It Ain't Over Till It's Over

On January 1, 2007, you made a resolution. It probably involved your health or weight. If you made a good faith effort towards achieving your goal, good for you! If you fell short of your plans, then this is the time for a Grand Gesture: Bundle up and get outside today for a 15 minute walk. Or put on an extra sports bra and your Duran Duran CD and bop around the living room for 15 minutes (crawling on the floor during "Hungry Like A Wolf" is GREAT shoulder toning!)

No, you won't lose the 20 pounds that you promised yourself--but you will affirm to yourself that you are NOT a quitter, you are NOT weak-willed, and that you DO have the power to work for your goals.

Take this day to forgive yourself for falling short and figure out if your expectations are realistic. If they ARE realistic, figure out who and what can help you when you try again in 2008. You'd be surprised at what new, creative ideas come to you when you are crawling around to Duran Duran.

I have faith in you, and I'm proud of all you've done this year.

Weight Loss is 100% Guaranteed.

I spoke yesterday with an overweight woman who told me, and I quote, "I am a lost cause."

I must admit, I got a little upset. I don't believe in lost causes. Indeed, when it comes to losing weight, I can promise you with utter conviction that you will lose every single excess pound you carry. As I told her, it's not a question of IF, but a question of WHEN. If you don't make the choices during this lifetime to take the weight off, then it may happen in the grave--but weight loss absolutely will happen.

So when are you going to lose the weight that clogs your heart and clogs your life? Aboveground or below? Have you decided to lose weight in 2008, or are you going to wait until another year?

And if this is the year for you, do you have a specific goal and a plan? Reasonably, you can lose as much as 100 pounds between 1/1/08 and 12/31/08 if you need to. Of course, it's a big project and must become one of your top three life priorities.

That woman came forward asking for motivation and a kick in the pants seat. By the time the conversation was over, she'd decided to join Weight Watchers and add some physical activity to her life. She has hope and a plan. I wish the same for your loved ones and you in 2008--and, of course, I'm happy to help when I can!

Shameless Commerce: Lose Weight in 2008

This year you can succeed! You can lose weight in 2008 with Radiant Fitness. From personal training to a free community yoga class to belly dance, together you and I can find a way for you to live a radiant life.

Radiant Fitness provides services in every price range. We have FREE yoga classes, FREE senior fitness classes, and FREE and online support through the Monday Motivators (just e-mail http://us.f808.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=motivator@radiantfitness.com to subscribe).

If you want to learn how to lose weight the safest, fastest, best way for YOUR body and YOUR lifestyle, then invest in premium personal training in your own home and place of business. If you'll give your heart, mind and spirit into living a healthy, radiant life, you may be ready for the challenge--and the amazing results--of personal training.

Do you want to have so much fun working out that you don't even know you're exercising? Then it's time to try belly dancing (and no, you don't need to show your belly!). The Dry Ridge Belly Dance Fitness classes are casual, fun and sometimes a little silly. Ready to sink your teeth into a progressive program where you learn the moves and history of this art form, while training as a dancer and losing weight? Then join Belly Dance 101 (this class is limited and there are only a handful of spots left in it, so contact me now!)

From lifting weights to running, from working in solitude to playing with friends, Radiant Fitness can help you make 2008 your most energetic, powerful and fit year yet. Call 485-1238 or e-mail http://us.f808.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=keri@radiantfitness.com and we will help you.

Working Out For Others

At the beginning of many yoga classes, the class will take a moment to dedicate the exercises they do help someone else. Much like prayer, the idea is that the energy we send out of our bodies goes into the world in some positive way as a gift.

In a more concrete way, we Westerners like to do races and walks for charity, where we know where our entry fee is going. A 5K here, a golf tournament there--we give and raise money for causes dear to our heart and get a good 45 minutes of cardio at the same time.

You can have it both ways in 2008: You can look at the community calendar, and plan to spend a Saturday morning or two walking with others instead of on a gym treadmill. You can focus your mind while you are on that treadmill on people who's lives you would hope to see improved. Instead of simply concentrating on making yourself into someone you will like more, use your time and resources to serve someone else once in awhile. The paradox--by giving your spirit, time and material wealth to others, you become someone you like to be with.

Moving On

Okay, I admit it. I am sad about Dan Fogelberg's death. "Another Auld Lang Syne" ranks right up there with "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Brandy" (don't ask) as my top weepy songs of all time. Having him die during the Christmas season just amplifies the "wailability" of the song. My sons have learned that if they interrupt my wailing of these songs while we drive down I-75, I will simply turn the radio up to max and squall louder.

Of course, EVERY emotion is amplified during this season. If you are annoyed with your brother, you'll find that it's full-blown anger. If you are nostalgic about a loved one who has died, you may find that you are more distracted and scattered by your memories than usual.

It's natural to be reflective during the holidays. If you are out of control--saying things that you mean, but didn't mean to say--it's time to regroup.
#1 Get off by yourself. Lock yourself in a bathroom, or better yet, bundle up and take a walk.
#2 Drink a glass of water and get rehydrated (oh, maybe that's number one--especially if you're going to lock yourself in the bathroom anyway).
#3 Eat an apple or some carrots--just so YOU know you are making an effort to fortify your system rather than undermining it with,
#4 Go to bed. Either get to sleep before midnight or lay down for a 20-minute nap.
#5 Call a disinterested party: Your buddy in Texas. Your therapist. A 1-900 number.
#6 Force a little catharsis. If you're feeling growly, go see Sweeny Todd. If you need a good cry--sing along with Dan.

Don't try to eat or drink your way to equilibrium, however. The sugar rush to your brain's pleasure center is a false high and will get you in long-term trouble. Alcohol might help you keep a lid on your tongue--until the third margarita, when all bets are off.

When you feel extra pressure, figure out what your release valves are--and use them intentionally. In maintaining your emotional health (which is always tied, of course, to your physical health) planning and foresight will get you through.

Keri

P.S. Last-minute gift trouble? Sign her up for Belly Dance 101 via paypal and I will send you a printable "Welcome" letter via e-mail to put under the tree.

My Celebrity Crush(es)

Many of you already know that I have a little thing for Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen (authors of You: On A Diet and the RealAge series). Not only are they personable, cuddly people, but they explain the science behind weight loss and lifestyle management with humor and clarity.

So, of course, I'm reading their new book right now (You: Staying Young), and I've already got a list going of the supplements I'll be adding to my diet. I'm going to need one of those three by seven pill boxes, apparently. They have a host of other recommendations, from chi gong to washing out your sinuses (which I do. Delightful it isn't, but it works).

The very, very, very first item on their lifestyle overhaul list is . . . 30 minutes of walking every day. Yep. They have a two-week plan for changing your habits and it begins, number one, with walking. Of all the vitamins you can take and sinus-washing sessions you can enjoy, the most important thing of all is the exercise!

I suppose I must consider the possibility that I adore them so much because they reinforce what I say about exercise being the one and only fountain of youth . . . . and they're cuddly.

Keri

What You Must Give Up

Here's how it usually works: We rip a diet plan out of a magazine or newspaper and post it on the fridge. We go out and buy some of the ingredients on the list (arugula, grapefruit) and vow to ourselves that we will stick with the 7-Day Miracle Plan. By day 2, we are rediscovering why we normally never buy arugula and by day 3 we are saying "The diet has failed."

The problem here actually isn't the diet plan. The problem is we went into the process, once again, with our same bag of attitudes and assumptions that we've always carried.

To succeed at getting fit, you and I both may need to give up the following ideas:

#1 That our bodies are special or different.
Across the planet, across the species, human beings are very much the same from the skeleton in. We all need 1500-2500 calories a day (not less and not much more) to survive and be healthy. Calories in must be less than calories out if we want to lose weight. If I eat fewer calories than I use, my body will get smaller. So will yours. Calorie deficit works for every single person over time.

#2 Sooner or later, weight loss will become fast, easy and fun.
While I love some forms of exercise, you simply may not find your fitness niche. And as for food management--cheesecake versus spinach? Come on! There's no contest. It has taken most of us years, even lifetimes of making easy choices, of choosing fun over healthier options. Waiting for the day that the FDA will finally approve the magic pill (and no, Alli is NOT it!) means several more years of depression, self-disgust and stagnation.

#3 Exercise is something you do to burn off a few extra calories--it's better just to putter in the garden.
Exercise is like brushing your teeth--it is a mandatory part of personal hygiene. Healthy people with a healthy weight and no health risks should exercise most days of the week for about 20 minutes a day. If you carry a extra pounds, your body needs more exercise. Physical activity is not optional for anyone.

#4 Knowledge is critical for weight loss.
This is my personal bugaboo. After all, I'm an expert in the field of fitness! I have so many facts about fat loss stuffed into my brain and a library full of books on the subject. By virtue of the sheer volume of fitness material I know, the calories should melt themselves under the weight of it all. Facts, however, only take you so far. My body, just like yours, follows the calories in/calories out rules. Success for me and for you comes from implementing relatively simple plans and returning to those plans on the days when cheesecake wins out over spinach. Even if you don't know a thing about losing weight, you can still take daily walks and shed the pounds. Even if you don't know the calorie counts of your food, you can still ask yourself "Is my body truly hungry?" before taking a bite.

Which of these attitudes are crawling around in your subconscious, sabotaging your ability to make rational choices? For me, the very phrase "rational choices" sometimes makes me feel petulant, rebellious and cranky.

But at the end of the day, the very truths I kick against strengthen and support me. After all, my body works! The problems I have maintaining a healthy lifestyle are almost exclusively in my mind. And that, I can change.

You can too

Do You Get In Your Own Way?

Hi Friends,
One of my "lightbulb moments" occurred, predictably, while watching Oprah a few years back. A young mother of a five-year-old girl was crying because she was so overweight and out of shape that she couldn't walk the 1/4 mile to the local playground. She didn't have enough strength and stamina at the time to push her daughter on the swings. So the active child was forced to stay home and watch TV because Mom couldn't manage to do anything with her.

I was pregnant at the time and had gained much more weight than my doctor liked. I was on bed rest for high blood pressure and that show hit me like a rock in the head.

Poor health isn't a problem because of what it does to us--it's a problem because of what we do to ourselves. If your lifestyle choices--whether you exercise, whether you smoke, what you eat, how you spend your time--get in the way of your desires and dreams, what do you do?

Do you change your choices or do you throw away your dreams?

Sometimes the body isn't the roadblock--our attitude is. Do you avoid the refreshing water and warm summer sun in summer because you don't want to be seen in a swimsuit? Do you let fear of other people's opinions prevent you from dancing at a wedding reception--sitting at a table, toes tapping, head bopping all night long? Does distaste for your body prevent you from doing what you want to do?

Whether your body is physically unable to do what you want, or your heart is too broken to try, this day, this week can be a new beginning for you. You can make one choice to be good to yourself and have it have an immediate benefit. One less cigarette means lower blood pressure for the next 24 hours. One 15 minute walk means a better mood. One serving of fruit or vegetables means your GI tract will work faster and better. Tiny choices, over and over again, are the steps to living the life you desire.

Keri

P.S. class updates:
Belly Dance 101 is already half full! If you might want to take this class, let me know as soon as possible so you don't get stuck on the wait list: amal@radiantfitness.com.
Monday, 9a Senior Fitness at Walton is on for today, then again on 12/31 and through the new year.
Monday 10:30a Senior Fitness at Williamstown is on for today, then starts again 1/7/08.
Free Community Yoga at Richwood Pres is scheduled for 12/19, then starts again 1/9/08.
Belly Dance Fitness at DRE (Dry Ridge) starts again at 6p on 1/9/08.
NKU Yoga (NEW CLASS!) begins 1/17 and runs Thursdays at noon. E-mail me for more info at keri@radiantfitness.com.

Eating at My House in 2008

If you received the 2006/07 Holidailies, you know that my resolution last year was to avoid bring trans fats (hydrogenated oils of any kind) and high-fructose corn syrup into the house. The hardest thing to give up? Reddi Whip. It makes everything but chili taste better (but it's all hydrogenated fat).

I'm pleased to say we did very well. Yes, my husband still gets his Coke and Dr. Pepper. But he buys it--I'M not bringing it into the house! And yes, I pick up the odd Peppermint Patty--but that never makes it out of the car . . . Have there been lapses? Of course. But all in all I feel pretty proud of how well we've managed. So well, that the habit of reading labels of new foods is automatic now.

This year, I'm going in the opposite direction: Instead of what we can't eat, I'm going to focus on what we will. This year I'm going to serve the boys and myself five servings of produce a day. We are NOT fruit and veggie people by taste, so I see a lot of smoothies in our future. I might even get that cookbook from Jerry Seinfeld's wife about "sneaking" produce into your foods.

For me, personally, I'm also considering giving up diet soda of all kinds. I'm reading enough about the various acids in the cans to realize (as I sit here guzzling my vitamin-B fortified Diet Coke) that they create a health deficit in teeth, bones and the GI tract. Don't know if I've got that in me for 2008. May try again 2009 once I'm eating bananas like a tropical monkey.

Why am I thinking about (and telling you this) now? Number 1, 'tis the season. My colleagues in the wellness industries and I know that this is the month to get our messages out so that when Jan 1 hits, you'll remember us. Number 2, 'tis the season! I, too, am hearing those messages about health and wellness, and while I'm sitting here preparing to be snowed in again, I have plenty of time to consider how I'm doing for my family and me--and where I fall short. Number 3, 'TISN'T the season: January 1 is only as magic as we make it. If I'm going to make these changes, I can begin today--and so can you. Which is why my laptop keys are sticky with the juice of the orange I'm eating (which, by the way, does not taste good with Diet Coke).

Salt Water Helps Everything

Hi Friends,
I'm lifting this Holidaily from Kim, a terrific Weight Watchers leader who leads the 9:15 Friday meetings at Silverlake Shopping Center. I was there this past summer, incidentally, to celebrate with a personal training client who reached goal weight. Paula lost 124 pounds and is keeping it off. She sent me a lovely e-mail which I quote at www.RadiantFitness.com about life as an "after."

Anyway, Kim paraphrased the author Isak Denisen, who wrote that almost every problem can be improved by adding salt water--in the form of sweat, tears, or time by the .

(You thought I was going to tell you to drink that stuff, didn't you?)

This week, when you run into obstacles, try to figure out which of the three forms of salt water will help you get around/over/through them. Do you need to just roll up your sleeves and work through it (sweat)? Are you bottling up your emotions and need to let go (tears)? Or do you need to back away from the situation and get some perspective (which always seems to happen when you look at the vastness of the ocean)?

The last thing you want to do with problems or pain is literally feed them. Running to the fridge when you are stressed is as bad for you as, well, drinking salt water!

How to Cheat at Weight Loss

Okay,
I'm back at it (after having hardly begun!)

I'll be posting each of my Holidailies here as well as mailing them to the subscriber list (to join send a blank e-mail to holidaily@radiantfitness.com). I look forward to hearing from all and sundry! . . . now on to the REAL post:


I'm lying, of course--there is no way to get around the basic requirement of eating fewer calories than you expend. HOWEVER, there are some things you can do to make this process easier:

1. Add "sprints" to your workouts. If you are a walker, jog for 30 seconds. Wait a few minutes and jog again. If you are an elliptical user, really pump it out for 30 seconds. If you are an aerobics video person, go off choreography and do 15 jumping jacks. 4 or 5 of these little bursts of high intensity will elevate your cardio burn for your overall workout because you'll need to recover from them. We're talking 2 minutes here--you can do that!

2. Drink water when you feel a desire for, well, anything. If you desire sleep, drink water first and wait a few minutes to see if you don't perk up. If you desire food, drink water and wait a few minutes to see if the hunger abates. If you desire your spouse, drink water and don't wait (life is short after all). The appetite center of the brain often gets confused and we interpret dehydration as a need for sleep, food or intimacy. Let food be your last resort.

3. Spice up your life. Pepper (the component called capsaicin) has appetite suppressant abilities. Cinnamon may help with blood sugar regulation. In both cases, the stimulation of spice helps you feel satiated. When you eat bland food, you tend to eat more food.

4. Light a candle. 90% of the sense of taste is actually the sense of smell. If you have a pleasing scent in your atmosphere you may be less likely to go searching for something to please the tongue. And candlelight is more flattering anyway (I don't know why they don't use it more often in dressing rooms).

Will you, by employing these little tricks, burn several hundred calories more a day? Probably not. But if you create an environment that supports your efforts and stimulates all of your senses, it will be easier for you to stick with your plan for creating a calorie deficit over the long term.