Forgive Me Monday

by Kris Pitcher

Forgive me Monday, for I have sinned. Friday found me exhausted, weak and weary. I may have already been a little off path so what's the harm? Happy hour deals are too good to pass up, and with a week like I had, ah hell I give up.

Not enough sleep, and already dehydrated. Coffee to the rescue, a triple will do. I think I forgot my multivitamins...oh well, do those work? The slope got more slippery as friends came into town. Lunch out and shopping, followed by missed meals. People don't eat frequently, five hours no fuel...no big deal.

Brunching and munching not to mention the "indulgence". Missed workouts and forgotten intentions...the weekend was a whirl. Hair of the dog, puffy eyes and water retention...I was supposed to relax and recharge and I spent it like a college girl!

But Monday has come with such a relief, to my aid. I can get back on track and stick to my beliefs. Just think of the progress I might have made...had the weekend not put me back three steps in spades.


If this sounds like your weekend, and you're not making progress - it's time to take back your control. Start today, there's no better time to get on track. Making a small change will help you get motivated to move toward your success. Let's get going, it's Monday!    

My Profile Me

by Kris Pitcher

Since facebook is the largest nation I was interested to learn a recent study showed people who regularly look at their own profile feel self-confident, but those who most frequently look at other people's profiles feel more anxious about stacking up. A subsequent conversation with a colleague about being the person you want to be on fb got me thinking about just becoming that person.

You know how you only post the pictures of you where you're not making the crazy face...you don't update your status with the crappy stuff that happens. You are who you market yourself to be. You can be your best self on fb. And why not be that you, well always?

Or, you could be your authentic self on fb. But honestly we don't want to see the crazy face picture up your nose. And we don't want to hear a bunch of downer status updates about how unfair life is. We want the happy you.

How about a mix of the two? An authentic, happy you. If we do the things we post in our quotes we'd be off to a good start. Maybe if I make sure to put my lipstick on when I leave the house I might slightly resemble one of my fb pics.

All those nice comments, I'd like to hear those from you face to face too. Not just wall to wall. And...if I say them to you don't think I'm being weird. I'm just working on being my profile me.

See, ultimately if we were a little more like our marketed profile selves, we'd feel self-confident regardless of who's profile we were looking at. Shoot, we'd feel self-confident just looking in the mirror. Be your best you! It might even be contagious.

Through Bathroom Doors

by Kris Pitcher

I had a quick conversation with a young lady the other day about her negotiation skills. It got me thinking about the application to our pursuit of healthy lifestyles. She was bantering through a closed bathroom door with her mother in the locker room. She wanted something mom wasn't going to give her...for good reason. But I can't help but stir things up...especially with teen age girls (when I don't have any).

I asked her how her negotiation skills were. She said, "Not good." (BIG teen aged sigh.) She said, "I even offered to make her a cake!" I laughed knowing mom can't have a cake - she's training for a bodybuilding contest. I said, "What about something she would like, like house cleaning?" Confusion..."Well, THAT doesn't sound very fun!" she laughed back at me.

See, negotiation isn't about giving something you want to get something you want. It's about making a trade to get something you want. But in order to do that successfully you need to know what the other person wants. The cake was really about what the girl wanted.

Negotiation for some is an intuitive art, and for others it's a skill which can be learned and refined. Being able to negotiate is important to staying true to your own goals and plans whether you're out with others...or you're talking yourself into your morning cardio. Negotiation at its core is really an attitude: everything is negotiable all the time.

There are four fundamental elements: preparation; information exchange; explicit bargaining; and commitment. In preparation we are learning information about the issue or situation. We are also thinking about what will enhance our leverage (certainly not cake for a dieting competitor). We're also building rapport - which means being cooperative and even asking for advice from our "opponent" about resolution. Another part of preparation is the when/where/how will you negotiate (maybe not through a closed bathroom door, just saying). Finally we want to think about what our goals are, what do we want to accomplish from the negotiation?

As we begin bargaining we need to be prepared to make our opening offer, and then our subsequent offers. What concessions will you make? Remember we're making a trade. We must be willing to give something the other person wants. We are also looking for the best resolution to the issue. There is likely a creative way to create a win-win.

Commitment is about closure. Reaching a decision and implementing it. Keep in mind it's a process of compromise. Assume you'll end up somewhere in the middle of your ideal outcome. Reaching an agreement isn't an exact science or number - think of "fair" as a range. House cleaning...not super fun, but right now it's just the thing to leverage what you want from mom. It's what she needs. And it probably won't kill you.

Sharpening our skills makes us confident negotiators. It's becoming a lost art...but something this young lady can work on not only to get what she wants, but also to communicate what she needs in a better way. Are you communicating what you need in order to get what you want? Be confident to voice what you need and negotiate your way toward what you want. Go get it!  

Just A Treat

by Kris Pitcher

Healthful eating shouldn't be an all or none pursuit. A mindset as such can be a set up for failure. The way I see it there are good choices and better choices. We can also look at it as planning for "not so good choices". Knowing you can have a treat once in a while can be a relief...when it's done right.

The trouble comes when we don't or are not able to manage it. In that case it becomes a threat. So let's look at the difference between a treat and a threat.

A level 1/2 cup...

A treat is a managed portion planned into your diet. It's not something you have every day. It's not something you need or require or must have. It isn't a reward for doing what you were supposed to do, or for sticking to your plan for a certain amount of time. It's just a treat. You see, we've taken the sparkly glitz away from it. You get to have it.

It's arch nemesis is the threat. The threat is the treat gone bad. Way bad. You need it. You feel entitled to have it. You want a lot of it. It will damage your plans, your progress, your goals and your integrity. The threat will pull you into dark places. It will sneak up on you. You didn't plan it. You were lulled by its spontaneity, pressured even. The threat will have you staring into the depths of an empty Doritos bag in fifteen minutes flat.

Many of you know I have a "free choice" or "cheat meal" each week. This is our managed treat. It is planned, calculated, and executed with precision. Recently though it's become necessary to more tightly manage it. Honestly, I had mixed feelings about that. Feelings of entitlement slipped in, of resentment...I had to quickly reason these feelings out with logic. But they were there. See, my 1/2 cup of ice cream had become a hearty cup. So, it's time to bring out the measuring cups this Saturday night. My treat had become a threat.

How are you doing with your treats? Are you managing them well...have they snuck up on you to become threats?

Remembering the difference helps us to stay on track. We all can work a treat into our plan. I bet I'll be just fine with my measured 1/2 cup of ice cream...it is after all just a treat.

Calorie Content on Menu Boards - Truth in Numbers

by Kris Pitcher

Will the world as we know it change on March 23rd? 

On March 23, 2010, the President signed the health care reform legislation into law. Section 4205 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires restaurants and similar retail food establishments with 20 or more locations to list calorie content information for standard menu items on restaurant menus and menu boards, including drive-through menu boards. Other nutrient information – total calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and total protein – would have to be made available in writing upon request. The Act also requires vending machine operators who own or operate 20 or more vending machines to disclose calorie content for certain items.

 
The FDA is required by law to issue proposed regulations to carry out these provisions by March 23, 2011.  

Find more information at www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition

Many fast food restaurants have already had nutrition information available for some time. You might have had to pick up a fold out brochure or reference a wall chart. Information is widely available on-line, but that defeats the point of having it available as consumers are making choices. 

I like it when I get my Mc Donald's hamburger and the information is on the paper wrapper. (I take off the top bun and fold the meat & the bottom bun and eat it like a taco - BTW)

So, it will be interesting to see what regulation 'provisions' are made on March 23, 2011. Keep your eyes open for those giant reader boards. It will be eye opening to see the salad isn't always the best choice. The truth is in the numbers.   

 

Spring Fever!

by Kris Pitcher

Sunshine, snow, and rain all in one day means spring is on the way! I hope. I hope desperately. I have come down with spring fever. It's going around, I'm not the only one who has it...seems everyone I talk to is ready. Bring on spring!

"An optimist is the human personification of spring." - Susan J. Bissonette

There is hope in optimism. And optimism breeds hope. I am certainly looking forward to a few things on the calendar this spring. One way to instill a bit of hope is to have a little something to look forward to. For some it's a trip, for others it might be something they are training for. 

Having a goal gives us purpose to work toward. And spring is the perfect time to look for an event. I've been inspired lately by people who find 5K races in the cities in which they travel to. How smart are they? What a great way to see a city! And you don't have to run, you can walk. 

Here are a few easy ways to find events in any state. 

www.runningintheusa.com

www.trifind.com

And finally for those of us who truly are spectators...it's almost baseball season, and teams are practicing in sunny Arizona!

www.springtrainingonline.com

Branch out of your comfort zone and commit yourself to a 5K fun run or a mini triathlon in your own area or in an area you plan to travel to. It might just give you something to look forward to, and to train for. Happy spring!

Bloomsday 2011!

by Kris Pitcher

For readers in and around the Inland Northwest, an important day is approaching on the calendar. One thing is for sure...people in Spokane participate. That's why Sunday, May 1, 2011 is marked on calendars near and far. Sunday, May 1st marks Bloomsday! 

2006 Finisher T-Shirt

In 1977 over 1000 runners took to the course to run the inaugural Bloomsday race. This 12K (7.46 mile) event has been running strong ever since. In 1996 participation hit an all time high with 61,298 runners! An economic impact study was conducted by Gonzaga University in 2004 finding impact to the community in the amount of $9,576,959. This is a big race!

Being two months out, runners and walkers are in training! Whether you've got this race on your calendar, or feel inspired to find one in your neck of the woods, I wanted to share some tips for developing a training program. While it might be review, a reminder is always great. These tips come from bloomsdayrun.org. Find your way to the bottom of the post for a link to free training clinics.  

  

How to Develop a Training Program

The most successful training program is one that is properly designed. Your training program must balance a progressive training schedule with rest. By following the principles of proper frequency, intensity, and duration, you will learn to train at the level which is best for you.

Frequency

Frequency refers to the number of days per week that you will train. At least three and up to five sessions each week is recommended for the best results. Injuries are more likely to occur when exercising six to seven times each week. Less than three times each week is not likely to produce the results you want. However, any amount is better than no training at all if you plan to participate in Bloomsday.

Intensity

Intensity refers to how hard you are exercising. This is measured by how fast your heart is beating. The heart rate at which you will exercise is known as your TARGET HEART RATE (THR). Your THR will be in the range of 60-85% of your heart rate reserve. Heart rate reserve takes into account your resting pulse to figure out your THR. The following guidelines will help you to determine at which THR range you should begin:

• 50-65% Sedentary Lifestyle -- no regular exercise.
• 60-75% Moderately Fit -- exercises one or two times a week, very recently began a regular exercise program, or exercises for less than 20 minutes per exercise session.
• 70-85% Very Fit -- exercises aerobically three or more times a week for at least 20 minutes and has been doing so for at least three months consistently.

Please read carefully the section titled "Learn About Your Heart Rate (Pulse)" and use the chart to determine your THR.

Remember: When your body adapts to the stress of exercise, adding a slight additional stress is necessary to achieve additional results. Therefore, very gradually increase your THR up to 85% (there is no need to go beyond 85%; it may only hinder your efforts). Spend several weeks at each THR range before increasing.

Duration

To derive aerobic training benefits, you should work up to at least 15-20 minutes of exercise while maintaining your THR. Spend five minutes gradually getting up to your THR (warm-up) and five minutes gradually decreasing from your THR after the exercise (cool down).Never abruptly stop exercising.

This information courtesy of health professionals at
Providence Holy Family Hospital & Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center

Take advantage of free training clinics!