Trick or Treat! (?)

What was the last dessert you ate?  How did you feel before you ate it?  What was the occasion?  Birthday? Mother's Day?  Was it delicious?  With whom did you eat dessert?  How did you feel after you ate the dessert?

For you, are desserts tricks?  Or are they treats?  They are the exact same foods, but can be viewed two different ways.  Here are some of the differences:

Tricks

Treats

Eaten in response to emotion Eaten impulsively Eaten out of habit Guilt is evoked at some point You at times feel you should go completely without them You find yourself wondering what it will take to “work it off,” as if the moment it is eaten it clings to your thighs. You refer to them as “temptations,” that usually “win you over” which implies you have little control over the matter You classify/judge them negatively:  “fatty!” “sugary” “a cardiac arrest waiting to happen”

Eaten for special occasions You enjoy the taste, smell, and mouthfeel without guilt They create good memories, and usually involve friends and/or family You consider them part of a good relationship with food You don’t feel the need to eat them all the time You feel you have the capacity to either accept or decline a dessert--both accepting and declining is within your control You classify them more positively:  rich, creamy, flaky, flavorful, crispy, mmmmm

Don't be tricked into believing you should feel bad for eating something that is:

1. Functional (provides energy)
2. Contributes to emotional well-being by providing a pleasant sensory experience
3. Can also contribute positively to social well-being by assisting to create memories.

Bottom line:  Aim to let treats be treats! Your relationship with food will improve if you accept desserts as part of a healthy eating pattern.  If you save them for special occasions you will enjoy and appreciate them more.  

get up offa that thang.

I like to take the stairs and try to beat the fools on the elevator.  Then at the top I look back and say, "you like that, suckas??!!"

The USDA recommends 90 minutes of physical activity per day for adults who want to gradually lose weight.  So, you may be watching what you eat but not expending enough energy to lose weight, especially if your job is on the sedentary side.  Physical activity is not just for losing weight; other benefits include:

• improved mood
• prevent injury down the road by building strength and agility
• psychosocial benefits of being part of something
• emotional benefits of accomplishment

To lose weight, you don't have to do 90 minutes all at once, and don't expect to start tomorrow with 90 minutes and never again miss a day.  Make a goal to do a little more than what you are currently doing.  If you are currently going walking once a week, aim for twice a week until it becomes a habit.  Then gradually continue to increase the frequency and duration.  Here are seven tips for becoming more physically active:

1. 'L' is for the way you look at me...or it's for doing something you LIKE.  Whether it's walking, swimming, dancing, or playing hopscotch, if you like it, it will be easier to get started.  I like running because it gets me high.  By the end of a run I have this huge smile on my face and I feel like I own the world.  Find something that gets you high.
2. Routine care:  sign up for a class, make plans with a friend, or get involved with a group that requires some degree of routine and accountability.  Maybe every Tuesday and Thursday you can plan to go walking at lunch with a coworker.  The more you make physical activity part of your routine, the more natural it will become.
3. Something old? Something new?  Is there something you have always wanted to try?  Try it out!  Did you used to love rollerblading but haven't been in years?  Dust off those rollerblades and take them for a spin.  Don't be afraid to explore new options or bring back memories from the past.
4. Break up!  If you don't have 90 minutes at once, go for nine 10-minute walks, or five 10 minute walks, a 20-minute jog, and 20 minutes of abdominal work.  I'm just sayin, if you want to get in 90 minutes, it may seem more approachable if achieved in pieces.  
5. All or nothing at all?  If you miss one day of tooth-brushing, do you just give up on brushing your teeth all together?  Hope not.... If you miss a day of physical activity, it's cool, just get it tomorrow.  An "all-or-nothing" mentality will probably end up being "nothing."
6. I like to move it-move it!  Don't be lazy!  It's alright to relax, but are you just plain lazy?  Do you ask people to get stuff for you that you are perfectly capable of retrieving?  Are your legs painted on?  Do you text someone in the next room over?  Technology is nice but it makes some people so LAZY!  If your body gets used to moving, it won't be so painful to stand up and go communicate with someone instead of texting or yelling to them.  Plus, there's something to be said about face-to-face human interaction.  
7. No Buts.  Eliminate excuses.  Make a list of things that prevent you from being more physically active, and then find ways around those excuses.  For example, maybe your excuse for not going for a walk after work is that you are too hungry, and then you eat dinner and are too lazy to go after dinner.  Perhaps a way around that is to bring a small snack for the end of work, then you can have enough energy to go for that walk, and have a nice dinner after your walk.

The bottom line is:  gradual changes are the ones that are most likely to stick.  Rapid and big changes will just burn you out.  Make small steps.  If you already run once, run twice and for 10 minutes longer each time.  If you're sitting down right now, get up offa that thang, touch your toes, lift your knees, shuffle back and forth, look around to see if anyone saw that, and then sit back down.  Bet you feel better already ;-)