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!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
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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