• 29Dec

    A New You in the New Year!

    As we head into the new year, many of us strive to make resolutions in an effort to treat our mind and bodies right.  Unfortunately, after the initial push to live the healthy life, many of us fall victim to the mid-January slouch, when we realize that the weather outside is still frightful and our motivation has started to dwindle; until alas, we are back to our old habits.  How do we avoid this seemingly inevitable trend?  I am so glad you asked! J

    The first step is to develop accountability.  It seems so easy and intuitive, yet many people never think to create a system that keeps them in check.  Whether it’s teaming up with someone in the office to discuss your goals or simply writing down your resolutions and revisiting them daily, it is important that you make a conscious effort to keep your resolutions top of mind and .  One tool I have developed for clients is a self-contract for goals.  When coming up with your New Year’s Resolutions (or Goals) you really need to write them down, using the SMART formula.

    Make sure that your goals have the following characteristics:

    S: Are the Specific? While I can easily say that I would like to eat better this new year, it is hard to determine what that really means on a daily basis and if I am really achieving that goal.  Instead, make goals as specific as possible, such as: Eat 3-4 Fruits and Vegetables a day and cut down on sweets to 1 dessert per week.  When our goals are clear and specific it is much easier for our brains to know how to be successful!

    M: Are they Measurable?  Quantify your goals!  You don’t just want to lose weight, you want to lose 10 pounds or fit into a size 8.  By having numbers you can measure progress which helps facilitate motivation and long term success.

    A: Are they Attainable? While goals are a great way to spark change, setting goals that are unattainable are self-sabotaging and often lead to relapses or negative behaviors.  Keep in mind when setting goals that they should be achievable.  Increasing my cardio fitness to the level of Lance Armstrong is highly unlikely, so why set myself up for failure.  Instead set a goal like completing so many minutes of cardio per week in order to increase cardio fitness.  Much easier to track and I’ll still be striving for the same result.

    R: Are they Realistic? Remember that we are human, and the occasional slip is not something to fret about.  When setting goals, avoid using terms like NEVER, EVERY or ALWAYS.  These phrases are not realistic since life is unpredictable, and is it best to remain flexible.  Saying that you will hit the gym every day is great in theory, but what if you get sick, injured or have a social obligation.  The goal is health and you may need to take a day off. Then you skip and the guilt sets in.  Setting realistic goals allows us to maintain flexibility and stay focused on what really matters.

    T: Are they Time-Oriented? Always have an end date.  This allows us to track progress and avoid procrastination.  We all like a healthy dose of competition and it a great kick start to achieve any goal as we see that date approaching.  Remember it takes 4 weeks to make a habit and 8 weeks to see a change, so give yourself enough time to see success, but avoid a long term date that hinders motivation to keep the changes going.

    Once you have your goals set, make the commitment to change by signing a contract to yourself.  Feel free to print off the goal setting worksheet and contract below to help get the results you were looking for.  It’s a New Year, so here’s to the New You!

    Use this tool to help create your goals for the coming year!

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  • 09Aug

    Swim, Bike, Run…SUCCESS!

     

    If you have read this blog before you know that I was gently coerced into signing up for my first triathlon this summer.  Although I wasn’t as prepared as I would have liked to been, I had an absolute blast and can’t wait for the next race!  I know that it can be scary to try something new, especially when you don’t know the first thing about training, but there are so many resources now to help, not to mention the outpouring of support from family and friends who all want you to achieve a personal goal.  I think what amazed me the most was the amount of advice that came from individuals that I didn’t know had ever completed a triathlon.  My openness about training and the race led to many great conversations and new friendships!  Talk about a support network!

    Anyway, I know you are all dying to know how it went, so here’s the skinny.  My friend Katie and I set a time goal of 2 hours.  We figured (both being newbies) that this was a realistic starting point, and we would be satisfied finishing in any time under that.  We got up to the race site before dawn on Sunday to set up our transition site.  I cannot begin to tell you how nervous we were, but seeing all of the athletes there (some veterans and other first timers) was actually very reassuring.  We weren’t there to compete with anyone but ourselves and had a new “family” of 650 out there trying to accomplish the same.  How refreshing it is to see so many people really testing themselves!

    We were in the last heat due to our experience level and age, so we started a 19 minutes behind the 1st group.  It gave us a little extra time to see that people were successfully completing the swim, and the likelihood of us drowning was slim to none…whew, one hurdle down.  It was now our turn.  The countdown ended with us running and diving in the lake in a massive heard which was a tad bit unruly.  I got tossed around a bit and learned that next time I need to stick to the outside to avoid the crowd!  I managed to finish in a slow but acceptable time and ran to my transition station, which went quickly.  On to the bike.  This is what I considered to be my strongest leg.  While I didn’t really practice much on the road bike, years of riding as a child and the massive soccer legs gave me the confidence that I needed to start off strong.  I thought I was booking it, but looking at the results in retrospect, I was really middle of the pack- but I felt great nonetheless!  The ride was only 13 miles, but gave me enough time to catch back up to those that flew by me in the swim.  By the time I made it back into the transition station, I had a second wind and flew out of the gates into the run.  Unfortunately, that second wind was short lived as I blew by the first turn only to see a massive hill that immediately warned me of impending doom.  A good many of those in front of me decided to walk the hill, which I decided was a good choice since my legs still wanted to move in the circular pedaling motion.  I lunged up the hill stretching out my quads and hamstrings and at the top decided to really push myself and run the remainder of the route.  I was pretty successful in that challenge; minus the moments I had to walk while taking a drink of water.  Turns out I am not very coordinated and running while drinking resulted in a wet shirt opposed to hydration.   

    I finished the race as strong as I could, leaving everything on the course.  My mom said I was pretty green running through the gate, but I regained color within a few minutes and felt good about the last push to the finish.  I found out that I finished in 1 hour and 38 minutes, well below the 2 hour mark!  While this honestly is pretty middle of the pack, I was ecstatic, as this was my first experience and I had not drowned, crashed, or passed out!  It was a Success!  In fact, Katie had an incredibly strong finish and the other girls that we had trained with/met at the event all seemed so satisfied with their accomplishments as well!  It was such a great event and we are already planning on other triathlons to train for.  I want to thank all of those who supported me and especially my Good Measure family who helped with pre race nutrition and advice on making the most of my nutritional intake and post race recovery!

    Now I am on to my next challenge… any suggestions?  I was thinking maybe rock climbing, kayaking, or some sort of dance class.  If you are interested in taking up a new fitness challenge, let me know and just maybe you’ll see me training with you!  Here’s to being active and always having fun!

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  • 10Jun

    MedGem Testing-Do you know your RMR?

    It’s 10 days into the healthy challenge and I have successfully lost 2 pounds, which is right on target!  I will admit that I took a day off from exercise yesterday and might have had a small cup of ice cream as well. I am a huge advocate for moderation, and after the intense week of exercise and eating very healthy thanks to my Good Measure Meals™, I figured I was allowed to reward myself and take a day off!  Remember, being healthy shouldn’t be a punishment, so don’t set yourself up to resent it!  Enjoy the little things in life and when you do indulge, just pay attention to portion size and duration!

    I want to focus today’s blog on a really cool tool that I used to help gauge how many calories I should be consuming based on my personal metabolic rate.  The MedGem™ is a handheld device that measures (very accurately!) your resting metabolic rate (known as RMR) and oxygen consumption (VO2). RMR can be accurately determined by measuring the amount of oxygen a person consumes. Through this method, called indirect calorimetry, the amount of oxygen consumed represents the exact number of calories a person needs at rest each day. Metabolism is the body’s energy conversion process, turning food into the energy that our body needs to function. For those of you that have never taken a physiology or health class, resting metabolic rate represents the amount of calories that your body uses to maintain vital body functions like breathing, brain function, and heart rate.  For a completely sedentary person, the RMR accounts for 100% of total metabolism, but since I am active and constantly moving, my RMR is probably around 75% of my total metabolism (the remaining 25% comes from the walking, running, and exercise that I do each day!). GMM has a staff of Registered Dietitians that can provide this assessment, so if you are interested, please contact me at jparsons@goodmeasuremeals.com. 

    Me getting my RMR Evaluated on the MedGem!

    So there’s me, getting my RMR measured using the MedGem.  It is a relatively easy process.  I simply have to breathe into the little machine for around 5-10 minutes and then voila, it gauges my RMR.  There are several other conditions of testing, which can skew the reading.  We refer to these variables as the 4 C’s: Cardio, Cigarettes, Calories, and Caffeine.  All of these variables must be completely absent from your systems for at least 4 hours before you test, or you will have an inaccurate reading.

    I get my RMR: 1670.  I am pretty surprised and honestly delighted, as that is higher than expected.  This means that my body, if resting an entire day would burn 1670 calories to stay alive.  I know that partnered with my active lifestyle I am burning a total of at least 2000 calories a day(you can calculate the calories burn during different exercises at: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc); more on the days with soccer and ultimate Frisbee(around 2700 calories according to my calculations). Remember that my weight goal required me to have a calorie deficit of 758 calories/day, so 2000-758 = 1242, so I am right on target with my Good Measure Meals!  On days with more vigorous activity I often add in a protein or high fiber bar as well, to ensure that I have enough energy to make it through my exercise.

    Weight Management is a science, but there are so many tools that are available to help.  Click Here to learn more about the science behind RMR and how you can calculate your metabolic rate. As long as you have an idea of the number of calories you burn each day, and how many you consume, the science is pretty easy!

    Tune in for the next post about training for my first triathlon!

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  • 04Jun

    Get Your 10,000 Steps!

    It’s the 4th day of the Challenge and I am right on track!  I have dropped one pound and seen a difference mostly in my energy level!  It is funny how making healthy changes positively influence other aspects of your life!

    So I found my pedometer this morning which sparked the idea for this blog entry.  A pedometer is the fancy term for a step counter.  It clips onto your waistband and counts the number of steps a person takes by detecting the motion of the hips.  The more pricy versions will even record the distance your walked (number of steps x step length) and measure calories burned.  There are many versions of pedometers out there and honestly, there is a difference in quality.  While any pedometer will work as a motivator, not all are accurate.  If you purchase a pedometer, do a test first and count out 100 steps and see what it records.  The best pedometers will be within ± 5% error.

    We obviously use pedometers to count our steps, but what number are we trying to achieve? The US Surgeon General recommends that a daily target of 10,000 steps, as this is the necessary amount to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.  For an adult this is equivalent to about 5 miles, but obviously children should accrue more steps per day.

    So I will be wearing my pedometer each day and making sure that I am reaching the 10,000 step mark.  I figure if make small daily goals, they will make my big goal of 13 pounds much easier to achieve!  On the nutrition front, I am sticking with my 1200 calorie plan from Good Measure Meals(Delicious Golden Harvest Whole Grain Pineapple & Carrot Breakfast Bread this morning! mmm).  Between my planned nutritional intake and increased physical activity, I am making positive “strides” in the right direction.  My apologies, I just had to throw in the cheesy play on words!

    So grab your walking shoes, your Good Measure Meals, and a pedometer and let’s get this challenge moving!

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