The Eating "Condition"

Our conditioned response to food starts early, very early. Emotional eating starts practically from birth.  When babies are born, their first instinct is to suckle. This forms a bond between mother and child and has a calming effect on both of them, it's pleasant, and immediately forms a connection between food and comfort (or pleasure). Unfortunately, from this point on, whenever a baby fusses, we continue the practice of putting something in their mouth, be it a pacifier, a bottle (hopefully not like the one in the picture above, haha) eventually a cookie, goldfish crackers, cheerios, etc. and it doesn't stop there. Once they are curious toddlers, we teach them that food is a cure for boredom by giving them "snacks" to keep them out of "trouble" while waiting in a line or waiting room or while shopping, or whatnot. As they get older we then begin to teach our children that food not only comforts or cures boredom but can actually cheer you up, "Awe, you didn't get picked for the soccer team, let's go get you some ice cream." Then it's a reward, "You got an 'A' on your test? Let's bake some cookies!" It's also celebratory, "It's your birthday, have some cake" "You finished pre-school, let's have a party (with cake)" "You learned to swim, let's go get pizza", get the drift?

As we become adolescents,  we use food as an activity, “Let’s meet up at the candy store in the mall” or “Let’s go hang out at Del Taco”. By young adulthood, food has so ingrained itself into our brains as something more, much more than nutrition, it’s almost as if it were our friend. It’s now capable of helping us win the affection of members of the opposite sex, girls give guys cookies & brownies and guys give the girls candy and take them to dinner. Even the old adage, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is sending home the WRONG message! FOOD IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!!!

It’s no wonder that we begin to “eat” our emotions. Food is the one constant in our lives that has always made us feel good, so we continue to turn to it again and again (notice that the word “again” contains the word “GAIN”?) Yes, once we stop growing and continue to use food for purposes other than just nutrition, we then gain. Of course, there are those of us who hit the “gain stage” early in life, but this is why there is a very high percentage of over weight adults. We take it as a “natural” process and just accept it as a normal part of aging. However, this is NOT “normal” aging!!!! IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!! Obesity is 100% CURABLE and PREVENTABLE!!! All it takes is a little awareness, education and re-conditioning of the brain.

3 Steps to re-conditioning the brain:

• THINK about WHY you are eating, is it for comfort, boredom, reward, socializing? None of these are reasons to eat. Then stop, even if it’s mid-bite... spit it out!! Seriously, do it!

• Make your food inconvenient. If you have to prepare what you’re going to eat (rather than open a wrapper, box or bag), you’ll have more time to think about what you’re doing and abort the "mission". Also, if you have to get veggies out and wash and prepare them, you probably won’t put forth the effort unless you’re truly hungry.

• Knowledge is Power. Learn about how the brain can produce pleasurable feelings by secreting chemicals into your blood as a response to physical activity (as opposed to eating). The double whammy here is that you’re taking in less calories and burning more, and as an added bonus, feeling better, on so many levels!!

Most importantly... Let’s STOP conditioning our children NOW so they, and generations to come will be healthier adults. It’s in our hands today, to literally change the shape of tomorrow!!

Exercise Isn't Punishment!!

So many of us think of exercise as a dirty word... ummm, ok, so... for some of us it literally IS (see pic above of me & my better half), but it doesn't HAVE to be! We love this stuff, for us, this IS fun!! Exercise is simply the opposite of being sedentary. Any bodily movement exercises some part of your body. Just the simple task of standing out of a chair works the glutes, hamstrings and quads, if you did just that enough times, you'd develop strong, lower-body muscles. All you have to do is MOVE... and the more you move, the more energy you burn (energy = calories), the more calories your body demands, the more fat it will burn through (providing you're not over-fueling it of course). Make exercise a part of everyday life. Your body needs it just as much as it needs to eat and sleep. Your brain releases chemicals while you're active that actually help it to think clearer and also creates a very potent mood enhancer. So, while you may be thinking that you have too much work to do to make time for exercise, you'll actually work better and more efficiently if you DO exercise. Start, with trying to get in 20-30 min a day... and it doesn't HAVE to be all at the same time either, just over the course of your day, do it in small chunks if you have to... just DO something! START NOW!!

Make it FUN!! Get out of your chair, and dance around for 10 minutes every time you get a chance (providing no one is watching haha). Make games out of it by challenging your friends to contests, like who can stand on their tip-toes longer or hold a lunge longer or race up a flight of steps, see who can find the farthest parking spot in the lot (rather than always vying for the closest). Get creative with it and POST the ideas you come up with HERE as a comment!!

Make it Convenient!! Stop making a production out of exercising, tormenting yourself thinking about how you have to carve out a huge block of time to go and torture yourself for hours. Better to do something...ANYTHING... NOW... than to keep putting it off, looming in the dreaded distance, eventually doing NOTHING... EVER.

Start small: Stand up every time you finish a phone call or if you can, pace while on a call. Hold your abs in tight while typing an email, extend your legs out straight and keep them tight while you're sitting on hold. Set a a timer to chime every 40 mins, when it goes off, stretch; do some arm circles; jump up and down a few times; jog down the hall; go up & down a few steps; just move around for 3-5 min. Over a 10hr period that's 50min of exercise! How 'bout each time you sit down, stand back up and then sit again, take the steps whenever you can, then work up to doing each set twice [Caution: Be careful on these last two that you're not being watched, they may label you OCD!!! hahaha]

There are MANY things you can do any time you find yourself waiting... Like on "hold" or waiting for something to load or restart on your computer, or in line somewhere or in the kitchen while coffee is brewing or microwave is waving, etc... Try doing some push-ups against the counter top; lifting one leg behind you; knee bends; side bends; squinching your butt cheeks for as long as you can (while sitting or standing); balance on your heels; etc. Again, get creative and post your idea HERE!!

Work up to it: Of course, the quickest way to get fit n trim is with some kind aerobic exercise which needs to keep your heart rate up for at least 40 min. but your heart doesn't have to feel like it's going to explode to be beneficial! I recommend getting a heart-rate monitor, you can find them very inexpensively these days (I got mine online for $40), You'll be surprised how much you can burn by simply taking a brisk walk. My main caution here is, don't bite off more than you can chew or you'll choke, hate it and quit. Do what you can without making it agonizing. If you keep it enjoyable you'll keep doing it and eventually you'll increase your stamina and as you get more fit, you'll naturally want to up the ante and before you know it, exercise has become an integral part of your day. :D

KEY POINT: Don't start a crazy workout regiment with some crazy contraption that you will just burn out on!! Like my dieting tips, stay away from extremes and crazy 180's that you won't keep up. Make it a LASTING gradual, life CHANGE and you'll be ensuring yourself a lifetime of health and fitness.

DO IT NOW... RIGHT NOW!!