Healthy Habits Blog
01 25 Suffering from back pain?
Maintaining a healthy weight is the number one way to strengthen and protect your back, according to the American Council on Exercise.
01 24 Be aware of cravings.
The vast majority of our taste satisfaction- 95%- comes from the first few bites. When you have a hankering for something sweet, salty, creamy, extremely energy dense, or full of high-glycemic carbs, don’t just push that feeling away. Grab a teaspoon and take a bite. Just one. Wait a couple of minutes, and ask yourself “Am I satisfied?” Repeat up to three times over the next several minutes, while remaining in a mindful state. Ask yourself if continuing this behavior supports your primary goals.
01 24 Turning New Year’s Resolutions into Health Goals Using Structural Tension
By Marsha Hildebrand, RN.
*All information was taken from Dr A’s Habits of Health and Living A Longer Healthier Life
I thought it would be fun to turn your New Year’s Resolutions into Health Goals using the Take Shape For Life program tool called “Structural Tension”.
Structural Tension was created by Robert Fritz who is a close friend and colleague of Dr. A. This topic is covered in Chapter 3 in “The Habits of Health” and in Chapters 5 & 6 of “Living A Longer Healthier Life”.
Structural Tension eliminates the need for problem solving.
- keeps our “Motivation for Change” focused on what we want, “rather than “what we don’t want”
- It allows us to position our goals in a structure that supports them.
- It gives us direction on how to get from where we are “Our Current Reality” to where we want to go, “Our Desired Outcome”.
Having a structure to follow, we also need to understand the Choices we make to reach our goals. There are 3 types of Choices we focus on.
- Fundamental Choice – it’s the foundation that supports your highest goals. The Choice for Optimal Health
- Primary Choice- what you want more than anything else, Healthy Weight, Active Lifestyle, etc.
- Secondary Choices – the action steps taken to support primary choice. Not necessary what you want to do but what you choose to do to reach your goals.
We want to remember that goals need to be written so that they are:
- Specific with a time frame, for example, “I will have great aerobic stamina in 12 months”.
- Focus is on Creating Health and not problem solving, ex: “I am able to walk for 30 minutes and talk to my friend the whole time” as opposed to “ I will not be short of breath while walking “.
- Make sure your describing the event and not the process “ I have a lean, toned body” vs. “ I will lift weights 3 days a week”
One of my clients was 148 lbs, 5 ft tall , had a BMI of 29, and a waist size of 36″ when she made the decision to get healthy.
Primary Choice:
- Healthy Weight: 122lbs
- BMI: 24
- Waist Circumference: 30”
Secondary Choices: These are things I don’t necessarily want to do but choose to do because I want the outcome.
Timeline – Three Month Goal To Reach Healthy Weight:
1. Eat every 2-3 hours _______90 days ________
2. Drink 64 oz. of water a day ______ 60 days
3. Follow the 5&1 _______
4. Exercise 45 minutes a day after first 3 weeks _____________
5. Call my Health Coach every Monday _____30 days ___
6. Weigh and take measurements weekly __________________
Current Reality:
- Weight: 148lbs
- BMI: 29
- Waist Circumference: 36”
Please remember to call your health coach to turn all your New Year’s Resolutions into your health goals for 2012.
01 23 Avoid Foods with too many ingredients.
When you’re shopping, be sure to check the food labels and avoid any grocery items with lots of ingredients. Studies show that if a product contains fewer than three ingredients, you’re less apt to overeat.
01 22 Your health should be a long-term goal.
Too many of us set short term goals to getting healthy; (I want to look good for my reunion, etc.) your health should always be a priority. Work each day to get yourself healthier and healthier!
