They’re Coming…      

They’re right around the corner… the holidays will be here before you realize.  I don’t say this to scare you or make you anxious – quite the opposite.  My hope is that the holidays can be a source of pleasure, enjoyment, and even relaxation – that you continue to take care of yourself, staying fit and healthy.  But how?

Experience shows that preparation is key to enjoying a stress-reduced holiday season.  From late November through to early January our schedules often consist of vacations, celebrations, kids off from school, parties, potlucks, and more.  It makes sense to start preparations now.

Begin by taking a look at how your holidays flowed last year, or even the year before.  What threw you off track?  What caused your exercise program to go on the back burner for a few weeks (or, ultimately, months)?  What triggered episodes of overeating?  What caused the most stress, headaches, etc.?  Identifying what you would have done differently last year lets you play Monday-morning quarterback – you can make the changes this year so that the same problems don’t occur.  Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Did last-minute shopping throw your schedule into disarray?  Start shopping now (parking far away, of course, to burn those extra calories).  Buy gifts to have on hand, such as host/hostess gifts to bring to a last minute dinner or party.
• Do you need to shorten your workouts during this time, or need an indoor workout option for when the weather turns cold and wet?  Buy a couple of exercise videos or DVDs (you can even check them out at some local libraries – but if saving time is an issue, buy them online).  DVDs can be programmed so that you only do certain segments of the workout, which comes in handy when you’re tight on time.
• Start thinking creatively about exercise/activity.  Make a list of activities you can do with the kids (when was the last time you were on ice skates?)  If “formal” exercise is difficult to squeeze in, shift your focus to being active – shopping, volunteering… you can track your calories with an accelerometer (a small pager-like device worn on your waistband) to ensure that you get in enough movement.
• Begin researching quick and easy healthy cooking recipes for parties and potlucks, as well as at-home meals.

With a little preparation, the holidays will be a breeze – soon everyone will be asking, “How do you do it?” 

Message From The President:

Okay, don’t shoot.  I know you probably don’t want to think about the holidays, but they’re coming, ready or not.  My goal with these last three issues of the year is to help you prepare as best you can so that you stay fit, healthy, and happy all season long.

For some, October acts as a bit of a buffer: summer is over and kids have returned to school but the holidays are more than a month away.  Used wisely, this time period can help pave the way for a smooth remainder of the year.  For those whose holidays begin in October, carve out little slots of buffer time throughout each day to take care of yourself.  It will pay off in added enjoyment and serenity.

Life always offers us buffer time and if we don’t take it, sometimes it is forced on us.  Pushing too hard, working to get too much done can bring illness or injury.  I imagine this is why so many people get sick during the last couple months of the year.  Flu season aside, the people I know who take care of themselves stay well.  May you stay well, and enjoy!

To your health,

            Amy Lundberg
            Aim For It, President

Reduce The Strain Of Stress

People often say how stressed they are and while they know exercise would help them better manage that stress, they often can’t find the time to fit a workout in amongst the chaos.  Can you relate?

Try these three strategies to better manage stress and find time for exercise – which is really finding time for you!

• Removing clutter from your environment helps you to focus and feel better.  Do you look for the same things over and over again?  Do you work longer than you have to because of disorganization?  Do you have multiple gym membership cards or gym bags, never able to find what you want when you need it?  Studies show people with cluttered environments waste a lot of time.  Are there any areas of your life that could use a “de-clutter?” 

• If you are a regular exerciser, don't let stress stop you.  Modify your routine, even if it means ten-minute workouts or simply adjusting your routine to fit in extra activity (taking the stairs, etc.) The overwhelm that often accompanies stress can be reduced with exercise.  Allowing positive fitness habits to be lost in a pattern of inactivity will only lead to more inactivity.  The physical benefits of exercise are significant in managing stress and it's important to feel in control of being able to do something good for yourself.

• Can you let go of anything when your schedule gets busy (other than exercise, of course?)  It’s easy to just add more work on to what you are already doing, letting your personal care suffer.  Most planning and organization systems recommend prioritizing everything you need to do on a daily basis.  What on that list could you let go of, or ask for help to get done?

You Really Can Eat What You Want!

At every turn diets tell us what to eat and what not to eat, but this “information” doesn’t help most people.  Rather, it leads to confusion, frustration, and worse, weight gain.  That’s right: research indicates that while dieting can lead to initial weight loss, 95% of people who lose weight on diets eventually gain it all back – and sometimes more!

A two-year study at the University of California, Davis, divided obese women into two groups: dieters and non-dieters.  Dieters had moderate restriction placed on their eating while non-dieters learned to eat intuitively: tuning into to hunger, satiety, and how food made them feel.

"We have been ingrained to think that seriously large people can only make improvements in their health if they diet and slim down," said nutrition researcher and professor, Linda Bacon, who conducted the study along with Judith Stern, a UC Davis professor of nutrition and internal medicine. "But this study tells us that you can make significant improvements in both metabolic and psychological health without ever stepping on the scales or counting calories. You can relax about food and eat what you want."

At the end of the study the non-dieters had not lost weight, but succeeded in improving their overall health, such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, physical activity, and self-esteem.  The dieters, on the other hand, sustained none of the short-term improvements they experienced and they worsened in terms of their self-esteem.

Additionally, 92 percent of the non-dieting group stayed throughout the entire two-year treatment period, but 42 percent of the dieters dropped out before finishing treatment.  This reinforces the point that people do not react well to diets – deprivation – but are more likely to be successful and stay on track with a non-diet.  I like what I’m hearing!