A Change in Focus

Sitting at home tonight I began to reflect upon my day. My work as a nursing home administrator puts me in many meeting, talking with many residents and families, dealing with staff, planning, problem solving, etc… Tonight however, I am not thinking about those things, rather a conversation I had today. In the discussion my friend was describing his overcoming an issue. When I asked what he thought was the reason for it going well he simply said, “I had to stop thinking about what I could no longer do and instead start thinking about living.” How simple and how profound at the same time.

Rather than thinking about all the foods I can no longer eat, I can focus on the things I am able to do as I continue to lose weight. Instead of thinking about having to stop sleeping in, I can instead focus on experiencing life in new ways (running, going to the gym, riding a bike, etc…) I might stop thinking about all I am giving up and instead start focusing on all that I will be gaining.

The battle is tough enough, but a simple change in thinking may make all the difference. It seems logical that we pursue the things we are focused on. If I focus on what I can’t have, or do, I am setting myself up for failure. Instead focusing on the outcome, the finished product, the end goal, I am more likely to get there. Learn from my friend and stop thinking about what you can no longer do, and instead start thinking about living right. Still fighting the battle.

Sparkpeople.com

We all need a little help sometimes when it comes to staying on track with our goals of diet, exercise and weight lose. I have tried for years to do it on my own and have not had the success I would like. My wife has encouraged me to join weight watchers or some other group, believing that the social environment and accountability would be a big plus for me. Off course the big minus is they cost. Then along comes http://Sparkpeople.com. This website puts all the tools at your finger tips. There are meal trackers that will even print out the weekly grocery list. There are workout programs. There are specialty groups. Are you a mom of teens, do you have high blood pressure. Do you skip breakfast. There are others out there to connect with. Community is a big part of the program.

The fact that it is free made me a bit skeptical, but as I wondered through the pages I was not asked to pull out my credit card once. I can have my own blog on the sight, I can share my success and failure on line, and get encouragement to push on. It may not be exactly what you are looking for, but for free it is an awesome site. Take a quick look and tell me what you think. To bad I can’t just push a button and have the weight disappear.

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Taking It a Day at a Time

This afternoon I was sitting around the house trying to figure out how to use my time. Typically on a Sunday I would turn on the TV, grab some chips out of the cupboard, some salsa, and settle in on the couch. However, today I was thinking that I need to start changing the way I look at my time. After all, lately as I look in the mirror I am not liking what I see. I got that way by grabbing the chips and salsa, turning on the TV, and taking my place on the couch. Today would be different, it would be a chance for me to do it right. To do something that would make a difference. Maybe I won”t feel any better today, but a year, five years, maybe ten years from now, I will be glad I broke the cycle and did something different with my Sunday afternoon. Here’s to getting older. How did you spend your Sunday???

Seasonal Weight Loss

Just like the earth goes through its round of seasons each year, I have found that we as people do as well.  Living in the Pacific Northwest, many go through cycles of depression due to the dark rainy weather.  As the sun shines more  moods become brighter as well.  For me, there is something about spring that triggers a desire to focus on my health, to get outside and be active, to consider the way I look and treat myself.  As a result in April I once again began a focus on changing my lifestyle.  The way I drink, eat, sleep, deal with stress, etc...  All of these play into a healthy lifestyle.  So far I have been very successful. For some reason in the spring it is easy for me to focus and be successful. As summer starts to swing into gear, the summer parties with beer, chips, dips, and all the other unhealthy great tasting food easily knock me off track.  Then it is the seasonal food of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years that keeps me from getting back in gear.

To be successful, it is more about the upcoming seasons I will be facing, then about the current season I am in.  The excitement of losing weight and looking better each day is motivating.  It is what happens when I plateau, and others are enjoying those foods that I used to crave that I need to figure out.  So when I say I am looking forward to summer, it is in a whole new way. 

Wishing you success in this season.

What Keeps Me From Living Healthy

I have been asking myself the last few days, what keeps me from living Healthy. By Healthy I mean, physically, emotionally, and socially. A few months ago I was ignorant of what healthy living might look like and entail. However, waking up, looking in the mirror, and being dissatisfied, I decided to start educating myself. There is a wealth of knowledge out there in books and on the web. The trick I've found is sifting through it and determining what applies to you and your life style, as opposed to just adopting whatever someone else says. So...... back to what keeps me from living healthy.

1. It takes work to live healthy - The planning of meals, the buying of good food, making time to work out and then actually doing it. I come home after working all day and am tired, now I need to work again?
2. I have to think - What is the Healthy choice? Should I really have another drink? Do I want to think this way? Is this something I should go to the doctor for? - When I get home from work I want to go mindless, not make more decisions.
3. It will cost me relationally - My friends are going out to eat? If I make time to exercise I won't have time for my friends/family? Why should everyone else have to make sacrifices for me to eat what I need to, exercise when I need to, etc...
4. I don't see immediate results - I want instant success that the world can see, not a slow over time change in my life.
5. If I go to the Doctor, he is going to tell me what I don't want to hear -

Of course my thinking is flawed, I see it in every line I write, but it is this very thinking that keeps me from living healthy. It is my thought process and way of thinking that is my biggest obstacle to living healthy. For most healthy living needs to start with changing the way we think and view life, work, relationships, happiness, success, etc.... It starts with facing the reality of "Who I am, Where I am at, and Where or Who I want to be." Seems so easy to say, but tough to do. For me I have 43 years of habits and faulty thinking to undo, if I am ever to have a chance at living healthy. Educating my self has been the starting point and a way to see what must change in my life.

There are lots of inspiring Blogs on healthy living a great way to find a few is on the search directories like Blog Top List - Heath, or, Blog Top Sites. And there is no end to the books on Healthy Living. Each of us needs to decide what place Healthy Living will play in our lives, and then we need to decide what we are willing to do to get there. Again, I say it is worth the battle if the outcome is a happier, healthier, better, me.

South Beach Diet - Obstacles to Success

I am officially on the South Beach Diet, Day 4 is just beginning. I notice I woke up less hungry than the first few days, and after eating I am full. This is great, because during the first few days I almost had to tie myself down to keep from heading to the fridge, convenience store, or fast food restaurant.

There were a few things I didn't anticipate or have a plan for going in, that you might want to be aware of as you start out on your diet, South Beach or other type):

• Co-Workers Candy Jars - Many offices where I work have candy jars. Some full of taffy, others M&M's. Prior to my diet I would take a few whenever I was in one of those offices. On day one I, without thinking, picked up a piece of taffy and popped it in my mouth. You need a plan to deal with your environment.
• The Mother In Law - Day two I got a call at work that we were going over to the In Laws for dinner. Not a problem because we do this almost once a week. However, when at someone else's house you lose control of what is being prepared. Noticing it, I quickly mentioned I was on a diet. We were having Hamburgers, Potatoes, lots of wine, and cake. With her ok I went for the Hamburger without the bun and Ketchup and instead put on some mustard, took some extra tomatoes and onions, poured up a big glass of water, found the makings for a salad, and skipped out on dessert. Since it was only one hamburger patty and I was on day two, I went home a bit hungry. I quickly made up a SB dessert and made it through the day ok. You need to be able to improvise when needed.
• Today I have an all day meeting away from my facility. Of course I am in the medical field so all the healthy snacks will be there like; Costco Muffins - 100% Carb, small little candy bars, hard candy, pop, etc... I am known for eating a good amount of these items as I am a stress eater and these meeting produce a lot of it. Also, I lose control of lunch again. So, I will bring a few of my cheese sticks, and try to grab a bag of nuts on my way in to the meeting. I'll grab some water as well. Think ahead when you know what your walking into.
• After the meeting a group of us usually go out for drinks, and we can drink a lot. Since alcohol is off the diet at the moment, and this is an area of weakness - not the drinking, but the hanging out with friends and having a few, I will probably need to avoid the temptation all together and head home early tonight. Avoid your areas of weakness when possible.

There are many obstacles to success in dieting. My list is growing and I am only starting day four. I anticipate things like boredom with the food choices, the desire to go out to eat, etc... will soon make my list. It would be great to hear from you what obstacles you have faced and what you are doing to keep them from hindering your resolve to live healthy. I will make sure your thoughts get posted.

Living Healthy Requires a Plan

Today at work I spent a large amount of time focused on strategic planning. I looked at my vision for my company, the values that need to be embraced, the goals and objectives, and finally the path steps to get us to were we want to be. It is easy for me to think clearly and strategically in regards to my business and for me is enjoyable. However, on my way home I was struck by the fact that in the area of Healthy Living I have not done the work of creating a vision of what Healthy Living would look like for me. I have not thought through what it is I value in live and want to pursue. There are no goals listed regarding what I hope to obtain health wise. And sadly, there is not a single path step. No wonder I an so easily knocked off course, in fact, how can I be knocked off course if I have no destination.

Developing a strategic plan regarding healthy living should not take much time, and good plans are constantly being fine tuned and revised, so you don't have to worry about having it perfect. Part of my vision is to outlive my Dad who died at 56. I am forty three and have 13 years to pull it off. My vision also needs to include my desire to stay active in things such as surfing and hiking, hobbies like photography and ceramics, and developing relationships that challenge me and stimulate my thinking. I know I value friends and immediate family, I value looking attractive (which I don't right now), I value being productive and creative. The list goes on. Once the vision and values are down somewhere in writing, the short term goals should start to fall in place. I may not climb to the top of a mountain this year, but a starting point might be to go on a 20 mile backpack trip this year. You get the just of it.

I spend a great deal of time and energy thinking about how to make my business successful for the owners. It only makes sense that I would take the skills I have developed in the area of planning and create the most important plan of all, one that allows me to move closer to living healthy in an unhealthy world.