that we’re only aiming to cook twice out of seven days and pack a lunch once out of five days. We’re not aiming for perfection and not allowing ourselves to eat out again, ever. It is timely. We are doing it this year and it is a realistic enough goal to set for a long period of time. Chances are it will become routine and we can start cooking more and packing more lunches. If not, cooking twice a week is still manageable.

Try this for yourself and see what happens when you formulate a goal that you feel good about. Then make it pretty, hang it where you’ll see it everyday, and go achieve it!

 

Goal Setting- Finding the TRUE Goal

National Nutrition Month is a great time to start fresh and focus on making healthier food choices for yourself and your family. The way to stick with these healthy changes is to find some intrinsic motivation. What is driving you, what will keep you accountable, what is the goal or result you are looking for?

When I am working with clients, the first thing I ask them is what their goals are. We  need to be on the same page so I can help coach them to the best of my ability. The program needs to fit their individual needs and needs to help them reach the goals they have set for themselves regardless of what goals I may have in mind.

I hear the typical answers: I want to lose weight. I want to be thin for my cousins wedding. I need to tone up.

While this can be a great start, it is only a start. Statements like this are only the beginning stages of goal setting. This is where we start to play 20 questions and figure out what is the TRUE goal here.

Take the weight loss goal. I want to lose weight. Great. Why? Do you simply like seeing a certain number on the scale, do you feel better at a certain weight, do you associate weight loss with other side effects like increased energy, improved mood, feeling better about yourself?

Sometimes a client will take a step back and realize, yes I actually just want to have more energy during day and not fall asleep at my desk by 2pm. They’re thinking weight loss will solve this problem, but now we actually have a plan. How can we increase energy? Perhaps it is the food choices and timing of meals that we can adjust. Guess what? By following a healthier nutrition plan full of nutrients, energy boosting foods, and keeping your meals small enough to fuel but not send you into a food coma you will see your energy increased as well as some weight loss if your new plan is an improvement from an old unhealthy plan.

Had we simply left “weight loss” as the goal, we could have done that by skipping meals, falling into fad diet gimmicks but the energy problem would not have been solved. See why it is important to figure out the actual goal and then the steps that will lead to the goal?

I ask clients this question all the time- Would you be happier if the number on the scale showed you had lost 10 pounds but your clothes were still the same size, or would you be happier if the scale showed you only lost 2 pounds but you were able to fit into a smaller clothing size? Meaning, is it the scale that defines your success or is it actually another goal you have in mind?

Step one is being able to articulate the actual goal and from there finding the steps that will take you in that direction. So step back and ask yourself, what is it you are truly hoping to accomplish? What steps can you take to get there?

Coming Up in March

March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.

This is the perfect opportunity to get your entire family involved. Try new recipes, experiment with different colors and flavors and make it a family event in the kitchen.

The Year in Review

As 2014 comes to a close, are you asking yourself- What have I accomplished? If you have made any steps at all towards becoming healthier, you’ve already accomplished something great!

2014 flew by for me. I had to actually pause and think about what I had actually done aside from the day to day monotony.

This year I developed new fitness programs, started teaching new classes, volunteered by cooking dinner for folks living an transitional housing, wrote new recipes, and ran my first half marathon.

No wonder the year flew by!

This year, I do feel healthier. The biggest step I took was to schedule time for ME. I wrote in my own workouts like it was for a client and found an accountability buddy to check in with to make sure I made it to the gym or got my running miles in.

What’s next for 2015? The sky is the limit!

A Healthier Holiday Season

The Holidays are quickly approaching and regardless of how you chose to celebrate, it is safe to say most of us can expect more parties, gatherings, and meals with friends and family than we typically do the rest of the year. Coworkers and neighbors will be temping you with homemade sweets and treats and family will be bring their world famous comfort food (fat laden) dishes to potlucks. In the midst of it all, we tend to misplace the time we set aside for our workouts, healthy meal preparation, and may be starting to feel like giving up our healthy attempts until after New Years Day.

This does not have to the way we spend our Holiday Season, so don’t give up on yourself yet! The better we take care of ourselves this time of year, the more energy we have for the extra festivities and the less chance we have of getting sick or just feeling run down.

Here are my tips to a Healthier Holiday Season:

1. Make time to exercise at least 30 minutes every single day. This can include a walk after dinner, a bike ride before breakfast, or a class at the gym on the way home from work. Plan to get moving for at least 30 minutes somewhere in your day.

2. Allow yourself one splurge per week. It is not realistic to avoid all treats or pretend you’re not drooling over the cookie platter your neighbor just dropped by with. Instead, account for some wiggle room. With just one splurge per week, you’ll ensure that you really save up for something good. If you’re tempted to dip your hand in the box of candies that just arrived at work, ask yourself if it is worth the splurge of if you’d rather wait for the new Chestnut Praline Latte at Starbucks this weekend. Your splurge. Your call.

3. Make healthy swaps whenever possible. If you can put hummus on top of your salad instead of salad dressing, you get a healthier version of fat plus the protein from the hummus. More bang for your buck.

Follow these steps and you can still enjoy your holiday season without the added weight gain.

August is Kids Eat Right Month

As a Dietetic Technician Registered and Personal Trainer, I have always had a passion for helping families stay healthy and especially love getting kids involved in making healthy choices. I am so excited that August is Kids Eat Right Month! An entire month dedicated to keeping families on track with their nutrition and active lifestyles!

Check out this Article Re-Printed from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

With childhood obesity on the rise, making sure kids eat right and get plenty of exercise is vital. Parents and caregivers can play a big role in children’s nutrition and health, teaching kids about healthy foods, being a good role model and making sure physical activity is incorporated into each day.

August, which is Kids Eat Right Month, is a great time for families to focus on the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging families to take the following steps:

Shop Smart. To encourage a healthy lifestyle, get your children involved in selecting the food that will appear at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table.

Cook Healthy. Involve your child in the cutting, mixing and preparation of meals. They will learn about food and may even be enticed to try new foods they helped prepare.

Eat Right. Sit down together as a family to enjoy a wonderful meal and the opportunity to share the day’s experiences with one another. Research indicates that those families who eat together have a stronger bond, and children have higher self-confidence and perform better in school.

Healthy Habits. You can help kids form great, healthy habits by setting a good example. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, choose lower-sodium options, and make at least half the grains your family eats whole grains. For beverages, choose water over sugary drinks, and opt for fat-free or low-fat milk.

Get Moving. Aside from being a great way to spend time together, regular physical activity is vital to strengthen muscle and bones, promote a healthy body weight, support learning, develop social skills and build self-esteem. Kids are encouraged to be active for 60 minutes per day.

Getting kids to eat right can sometimes be a challenge, particularly if they are picky eaters. But experts say that a conversation can help.

“Talk to your children. Learn the foods they like. Teach them about the foods they need for their growing bodies. Find ways together to make sure they have the knowledge and ability to eat healthy and tasty foods at every meal,” says Angela Lemond, registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson.

It may help to consult a registered dietitian nutritionist in your area to ensure your family is getting the nutrients it needs with a meal plan tailored to your lifestyle and busy schedule.

For more healthful eating tips, recipes, videos and to learn more about Kids Eat Right Month, visit http://www.KidsEatRight.org. This August, reevaluate your family’s eating and exercise habits, and take steps to make positive, healthful changes.

Success Story

Congrats Barb! One of my most fun clients to work with is celebrating her 3rd year of losing over 100 lbs. Not only has she kept the weight off, she is continuing to lose inches, decrease her body fat % and is finding new fitness challenges. After completing several 5Ks, she just ran her first 10K and is signed up for a half marathon in January. Keep it up Barb! You’re inspiring others more than you know!