So we've reached the end of this semester (16 weeks)...
To recap, my goal was to lose 15 lbs... but this goal would include the following components:
Nutrition/Eating habits:
1) eat less junk food & carbohydrates (i.e. rice, pasta, cookies, cakes, etc.)
2) eat more healthier foods, including fruits, vegetables, and tofu
3) decrease consumption of sugar-filled coffee drinks
4) decrease food consumption in general; stop eating when full
Physical Activity:
1) increase my overall strength and endurance
2) get in shape; tone my body; increase my muscle mass; decrease my fat mass
In order to achieve my goals, I plan on making small changes here and there, so as to make the transition easier and longer-lasting. I plan to:
1) cut all meals in half or thirds prior to eating, and only eat one portion at a time to ensure I stop when I am full (otherwise I just eat everything without noticing whether I am full or not)
2) limit my intake of carbohydrates, sweets, and junk food while still allowing a small amount occasionally to decrease the chances of binge eating or non-compliance
3) make sure I eat at least one serving of fruits/vegetables per meal
4) only drink half my coffee, and reserve for days when I really need it
5) take the stairs throughout my workday at the hospital; avoid using the elevator when possible
6) exercise 4-5 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time (i.e. walk dogs, exercise videos, etc); preferably immediately upon getting home so that I avoid getting too lazy
In regards to making these changes... I managed to keep up with cutting meals in half, limiting carbohydrates/sweets/junk food intake, eating more fruits/veggies, and drinking less coffee for only about half of the semester. I still continue to take the stairs throughout most of my workday... But in the past few weeks, I have gone back to eating regular sized meals, and decreasing my workouts to just 1-2 times a week. I have not done P90X in about 2 weeks... which is not ideal. But I still continue to go to dance class for a workout despite being busy, as dance is much more enjoyable and is a restorative activity for me as well.
What I've learned is that behavior change is REALLY hard... even with all the "small changes" I said I'd try to make... I only managed to maintain a few of those "small" changes for the full 16 weeks. But I also found that things got much easier as I started to lose weight and gain muscle from working out. It's like an upward spiral... because once you get in the habit of working out, you feel 'gross' not working out. So I feel gross at the moment, and look forward to getting on track with working out again once I survive this hellish week... even though I know how grueling the workouts can be.
Though I didn't meet all my goals... this is what I have managed to accomplish:
1) I have dropped almost one dress or pant size...
2) I've started to include more fruits and veggies into my diet again
3) I've definitely decreased my sugar-filled coffee intake compared to before this assignment
4) I take the stairs at work most the day.
5) I exercise/work out multiple times a week in general.
6) And finally.... my final weight is 1*5.2 lbs... (this was taken on a different scale than before because my scale broke... so my true weight will probably be even a little bit less than this...) which means over the course of this 16 week class, I've lost around 9.2 lbs (possibly a little more due to the difference in scales... I know that my scale weighs a little heavier than the one I had to use for this final weigh in).... granted the last few lbs I dropped might be from losing some of my muscle mass over the past couple weeks...
But, overall, I'm proud of myself, and I am motivated to continue on this track of eating better, and exercising more. I feel better, happier, more healthy, and more vibrant.
Thanks to Dr. A for having us do this assignment... it really was a push in the right direction at the right time for me!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Plug for my peeps...
All this time, I didn't think to even utilize the resources available to me within my own profession (occupational therapy) or school...
Here at USC, our Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy has a linked faculty practice, called the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (OTFP) located conveniently on HSC in the IGM building on the first floor. Dr. Ritt-Olson mentioned this in class once... about Dr. Florence Clark (the Associate Dean and Chair of our division, and also the current president of our national professional association, the American Occupational Therapy Association) who worked with people on things like time management... well Dr. Clark's work has included so much more and has spun into a thriving practice. See below!
Check out the website: http://ot.usc.edu/patient-care/faculty-practice/
OTFP has many programs directly linked to the patients/clientele of the Doctors of USC and the USC University Hospital (e.g. Bariatric surgery candidates must go through the OTFP weight management program prior to, and often after, surgery; Living with Multiple Sclerosis group, etc)
Of note for you (my public health class peers), we have programs catered specifically to Weight Management (one of our longest running programs), Life Coaching, Lifestyle Redesign for the College Student (catered to college student issues such as time management, stress management, health/nutrition/physical activity, balance, healthy lifestyles, etc), a Diabetes Program, and more.
So what the heck is Occupational Therapy, and what can it do for you? This is taken straight from the website (the link I just provided above):
At USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, we work with people to create customized, medically-sound treatments for a wide range of health and wellness issues. Our team of highly-qualified and experienced occupational therapists (“OTs”) will help you develop skills for healthy living, whether your goal is:
“Occupational Therapy” looks at how you occupy your time, and how your daily activities affect your health, wellness and life satisfaction. This holistic health care profession assists clients to improve performance, prevent illness and disability, and promote adaptation to life changes. Occupational therapists are licensed by the state of California and registered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. All practitioners hold a Master’s degree, and many have earned a clinical doctorate degree.
Contact us today, or speak with your physician for a referral, and get started on feeling your best in mind and body!
So check it out! For those of you who still got a year of school to go... or even medical school at USC in the future, its something to consider. Students who have USC health insurance get OT services included... (you may have to pay a copay... not sure so you'll have to check on that). You just need a referral from your primary doctor. Contact OTFP first and they'll tell you what referral to get, if you're interested.
Here at USC, our Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy has a linked faculty practice, called the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (OTFP) located conveniently on HSC in the IGM building on the first floor. Dr. Ritt-Olson mentioned this in class once... about Dr. Florence Clark (the Associate Dean and Chair of our division, and also the current president of our national professional association, the American Occupational Therapy Association) who worked with people on things like time management... well Dr. Clark's work has included so much more and has spun into a thriving practice. See below!
Check out the website: http://ot.usc.edu/patient-care/faculty-practice/
OTFP has many programs directly linked to the patients/clientele of the Doctors of USC and the USC University Hospital (e.g. Bariatric surgery candidates must go through the OTFP weight management program prior to, and often after, surgery; Living with Multiple Sclerosis group, etc)
Of note for you (my public health class peers), we have programs catered specifically to Weight Management (one of our longest running programs), Life Coaching, Lifestyle Redesign for the College Student (catered to college student issues such as time management, stress management, health/nutrition/physical activity, balance, healthy lifestyles, etc), a Diabetes Program, and more.
So what the heck is Occupational Therapy, and what can it do for you? This is taken straight from the website (the link I just provided above):
About the Faculty Practice and Occupational Therapy
At USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, we work with people to create customized, medically-sound treatments for a wide range of health and wellness issues. Our team of highly-qualified and experienced occupational therapists (“OTs”) will help you develop skills for healthy living, whether your goal is:
- to lower your risk of developing illness by managing stress, improving your eating and activity habits, reducing your cholesterol, lowering your blood pressure
- to lose weight and keep it off, whether you have few or many pounds to lose, or to help you prepare for bariatric surgery
- to get more satisfaction out of your daily habits and activities, no matter where you are in your life
- to get more out of your college years by learning ways to manage your time and gaining skills for handling your own finances, cooking, goal-setting, and more
- to deal more effectively with an ongoing condition such as Multiple Sclerosis or chronic pain
- to optimize your return to academic pursuits for veterans of the U.S. Military
“Occupational Therapy” looks at how you occupy your time, and how your daily activities affect your health, wellness and life satisfaction. This holistic health care profession assists clients to improve performance, prevent illness and disability, and promote adaptation to life changes. Occupational therapists are licensed by the state of California and registered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. All practitioners hold a Master’s degree, and many have earned a clinical doctorate degree.
Contact us today, or speak with your physician for a referral, and get started on feeling your best in mind and body!
“Occupational Therapists are the life designers, the architects of life.”
So check it out! For those of you who still got a year of school to go... or even medical school at USC in the future, its something to consider. Students who have USC health insurance get OT services included... (you may have to pay a copay... not sure so you'll have to check on that). You just need a referral from your primary doctor. Contact OTFP first and they'll tell you what referral to get, if you're interested.
Cheers!
Motivation....
I will be staying at this resort in Cancun... I fly out Friday! Just have to survive this week without stuffing my face with too much junk food to deal with the stress! Must also fit into a bikini.....
http://www.dreamsresorts.com/drecu/
The Cascade Effect...
So, as much as I'd like to believe that what I choose to eat and when/how much I choose to exercise ultimately affects only me and my weight/health... this is far from the truth.
In the past few weeks, as I've struggled with stress... my eating has gone downhill... just yesterday, as I was working away on final projects, etc... I ate soooo many brownie-bites that were available to me at work .. that I just felt so sick... made me tired and lose energy to do much else...
I turned down my brother when he asked if I wanted to work out... because I needed to study... so he ended up not working out either. I have not had the time or energy to walk my dog, who needs the exercise for her own health and well-being... so she's suffered as well...
Furthermore, the decrease in health and energy does affect the quality of the work I produce. And though my boss at work is rather understanding of the stress I'm under, there is no excuse when it comes to patient care and accountability...
I think this touches upon the idea of whether obesity is a moral issue... should we be accountable not only to ourselves, but to those around us? ... because ultimately, it seems our choices do affect not only those we love, but even people we don't even know...
Something I've been thinking about....
In the past few weeks, as I've struggled with stress... my eating has gone downhill... just yesterday, as I was working away on final projects, etc... I ate soooo many brownie-bites that were available to me at work .. that I just felt so sick... made me tired and lose energy to do much else...
I turned down my brother when he asked if I wanted to work out... because I needed to study... so he ended up not working out either. I have not had the time or energy to walk my dog, who needs the exercise for her own health and well-being... so she's suffered as well...
Furthermore, the decrease in health and energy does affect the quality of the work I produce. And though my boss at work is rather understanding of the stress I'm under, there is no excuse when it comes to patient care and accountability...
I think this touches upon the idea of whether obesity is a moral issue... should we be accountable not only to ourselves, but to those around us? ... because ultimately, it seems our choices do affect not only those we love, but even people we don't even know...
Something I've been thinking about....
Relevant articles, statistics, and links...
Topic: Post information about your health goal such as statistics about diabetes or links to articles about the benefits of running.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/health/14obese.html
-This article doesn't pertain to weight loss in particular, but I found it VERY interesting.... the CDC has released that the national obesity rates have hit a plateau... remaining steady for men for about 5 years, and closer to 10 years for women and children. However, of course these numbers have leveled out at a very high percentage as most of us know.... 34% of adults are obese, and 17% of children are considered obese. This information is controversial in that some believe that this news means we have halted the obesity epidemic, while others believe this is nothing to be proud of until the numbers begin to fall... what's your take on it?
http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-health-benefits-of-weight-loss
-Quick bullets of the benefits of weight loss... of note, even modest weight loss between 4.4 lbs to 9.7 lbs was enough to significantly lower blood pressure.
Santanasto, A.J., Glynn, N.W., Newmann, M.A., Taylor, C.A., Brooks, M.M., Goodpaster, B.H., et al. (2011). Impact of Weight Loss on Physical Function with Changes in Strength, Muscle Mass, and Muscle Fat Infiltration in Overweight to Moderately Obese Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Obesity, Volume 2011, Article ID 516576. doi: 10.1155/2011/516576
-Bottom line of this RCT: the physical activity + weight loss group (PA + WL) showed additional improvements in function over exercise alone or physical activity + successful aging health education (PA + SA) primarily due to loss of body fat.
http://weightloss.about.com/library/blhealthbenefits.htm
-Even losing just 10% of your body weight can make a huge difference in things like lowering cholesterol and BP, improving mobility and breathing, improving sleep, etc.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/health-benefits-of-weight-loss.aspx
-Similar article as above, that goes over the basic benefits of being at a healthy weight... how even losing just 10% of your body weight can have positive effects.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
-Direct from the CDC website... information on assessing your weight, balancing calories, and healthy weight loss (via physical activity and nutrition) which helps you keep it off... also you'll find tips and guidelines on healthy eating and physical activity.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/
-From the Weight-Control Information Network, definitions of obesity and overweight, along with statistics and economic costs of these...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html
-A collection of very relevant articles from MedlinePlus in the categories of latest news, treatment, research, organizations, statistics... to just name a few.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_110655.html
-An article I found off the above MedlinePlus site called: "Babies Born to Obese Moms face Higher Death Risk: Study"... straight from the article:
"Babies born to mothers who were obese in early pregnancy have a much greater risk of dying before, during, or up to one year after birth, a new British study says."
They recommend women reaching a healthy weight before becoming pregnant. Not that I'm planning to get pregnant any time soon... but definitely good to keep in the back of my mind as it may come in the future.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/health/14obese.html
-This article doesn't pertain to weight loss in particular, but I found it VERY interesting.... the CDC has released that the national obesity rates have hit a plateau... remaining steady for men for about 5 years, and closer to 10 years for women and children. However, of course these numbers have leveled out at a very high percentage as most of us know.... 34% of adults are obese, and 17% of children are considered obese. This information is controversial in that some believe that this news means we have halted the obesity epidemic, while others believe this is nothing to be proud of until the numbers begin to fall... what's your take on it?
http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-health-benefits-of-weight-loss
-Quick bullets of the benefits of weight loss... of note, even modest weight loss between 4.4 lbs to 9.7 lbs was enough to significantly lower blood pressure.
Santanasto, A.J., Glynn, N.W., Newmann, M.A., Taylor, C.A., Brooks, M.M., Goodpaster, B.H., et al. (2011). Impact of Weight Loss on Physical Function with Changes in Strength, Muscle Mass, and Muscle Fat Infiltration in Overweight to Moderately Obese Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Obesity, Volume 2011, Article ID 516576. doi: 10.1155/2011/516576
-Bottom line of this RCT: the physical activity + weight loss group (PA + WL) showed additional improvements in function over exercise alone or physical activity + successful aging health education (PA + SA) primarily due to loss of body fat.
http://weightloss.about.com/library/blhealthbenefits.htm
-Even losing just 10% of your body weight can make a huge difference in things like lowering cholesterol and BP, improving mobility and breathing, improving sleep, etc.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/health-benefits-of-weight-loss.aspx
-Similar article as above, that goes over the basic benefits of being at a healthy weight... how even losing just 10% of your body weight can have positive effects.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
-Direct from the CDC website... information on assessing your weight, balancing calories, and healthy weight loss (via physical activity and nutrition) which helps you keep it off... also you'll find tips and guidelines on healthy eating and physical activity.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/
-From the Weight-Control Information Network, definitions of obesity and overweight, along with statistics and economic costs of these...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html
-A collection of very relevant articles from MedlinePlus in the categories of latest news, treatment, research, organizations, statistics... to just name a few.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_110655.html
-An article I found off the above MedlinePlus site called: "Babies Born to Obese Moms face Higher Death Risk: Study"... straight from the article:
"Babies born to mothers who were obese in early pregnancy have a much greater risk of dying before, during, or up to one year after birth, a new British study says."
They recommend women reaching a healthy weight before becoming pregnant. Not that I'm planning to get pregnant any time soon... but definitely good to keep in the back of my mind as it may come in the future.
You can find everything you need on the internet...
Topic: Provide links to websites that had useful information
http://www.beachbody.com/
-Had to include this one, since a large part of my exercise regimen this semester was P90X. Here you can find all the "BeachBody" workout videos, community and support groups, fitness and nutrition tips, etc.
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home
-This site gives you many of the tips that you would find in the "Eat This, Not That" books... but without having to buy the books.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm
-Healthy Eating and Diet tips from WebMD... great resource for the everyday person.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/MY00432
-The basics of weight loss... this page covers everything from alternative approaches like hypnosis, metabolism, counting calories, and BMI calculator, to portion control, and obesity/overweight at various lifespan development stages
http://www.weightlosshelpandtips.net/
-A lot of weight loss tips... and an "Ask the Expert" section
http://calendarscripts.info/weight-loss-calculator.html-One example of a free weight loss calculator... but this one also helps you to figure out the amount of time needed to reach your goal weight. What's interesting is that it will tell you if your goal is a healthy one (i.e. losing a reasonable amount of weight in a reasonable amount of time.
http://www.beachbody.com/
-Had to include this one, since a large part of my exercise regimen this semester was P90X. Here you can find all the "BeachBody" workout videos, community and support groups, fitness and nutrition tips, etc.
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home
-This site gives you many of the tips that you would find in the "Eat This, Not That" books... but without having to buy the books.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm
-Healthy Eating and Diet tips from WebMD... great resource for the everyday person.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/MY00432
-The basics of weight loss... this page covers everything from alternative approaches like hypnosis, metabolism, counting calories, and BMI calculator, to portion control, and obesity/overweight at various lifespan development stages
http://www.weightlosshelpandtips.net/
-A lot of weight loss tips... and an "Ask the Expert" section
http://calendarscripts.info/weight-loss-calculator.html-One example of a free weight loss calculator... but this one also helps you to figure out the amount of time needed to reach your goal weight. What's interesting is that it will tell you if your goal is a healthy one (i.e. losing a reasonable amount of weight in a reasonable amount of time.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Wanted to Share....
Dr. Florence Clark, Associate Dean and Chair of my department (USC Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Division), taught part of one of my doctoral classes this semester. She also happens to be the current president of our national professional association, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
As part of an assignment in her class, entitled "Innovative Competition", Dr. Clark asked us to create an innovative campaign to promote AOTA's Centennial Vision (our Occupational Therapy profession turns 100 in 2017):
"We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs."
**To clarify, occupation does not refer solely to "jobs" or "employment"; rather, historically for our profession, the term "occupation" deals with all the meaningful activities that 'occupy' one's time... which can be as simple as daily self-care like oral hygiene, or as involved and complicated as work, social, or leisure pursuits.
My classmate/partner for the project and I decided to examine ways to support the vision at the local and national/global level, respectively. For my national/global approach, I decided to create a video and youtube entry that would capture the inspiration I felt while attending the annual AOTA Conference in Philadelphia this past month. My hope was that it would inspire the OTs who attended, and those who did not... as I was inspired... to go forth and support the Centennial Vision in their own practices and locales around the country.
Dr. Clark ended up really enjoying the video, as it had personal meaning for her.... and my partner and I tied to win the competition! We will be recognized at our graduation in a couple weeks. Never expected to win at all. For those of you who do video editing and similar graphics work, you will know how long it takes to make such things... for this 2 minute video which was "quickly" thrown together, I still spent a good 15+ hours creating, producing, and editing this video. So, in terms of video editing, it is definitely not the most amazing work, and I would have loved to have been able to spend more time...
Nevertheless, it was well received. The following is a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF14CadfI_Q
And how does this relate to my weight loss goals? Well, a few reasons... the Conference, making this video, and all related tasks really detracted from the time I needed to exercise... since many parts of the Conference, and editing the video were extremely sedentary tasks. But in general, I'm still proud of what I was able to accomplish... and as cheesy at it sounds, this weight loss... and the process of trying to maintain my progress towards this goal, has given me the courage and drive to try and accomplish feats in other facets of my life as well. Life change is hard... so success in one avenue can really spark the flame that drives change in other facets.
As part of an assignment in her class, entitled "Innovative Competition", Dr. Clark asked us to create an innovative campaign to promote AOTA's Centennial Vision (our Occupational Therapy profession turns 100 in 2017):
"We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society's occupational needs."
**To clarify, occupation does not refer solely to "jobs" or "employment"; rather, historically for our profession, the term "occupation" deals with all the meaningful activities that 'occupy' one's time... which can be as simple as daily self-care like oral hygiene, or as involved and complicated as work, social, or leisure pursuits.
My classmate/partner for the project and I decided to examine ways to support the vision at the local and national/global level, respectively. For my national/global approach, I decided to create a video and youtube entry that would capture the inspiration I felt while attending the annual AOTA Conference in Philadelphia this past month. My hope was that it would inspire the OTs who attended, and those who did not... as I was inspired... to go forth and support the Centennial Vision in their own practices and locales around the country.
Dr. Clark ended up really enjoying the video, as it had personal meaning for her.... and my partner and I tied to win the competition! We will be recognized at our graduation in a couple weeks. Never expected to win at all. For those of you who do video editing and similar graphics work, you will know how long it takes to make such things... for this 2 minute video which was "quickly" thrown together, I still spent a good 15+ hours creating, producing, and editing this video. So, in terms of video editing, it is definitely not the most amazing work, and I would have loved to have been able to spend more time...
Nevertheless, it was well received. The following is a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF14CadfI_Q
And how does this relate to my weight loss goals? Well, a few reasons... the Conference, making this video, and all related tasks really detracted from the time I needed to exercise... since many parts of the Conference, and editing the video were extremely sedentary tasks. But in general, I'm still proud of what I was able to accomplish... and as cheesy at it sounds, this weight loss... and the process of trying to maintain my progress towards this goal, has given me the courage and drive to try and accomplish feats in other facets of my life as well. Life change is hard... so success in one avenue can really spark the flame that drives change in other facets.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...
The Good: This past weekend, I danced and modeled in a charity event... I've never done anything like this before, and am quite proud that I pushed myself to do it. The charity was Dance for Peace, and a little girl was the benefactor; proceeds of the event will allow her to go to Las Vegas to compete at Hip Hop International, which will allow her to continue her journey of dance and self-expression, and realize her potential.. Rehearsing for the show forced me to dance and exercise despite being sooooo busy with school and my doctoral residency.... which leads me to...
The Bad: In the past several weeks (or more than a month), I have not kept up with my exercise regimen. Things have gotten so busy and stressful... I recently went to Philadelphia to attend the national American Occupational Therapy Association annual conference and expo... which required much time and effort. Also, my workload has increased at the hospital where I am doing my OT doctoral residency.
The Ugly: Not only did the exercising go downhill, but so did my eating habits. I turned to coffee and food during these times of stress. I did not actively cut my meals in half, and I was not as careful with what I ate. I also have been coming home super late most nights. I commute between Orange County and LA too, which doesn't help that either. As a result, on top of all else, I have not been getting much sleep at all, which is not conducive to weight loss, or health in general.
The Bad: In the past several weeks (or more than a month), I have not kept up with my exercise regimen. Things have gotten so busy and stressful... I recently went to Philadelphia to attend the national American Occupational Therapy Association annual conference and expo... which required much time and effort. Also, my workload has increased at the hospital where I am doing my OT doctoral residency.
The Ugly: Not only did the exercising go downhill, but so did my eating habits. I turned to coffee and food during these times of stress. I did not actively cut my meals in half, and I was not as careful with what I ate. I also have been coming home super late most nights. I commute between Orange County and LA too, which doesn't help that either. As a result, on top of all else, I have not been getting much sleep at all, which is not conducive to weight loss, or health in general.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Midterm Progress Report
Topic: Current status...and what I need to achieve in 6 weeks!
Current Weight = 1*5.8 lbs
Starting Weight= 1**4.4 lbs
Weight lost = 8.6 lbs
Current exercise regimen: P90X (Sun, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat); Dance Class (Thur); (Monday off due to night class)
My motivation at this point = Cancun! Bachelorette trip for a friend... May 6-May 9... literally right after finals.. very timely!
Other motivation = increase my confidence, improve my health, increase energy level, increase strength, be able to tell myself that I stuck with this for more than a month!
Weight to be lost in next 6 weeks to achieve goal = 6.4 lbs!
Current Weight = 1*5.8 lbs
Starting Weight= 1**4.4 lbs
Weight lost = 8.6 lbs
Current exercise regimen: P90X (Sun, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat); Dance Class (Thur); (Monday off due to night class)
My motivation at this point = Cancun! Bachelorette trip for a friend... May 6-May 9... literally right after finals.. very timely!
Other motivation = increase my confidence, improve my health, increase energy level, increase strength, be able to tell myself that I stuck with this for more than a month!
Weight to be lost in next 6 weeks to achieve goal = 6.4 lbs!
Midterm Pow-Wow with Dr. Olson & Dr. Milam (Ana and Joel)
Topic: Catch-up time...
So, I have not blogged in a couple weeks... things have been incredibly busy... and part of me was afraid to do updates because I had really fallen off the wagon in regards to my diet.. I had been afraid to weigh myself... afraid to admit in writing that I was not keeping up with my project to meet my weight loss goal.
This past week, we had our midterm pow-wow with Dr. Ritt-Olson and Dr. Milam... and we went around the whole class and provided an update on the status of our personal projects and reaching our goal. When it came to me, I said I had lost up to 7 lbs... but in the last couple weeks, stress had won out and I had gained back a pound. Dr. Olson said that she considered my weight loss thus far a victory. And truth be told, most of the class was also having difficulties with their personal projects... it's tough being a student and working and finding time to eat right and exercise. But, Dr. Olson made a good point... it doesn't get easier... it only gets harder. As we get older, have families, etc... our responsibilities increase, and the time we have to do them stays the same. Therefore, if we don't build the habit of MAKING TIME to take care of ourselves now, then we never will... or it will just be that much harder.
Dr. Olson also told us to find our reason... find the reason for choosing our goals... really delve into them... to help us get ourselves back on track to meeting our goals by the end of the semester. Only about 6 weeks left!
So, I have not blogged in a couple weeks... things have been incredibly busy... and part of me was afraid to do updates because I had really fallen off the wagon in regards to my diet.. I had been afraid to weigh myself... afraid to admit in writing that I was not keeping up with my project to meet my weight loss goal.
This past week, we had our midterm pow-wow with Dr. Ritt-Olson and Dr. Milam... and we went around the whole class and provided an update on the status of our personal projects and reaching our goal. When it came to me, I said I had lost up to 7 lbs... but in the last couple weeks, stress had won out and I had gained back a pound. Dr. Olson said that she considered my weight loss thus far a victory. And truth be told, most of the class was also having difficulties with their personal projects... it's tough being a student and working and finding time to eat right and exercise. But, Dr. Olson made a good point... it doesn't get easier... it only gets harder. As we get older, have families, etc... our responsibilities increase, and the time we have to do them stays the same. Therefore, if we don't build the habit of MAKING TIME to take care of ourselves now, then we never will... or it will just be that much harder.
Dr. Olson also told us to find our reason... find the reason for choosing our goals... really delve into them... to help us get ourselves back on track to meeting our goals by the end of the semester. Only about 6 weeks left!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Falling Off the Wagon...
Topic: Describe a situation in which you found it challenging to achieve your goal.
The past two weeks have been rough. I have been very stressed about everything. My work load at the hospital has recently increased due to an influx of patients that I need to see, I've been putting in extra time with TAing and helping students, and my general lack of time as it is... On top of that, I've been in low place personally and emotionally... due to recent events in my personal life. All these things have contributed to my stress levels, and have made me fall off the 'good eating habits' wagon. I have been eating a great deal more food, have not been cutting my meals in half, been drinking more coffee, eating more junk food, snacking more.... I kept telling myself that I needed to get back on track.... that I'd start back on my diet 'tomorrow'... but as of yet have still failed to do so. I continue to exercise, thanks to having a consistent workout partner (my brother-in-law)... but on the eating side, I've done really poorly. I can't seem to snap out of the funk I'm in, and get motivated to eat better again. I keep wanting to seek comfort in foods and in eating...
I had done so well the first four to five weeks of this...I was pumped up, energized, not craving comfort foods, able to resist and control my cravings... but in the past two weeks, I've done so poorly. What I find challenging in achieving my goal is how to get that spark... that kick in the bottom... to get back on track. I can't seem to find the motivation. My other methods of stress relief (i.e. getting some R&R this weekend, music, dancing, exercising) don't seem to be cutting it. My mind and body keep going back to the comfort foods. I'm afraid to weigh myself... for fear that I've regressed and gained back a few pounds that I had lost....
The past two weeks have been rough. I have been very stressed about everything. My work load at the hospital has recently increased due to an influx of patients that I need to see, I've been putting in extra time with TAing and helping students, and my general lack of time as it is... On top of that, I've been in low place personally and emotionally... due to recent events in my personal life. All these things have contributed to my stress levels, and have made me fall off the 'good eating habits' wagon. I have been eating a great deal more food, have not been cutting my meals in half, been drinking more coffee, eating more junk food, snacking more.... I kept telling myself that I needed to get back on track.... that I'd start back on my diet 'tomorrow'... but as of yet have still failed to do so. I continue to exercise, thanks to having a consistent workout partner (my brother-in-law)... but on the eating side, I've done really poorly. I can't seem to snap out of the funk I'm in, and get motivated to eat better again. I keep wanting to seek comfort in foods and in eating...
I had done so well the first four to five weeks of this...I was pumped up, energized, not craving comfort foods, able to resist and control my cravings... but in the past two weeks, I've done so poorly. What I find challenging in achieving my goal is how to get that spark... that kick in the bottom... to get back on track. I can't seem to find the motivation. My other methods of stress relief (i.e. getting some R&R this weekend, music, dancing, exercising) don't seem to be cutting it. My mind and body keep going back to the comfort foods. I'm afraid to weigh myself... for fear that I've regressed and gained back a few pounds that I had lost....
Friday, February 11, 2011
Time, Sleep, Stress...
Topic of the Week: Identify 3 barriers to change and discuss ways to overcome these barriers.
Simply stated, 3 barriers to change for me are lack of time, lack of sleep, and stress.... really all three are related and affect each other...
1. Lack of Time: So things are really starting to pick up for me in regards to school work and my doctoral work... I have a lot more patients to see at the hospital, and I am spending many more hours than I'm supposed to there to ensure continuity of care for my patients... but lack of balance for me... so I've been coming in early, and leaving late every day. On top of that, I am a TA as well... On top of that, I commute around an hour and a half each way... every day... at prime time traffic hours... so on weekdays I can spend anywhere between 3-4 hours on the road. Not to mention... I am taking classes and have a ton of homework and readings to do... Needless to say, there are not enough hours in the day. By the time I get home, it's usually 7:30 or 8pm most weekdays... and so I have to exercise right away or else I won't do it. That usually takes an hour or so... so by the time I'm done it's past 9pm. I try not to eat dinner too late... but sometimes that happens... which does not help with the healthier eating habits. By the time dinner is done... I need to take a shower... and it's past 10pm... at which point I need to do some homework... So lack of time is really starting to take it's toll on my exercise routine. I have really been trying to keep up with the exercise... but this is causing me to suffer otherwise...
2) Lack of sleep: Very much related to the above, since I get home so late, and by the time I exercise and eat and all that good stuff, I am soooo tired. I try to sit up and do homework, and therefore have been staying up through the night to do work. This past week I haven't gotten more than 2-3 hours of sleep per night... and it's really taking it's toll. Getting adequate sleep is crucial to losing weight, as the body needs time to rejuvenate and metabolize at night. So this is really working against me meeting my goal. I also find that I'm much more sluggish at work, easily fatigued when exercising, and I'm hungrier. I've started to fall off the wagon in regards to eating. I've been eating a lot the past few days... or the past week... I've given in to cravings for sugary coffee... I haven't been cutting my meals in half as much or portioning as well... and I've been snacking on some carbs/starch products...
3) Stress: Last but definitely not least... of course the above two factor into this... all the stress from the work I need to do with the little time I have in the day is really stressing me out... I have to keep up with classes while also working on my doctoral capstone due in a few months... All this on top of personal life stress for the past few months that I've been struggling through...
I'm a stress eater... I turn to food or I crave food... I crave sweet, starchy products (i.e. cakes, cookies), and sugary-coffee (i.e. caramel macchiato) whenever I'm tired or stressed... and all the stress lately has been really testing me... and I've failed a few times at resisting.
I found it apropos to address this topic tonight because, to top the cake off... my backpack was stolen today. Well, the backpack was recovered in the men's restroom, but my purse was stolen out of the backpack, along with a few other items. So, my wallet, which of course has all my essentials (i.e. Driver's license, debit card, credit cards, membership cards, insurance cards, etc.) are gone... along with some items with sentimental value that cannot be replaced... it was quite the blow at the end of a long day and week for me. I was TAing at the time... my backpack was in our little TA office right in the next hallway... less than 50 feet away from me... It's not the end of the world, and I know that there are millions of worse things that can happen.... but with the stress I've been under lately... it hit me quite hard. Luckily they didn't find my car and house keys... so I was able to drive home and not be stranded. I decided not to go to my dance class, and instead go home and deal with the loss of items. Upon getting home... my brother-in-law decided to buy pizza for dinner for me... and I cracked open a bottle of wine... I'm not gonna lie, I wanted a little drink to help me relax... so I ate pizza and wings... and didn't portion that whatsoever... and I didn't exercise today... So I've fallen off the wagon officially I think.
I immediately took care of the most important issues (i.e. calling bank, etc)... and am up in the middle of the night doing my homework... will hopefully re-gather myself tomorrow... and then get right back up on that wagon. I need to get back on my plan to lose weight... because this plan actually is intended to not only decrease my calorie intake, and increase my physical activity... but to increase my psychosocial health. I related to the New article found by Sheena called "Positive Affect, Exercise, and Self-Reported Health in Blue-Collar Women". The idea of exercise increasing positive affect, or positive affect increasing exercise... and positive affect increasing self-reported health... is also what I'm striving to achieve. I believe it's all connected.
In order to overcome these barriers... I will have to create more boundaries when it comes to work at the hospital for myself. I can't help myself... I always stay and help or treat patients more than I am required to... at detriment to myself and the things I need to do. I will try to structure my time in a way that promotes balance. I will try to consistently get more sleep... after tonight of course... and finally I will find other ways to deal with stress. The dance class is one way, but that's only once a week. I need other smaller things I can do during the day when I feel stressed and have a craving for comfort food...
Simply stated, 3 barriers to change for me are lack of time, lack of sleep, and stress.... really all three are related and affect each other...
1. Lack of Time: So things are really starting to pick up for me in regards to school work and my doctoral work... I have a lot more patients to see at the hospital, and I am spending many more hours than I'm supposed to there to ensure continuity of care for my patients... but lack of balance for me... so I've been coming in early, and leaving late every day. On top of that, I am a TA as well... On top of that, I commute around an hour and a half each way... every day... at prime time traffic hours... so on weekdays I can spend anywhere between 3-4 hours on the road. Not to mention... I am taking classes and have a ton of homework and readings to do... Needless to say, there are not enough hours in the day. By the time I get home, it's usually 7:30 or 8pm most weekdays... and so I have to exercise right away or else I won't do it. That usually takes an hour or so... so by the time I'm done it's past 9pm. I try not to eat dinner too late... but sometimes that happens... which does not help with the healthier eating habits. By the time dinner is done... I need to take a shower... and it's past 10pm... at which point I need to do some homework... So lack of time is really starting to take it's toll on my exercise routine. I have really been trying to keep up with the exercise... but this is causing me to suffer otherwise...
2) Lack of sleep: Very much related to the above, since I get home so late, and by the time I exercise and eat and all that good stuff, I am soooo tired. I try to sit up and do homework, and therefore have been staying up through the night to do work. This past week I haven't gotten more than 2-3 hours of sleep per night... and it's really taking it's toll. Getting adequate sleep is crucial to losing weight, as the body needs time to rejuvenate and metabolize at night. So this is really working against me meeting my goal. I also find that I'm much more sluggish at work, easily fatigued when exercising, and I'm hungrier. I've started to fall off the wagon in regards to eating. I've been eating a lot the past few days... or the past week... I've given in to cravings for sugary coffee... I haven't been cutting my meals in half as much or portioning as well... and I've been snacking on some carbs/starch products...
3) Stress: Last but definitely not least... of course the above two factor into this... all the stress from the work I need to do with the little time I have in the day is really stressing me out... I have to keep up with classes while also working on my doctoral capstone due in a few months... All this on top of personal life stress for the past few months that I've been struggling through...
I'm a stress eater... I turn to food or I crave food... I crave sweet, starchy products (i.e. cakes, cookies), and sugary-coffee (i.e. caramel macchiato) whenever I'm tired or stressed... and all the stress lately has been really testing me... and I've failed a few times at resisting.
I found it apropos to address this topic tonight because, to top the cake off... my backpack was stolen today. Well, the backpack was recovered in the men's restroom, but my purse was stolen out of the backpack, along with a few other items. So, my wallet, which of course has all my essentials (i.e. Driver's license, debit card, credit cards, membership cards, insurance cards, etc.) are gone... along with some items with sentimental value that cannot be replaced... it was quite the blow at the end of a long day and week for me. I was TAing at the time... my backpack was in our little TA office right in the next hallway... less than 50 feet away from me... It's not the end of the world, and I know that there are millions of worse things that can happen.... but with the stress I've been under lately... it hit me quite hard. Luckily they didn't find my car and house keys... so I was able to drive home and not be stranded. I decided not to go to my dance class, and instead go home and deal with the loss of items. Upon getting home... my brother-in-law decided to buy pizza for dinner for me... and I cracked open a bottle of wine... I'm not gonna lie, I wanted a little drink to help me relax... so I ate pizza and wings... and didn't portion that whatsoever... and I didn't exercise today... So I've fallen off the wagon officially I think.
I immediately took care of the most important issues (i.e. calling bank, etc)... and am up in the middle of the night doing my homework... will hopefully re-gather myself tomorrow... and then get right back up on that wagon. I need to get back on my plan to lose weight... because this plan actually is intended to not only decrease my calorie intake, and increase my physical activity... but to increase my psychosocial health. I related to the New article found by Sheena called "Positive Affect, Exercise, and Self-Reported Health in Blue-Collar Women". The idea of exercise increasing positive affect, or positive affect increasing exercise... and positive affect increasing self-reported health... is also what I'm striving to achieve. I believe it's all connected.
In order to overcome these barriers... I will have to create more boundaries when it comes to work at the hospital for myself. I can't help myself... I always stay and help or treat patients more than I am required to... at detriment to myself and the things I need to do. I will try to structure my time in a way that promotes balance. I will try to consistently get more sleep... after tonight of course... and finally I will find other ways to deal with stress. The dance class is one way, but that's only once a week. I need other smaller things I can do during the day when I feel stressed and have a craving for comfort food...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Inspirations
Topic of the week: Write about a person you feel is inspirational to you in achieving this change.
I find inspiration not in one person, but in all of my patients in the hospital. I spend a lot of my time working with patients in the ICU... people who are very sick and battling some unimaginable things. There are people attached to all kinds of IVs, lines, monitors... but still have the resolve to fight hard and be strong. In fact, one of my patients right now is captive in the ICU, in need of and waiting for a heart transplant. However, you would never guess that he was that ill... he is a big, strong man, who is adamant about staying mentally positive and keeping up his strength and endurance until such time that a heart arrives for him... (Research shows that people who have a more positive outlook and better physical condition fare much better with their new organ...) To this end, this patient takes his large IV pole with around ten lines tethered between him and his various drips and medications, along with several machines, and walks laps upon laps around the ICU unit... one day doing 39 laps which required switching out nurses to keep up with him. Seeing such amazing things reminds me that we humans are capable of so much more than we think. And so, all this inspires me to live my life better... to take care of myself and live to my potential... to not squander the health that I have... to meet my goal of becoming a more healthy weight.
My progress: My current weigh in today was 1*0.0 lbs. I have been trying to weigh myself more consistently around mid-late afternoon... so hopefully that is an accurate weight, as my weight can fluctuate between 3-5 lbs in one single day. I am still making progress, which is a good thing. It was Chinese New Year just a few days ago... so there have been familial eating engagements that have caused me to eat more than I intended... but I still tried to cut down from what I would usually have eaten. I have been working out everyday, except my late work days on Monday... and Thursday which I have now devoted to taking a dance class at night which allows me to have fun and exercise at the same time. I have not yet worked out today... and it's getting late. Maybe I'll get a chance to work out later on tonight... for now, my family wants to go out for dinner... It really is difficult resisting all those high calorie items on the menu when eating out. To combat falling off the wagon and failing miserably, I have chosen to not follow the strict P90X diet, and still keep carbs/starches in my diet. I just have been cutting down the amount of food I eat, the amount of junk food I eat, and the calories I consume. It's been do-able... and I occasionally let myself have a small treat... like yesterday I had 2 french fries... and shared a small ice cream cone. But I'm glad I didn't eat more. I've tried extremely strict dieting before... that didn't last me more than 2 months. So hopefully by being less strict, I'll last at least until the end of this semester, if not for good.
I find inspiration not in one person, but in all of my patients in the hospital. I spend a lot of my time working with patients in the ICU... people who are very sick and battling some unimaginable things. There are people attached to all kinds of IVs, lines, monitors... but still have the resolve to fight hard and be strong. In fact, one of my patients right now is captive in the ICU, in need of and waiting for a heart transplant. However, you would never guess that he was that ill... he is a big, strong man, who is adamant about staying mentally positive and keeping up his strength and endurance until such time that a heart arrives for him... (Research shows that people who have a more positive outlook and better physical condition fare much better with their new organ...) To this end, this patient takes his large IV pole with around ten lines tethered between him and his various drips and medications, along with several machines, and walks laps upon laps around the ICU unit... one day doing 39 laps which required switching out nurses to keep up with him. Seeing such amazing things reminds me that we humans are capable of so much more than we think. And so, all this inspires me to live my life better... to take care of myself and live to my potential... to not squander the health that I have... to meet my goal of becoming a more healthy weight.
My progress: My current weigh in today was 1*0.0 lbs. I have been trying to weigh myself more consistently around mid-late afternoon... so hopefully that is an accurate weight, as my weight can fluctuate between 3-5 lbs in one single day. I am still making progress, which is a good thing. It was Chinese New Year just a few days ago... so there have been familial eating engagements that have caused me to eat more than I intended... but I still tried to cut down from what I would usually have eaten. I have been working out everyday, except my late work days on Monday... and Thursday which I have now devoted to taking a dance class at night which allows me to have fun and exercise at the same time. I have not yet worked out today... and it's getting late. Maybe I'll get a chance to work out later on tonight... for now, my family wants to go out for dinner... It really is difficult resisting all those high calorie items on the menu when eating out. To combat falling off the wagon and failing miserably, I have chosen to not follow the strict P90X diet, and still keep carbs/starches in my diet. I just have been cutting down the amount of food I eat, the amount of junk food I eat, and the calories I consume. It's been do-able... and I occasionally let myself have a small treat... like yesterday I had 2 french fries... and shared a small ice cream cone. But I'm glad I didn't eat more. I've tried extremely strict dieting before... that didn't last me more than 2 months. So hopefully by being less strict, I'll last at least until the end of this semester, if not for good.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thanks for all the Support!
Topic of the week: Describe someone who has been really supportive of you as you attempt this behavior change.
It is difficult to pinpoint just one person who has been really supportive of me as I attempt this weight loss/increase physical activity/eat better behavior change... I have to say that it is really my family that has been supportive of me in this behavior change. First of all, my older sister has been helping to cook healthier meals for lunch/dinner and waking up early in the morning to prepare some form of breakfast for me, even something as simple as boiling an egg for me... since I usually have to leave so early to commute to school that I don't have time for a proper breakfast in the morning. In fact, her healthier cooking is making everyone in the house eat healthier. Secondly, my brother-in-law and two of my other sisters have been taking the time to come and work out with me in the evenings. It's always more fun and bearable to workout with a buddy... especially through grueling P90X videos. I find that having someone there helps push me to not flake out, and makes the time pass by faster when I am working out. I would definitely have skipped more days of workout if it weren't for them. So, thank you guys for all the support and help!
My progress this week: It's been another difficult week, as to be expected. I have to resist the temptation to buy sugar-filled coffee or carb/starch filled food during stressful personal days and work days. Instead of doing P90X on Thursday, I went and tried two dance classes (hip hop) back to back... which didn't make me sweat and workout quite like P90X, but it was fun and the time passed by rather quickly. This is part of another personal goal of mine, which is to get back to some leisure activities I used to enjoy that I let fall by the wayside.... contemplating whether I should add this to my goal for the semester... since some of my peers and Dr. O seem to be setting multiple goals.... So anyhow, that was good. It was nice to mix things up. I have to say, though... Thank goodness I had already started working out... because I would not have been able to keep up in the dance class otherwise! Friday was a rough day on many levels... and my sisters and cousins wanted to go to Happy Hour that day to get drinks and relax (much needed for me)... but by the time I got home from work, I didn't have time to exercise... went straight to Happy hour, where I not only drank high-calorie drinks (I like my drinks sweet and sugary)... but also ate more than I had hoped... those chips and dip will really get you! Saturday I got back on track... my bro-in-law wanted to do two workouts... so we did "Arms and Shoulders" and "Yoga X". I also walked my dog. So, I got in a good bit of exercise... but also snacked on a little bit of junk food around the house... Today, Sunday, I have had so much homework to do that I've not been able to exercise yet. Hopefully I will do at least one P90X video later...
Well, I just weighed in at 1*1.6 lbs... which means I've lost 2.8 lbs since the start of this... and am pretty close to being on track of losing ~1 lb per week. I hope to get in the next weight bracket soon, hopefully within the next week... meaning the * will signify the next lower number... and to be honest I haven't been within that weight range since... maybe high school or undergrad. So, that would be quite the achievement for me. Yay!
It is difficult to pinpoint just one person who has been really supportive of me as I attempt this weight loss/increase physical activity/eat better behavior change... I have to say that it is really my family that has been supportive of me in this behavior change. First of all, my older sister has been helping to cook healthier meals for lunch/dinner and waking up early in the morning to prepare some form of breakfast for me, even something as simple as boiling an egg for me... since I usually have to leave so early to commute to school that I don't have time for a proper breakfast in the morning. In fact, her healthier cooking is making everyone in the house eat healthier. Secondly, my brother-in-law and two of my other sisters have been taking the time to come and work out with me in the evenings. It's always more fun and bearable to workout with a buddy... especially through grueling P90X videos. I find that having someone there helps push me to not flake out, and makes the time pass by faster when I am working out. I would definitely have skipped more days of workout if it weren't for them. So, thank you guys for all the support and help!
My progress this week: It's been another difficult week, as to be expected. I have to resist the temptation to buy sugar-filled coffee or carb/starch filled food during stressful personal days and work days. Instead of doing P90X on Thursday, I went and tried two dance classes (hip hop) back to back... which didn't make me sweat and workout quite like P90X, but it was fun and the time passed by rather quickly. This is part of another personal goal of mine, which is to get back to some leisure activities I used to enjoy that I let fall by the wayside.... contemplating whether I should add this to my goal for the semester... since some of my peers and Dr. O seem to be setting multiple goals.... So anyhow, that was good. It was nice to mix things up. I have to say, though... Thank goodness I had already started working out... because I would not have been able to keep up in the dance class otherwise! Friday was a rough day on many levels... and my sisters and cousins wanted to go to Happy Hour that day to get drinks and relax (much needed for me)... but by the time I got home from work, I didn't have time to exercise... went straight to Happy hour, where I not only drank high-calorie drinks (I like my drinks sweet and sugary)... but also ate more than I had hoped... those chips and dip will really get you! Saturday I got back on track... my bro-in-law wanted to do two workouts... so we did "Arms and Shoulders" and "Yoga X". I also walked my dog. So, I got in a good bit of exercise... but also snacked on a little bit of junk food around the house... Today, Sunday, I have had so much homework to do that I've not been able to exercise yet. Hopefully I will do at least one P90X video later...
Well, I just weighed in at 1*1.6 lbs... which means I've lost 2.8 lbs since the start of this... and am pretty close to being on track of losing ~1 lb per week. I hope to get in the next weight bracket soon, hopefully within the next week... meaning the * will signify the next lower number... and to be honest I haven't been within that weight range since... maybe high school or undergrad. So, that would be quite the achievement for me. Yay!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
My Motivation for Change
Losing weight/getting in shape/eating better have always been a struggle for me. I have gone through many phases of trying various exercise programs/videos, diets, etc. in my lifetime. But, my physical fitness continued to fluctuate and over the years I have gained more weight and become less active. In particular, during the past couple years of graduate school (occupational therapy), I was always so busy with homework, work, and life that I let myself fall into a stagnant routine of spending long hours sitting for class, long hours sitting in a car commuting, eating dinner while sitting in front of the TV, and spending most weekends sitting some more to study. I have been meaning to get into better physical shape for a long time, especially since I am in the second half of my twenties and it only gets harder from here.
Recent major changes in my personal life and circumstances have forced me to re-evaluate my life and embrace change... since change has been my only option. I am now learning to focus more on taking care of myself... to really examine what it is I need and want, and to follow through with pursuing these things. The timing of this class, PM 562, and this Personal Project assigned by Dr. Ritt-Olson has served really as a catalyst, or "cue to action" for me. It has given me the drive, support, and accountability I needed to try and follow through with actually increasing my physical activity, improving my diet, and my overall physical health.... something I've struggled with off and on for years... and which I have failed at many times.
To a lesser degree, but nonetheless relevant, I work at an acute hospital (for my Occupational Therapy Doctoral Residency) treating patients with all types of chronic and acute illnesses, many of which would have been preventable with lifestyle modifications. As part of my work, I strive to educate patients on lifestyle changes, along with strategies to achieve them, that can help prevent further illness, worsening of their conditions, and readmission to the hospital. Therefore, to keep myself from being a hypocrite, I would like to try and follow through on incorporating healthy lifestyle changes in my own life as well.
My progress: This week has been tough. I was unable to exercise for two days in a row (Thursday and Friday) due to commitments to attend birthday dinners, etc. It was also a struggle to cut down my food at these events, and therefore, I ended up eating more than I should have for those days. I did manage to do one P90X video on Saturday, and two P90X videos on Sunday, which helped me make up for Monday... which are my longest days... full 8 hours working at the hospital, followed by a 3 hour night class... It's also stressful days and times like these when I turn to food for comfort... but with which I have had to practice the most self control. However, on the positive side, I have been eating at least a small breakfast in the mornings (with the help of my older sister), cutting my food in half at lunch time and only eating half, and taking the stairs more at work. A quick weigh-in yesterday showed 1*2.8 lbs... but a quick weigh in just an hour ago showed 1*4.0 lbs... so I have managed to lose anywhere between 0.4 to 1.6 lbs. My weight fluctuates throughout the day, depending on the time I weigh in, and what I have eaten that day. Therefore, I will try to pick a consistent time to weigh myself to really determine the actual change.
Recent major changes in my personal life and circumstances have forced me to re-evaluate my life and embrace change... since change has been my only option. I am now learning to focus more on taking care of myself... to really examine what it is I need and want, and to follow through with pursuing these things. The timing of this class, PM 562, and this Personal Project assigned by Dr. Ritt-Olson has served really as a catalyst, or "cue to action" for me. It has given me the drive, support, and accountability I needed to try and follow through with actually increasing my physical activity, improving my diet, and my overall physical health.... something I've struggled with off and on for years... and which I have failed at many times.
To a lesser degree, but nonetheless relevant, I work at an acute hospital (for my Occupational Therapy Doctoral Residency) treating patients with all types of chronic and acute illnesses, many of which would have been preventable with lifestyle modifications. As part of my work, I strive to educate patients on lifestyle changes, along with strategies to achieve them, that can help prevent further illness, worsening of their conditions, and readmission to the hospital. Therefore, to keep myself from being a hypocrite, I would like to try and follow through on incorporating healthy lifestyle changes in my own life as well.
My progress: This week has been tough. I was unable to exercise for two days in a row (Thursday and Friday) due to commitments to attend birthday dinners, etc. It was also a struggle to cut down my food at these events, and therefore, I ended up eating more than I should have for those days. I did manage to do one P90X video on Saturday, and two P90X videos on Sunday, which helped me make up for Monday... which are my longest days... full 8 hours working at the hospital, followed by a 3 hour night class... It's also stressful days and times like these when I turn to food for comfort... but with which I have had to practice the most self control. However, on the positive side, I have been eating at least a small breakfast in the mornings (with the help of my older sister), cutting my food in half at lunch time and only eating half, and taking the stairs more at work. A quick weigh-in yesterday showed 1*2.8 lbs... but a quick weigh in just an hour ago showed 1*4.0 lbs... so I have managed to lose anywhere between 0.4 to 1.6 lbs. My weight fluctuates throughout the day, depending on the time I weigh in, and what I have eaten that day. Therefore, I will try to pick a consistent time to weigh myself to really determine the actual change.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Beginning...
The timing of this 'Personal Project' for my PM 562 class was very apropos in terms of helping me really follow through on making some healthy changes that I'd been meaning to make... at a time in my life when change is the only option...
The goal of my personal project will be to lose 15 pounds in the next 16 weeks... or by the first week of May 2011. The reason I chose to lose weight was that I wanted to incorporate/enfold other healthy habits into my goal, including eating habits and physical activity. Therefore, my goal includes the following:
Nutrition/Eating habits:
1) eat less junk food & carbohydrates (i.e. rice, pasta, cookies, cakes, etc.)
2) eat more healthier foods, including fruits, vegetables, and tofu
3) decrease consumption of sugar-filled coffee drinks
4) decrease food consumption in general; stop eating when full
Physical Activity:
1) increase my overall strength and endurance
2) get in shape; tone my body; increase my muscle mass; decrease my fat mass
In order to achieve my goals, I plan on making small changes here and there, so as to make the transition easier and longer-lasting. I plan to:
1) cut all meals in half or thirds prior to eating, and only eat one portion at a time to ensure I stop when I am full (otherwise I just eat everything without noticing whether I am full or not)
2) limit my intake of carbohydrates, sweets, and junk food while still allowing a small amount occasionally to decrease the chances of binge eating or non-compliance
3) make sure I eat at least one serving of fruits/vegetables per meal
4) only drink half my coffee, and reserve for days when I really need it
5) take the stairs throughout my workday at the hospital; avoid using the elevator when possible
6) exercise 4-5 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time (i.e. walk dogs, exercise videos, etc); preferably immediately upon getting home so that I avoid getting too lazy
My progress thus far... so far, I have begun to decrease my food consumption by cutting my meal during lunch and dinner. Although, I must admit its a challenge, especially when I have rough days, to not resort to sweets, coffee, and other comfort foods to help me feel better. I have also begun doing a few of the P90X exercise videos...although I am clearly far from being in shape as my body is extremely sore and in pain from the few workouts so far....
I forgot to weigh myself before starting my project... so my starting weight, as of 1/19/2011, is 1*4.4 lbs.
The goal of my personal project will be to lose 15 pounds in the next 16 weeks... or by the first week of May 2011. The reason I chose to lose weight was that I wanted to incorporate/enfold other healthy habits into my goal, including eating habits and physical activity. Therefore, my goal includes the following:
Nutrition/Eating habits:
1) eat less junk food & carbohydrates (i.e. rice, pasta, cookies, cakes, etc.)
2) eat more healthier foods, including fruits, vegetables, and tofu
3) decrease consumption of sugar-filled coffee drinks
4) decrease food consumption in general; stop eating when full
Physical Activity:
1) increase my overall strength and endurance
2) get in shape; tone my body; increase my muscle mass; decrease my fat mass
In order to achieve my goals, I plan on making small changes here and there, so as to make the transition easier and longer-lasting. I plan to:
1) cut all meals in half or thirds prior to eating, and only eat one portion at a time to ensure I stop when I am full (otherwise I just eat everything without noticing whether I am full or not)
2) limit my intake of carbohydrates, sweets, and junk food while still allowing a small amount occasionally to decrease the chances of binge eating or non-compliance
3) make sure I eat at least one serving of fruits/vegetables per meal
4) only drink half my coffee, and reserve for days when I really need it
5) take the stairs throughout my workday at the hospital; avoid using the elevator when possible
6) exercise 4-5 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time (i.e. walk dogs, exercise videos, etc); preferably immediately upon getting home so that I avoid getting too lazy
My progress thus far... so far, I have begun to decrease my food consumption by cutting my meal during lunch and dinner. Although, I must admit its a challenge, especially when I have rough days, to not resort to sweets, coffee, and other comfort foods to help me feel better. I have also begun doing a few of the P90X exercise videos...although I am clearly far from being in shape as my body is extremely sore and in pain from the few workouts so far....
I forgot to weigh myself before starting my project... so my starting weight, as of 1/19/2011, is 1*4.4 lbs.
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