Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

I'm going to try something new with my blog.  It's a combination of ideas I've seen on other blogs and my own posting habits.  The new feature is that each day of the week will have its own theme.

• More on That Mondays - These will be stories that are related or in a series.  First up:  friendship.
• Talked Out Tuesdays - Tuesdays are my busiest day at the college, and I don't usually have much energy or time for blogging.  So I'll be posting only a video with no comment on it from me.  Might be a news story, or inspirational story, music I've discovered, or even a movie trailer.  You never know.
• Whatever Wednesdays - These will be similar to my current format - just whatever I happen to be thinking about, whether it's health, music, books, or Doctor Who.
• Thriving & Thoughtful Thursdays - I'll try to feature articles that make you think, encourage you to do something positive for yourself, or celebrate being in mid-life.
• Fun Fridays - This will be like yesterday was, just a fun list, or a story, a survey, something fun to get you ready for the weekend.
• Surprising Saturdays/Sunday - What will be the most surprising thing is that I posted anything at all!  

I hope you'll join me next week for my new format.  Be sure to comment and let me know what you think.

Related Rant

You know what I really hate?  I hate those commercials where the person says that it's so easy to lose weight on the so-and-so system.  NO, IT'S NOT!!!

Sleeping late is easy.  Sitting on the couch is easy.  Watching TV is easy.  Snacking on ice cream and cake is easy.  Driving from one store to another across the road is easy.  Taking a nap rather than doing yoga is easy.  Easy gets us what we've already got.  Easy gets us a belly and big hips.  Easy gets us high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Easy gets us blocked arteries and heart disease.  Easy gets us diabetes.

Losing weight is HARD.  It's hard to change your lifestyle.  It's hard to eat healthy, nutritious foods every day.  It's hard to get up early to get in a workout before work.  It's hard to put down the remote, turn off the computer, and go outside for a run.  It's hard to make the changes in our lives that are necessary to lose weight, get healthy, and stay that way.

So stop lying to us, stupid commercial ladies.

Getting Started

Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.  ~Confucius

Studies have shown that it takes 21 days to form a new habit.  These studies also indicate that the action has to be performed every day in that 21-day period to really stick.

Other experts suggest doing something for one month, since not everyone will stick to something new every single day for 21 days.

So what does all this mean for those of us trying to improve our healthy habits?  I see it as consistency and small steps.

If you are trying to make positive changes this year, here are some tips to get you started.

1. Don't try to change everything at once.  If you want to stop smoking, eat more healthfully, and lose weight, you may want to tackle these issues one at a time.  You could become overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of trying to do it all at once and give up on all of it, never to try again.  That is not the way to go!  Pick one habit and work on that before adding another.
2. You can do anything for one month.  Don't try to pretend you will never eat junk food again.  Just give it up for one month while you work on eating better.  Breaking time into months makes your objective so much more manageable and less daunting.  Plus if you mess up, there's always next month!
3. Stop thinking of foods as good or bad.  Yes, you do want to limit high-fat/high-sugar foods.  But if you think of them as no-nos, you'll only want them more.  If you allow yourself to have the foods you want, in moderation, you will be less likely to overindulge.
4. Write it down.  Whether you are going to work out 4 days a week, or want to eat healthfully, writing down your actions will help you reach your goals.  Seeing those blank days on the calendar will help you get out there and take a walk.  Adding up those calories will help you see how well you are doing and where you can make little adjustments.
5. Give up the All-or-Nothing attitude.  Just because you messed up one day, one week, one month, or even one whole year is no reason to give up on yourself altogether.  Every day is a new day and you can start again any time.  Never give up.  Never surrender.  
6. Find what works for you.  Some people will tell you that you have to go to the gym to work out.  Others say walk in your neighborhood.  Walk with a friend.  Walk your dog.  Buy a home gym.  Etc, etc, etc.  Truth is, for your new habit to stick, you're going to have to figure out what works for you.  I don't like running in my neighborhood because of the dogs and lack of sidewalks.  I don't like the Coliseum because of the walkers taking up the entire catwalk.  I don't mind the gym, but I'm too cheap to pay for membership.  What works for me is going to McLane Park.  It's the only way that works for me.  Figure out what is going to work for you.
7. Don't expect miracles.  You probably are not going to lose 5 pounds in a week.  You may not lose 5 p0unds in a month.  But you are going to get healthier, increase your life span, decrease your disease risk, and feel more energized if you not only start up a healthy habit, but keep it for life.

You can do this!  

Roll With the Changes

My Poor Ankle!

Life can be ironic sometimes, can't it?  I recently wrote about how I was going to increase my efforts and try to double the number of days I exercise for the remainder of the year.  And when I did try to increase my mileage, I messed up my Achilles' Tendon!

So now I have to stay off my foot as much as possible while my tendon heals, which could take weeks or even months.

I suppose I could whine, cry, complain or just give up on exercise altogether.  But instead, I'm going to try working on my upper body strength and core since I won't be running for quite awhile.

That's the way life is, though.  We make plans and then life interferes with those plans.  We lose the dream job, the relationship doesn't work out, the best friend moves away.  Whatever.  What we need to do is not give up or act childishly.  Instead, we need to be the mature people we are and respond appropriately, find an alternate course, and go on.  We need to roll with the changes.

Change is Good

My New Shoes!

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.  ~Confucius

It's hard to get back into a running program when you've been out for a long time.  Back in November of 2009, I was helping my mom put together a new computer desk.  I knelt down to get at some hard-to-reach spot, and my knee popped.  It kinda hurt, but not much, so I didn't think much of it.  By the time I got home, my knee was swollen and I could barely walk.  This weird knee "injury" kept me side-lined for months.  It was only in the spring of this year that I was able to run without a brace or pain.

This summer has been hot.  I mean HOT, as you probably well know.  I've never run in heat like this because I've only been running since October of 2008.  

So you could say I've had a really hard time getting back in the swing of things.  I'm still super slow and I'm still having lots of lung and leg issues.  So I decided to analyze my lack of progress and make some changes.  Here's what I found:

1.  I was running on empty.  In order to beat the heat, I'm getting up early to run.  I wasn't hungry, so I just threw on my gear and headed out.  But I just didn't seem to have any energy.  Now I get up earlier so I can have a little something to eat.  I have found that a bit of cereal does the trick for me.  Now I don't feel like an engine that has run out of steam during my first mile.

2.  My body was out of shape.  I gained back 10 pounds from when I ran my half-marathon last year.  So I've started doing the P90X exercise program to try to lose those 10 pounds, and another 10 as well.  Honestly, I really struggle to get in all the workouts.  Runners sometimes don't like other kinds of exercise - I know I don't!  But I keep trying and I keep tweaking my diet in an effort to get my body in better shape.

3.  My shoes had too many miles on them.  Most experts and runners will tell you that one pair of running shoes should last 300-500 miles.  That sounds like a lot, but is actually only a few months, depending on your mileage.  I had been running in the same shoes for a year!!  So I got some new shoes!  There they are at the top.  Aren't they pretty?  They feel great, too, which is the most important part.

So have these changes helped?  Yes!  Granted, I'm not running 20 miles at a time yet.  I'm not even doing 5 at a time yet.  But I can feel the difference.  My times are slowly creeping downward and my recovery time is getting shorter. 

Are you struggling with your weight/exercise issues?  Do a little self-analysis, be brutally honest with yourself, and make the changes where you can.  You might be surprised with how much you can change.

Be On the Lookout!

I'm new to this blogging thing.  So I'm actually still learning a lot and making changes to this whole thing.  Some changes you can expect to see in the upcoming weeks include new pages with favorites, like books and movies, and perhaps a new layout.  I am also looking into changes that will allow you to share blog posts you enjoy with your friends on Facebook, and related content.

But I might make a change and then decide I don't like it, or it's too hard to work with, so if you see something new one day and it's gone the next, don't decide you've gone crazy, just remember that I'm working on the site.  Also, if you have something you'd like me to add, change, delete, or tweak, I welcome your suggestions.  For now, you can go to the Facebook page and post your ideas to the wall.  But I will be working on setting up a Contact page with other options.

In the meantime, I'll keep posting several times a week about whatever topic I've been pondering.  I hope you will stick with me through the changes.

The "Richter Scale" of Weight...and Other Impediments to Weight Loss

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~ Plato

It's not easy to lose weight.  I don't care what any celebrity says about any diet plan, exercise regimen, or diet supplement, unless you only have 5 pounds to lose, it will not be easy.  There are so many things that make it difficult, some of them not even cropping up until after you've made significant, positive changes.  Today I'm going to talk about some of the ones I've encountered, and what can be done about each.

The first is what I like to call the Richter Scale of weight loss.  Sure, the Richter Scale is used to measure earthquakes, but did you know that each individual number is 10 times more than the previous one?  That means that a 5 on the scale is 10 times more powerful than a 4.  In the world of weight loss, it seems to me that needing to lose 10 pounds is not 5 more pounds than losing 5 pounds, but is actually 5x10, or 50 times harder.  Okay, not exactly, but it feels that way, doesn't it?  What can you do about it?

• Step it up a notch.  Maybe to lose weight in the past all you did was change a few eating habits, but if you've got more to lose now, you'll have to add in some exercise.  Maybe a lot.  Maybe as much as 7 hours or more per week.  That's an hour an day.  Every day!  (But you can always break it up.)
• Be realistic.  You will probably not lose 10 pounds as quickly as you did 5, unless you go for maximum effort.  But we can't all go to exercise boot camp, and many of us have no desire to do so.  So be kind to yourself and do the best you can.

Another thing that gets in the way of weight loss is not being cued in to what you're really consuming and expending.  We often think that the occasional splurge on a burger or ice cream is not that big a deal, and it may not be if you make good choices, but if you look here and here, you'll see that there are some common, popular fast food items that contain more calories and fat than you need in an entire day, leaving nothing on the menu for the rest of the day but celery sticks, which is not going to happen, right?  So what can you do?

• Keep track.  Write down everything you eat and all the exercise you do so you'll have a good sense of what you're taking in and burning.  You may only need to do this for awhile until you are aware enough of your habits that you can make changes without logging it.  I still write down all my exercise, though.
• Pay attention to the little things.  Take the stairs, park further from the store, walk to the corner for milk, switch to low-calorie creamer for your coffee, give up sodas altogether.  There are lots of things that you can do that when added together equal big change.

The final thing I wanted to mention is a strange and seemingly oxymoronic response to increasing your exercise that could get in the way of progress if you're not careful, and that is you get really hungry.  After I've worked out for an hour, I am ravenous!  How am I supposed to lose weight if exercising only makes me want more food?

• Listen to your body.  Realize first of all that this is a sign that your metabolism is working.  Yay!  That's what we want.  So do what your body says and eat something.  Eating within 1/2 an hour of exercising will catch your body at its metabolic peak and you'll get the full benefit of the nutrients without fat gain.
• Make sure you are eating the right food.  I can't emphasize enough that food is fuel.  But just as if I tried to put diesel into my unleaded-only car, putting junk food into my body is going to yield a very bad result.  I need to be eating whole grains, complex carbs, lean protein, fruits and vegetables, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and drinking water.  Anything that does not fall into one of those categories is suspect and should either be avoided altogether or indulged in only rarely (and by rarely I mean no more than once a month.  The idea that you can splurge every weekend is a fallacy!).

Trying to get in shape is not easy, and frankly, it's not always fun.  But you know what is fun?  Buying a pair of jeans a size smaller than last time you shopped.  Being able to walk up a set of stairs without huffing and puffing at the top.  Running around the back yard with a child and not feeling like you're going to have a coronary.  The looks on the faces of your friends when they see how great you look.  Avoiding a hospital stay due to a heart attack.  Living long enough to see your children grow up and perhaps have children of their own.  It is worth it.  No matter how hard getting in shape is for you now, or is going to be when you read this and then start a new exercise regimen, it is going to be worth it in the end.

Protect Your Dreams

If you have a college degree you can be absolutely sure of one thing... you have a college degree. ~Author Unknown

Mid-life brings many things: empty nests, achy knees, gray hair, wrinkles. Often it brings the desire to change careers, as well. Maybe you always dreamed of opening a bakery, but you didn't quite feel competent enough. Or perhaps you'd like to work part-time at the computer place since it's your hobby, but you feel you need some training to do so. What better way to make that change than to take a few courses and earn a degree in a short amount of time from a career college?

But hold on there. Not so fast. Many people are finding some problems with these types of schools.

While there is a huge debate going on in our country right now about whether these schools (which tend to be for-profit) are ethical, regulated enough, filling a needed niche, a great idea, or the worst idea ever (see these articles for examples: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14schools.html?_r=1 and http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574299992289841598.html), like any choice of school, you need to be informed before you make a decision.

The major objections to these types of schools seem to be four-fold. First, their recruiters can be quite aggressive, pushing you into signing up now because classes "just started."

Secondly, the cost can be quite high. I've read about costs of $40,000+ for a 2-year degree. Much of this money comes from student loans, and while those can often be a very good deal interest- and payment-wise, one can only pay those back if gainfully employed, which leads me to the third issue.

Since these colleges are often career focused, they lure in students with a promise of being able to get a job with the degree. Some schools boast of 90% placement rates when their rates are actually much lower. Now I'll grant that public schools don't have any kind of employment guarantee, but some of the career schools are making promises they can't keep. As a result, many students find themselves with a useless degree and huge student loan debt.

Fourth, in some cases, students will need to take a state qualifying exam after graduation to be certified in a field. However, some certifying agencies will not allow graduates of certain schools to sit for the exam since they do not recognize the program as legitimate. Imagine spending all that time and money on a degree that won't even allow you to take the state exam!

Just like any other business, there are good and bad examples of these career colleges. For every former student who says she was ripped off, you'll find another who raves about how quickly she found a dream job. I'm not about to lump them all in one camp or the other. There just is no way that they are all good or all bad.

What I would like you to do is this. If you or someone you know is considering going to one of these schools, please consider these steps. 1. Check out the school with the US Department of Education (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/). 2. If you will need to transfer to a 4-year college to complete your degree, check with that university to see if they will accept the credits of the career school. 3. Do some research on the career college itself. Don't just believe what you see in their commercials or hear from their recruiters. 4. If you will need to take a certifying exam, check with the certifying body to see if the school you are considering will give you what you need to proceed with the test.

Don't let anyone steal your dream just because they have a slick commercial!

Change is Hard

We would rather be ruined than changed;
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.
~W.H. Auden

My husband and I have been living in the same house for 15 years. In all that time, our trash was always picked up on Mondays. About 3 months ago we changed companies because the new one is less expensive and more flexible on what they will pick up. However, the new company picks up trash on Friday. This past week, for the 4th time, we forgot to put out the trash, only remembering we should have as we heard the trash truck drive by. This after we had even "reminded" ourselves on Thursday morning that we would need to put the trash out later.

Growing up, I was always the kid with her nose in a book. I never played any kind of sport - ever! No softball in the summer, no volleyball in school, no gymnastics in the evenings, nothing. And I didn't care. I didn't want to do sports and I loved my books, so what did it matter?

Now that I'm older, trying to get more fit, and concerned about staying healthy as I age, not having that background in sports makes it so much harder to develop a healthy habit. I've got 40 years experience in being inactive. There are still days, like today, that I can't seem to get up and go for that morning run.

But tomorrow, I'm going to get up and run. I'm also going to put the trash out early.