Does your wellness need a bodyguard? Protect it!

This week has been about the influences around us that can pull us in either direction on the wellness path: towards increased health and vitality or away from it.  We've talked about the negative influences of the media, and creating positive influences from the people and other outlets around us.  Today, it's time to put on our game faces and talk about the real-life people who just plain refuse to believe that we really honestly not only want to be healthy, but intend to against all odds.

I am talking about feeders.

Feeders can very easily seem like nice, well-meaning people... until they decide to stop and get doughnuts on the way to work and plop one on your desk. They'll use guilt, peer pressure, and sometimes intimidation to entice you to entertain them by going "off your diet," and eating whatever confection they've created. 

But the thing is, we're not on a diet, are we?  No, this is your health for life. And the truth is that while one doughnut will not catapult you into a life of depravity, if it's not in your wellness plan then it's just not in your wellness plan and that's all there is to it.  Feeders have a hard time accepting this, but they just cannot believe that you meant what you said about maintaining your weight loss and eating healthy. 

Do you know a feeder?  Are you one?  Don't worry - your wellness goals are your goals and not up for negotiation.  You meant it when you set (and achieved) your wellness goals, and no one has to believe you but you.

Go protect them.

Back to work (emphasis on back!)

So I was able to use my  consistency, data, accountability, and intention to not get totally derailed from my fitness over the holidays, and even lose a few pounds (which I am still trying to figure out considering the number of mimosas I drank). But now the holidays are but a memory, my work travel is done, and I am faced with a sobering realization: my muscles have turned to mush.

I ran all through the holidays to maintain my calorie deficit, but I didn't do much in strength training beyond maintenance.  I miss my sculpted deltoids, tear-drop quadriceps, firm hamstrings, and all of the other nice trade-offs of spending quality time in the weight room.  So, it's time to get my rear in gear.

Literally, my rear.  I've spent too much time sitting on it lately and, um, you can tell.

So today was my first real day back hitting the weights, and I told my trainer I was ready to work! He did not disappoint. I haven't sweat (sweated?) and grimaced that much in a long time, and it was so nice.

Here's what I did:
Chest flys on the machine (ugh) and alternating arms while lying on the big exercise ball 
Lat pulls and reverse push-ups
Bicep curls with the resistance band and negatives with a weighted bar
Skull-crushers and tricep dips


I am not nearly as strong as I used to be. But at the end, my friend Jenny told me my biceps are looking good!  Yay!  So I guess everything is back to normal now, right?


Ahhhh, it feels good to be back!  And to not be just going through the motions. 


Bring it on, tank top season! I'm not scared.

Champion of Change: Accountability

Do you have a fitness or health goal for 2011?  Then go public! We're on the third Champion of Change and that champ is accountability.


Accountability is the hardest tool, I think. Consistency takes discipline, data takes time, but accountability takes a lot more. To truly be accountable, you have to be willing to quit putting lipstick on a pig and be brutally honest about what you're doing.  That takes humility and guts. But it's a powerful tool so its worth it.


An easy way to incorporate accountability into your wellness is to go public. Why do you think so many people start fitness blogs, Twitter handles, join online forums, or exercise in groups?  They know that simply having an audience will encourage (or shame) them into following through on their goal.  And more times than not, that audience will celebrate your victories, help you get up when you fall, and motivate you when you're not sure you can do it.  I started this blog back in 2008 for accountability, and I've done more than I ever imagined I could.


But there are some pitfalls - when you're looking for an exercise buddy or cheering squad, make sure you're not just getting an enabler.  For accountability to work, you should have mutual interests, a positive attitude towards each other's goals, a real desire to change, and dependability. If the person you pinky-swore on New Year's Eve to exercise with every day this year hasn't shown up for a workout yet, and as a result you haven't shown up for a workout yet....well you see what I mean.  That kind of buddy can do more harm than good.  


Accountability can be a tough pill to swallow, but if you're serious about your wellness you'll look into it. Don't be afraid to go public with your goals.  It can add an entirely new and unexpectedly wonderful aspect to your wellness that can be a springboard to amazing things.


Your audience is waiting for you!

Goals: Making, achieving, celebrating!

Let's take a break from the holidays, shall we? Just for a minute, I promise we'll get back to the fun soon.  I want to talk to you a little bit about goals for next year.

I love making goals.  My imagination knows no bounds when it comes to thinking up all kinds of nutso scenarios in which I defy the laws of physics and become some kind of uber-ripped, totally lean, muscle-popping, super-fit machine.  And because I honestly believe that I really can do just about anything I want to, well, I make it a goal!  And I make a plan!

And I execute that plan!

But the plan doesn't work because it was completely ridiculous.

I make the kinds of plans that go something like this: "I'm going to exercise every single day and eat really really healthy and by virtue of my hard work, I will be rewarded with a totally excellent bod that supports everything I want to do every day all day no matter what!" *beam*

Goals are great, ya know?  They're even better when they're based in reality.  You know, goals that are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-based, Realistic, and Time-bound.  That R gets me every time.

You can read more about SMART goals here, but the basics are pretty profound: the chance that your goal will be achieved increases exponentially when it is:

Specific: more than "lose weight." Try "lose x% body fat."  Or "reduce cholesterol below 200."
Measureable: you can manage what you can measure...on a scale, through assessments, etc.
Action-based: specifically what will you do to get there?  Put some numbers to it!
Realistic: okay, what specifically what will you ACTUALLY REALLY DO to get there?
Time-bound: give yourself a deadline - a realistic one.

Do you have any goals for next year you can apply this to?  Give it some thought!  It's worth the time it takes to figure this out, trust me!

Okay, we're done.  Back to the holidays. Tomorrow we'll tackle that R word...

Good day! :)

Holiday Battle Plan? Engage!

It's the most dangerous time....of the year......

That's right: holiday food time.  Halloween candy is on the shelves and Christmas goodies will be marching close behind to take their place faster than you can say, "boo!"  So that means it is time to make that holiday food plan.  To help, I'll be doling out Healthy Heather's Holiday Hints a few at a time.  Ready?

Here's the first few:

1. Start eating clean NOW! (duh, did anyone see that coming?) In a nutshell, eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the junk that typically makes up the Standard American Diet (S.A.D) These types of food include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is: “if man made it, don’t eat it.”  And if your mom made it with a pound of butter cause that's how you liked it as a kid, still don't eat it. :)


2. Find time for (more) exercise. Fall and winter weather is perfect for walking, running, and being outside. To keep holiday pounds at bay, increase your exercise by about 30 minutes of vigorous cardio a day, or begin a walking program. The extra calories burned won’t completely void out a glass (or four) of eggnog, though, so be honest about how much activity you’re getting.


3. Tell everyone around you about your goal. You’ve heard that a goal without a plan is just a wish, right? Well a plan without ACTION is lunacy! Tell everyone you know about your great, fabulous plan to eat clean and not gain weight during the holidays. Knowing that eyes are on you to be the example will make you think twice before taking a second cookie.  While you're at it, recruit a few friends to join you and keep each other motivated.  Remember, the holidays are a lot more fun when you aren't preoccupied with how you're going to lose the weight you gained from "fun food."

You don’t have to be perfect during the holidays. You just have to try.  :)  Good luck, and good day!