Valerie Miksch's Blog

Unfortunately, many of us (me included) have had negative experiences in the past that shaped how we thought of exercise and physical activity. One of the biggest challenges of beginning and expanding a sustainable personal exercise program can be between the ears. Here are a few ideas that might be helpful to get you started or back on track:

1.) Ask yourself if you really feel ready to begin a program. Sometimes it is a good idea that really does not fit for you right now.  

2.) Is the program you are thinking about a good match for your physical condition, abilities and personal taste? It is important to consult your healthcare provider to make sure that you are setting yourself up for good results instead of problems. And be sure to choose an activity that you really like. Chances are you will not stay with it if you don't enjoy it at all.

3.) Start slowly. It is easy to suddenly see so much that you would like to improve about yourself that you are tempted to overdo it. A personal trainer can help you design a plan that will get you started at an appropriate level. If it is not sustainable, it is not a good fit. Trying to do too much too soon may lead to giving up altogether.  

4.) Build your program into your life. Developing good exercise habits takes time. Especially if you have a history of little or no exercise, it can seem like the first thing to scratch off your schedule when life gets busy. Try adapting it instead in order to keep the “behavior” happening. For example: Not long ago I ended up staying with a family member in a large hospital for a couple of days. I didn’t get in my usual exercise, but intentionally walking the stairs several times each day helped me to keep focused.

5.) Change your program every few weeks to keep it new. This is a lifetime choice. Play, laugh, and above all, enjoy! The most important thing in starting an exercise program is making it an enjoyable habit. 

Volumes have been written on the subject of "counting calories", and there are many who line up on either side of the debate. Research does support the idea of keeping some kind of food record as being an important tool to use in weight management. I like to think of it as similar to keeping a checkbook. True, the bank doesn't send a notice for overeating; it is all much more subtle than that. Your body is doing the math even when you aren’t. The fact remains that in order to consistently eat fewer calories than you burn may take some kind of accountability system. Get professional health information regarding a minimum calorie intake so that you are eating enough to nourish your body. Taking this a step farther, remember that it is not just the quantity of calories consumed, but also the quality of the foods you choose that contribute to your health. Think of food as fuel. Yes, you can lose weight by paying attention to calories only, but your wellness is dependent upon your choices. So “spend” your calories wisely eating healthy foods you enjoy!

It sounds so simple. Application can seem so difficult. It is not a guarantee that there will never be any health and wellness issues on your life journey. But when they do happen, you will be in the best possible place to meet them head-on. Take care of yourself today. "If you don't take care of the body you have, where are you going to live?"--author unknown

I am often asked what I think of various diets and other weight-loss products. I have learned to respond with, “Could you or would you want to do it (whatever the program is) for a lifetime?” Another question is, “How does the program provide support for you to maintain after you have lost the weight?” Many programs out there are good; others make misleading statements. If a program sounds too good to be true, that just might be the case. Look for the long-term lifestyle. Many small, sustainable (and fun!) steps in the right direction provide an opportunity to learn the healthy habits to support the “new you” into the future.

Welcoming the New Year often brings the desire to make a fresh start. But those familiar resolutions have a way of fading fast as we may find that sustainable change is harder than we thought. One culprit may be how we use our time. We promise ourselves that we will start doing these new behaviors, and forget that in order to fit them into our 24-hour days, something else on our busy schedules will probably have to be changed. This is a wonderful opportunity to look at our priorities and decide what is really important. Think of your vision and goals as a foundation for the rest of life to be built upon. Here's wishing you these wonderful moments of growth in the journey of 2011!

One of the potential pitfalls of the process of making healthy changes is the notion that even a bite of certain foods dooms our resolve, so we might as well give in and abandon our healthy choices entirely. This all-or-nothing thinking can extend from a single event, like a party, to an on-going sense of defeat that can derail our program indefinitely if we allow it. What can we do to counter this negative self-talk? I like to think of the word "winning". It is a wonderful word! When we are "winning," we are in action. Winning is proactively engaging in the choices of the moment to produce the changes that help us to move forward in life. Winning is about a compass, not a stopwatch. It is not dependent upon yesterday, but is framed by our attitudes and thoughts and actions now. Winning is not complete, not necessarily perfect, but is taking us in the direction that we most want to go at a pace that allows us to learn along the way. I wish all of you a "winning" season!

From now through the first part of January most of us will find ourselves facing many more food cues than we do the rest of the year. How do we get through this season making healthy choices and not feeling deprived?