What does it take to motivate a nation?

This was my response to a post on Linked In that posed the question:

How do we (as health professionals) reach the majority of the population that is not currently active and are at risk for life style related diseases?

After reading posts from world renowned health professionals from across the country...I figured I would go on record with my answer...I posted the following...

What I find interesting is that we all have the same goal...reach the majority of the population that is draining this country's bank account due to poor lifestyle choices. The solutions are long term and complicated.

First of all, we need to focus on the kids. The nation's teenagers are on the fast track to lifestyle related disease in their LATE 20's! Unless pop superstars start getting on TV and saying "stop eating crap!" this country is in big trouble.

With that being said, educating parents on how to raise a healthier generation also starts with media attention. There is way too much conflicting information and sadly we are a "quick fix" society with a herd mentality. It needs to become "cool" to be healthy and "uncool" to eat junk.

In addition, back in the day in suburban Chicago, hospitals had wellness/fitness centers that funneled the lifestyle related disease population into the cooperative fitness centers and were personally addressed by well qualified trainers. When the economy tanked, apparently so did this concept. Out in AZ where I am now, there are no hospital based fitness centers at all. Ditto on corporate fitness centers. Insurance companies as the driver? It very well could be...

Regardless of economic or social standing, unless young children are educated on human body basics, parents are educated on how to healthfully feel a family on a budget, and our baby boomers are given consistent and correct information by reliable sources, we can chit chat on forums all day long.

As professionals, it is time for us to coordinate and mobilize in unity. President Clinton has an initiative already started, Beyonce is showing up in gym classes, the possibilities are within our reach and it is the fitness industry's responsibility to grab that brass ring (and be ready!)

Anyone care to add to this??

3 days ago

The pictures you see!

Everything about fitness that you hear in the media involves weight loss and sure fire ways to get that beach body ready. Products and packaged programs designed to make it simple for you to look like the models paid to pose for the pictures!

Why do we believe as a society that 6, 8, 12 weeks is enough to transform you body into looking like someone else's? I have numerous friends who are fitness competitors and models. Each and every one of them has exercised consistently for 10, 15, 20 years now. They don't eat packaged crap, they moderate alcohol consumption, and the live and breathe a healthy lifestyle. They deserve your respect and admiration.

They are committed to helping you do the same. These men and women are inspirations and their bodies did not come from the luck of genetics. I know meso-endomorphs, such as myself who have to work a lot harder to stay lean, however it is possible.

I have short legs, disproportionately long torso, and a tendency to carry fat in my arms. My genetic lottery ticket wasn't a winner, but I learned early how to embrace what God gave me and learned how to train to make my body healthy, stopped eating my children's food, and therefore look great.

Those of you still looking for the magic bullet to look perfect in a swimsuit, I say this...

Relax, eat healthfully, manage your stress, drink lots of water, make fitness a hobby, and stop expecting to look like the models you see. (Yes, they get airbrushed for pictures too!) There is a happy life available without looking perfect, I PROMISE!

I spend my life surrounded by girlfriends who look amazing and men who make women swoon.

I am just so proud of them and the message that they carry.

Looking for the easy way out doesn't work. Lifestyle does! The health benefits long term can no longer be ignored, you are the product of your choices...what are you going to do about it?

Focus and Discipline

Anyone who knows me knows that focus and discipline are not my strong suits. I set goals, sometimes I achieve them, other times I don't.

I like food that is "bad" and sometimes I don't train when I am supposed to. I have always been kind of a laid back gal...I have never reached my potential as a result.

I have, however, learned that there is a balance. I have never needed to be the winner at anything, and so my drive to succeed has always been tempered by my overwhelming desire to enjoy life and hang out with fun people.

Lately though, I am spending a little more time developing these two admirable qualities in order to grow as a person. Here is what I have learned so far...

Focus is about keeping your eye on the prize. It's so easy to get distracted by the bottles of wine, the doughnut holes, and the happy hours. Delaying the gratification has been tough the last month, but I have managed to stick with my plan and my body is changing quickly as a result. I keep my goal swim suit hanging where I can always see it, and I schedule my workouts as non negotiable time into my day.

Discipline is about planning and positive self talk. I am making sure that I allow myself some leniency with my diet because I know that all or nothing doesn't work for me. I am reading the labels and sticking to the serving sizes. I am opting for fresh fruit and vegetables as appetizers and desserts. I am allowing myself alcohol in moderation on weekends, but I have cut it out the other 5 days. I am running and going to the gym whether I feel like it or not because I know how much better I feel when I am done. I am patting myself on the back for a job well done and I am holding myself accountable with the scale and pictures.

Is it worth it? A resounding YES! I feel comfortable in my skin again. My clothes don't pull and bind, and my fitness level is rising quickly with very little pain. It's a gradual change, a healthy change, and one that I am willing to commit to until my goal is reached.

So for those of you who think us fitness people are perfect, think again. It's hard for us too!

Focus for the ADHD poster child and discipline for the quintessential party girl...yep, it's possible!

Summer's Coming

If you are shuddering at the thought of getting into a swim suit, there is no time like the present to start making some small changes that can add up to a confident and healthier you this summer!

1. Cut back on alcohol (see last post for details)

2. Eliminate processed sugar and junk. You are addicted, yes, but it only takes 3 days to kick it and the benefits far outweigh your withdrawl symptoms. Just say no and you can drop a dress/pant size within weeks! (next post will deal with how this is done)

3. Go for a walk after dinner to burn a few extra calories and reduce your craving for after dinner treats.

4. Manage your stress healthfully. Breathing deeply and respond instead of react to situations. This will avoid the cortisol/insulin cascade that contributes to belly fat.

5. Drop the negative self talk. Research is indicating that your thoughts produce stress reactions similar to external stimuli. If you are obsessing or bashing yourself, the same hormones are being released contributing to your inability to lose weight.

Note: When asked to eliminate something, you need to be prepared to replace it with something else!

For sugar, replace with fiber and protein rich foods.

For negative talk, replace it with:

"I am human, I don't need to be perfect, just healthy"

By following one or more of these tips, you can take another step toward a healthy and more confident you!

Alcohol Is Ugly

The naked truth...

Alcohol makes you ugly.

Please feel free to rationalize your consumption. Research will tell you that anything more than 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men a day is unhealthy.

Now, let's define a drink...

a small glass of wine

an ounce of hard liquor (1 shot glass)

8 oz beer

So how much are you drinking a day? Really...

Alcohol makes you fat and it does nothing for your personality. Growing up in an alcoholic household, I had a front row seat to it's effects on physical and emotional health. Not pretty.

There is always a good reason to drink...happy, sad, stressed, celebratory, sorrowful, name it and there's a drink for it. (A Yoga class will manage your stress and a healthy diet will provide you with your anti-oxidants so you can dump those reasons.)

It messes up your relationships and it kills people on the road. It teaches your kids how to numb pain and it excuses your bad behavior. You aren't fooling anyone except for yourself. That's why people don't like to drink alone, having a drinking buddy validates your habit.

Healthy is as healthy does. Alcohol is no different than fast food. Less is more. Period. If you are committed to a healthy and fit lifestyle, take a good hard look at how much alcohol you consume a week. Cutting back will pay huge dividends on every level of function. (If you "need" it, then it goes beyond the scope of my practice, there is a lot of help available out there though)

I won't win any popularity contests for this blog, but someone has to say it.

Alcohol makes you ugly, big red nose and all...

Don't hate me because I am fit!

So I am standing in line at the grocery store and the lady behind me says, "Wow, you look great, whatever you are doing, it sure is working." Now first of all, it is very rare for me to receive a compliment from a complete stranger who is female, so I promptly replied "Thank you." We were waiting a bit, so the conversation continued...

She asked what I was "doing" to look this way, as though I had discovered some miracle. I smiled and said "It's not really so much what I am doing right now" (me picturing the pizza I just sucked down with the kids the night before) "It's 25 + years of consistent exercise and taking care of my health." Her face clouded over. It wasn't the answer she was looking for...

I am sorry to tell you that YOU ARE THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER DONE TO YOUR BODY!

While you were managing your stress with junk and alcohol all these years, I was managing mine with exercise. While you were eating like food was going to disappear the next day, I was educating myself and others on what your body actually needs...

Does that mean it is too late to begin to change your habits? Absolutely not! But if you expect to look like an Oxygen/Men's Fitness cover model by going on a short term fad diet, getting injections, or a cycle of P90X, I have bad news...

The formula for looking great, and more importantly feeling great (and comfortable in your own skin) is as follows:

Exercise+health care+clean diet (MULTIPLIED times TIME) = SUCCESS

Anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something. So my message is this:

Next time you see someone who looks terrific, fight the urge to resent them because you don't. Instead, acknowledge their hard work by saying "Hey, you look great, I bet it's a lot of hard work to look that way." Because believe it or not, we rarely ever hear it.

DON'T WASTE ONE MORE DAY!

For information on how to get started looking and feeling better today, email me at mindyourbody@cox.net

Reality

Well, for my first fitness blog post, the first thing you should know is that you probably won't like a lot of what you read.

I have spent the last 27 years fascinated with the human body. Fitness and performance are a science that has no end in sight. I am still learning, and growing so it cracks me up when I meet someone who thinks they are an expert. I know who the experts are. Just saw a couple of them this past weekend. (Douglas Brooks still rocks, btw.)

Anyway, you all are out there still looking for the quick fix. The easy answer. You are setting the bar to high, too low. You are inconsistent in your training and your effort. You refuse to consult people who know more than you, and I can't for the LIFE of me figure out why!!!

When I got a clog in my bathtub recently. We tried to do it ourselves and then called someone who knew more than us to fix it. (Thanks, Brent) Your health and well-being are no different.

It costs money, you say? Damn right it does! We are just as educated as any other type of profession that you spend your money on. You pay for haircuts, make up and clothing, doctors visits, massage therapists...

Where do you spend your money, now that we are on that subject?

For every dollar you invest in your health and well-being, is 10 times saved down the road. You want to cry about the health care crisis?

If you are not actively working out and eating clean, you have no business complaining about the state of health care in this country. If you feed you kids crap that was processed God knows where and how, they are the ones who will pay dearly. More on kids later....

Anyway, I have a lot to say. It's not what you want to hear, but it is what you need to know!

I am offering free advice on this blog...see? Doesn't cost a thing to educate yourself. Getting healthy is a process. A process that starts with EDUCATION...

You just have to be willing to hear what I have to say.