Overcoming Obstacles
Don't let anything stand in your way of getting in shape! Each week I'll help you overcome a common weight loss roadblock.
Week One: Managing Cravings
Obstacle: No one is immune to cravings. Mine happen to include chocolate, ice cream and tortilla chips. I've found the key is not so much learning how to say no to cravings, but learning how to manage them correctly.
Overcome it: Cravings really have a lot to do with stabilizing your blood-sugar levels. Setting the tone of the day with a well-rounded breakfast -- complete with healthy sources of protein, carbohydrates and fat -- will help eliminate cravings.
It's important that you feel satisfied after any meal. So, think about your calorie consumption (women usually require between 1,600 and 2,000 calories per day) and make sure you're dividing it up in a healthy way. I find that most people don't get enough calories at breakfast, or they consume too many refined carbohydrates and caffeine. To start curbing your cravings, see this week's Meal Makeover, which will show you how to get in a better breakfast.
Also try journaling! Keep a little notepad in the kitchen or handy in your purse, and when a craving hits make sure you write down the time of day, your mood or what you were thinking about at the time, and what you've been eating throughout the day. Don't wait to record it until later -- you may forget some important information that will help unlock the riddle of your cravings. After a week, review your entries and look for the patterns. Many times cravings are a response to one of a few triggers that you can now be mindful of:
- Feeling unsatisfied after a meal. When a craving hits, first ask yourself "What have I been eating throughout the day?" You may find that you skimped on some calories. Or, you may not be eating enough healthy fats, like nuts or avocado, which can help you stay satisfied between meals.
- Habit. For example, if having sweets every day is a ritual for you, then going without them may leave you with a sense of discomfort or loss. Determine if your craving is real or habit-based.
- Emotions. Perhaps your cravings come when you're feeling lonely, sad, underappreciated at work or in a rocky relationship. Pay close attention to your emotional connections to food. Although a chocolate milkshake can feel comforting, it isn't going to resolve the issues that upset you.
More Tips:
- If you do indulge in a craving, get some perspective. Even the most decadent of desserts won't have more than 500 calories and when eaten on occasion, won't blow your whole diet. But, if you find that it's a daily craving, you need to break the cycle by giving it up for one week. I promise, after one week you'll find you're craving it a lot less, and you'll no longer need it everyday.
- Don't keep your biggest temptations around the house. When a craving hits, you'll be forced to go out to get it. If you do decide to go out of your way, get the smallest portion possible. I do this for my ice cream fix and find that half the time it's more trouble than it's worth!
Week Two: Finding Time
Obstacle: My career didn't slow down after I had my girls. Suddenly it seemed like I had an impossible number of things to accomplish in the day, even without workouts and preparing healthy meals. More women are breadwinners now than ever, and I often hear them say, "After work and my family's needs, I don't have any time left over for exercise."
Overcome it: When it comes to planning anything else in life -- work schedules, weekend plans or vacations -- we take the time to plan. I want you to look at your workouts the same way, from a planning perspective. You will discover pockets of free time throughout the week or day that you can easily use for exercise. Keep in mind that every little bit adds up -- three blocks of 20 minutes is just as good as a solid 60 minutes of exercising.
So take a moment this weekend to sit down and look at the days of your week. Some people find success in drafting a weekly schedule on paper, others by just mentally plotting out the next day. Scheduling does take a little more discipline and initial time investment. But it pays off tenfold in the time you'll find.
More Tips:
- Put a higher sense of importance on exercise by writing out a list of all the reasons you need to exercise. Make the list expansive, to include more than just weight loss alone. For example, "I need to lower my blood pressure; I want more energy; I want to improve my moods; I want to sleep better, etc." The more reasons, the more importance you'll give it. Post the list up where you can be reminded every day.
- I have some videos and DVDs that offer 20-minute workouts specially designed to jump-start your metabolism. You could do one of these first thing in the morning before your shower.
- Think of ways to incorporate more movement into your day and don't be afraid to get creative! It's very simple. The more you move your body, the better. So, go the extra distance and park farther away than usual at work or at the mall, stand instead of sitting while you're on a conference call at work, walk instead of driving whenever you can and, instead of assigning the task to your hubby or the kids, bring in your own groceries from the car to the house. Think of it as killing two birds (your errands and exercise) with one stone.
- "Convenient eating" usually means high-fat, highly processed dinners from a box or can. But if you have the right ingredients, creating healthy dinners takes only a fraction more time. Each week's Meal Makeover should give you some great ideas.
Week Three: Fighting Boredom
Obstacle: When you've been in the business as long as I have, you see lots of fitness trends come and go. For example, there was a time when step aerobics filled class schedules. Today yoga -- from Bikram or "hot" yoga to hip-hop style -- has taken over the class list. How will we be moving our bodies 10 years from now? Thinking about the prospects always excites me. Still, one thing remains the same. It's all too easy to create reasons not to exercise when you're turned off or bored by your workout.
Overcome it: Here's something I'm sure you haven't seen on any class schedule. Think of exercise in the categories of Fun, Functional and Formal. For instance, dancing and tennis are fun, gardening and housework are functional, and a jog or weight workout is formal. Each is an acceptable form of exercise, but you need a mixture of all three to really be effective.
So get out your notebook and draw three columns, titling them Fun, Functional and Formal. Beneath each heading, write as many of those activities as you can think of, but only if you really see yourself doing them. Consider Formal exercise the foundation of your fitness program, because that's likely where you'll get your strength training or aerobic exercise. But work in the fun and functional each week to stay motivated and ensure good use of a variety of muscle groups.
More Tips:
- Exercise on your terms. Don't do what you think you're supposed to do if it's not a natural fit. The real goal is for daily exercise to be as ordinary as brushing your teeth. That's easier when you're drawn to it.
- Have you hit a plateau? If you find that your body has stopped progressing with your regular workout, you may need to increase your level of activity, or switch to another form of exercise that uses different muscle groups. Learn more about breaking workout plateaus.
- People tend to shun things that are repetitive, and groan at predictability. So, why should exercise be repetitive or predictable? If you get tired of your workouts, try something new!
Week Four: Fighting Energy Drain
Obstacle: Some day you're going to be so worn out or busy that when you remember you still have to exercise, you'll feel like crying or crawling into bed. It happens to everyone, including me. Okay, we've already addressed time management and types of exercise. The last big piece of the fitness puzzle is finding the energy.
Overcome it: The enemy to your energy is drain. Drains to your energy may include not getting a good night's sleep, having an argument, overeating, undereating, too much sugar, too much wine, frustration? the list goes on. Again, a journaling exercise can help raise your awareness, and point to a solution. Make two columns in your notebook and write a list of energy drains on one side, and "things that pick me up" on the other.
Here are five "pick-me-ups" you can add to your list:
- Sit for 10 minutes with a book or magazine.
- Lay on the floor, butt up to the wall, with feet elevated upward; close eyes and take 10 deep breaths.
- "Breaths of fire" -- 10 short, quick breaths.
- Tea time -- sit and enjoy a cup of low-caffeine green tea.
- Take a short, brisk walk around the office or the block.
More Tips:
- Reduce the potential for drain by limiting alcohol intake, maximizing sleep and relaxation times and eating well (four meals a day of 300-400 calories each; every meal has protein, carbs and a little fat -- my Meal Makeovers should give you some great meal suggestions).
- Do something active upon waking. Take a warm shower and do some stretches before even leaving your bedroom. Use each stretch as an opportunity to calm and focus your mind.
- Remember, exercise actually creates energy. If you can just get yourself out the door, I promise that within three minutes of getting your body moving, you'll feel a lift. That should stay with you for hours after your workout is over.
*Note: If you are experiencing consistently low energy levels for no apparent reason, you may want to schedule a checkup to rule out anemia, or a low-iron condition.
Week Five: Quieting Self Criticism
Obstacle: Just when you think you're making progress, losing weight and getting stronger, for some reason you pick up Vogue and unconsciously start comparing yourself to celebrities and models. Or, a lunch with a petite friend discourages you by making you think you have a really long way to go before looking like her.
Overcome it: Okay, get a Post-It, or any little square piece of paper you can tape to the fridge or bathroom mirror. On it, draw a circle about as big around as a coffee cup. Inside of the circle, write the word judgment. Then, starting at the upper left of the circle, draw a line diagonally through the word, connecting at the bottom right side of the circle. In other words, no judgment. Yes, you're being judgmental when you compare yourself to the Vogue models, and it's not fair to you because you probably have very little in common with them.
The key word here is compare, and you may also find yourself doing it while chatting with friends -- "Oh, so-and-so's body is better than such-and-such's." Judgmental thinking keeps us all down, girls. Better to keep it real by leaving it at, "She has a cute figure." I call it 'just dealing with the facts.' We're all so different, is there really any fair way to compare? All it does is reinforce a negative self-concept, and drain the motivation from our goals.
More Tips:
- Remember, your body is unique, so your accomplishments will be different from someone with a different body type or metabolism. Setting realistic goals for you is very important to mind, body and spirit.
- I can't stress it enough: Practice appreciation instead of comparison. Stopping the judgmental girl-talk will really help silence it in your internal dialogue.
- Every day, take some time at bedtime and upon waking to tell yourself about the good things you've accomplished, and the great things about your body and life.
Obstacle: So, someone brought home a great big slice of cheesecake that was left over from a party, and it called to you from the refrigerator until you could stand it no longer and decided to finally put it out of its misery. You ate it, and now you feel terrible. Not only did you "fall off the wagon," you threw gasoline on the wagon and set it afire as you pushed it over a cliff?
Week Six: Beating Overeating
Overcome it: First of all, get over it! It happens to all of us. I think the best thing is to try to learn from this kind of experience -- be mindful of it, but don't dwell on it as a "mistake." And it's a perfect time for a journal entry. Consider, for instance, "What made me want that? Was it my mood or body chemistry? How can I avoid that temptation next time?" It's a similar exercise to the craving management in that you're trying to figure out what cues led to the "event," so you can redirect yourself to a healthier option next time. The worst thing to do is wallow in guilt. That only leads to more destructive behaviors.
Another great exercise is to write down a column of foods you've "cheated" with before, and next to each one write a healthier alternative that would satisfy you in that moment. Save the list and refer to it when you need to!
More Tips:
- A great way to stay mindful of your behaviors is to imagine a hidden camera in your kitchen and pretend you're being broadcast on national television -- a new reality show, and you're the star! As you reach for the chocolate ice cream for just a little bite, think about being watched by thousands of people. This exercise will keep you mindful of how much you're consuming, and how quickly the calories are adding up before your sweet tooth takes you to the bottom of the carton!
- If you're going to have dessert, plan ahead and have fewer carbs and more protein. But watch portion sizes; split it with a friend. For some delicious dessert options, see my Meal Makeovers.
- One thing that I talk about a lot is that fitness and eating healthy is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Allow yourself to enjoy an occasional gourmet favorite, but pick only the best of the best so you have no regrets.
- If you're determined to grieve about a poor food choice, do it while going for a quick walk around the neighborhood. It helps replace that immediate "shame" with some take-charge self-esteem.
