Are You a Master Procrastinator?

      Do you come up with almost any excuse you can to get out of exercising or starting a new weight loss routine? Do you hear yourself saying “I’ll start tomorrow, or next week, or even after the big party coming up?” Then you might be a master procrastinator, suffering from a major lack of motivation. Don’t feel too bad though because the number one diet or exercise routine killer for most people is lack of motivation, or “I’ll-Start-Tomorrow syndrome”. You know what they say about excuses though, everyone has one and they all stink (I cleaned that up a little for you all, lol).

Here is a list of 5 of the most ridiculous excuses for not exercising that I have actually heard…and admittedly may have even said once.

1.     I can't exercise until I lose weight so I look good in gym clothes:

Yeah, this one just doesn’t fly.

2.     I don't know how to exercise/use the gym equipment.

Ask someone at the gym, look it up on your smart phone, watch a YouTube video on it, or if all else fails, get on the treadmill…I’m pretty sure you know how to walk.

3.     Women saying, "I don't want big muscles."

But you want big thighs? Nope exercising and toning up is not going to turn you into Arnold in his Mr. Universe days, nice try get to work.

4.     Men saying, "I can drop weight whenever I want, I lose weight fast, I’ll do it later.

Yeah maybe that was true when you were 20, but that beer belly tells me that you have been living that dream for far too long. Stop kidding yourself, stop procrastinating and get to it.

5.     I don't want to mess my hair and makeup!

OK, I have actually said this, but I had just spent 3 hours getting my hair done. This is easily remedied by choosing non-sweat inducing exercises. i.e. yoga, stretching, walking, etc.

*Here is a fun link to a blog about diet and procrastination I came across called:  3 fat chicks on a diet

     Now that you have been properly “motivated” or guilted and shammed into actually working out, here are some very important tips to make sure that you are realistic in your expectations. Seriously if you expect to loose 30lbs in a month or have ripped abs in a couple weeks like the “average” people in the TV commercials, then you are going to be disappointed and give up quickly. Most of those people are actually professional fitness models and trainers who get paid to work out 3-4 hours a day to look like that. Many of those results were either photo-shopped, or certainly did not happen in a matter of a few short weeks (well maybe the photo altering did). Give yourself a chance to be successful by being realistic. Real fitness take time, dedication, and a ton of hard work, but you can absolutely achieve your goals, you just have to stay focused and motivated.

     So the first thing you must do in order to achieve any success is to set clear-cut goals and define a reasonable path to get there. I suggest using SMART goals.(specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely). Start by making your goals specific and measurable. Example:

            Wrong: lose weight

            Right: lose 5 pounds

    Then you need to make sure that you define a specific amount, so that you can measure your progress and success towards reaching your goal. Make sure that it is attainable and realistic.

            Wrong: lose 5 pounds in a day

            Right: lose 5 pounds in a month

     Finally, the kicker, make sure your goals are time-specific. They must be time-specific for both start and end times. This is where the master procrastinator in you needs a serious beat down. Don’t just say I will start tomorrow because you don’t want to start today. Pick a date, write it down, commit to it, and stick to it.

            Wrong: Starting tomorrow, I will lose 5 pounds

            Right: Between August 1^st and August 31^st, I will lose 5 pounds.

            Right (longer term): Between January 1^st and December 31^st, I will lose 30 pounds at            a rate of 2-3 pounds per month.

     Hold yourself accountable and reward yourself for actually starting on time, just don’t reward yourself with food!

*Here is a list of 50 great personal rewards for meeting your fitness and weight loss goals from Sparkle.com. A couple of my favorites include treating yourself by subscribing to a new fitness or healthy cooking magazine, Invest is a fitness tracker like a FitBit to motivate you even more, or hiring someone to clean your house so you have more time to hit the gym.

     So I hope that this post has given you some valuable tips to create realistic and attainable SMART goals that will motivate you and help you achieve success on your health and fitness journey. Just in case it hasn’t however, I have also included this link to the procrastination guide in the hopes of giving you tips to help you to waste your time more efficiently. Enjoy.

 Nutrition Evolution

I Have a Split Personality

     Most of us, set out at least once in our lifetimes with the goal of losing weight. Losing weight is as much a mental feat as it is a physical one. Many of us experience split personalities during this struggle. I like to call The Dr. Jekyll to my Mr. Hyde, “Fran”.

      Fran and I have a long history together. My first weight loss battle came long before I had even left high school. My brain said, “Ok, time to get healthy. Kick it into gear, eat that salad, and go for a run!” Fran said “It’s ok, eat that cupcake and sit on the couch, you deserve a break.” Inevitably, life got crazy, going to college, and working two jobs. Fran won that battle.

     We had our second match after the birth of my son, now almost 4. During my pregnancy Fran was my junk-food-eating, animal cookie cheerleader. By the time I delivered my son I had gained almost 70lbs, had a massive waistline, and a newborn sucking up all of my time. I tried every fad diet known to man, and Fran laughed in the face of all of them. Then I decided to drown Fran.

     This method may not work for everyone, but it is how I control that evil, sugar-loving, fatty-fat-fat in my brain. Every time I crave a sweet I tell myself “Sure, you can have it. After you drink this huge glass of water.” And I pretty much hate drinking water. So I either give up on my craving deciding it isn’t worth the water, or I’m so full of water that I don’t have room to scarf that mega-sized cookie anyway.greatist.com

Besides snuffing out your diet demons; drinking lot of water can do amazing things for your skin! Staying hydrated can give your skin a youthful glow and ease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles enhanced when your skin is dry and dehydrated. Consuming plenty of water can help flush and detoxify your kidneys, which is key to reducing your chances of developing very painful kidney stones. Water also helps move things along if you know what I mean...WebMD

   
     Other than drowning Fran, I also ran.  When I say I ran, I mean I ran like I was running away from the everything that was sabotaging getting back into my fancy pants, I ran because I was running away from Fran. There are many studies that show a correlation between exercising and a reduction in all kinds of cravings, including smoking. Many people are under the misconception that an intense workout will actually cause them to become ravenous and eat more, but actually it can reduce appetite in addition to burning calories and increasing your metabolism for the entire day. womenshealthmag.com

      I’m not claiming to be perfect or undefeated in my battles with Fran. Life does take over sometimes and the super stressful days just need some French fries, chocolate, or apple pie. They key is to not get discouraged after these moments of weakness. Slap your “Fran” across the face and get back on that healthy wagon.

www.bustle.com

Nutrition Evolution

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Excuse Me, but Your Mustache is Showing.

     My dad always called it a “mustn’t touch it”, but I have heard it referred to as a crumb catcher, flavor savor, cookie duster, lip foliage and caterpillar. Actually here is a link for 55 different slang words for the common mustache from how to grow a mustasch.com. http://howtogrowamoustache.com/slang-words-for-moustache/

     Not surprisingly much like bacon fever, mustache fever has taken our nation by storm. You can find insignia of mustaches on nearly everything, aprons, lunch boxes, even dog collars. They are coming back in real life too, well truly facial hair of any sort is making a comeback... remember ”Fear the Beard” guys? Oh and lets not forget There is “Movember” when men(and I suppose ladies??) grown out their facial hair for sport, competition, and to raise awareness of men’s health issues.

     So you are probably thinking what the heck is this doing on a nutrition blog? Well, I was driving downtown in Healdsburg the yesterday when something caught my eye. A giant sign suspended from an overhead with a picture of a mustache on it. Immediately I am thinking it is a barber or maybe a men’s fashion or hat store, but the words on the sign said…”Mustache Baked Goods”. What??? Ok so of course I had to go inside and check it out. I had found heaven. They have a menu that includes a cupcake called  “The Butcher” topped with maple spiced local bacon. Yup they did it, combined the nation’s two love affairs in one store, mustaches and bacon. http://moustachebakedgoods.com/pages/menu

     We recently got invited to a mustache party, no seriously people throw entire parties to celebrate and honor facial hair lol. Here is a link for ideas on how to throw a “mustache party” if you are so inclined. http://jewelpie.com/17-amazing-ideas-for-a-moustache-party/. Also not surprisingly there are many websites and blogs dedicated to keeping your mustaches clean and debris free while dining. Apparently some of the worst offenders of leaving mustache leftovers include hotdogs with mustard and catsup, ice cream from the cone, jelly filled donuts, oh and for heaven sakes lets not forget Guiness! Seems like having a mustache can be risky business on a first date, you had better chose your foods wisely gentleman.

     My favorite website I came across while researching this article was Jeff’s Beard Board, http://jefffsbeardboard.yuku.com/reply/214432#.VbA4mnjF_ww. I urge you to check it out, as the pictures and running commentary are hilarious! It’s no joke growing a mustache though, and these men take is seriously. Now thankfully I cannot speak from experience on that one. 

Here is a list of 8 random facts about our furry friends, the mustaches:

1. The average man with a mustache touches it 760 times a day.

2. In many cultures growing one is considered a symbol of virility and power.

3. Average human hair grows at a rate of 0.014 inches a day, or about 5 or 6 inches a year.

4. Burt Reynolds’s iconic moustache has nearly 4,000 Facebook fans.

5. A fancy way to say shaving is pogonotomy.

6. In a deck of cards the King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache.

7.  During the Victorian era, noblemen used mustache spoons to protect their mustaches when eating soup. It was made with a guard on its rim that acted as a barrier between mustache and soup. 

8. Pogonophobia is an abnormal fear of beards, and can cause shortness of breath, nausea, an irregular heartbeat and general feelings of dread.

     It would seem that the magnificent mustache has earned respect and the right to brand our local cupcake shops, tee shirts, and just about everything else.  I hope you have enjoyed my slightly off topic and brief tour of the mustache.

Fact sources:

- http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-you-didnt-know-about-mustaches/#ixzz3gfgJ8icR

- http://www.medicaldaily.com/movember-7-fun-facts-about-mustaches-262570

- http://howtogrowamoustache.com/top-10-most-unusual-facts-about-moustaches/

Nutrition Evolution

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