Friday, December 30, 2011

Goals

With the new year just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about goals. The top goal on most everyone's list is always to either loose x number of pounds or to hit the gym. The gas usually runs out within the first month. Here are a few things to take into consideration when making those wellness goals:

1-Set your goals high enough to make you work hard for them, but low enough so that they are reachable. Too often we set these crazy goals and we are unable to achieve them because we get discouraged or we realize that we have a busy life. This is what I like to do. I usually have a big goal that I want to achieve. I write it down on a sticky note or an index card and put it where I can see it every day. I set monthly, weekly, and even daily goals on how I can reach that overall goal. This helps me see the progress that I am making while keeping the main goal in mind, without getting discouraged.

2- Don't set a deadline on your overall goal. Sometimes deadlines can cause discouragement and stress. This can cause you to take things to the extreme. Some react to this by overeating and some can react by undereating. This can take a toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. However, sometimes deadlines motivate you. So you can set a realative deadline on your small goals and eventually you will achieve your overall goal.

3-Write your goals down. It is proven that writing down your goals will help you accomplish them. Put them somewhere where you will see them daily and when you see them you can make a mental note of how you are doing. Even share with a friend, spouse, or child so they can help you achieve your goals, too.

4- Don't be afraid. Don't let the fear of failing keep you from reaching your goal. If you mess up, brush it off and start over. Turn that failure into determination... determination to succeed! This movie clip is amazing! Watch it if you want, it does have a boxing scene from the movie snatch, so if you don't like to watch that stuff, just download it and listen to it.


Challenge: Make goals that you want to accomplish this year or over the next few years. Post them up and get to work! Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I like this...

When your best isn't good enough, try harder!

The other day I was working with a friend and to make a joke I said, "When your best isn't good enough, try harder!" We laughed, but I kept thinking about it. It makes a lot of sense and can be applied to life.

Think about it, what is your best? It varies day to day. I learned this lesson from a wonderful mentor Mrs. Rich. She explained that in our job we shouldn't try to do our best, we should do a good job. This is basically what the statement above is saying. Your best when your sick may not be what you are capable of, so try a little harder to do better job.

Each day will bring different challenges. You may wake up tomorow gung ho and ready to work, but the next you won't even want to get out of bed, but you can do it!

Challenge: Figure out what you are capable of and what is a good job for you. Set that as your bar. When you are trying your best, but not living up to the bar you have set, push yourself a little harder.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Quick all over workouts during the holidays

I don't know about you, but during the holidays--especially the Christmas break--I have the hardest time getting out and doing my regular routine. It's just too cold outside. I don't want to run outside or face the winter weather to go to the gym. So, I usually end up doing a workout video that isn't really tailored for me. So I have compiled a list of things that you can do this holiday season.

Core:
Crunches
Sit-ups
Side Plank
Pulse-ups

Cardio:
Jumping Jacks
Up-Downs
Butt Kickers
Jump rope--you can pretend you are swinging a rope
Punches are good for you if you have a lower body injury

Arms:
Push-ups
Bicep curls with free weights/cans
High Plank position
Dips using a chair or the couch (works your triceps)

Legs:
Squats
Wall sits
Lunges

Challenge: Find what you like to do and make a routine to fit your schedule. Alternate your workout so you don't get bored. Here is an example...

20 push-ups
Butt Kickers for 2 minutes
40 sit-ups
30 seconds of wall sit
Repeat 2 more times
20 dips
Jumping Jacks for 2 minutes
20 Mason Twists
15 squats
Repeat 2 more times

You'll be done in no time. Good luck!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Harder, Better, Faster, STRONGER!!!

Did you know that you really don’t become stronger by just going out and lifting weights once in a while? Let me explain…
When you start a resistance program your muscles are experiencing a new change—a neural adaptation to be precise. Your muscle fibers start to fire and become stronger. This occurs during about 8-20 weeks of your resistance training program. After this time is when hypertrophy (strength gain) occurs.  It takes on average about 14 weeks for hypertrophy to occur. So, why am I writing this? Because it is important that we incorporate resistance in our workouts. The ACSM guidelines for resistance training suggest performing weight lifting exercises at least 2 days a week. 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps of 8-10 different exercises. More information can be found here or at www.acsm.org . In High School and College we have the opportunity to take a weight training class if we so choose. The only problem with this is that you start gaining strength when the class ends, so we just need continue lifting even after your class ends—make it a part of life!
Challenge: Start doing resistance training now. It can be really simple. One way is simply by doing push-ups every morning/night. Start with 10 and increase each week. In 20 weeks you will be stronger!
Other Ideas if you don't live close to a gym:
1- Look in your cupboards--Use cans of beans or filled waterbottles as weights.
2- Buy a resistance band and do leg exercises with it.
3- Find a couple of heavy rocks to substitute for your weights.
4- Invest some money in some free weights. I think they are about $5 at Walmart.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Zumba!!

So I feel bad that I haven't written anything for a while, but I promise I will write amazing things during the break! I have been going to Zumba in my home town and we learned a new dance. It's so fun! I may implement it when I teach new semester. In case you want to try it out yourself, this one below is quite similar to what it looks like. Enjoy! :)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Serving Sizes

I'm sure you have all heard the phrase "Two a day" meaning to make sure you have two servings of fruit each day, but what exactly is a serving? Here are some helpful tips when deciding what a serving is:

1 serving of grains can be:
*1 tortilla
*1/2 of a bagel or bun
*1 slice of bread
*1 cup of cereal
*1/2 cup of cooked rice or cereal
Try to make at least half of the grains you eat whole grains. They will help you stay fuller longer.

1 serving of fruits can be:
*1 medium sized fruit
*1 cup (8 oz) of 100% fruit juice

1 serving of vegetables can be:
*1 medium sized vegetable
*2 cups leafy greens
*1 cup of vegetables
*1 cup (8 oz) of 100% vegetable juice

1 serving of dairy can be:
*1 cup of milk
*1.5 oz of natural cheese
*2 oz of processed cheese

1 serving of protein can be:
*1 egg
*2 Tbsp of peanut butter
*1 oz of meat
*1 oz of almonds, seeds, or walnuts

Sometimes when you are in a hurry, it is hard to stop and measure so here are some easy ways to determine a serving size:

*1/2 cup= size of a tennis ball
*3 oz of meat= a stack of face cards
*1 cup= size of a baseball, size of you fist
*1 oz cheese= size of your thumb
*1-2 oz of snack foods (nuts, seeds, etc...)= Handful

Challenge: Eat the recommended servings for your calorie count. Measure everything out and pay attention to it. You will become familiar to measurements and will soon be able to measure everything out just by eyeballing it. If you have any questions about anything, just let me know! Good luck!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Thanksgiving!!

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I just wanted to post something that may help you keep off those extra pounds we tend to gain during the holiday season.

First, what is your motive for eating? Is it because it is there? Because you want it? Figuring out why you are eating the food, will help you become more aware of what you are eating. Here is a chart that I received in my nutrition class that you can follow:

A
Availability—It was there
B
Convenient—Able to prepare and consume within time allotment
C
Cost—The food cost fits in my budget
D
Nutritional value of food—It is nutrient dense and healthy
E
Personal preference—It sounded good, I liked it
F
Mood/emotion—I was bored, stressed, tired, excited, angry, etc...
G
Social—It was offered and I couldn’t refuse
H
Habbit/Tradition—I usually eat it, it is familiar

The next thing you need to take into consideration is the Hunger Scale. I went to a forum a few weeks ago and learned about this. Here's how it works:

1-Empty: You have no energy and you may have a headache
2-Ravenous: You are very hungry and may be irratable and cranky.
3-Set: Your urge to eat is strong.
4-Pangs: You are a little hungry and you start to think about food.
5-Neutral: Your body has enough fuel to keep you going physically and mentally.
6-Satisfied: Just what it says.
7-Full: You can still find room to eat because your mind says yes, but you body is saying no.
8-Stuffed: You may start to hurt and you feel uncomfortable.
9-Sick: You may have to leave the room or go lay down.

You want to be about a 5 or 6. If you go beyond that, that is when you will either need to do more work or you will start packing on the pounds. How do you know when you are satisfied? Well the first thing you need to do is set your fork down and actually chew your food. After each bite, ask yourself if that one tasted as good as the last. If not, why are you eating it? The big key is just listen to your body--it knows what you need!

Challenge: Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast! Listen to your body and get your family/friends out to do something active. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

We are all a little crazy...

So remember how I told you I was going to start blogging on here consistently? About that... Sorry. But, I am really excited to write this post! The thing is, health isn't just working out and eating well. It encompasses so many aspects. Ever heard of the wellness wheel? Well as you can see, one of the parts of this wheel is mental health. Good mental health is necessary for day to day living. We all have our little things that we are crazy about. For me, I CANNOT stand a dirty kitchen. I HAVE to have the dishes in the dishwasher or put away in the cupboards. This may be a little boarderline OCD, but I will save talking about that for another post.

If you have good mental health, you are able to:
*Function under adversity
*Change or adapt to changes around you
*Maintain control over your tension and anxiety
*Find more satisfaction in giving rather than receiving
*Show consideration for others
*Curb hate and guilt
*Love others

I don't know about you, but looking at this list I know I am not perfect in all aspects of mental health, hence why I titled this post the way I did. We all have things that we need to work on. If you have good mental health, it helps you have better emotional health, which can play a big part into your eating habbits.

Challenge: Find one thing that you can improve in your mental health. Then for one week document how it goes. You will find that by setting a goal and documenting about it, it will help you improve far greater than just saying you will do it. If you need any ideas of examples of mental health goals, just let me know! Good luck!!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

It seems I have failed you....

Well fellow followers, I feel I have failed you. School has consumed so much of my time, but I have rededicated myself to update this. During the past 6 months I have learned SO MUCH about health, nutrition, and exercise, I PROMISE I will blog about it! One of the most important things I have learned is the difference between health education and health promotion. I will try to incorporate more education in it so it will be more beneficial to YOU! If you have any questions or would like to know about a specific thing, let me know and I will try to give you an anwer. WARNING: I am a student... thus, I am still learning and will not know all the answers, but I will give you resources as well.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Snowy Weather brings the Sniffles

Sorry I don't keep up with this but I am crazy busy with school. But in my disease class we were learning about the common cold and I just thought I would share something I found way cool. So a way to prevent the common cold is by staying spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically fit. I have to say that I am pretty sure that this works... I have been trying to stay balanced in all that I do and I haven't really gotten sick yet. (Yes, I just knocked on wood). Anyways, just a tip for this winter season. :)

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Shape Up America!!!!

So I started my new semester and I am really excited about my Nutrition class! I was reading my textbook and it gave me this website. It has a lot of helpful information. www.shapeup.org Unfortunately I have spent too much time on it and need to get back to my homework... :( But it is awesome. Enjoy!