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The thing about change is that is seems so permanent. If it is too last, permanency is what we're after, right? But it is the long term aspect of change -  that feeling that we'll miss what we're moving away from so much that we'll barely function without it - that prevents most of us from ever taking a step toward it in the first place.  To succeed with any new health outcome, you'll have to change something, so buck up and get over it - change isn't so bad. Let's address a few of the factors that  make change so difficult in the first place, and hopefully by the end of this post, you'll h......
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What purpose does food serve for you? Have you thought about it before now? It is okay if you haven't  - I didn't either, until recently. While defending myself for making certain food choices, I realized I have a food philosophy, and that having such a thing actually enabled me to embrace a lifestyle that has resulted in lasting changes, nutritionally speaking. Mind you, my diet was not always nutritionally sound. There was a time when a giant  soft pretzel and a diet Coke was a meal on Friday night. I was young and stupid then. Happily, I've seen the light. My philosophy is now that food s......
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I’m addicted to watching The Biggest Loser (don’t worry, I’m gearing up for a loooong series of posts re: this show very soon – later this week, actually, so sit tight.) I love watching the massive transformation that takes place in a relatively short time. It is amazing, don’t you think? Off the show, people just like that are able to lose weight, and keep it off. They aren’t famous, of course, like the contestants, but they should be. Keeping weight off is HARD work. So how do they do it? I want to know, don’t you? Fortunately, weight loss is a subject that colleges and univers......
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Sometimes it is good to make a mistake.  Here are 5 mistakes that can help you reach your goal... 1. Skipping a workout (or two). When you are focused on trying to shed pounds, you might think missing a workout is taboo. But, let's assume you miss that workout not because you choose to skip it, but because something came up. Bad weather when you planned a run outdoors, or the power went out at the gym, or your 4 yr-old comes down with a fever and hour before your kickboxing class at the Y. Life happens. First off - this isn't a mistake, but an opportunity to troubleshoot. Bad weather? Hike in......
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One of the reasons so many people have a tough time getting started with a weight loss plan is enormity of the project before them.  It is like standing in front of Mt. Everest, with no idea how you got there, or how to begin scaling that monster. Not to oversimplify the complexity of health behavior change, but sometimes the easiest way to tackle a mountain like that is to take just one step.  Addendum: one step that leads to another step. Here is a great example of a real person who lost 135 lbs (it took 10 months - which is a little more than 1 lb per week - a very healthy pace): Fitness ......
Nov

15

I flaked out twice this week, forgetting the kids’ dental appointments, then forgetting what day it is. Seriously, I did.  I lose my mind like this with increasing frequency from early November until January 1st, and since I’m constantly preaching to clients that, “we all have 24 hours in our day, no more, no less,” I can’t claim to be busier than anyone else – I just choose to use my time differently. One thing I won’t compromise is exercise – especially during hectic times. I call it my “Holiday crack,” and I highly recommend it. So how do you fit fitness into an already jam-packed Holiday schedule? Creatively.

Here are some of my favorite, time-saving exercise solutions for hectic days. (Yes, these were modified from last year’s post. This is one of my “time saving” tactics. See how easy it is to cut corners?) Here we go…

1. Play with your kids. Tag, Duck-Duck-Goose, or a take a trip to the playground (and don’t sit and watch the kids play – do what they do.) Studies show that children who have active parents typically grow up to be active adults, so you’ll be setting a good example.
2. Run up and down the stairs for 45-60 seconds. You do this at least one hundred times a day anyway – why not lump them together for a bit of cardio?
3. Put on some festive holiday music and dance like no one is watching.
4. Check the mailbox for your daily delivery of Christmas cards, then take three fast laps around your house while you’re out there.
5. Park in the space the furthest distance from the mall entrance. Take frequent trips back to the car to unload your bags, then head back in for more.
6. When you’re coming home from the grocery store, park at the end of the driveway to unload the groceries. The extra walking with heaving bags in your hands will be great exercise. You get bonus points if you have a steep or very long driveway.
7. When you’re unloading the groceries, before you put that gallon of milk in the fridge, use it to do 6-10 bicep curls per arm, then do a set of 8-12 squats or lunges.

Double-up! Try these two-for-one’s that will test even the most skilled multi-tasker:
8. See how many jumping jacks you can complete while you re-heat your morning coffee.
9. Do squats while you brush your teeth
10. Taking a full laundry basket upstairs? Try a set of lunges while holding the full basket.
11. Do calf raise while you’re talking on the phone.
12. Test your core strength: vacuum on one foot (switch legs after several minutes).
13. Wear wrist weights while you dust.
14. Do tummy tucks (tightening ab muscles) while you write thank you notes.
15. Throw on a pair of old socks, add ankle weights, and dust your floors with your feet!

Everyday activities that add up
(*based on 1 hour of continuous activity for a 155lb person):

16. Moving furniture for your holiday party: 422 calories
17. Painting/papering a Room: 317 calories.
18. Raking the Lawn: 281 calories
19. Shoveling Snow: 422 calories
20. Sledding with the kids to have a little fun and reduce stress: 493 calories



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