Category: fitness

A Quick Glimpse: My Day

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Drowsy bedhead sipping coffee as the sun slips silently into twilight. The early morning light scatters into the atmosphere it is officially another day. Two sets of clothes sit at the ready, one for work, the other for working out. Down the stairs, all set to go grabbing my green Yeti with a second cup of coffee to go… then a backpack, slinging my lunch over my shoulder, jostling my water jug. I am a woman on a mission…

Later, the front door opens and I step inside the house. I pick up the clothes waiting on the wooden chair in the foyer. Outside the sun still rules high above the horizon. It’s light seems extremely potent at this time of day. My back pack is dropped, I toss the cold packs from my lunch-bag to the freezer and they make a soft thump when they hit the ice maker. I’m prepping dinner in my workout clothes.

I climb the stairs with my dog Sadie following in tow. My water bottle feels lighter as it swings from side to to side with ever step. Sadie lays down under my makeup table, her head rests lightly on her paws, she is my witness to spin class. Thirty minutes later I am back in the kitchen, prepping my lunch for tomorrow. I think about the cooler packs slowly freezing and it’s strange because I realize everything is resetting only to restart all over again tomorrow.

Everyone’s weight loss journey has its own rhythm – the challenge is to learn the steps so you can let those habits lead.

Alive & Kicking: Fitting in Time for Activity

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More energy! More vitality! That’s the stuff that inspires a weight loss journey. Chances are good, you’ve read the phrase, “living my best life” What does that really mean? I looked it up on Google, and it’s meant to convey feeling happy and reaching one’s full potential. Well, how do we aspire to that in the day-to-day?

When I got home from work today I feel defeated and deflated. I was tired and cranky because it was a long day at school, a long commute home, and the day wasn’t even done yet. I still had so much to do! I have to: make dinner, clean up, and then lunch for tomorrow. Dear reader, in my mind’s eye, I imagine you nodding your head sympathetically, in solemn agreement. Fitting in time for an activity can be hard for some of us, but I’m here to tell you it’s not impossible. Begin by answering these three questions:

  1. What is an activity you enjoy? If you don’t like it you won’t do it.
  2. Thinking about your current lifestyle, how much time can you devote to activity? Be specific and realistic about accommodating your current schedule.
  3. What do you want to get out of this activity? Having an expectation helps reinforce engagement.

This is my reflection and how I settled on how to fit activity into my life:

  1. I really enjoy Spinning. I will do that because it’s rewarding to me.
  2. I own a Peloton, so I can do this activity daily. I can spend anywhere from 10 minutes to 45 minutes doing it. If it’s a work day I might spend 20 minutes or maybe 15 if I want to do it before leaving for work. If it’s the weekend I might spend 30 to 45 minutes doing it depending on the plans for the day. I will stagger how long I spend doing it based on what’s happening.
  3. I expect to feel physically good afterward, satisfied with my effort, and mentally calm (either burning off stress or gathering energy for what’s next).

If you really want to fit more activity into your day, give this a try. Being physical, and getting out of your head can be a real relief. I feel completely different now than I did when I came from work. Now I’m ready to keep going; so… are you ready? Let’s do this.

You’re Golden: Keeping a Positive Mindset

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On April 4th I wrote a post, What Do You Think? I asked for some reader feedback for future blog topics. If you didn’t participate (but would like to) please feel free to follow the above link. If you did participate, thank you for sharing. I like to imagine we are having a conversation and when you answer prompts or leave comments I feel the connection, and that means so much. So it begins, with a series of posts that are inspired by readers, and the first topic is keeping a positive mindset.

To be completely transparent, I have been called, “Too positive.” (by one of my best friends) when it comes to weight loss. I’ve also been told that my attitude about it makes it hard to relate to me. While it is true that I have a positive disposition about most things, including weight loss, it’s not because it isn’t challenging. Weight loss can be a difficult goal to keep because it takes so long to lose weight. Another reason is that it requires a lot of effort. Maybe the hardest reason of all is that while it takes time and effort, it is also so easy to get down on yourself during the process. In a weight-obsessed society, it’s easy to feel judged. Why are we so focused on weight loss? To put it simply, it’s because so many of us need to lose weight; according to the CDC, 4 out of 10 Americants are obese.

So what can we do to help ourselves make our weight loss journeys a little nicer? I’ve been doing this long enough to have some tricks up my sleeve! These are my top five strategies to reframe negativity:

  1. When negative thoughts start to creep in: “Talk back to negativity!” The “voice” that answers back is the one that would be used with someone you really love. I use my first name and it would go like this: “What?! Is that what I really look like? I thought I looked way better than this, I thought that shirt looked nice in the store.” then… “Come on, Jennifer, you have already lost so much weight. You are feeling better and your clothes are looser. I am very proud of you.”
  2. When weight loss feels like it takes too long: Know that this is an emotional response, employ analytical thinking, and get grounded in reality. I go to the data. I know numbers can be triggering to many of us but if you’re able to just take them as raw data they can really help. I weigh in daily, and because I do that I can see trends over time. Seeing the trend can inform future goals.
  3. When weight loss becomes overwhelming: First, write a list to organize the process. Then establish habits and rituals that will make the process manageable. I used a habit tracker because habits not only help with weight loss but also bring with them a sense of control by diminishing decision-making fatigue.
  4. When the end goal for weight loss is too big: Set smaller goals to build momentum. It’s so important to experience success because success builds stamina to keep going. My last small goal was to plan a week of dinners using WW recipes. Something I have to watch is not getting to fixed on the goals I set like I don’t always accomplish them, but that’s ok. Sometimes my goals are not always as helpful as I thought.
  5. When weight loss is all or nothing: Weight loss is a process and a process is seldom a this or that scenario. When I find myself engaging in fixed thinking, I’m only doing “good” or “bad” with this, I remind myself that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet. It is not prescriptive, it is not a “how to” it is a complex process where many things can be true (or false) at the same time. Reflecting on the many parts that make weight loss successful or not – is what helps me break this pattern of thinking.

Being a realist about weight loss does not have to mean being miserable. Sure it’s difficult, but I bet you’ve done “difficult” before. Being kind to yourself is not living in a delusion either – it’s being humane. If you believe in yourself you are halfway there. Help someone else to believe in themselves, and then you’re golden.

You Have Arrived

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It was a beautiful morning, the sun was bright, and the clouds seemed extra high up in the atmosphere, framed by a pale blue sky. The world looked a bit more colorful, and plump. Spring has arrived and winter had begun its retreat. I thought about this (on my morning drive to school) heading south on the Sunken Meadow State Parkway,

The radio played the Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” and my thoughts drifted to high school, and I remembered what early freedom felt like, it felt a lot like flying. Just then I began to slow down as my fellow commuters and I merged again over Route 25. Everyone gets to go if we just cooperate. My inner voice chimed in as a red Toyota Celica made its way into my lane.

Once again, my thoughts were diverted and circled around my reading during breakfast. This quote from Atomic Habits captured my imagination, “The cause of your habits is actually the prediction that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling.” I often refer to weight loss as a journey. I say this because it’s not only about arriving at my goal weight, it’s about everything I discover about myself along the way. What does arriving even mean to me?

I flipped my visor down, and to the left to shield my eyes from the sun’s glare. Does arriving mean a static number on the scale? Does arriving mean wearing a certain size? Does arriving mean feeling a certain way? “The prediction leads to a feeling…” part of the quote surfaced again. What if I have already arrived? Even though I still have plenty of weight to lose, I feel as though I’m there already.

The repetition of my habits has created some automaticity I don’t have to work so hard to sustain them. That feels a lot like freedom. If the habits I keep, define who I am then I am a person who is vested in her health and well-being. This is who I aspired to be and now I’m actually living my life this way – I have arrived.

Beliefs About Body Image

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Spinning requires good form. In order to get the most out of the workout, and to avoid injury, holding positions (correctly) on the bike really matter. When COVID hit, I moved away from my gym membership and bought a Peloton. I love my bike, it gives me as good a workout as I got at my local gym. Although, my gym offered a terrific community and I do miss the people. But that is a post for another time… I tend to select classes with explicit instructions for form, and I realized that I needed a mirror to help me make sure I was keeping my back flat, and my elbows bent. The mirror helped, and my form is much better these days. But now, I also get a full view of my profile sitting on the bike. There is a definite disconnect between how I am feeling on the inside, “Go me! I am keeping up, even though it’s really difficult!” and how I look on the outside, “Is that what I really look like?” Then I knew that today’s post had to be dedicated to beliefs about body image.

Ugh… Body image can be a challenge for most people at some point. The other day at work, some friends were talking about how hard weight loss is, the sentiment of the conversation went like this,

You know that you’re doing so good, and it doesn’t show for such a long time. It takes so much work before it starts to show. You feel so good inside but then you look the same. It’s so discouraging.

a lunchtime chat

I was thinking about what my friends said, as my internal critic was hammering my appearance. I put my hands on my abdomen and I actually started feeling sorry for my poor body. This is the body that carried three beautiful human beings into the world. This is the body that made it possible for me to get my degree. This is the body that gave my mother a shoulder to lean on when she was sick. It has served me so well, and I have neglected it so badly and allowed myself to gain back weight. Although I’m not starting completely over, I didn’t gain it all back, it’s difficult just the same.

This is hard, but hating on my body image isn’t helpful. Hating my body is an unforgivable, petty thing to do to myself. I am truly grateful for my strong, capable body. I am trying to be worthy of it by giving it the care and attention it needs so I can continue to live my life. No matter where you are on the journey, I encourage you to love your body and to allow yourself to flood it with gratitude for all that it is to sustain your life. Be patient, stay the course, and just be good to yourself every step of the way.

Of Willpower and Whirlpools

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Do you ever blame yourself for not having enough self-control? You think, “If only I had enough willpower and resolve, I would be able to push through this and stay on track.” For those of us who are working to improve our health, it can be very confusing when it comes to willpower. Sometimes a challenging situation will arise, like bagels in the breakroom, and it is easy to navigate that situation. But then, there are other situations that completely deplete our reserves of willpower and bad habits take over. Driving us backward, and then comes the dreaded vortex of shame, “I can’t believe I did it again!”

Let’s start this post by saying, falling into the groove of a bad habit is normal, and should not be received as a source of shame. I hope that by the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of what is really going on when we (all) fall back into bad habits from time to time.

Sometimes habits become encoded in the brain, and they are activated by a situation. If I am attending a holiday with my extended family, I will eat and drink much more than I would at home. That response is an encoded habit for me. If I go to the movies, I’ll want popcorn – another encoded habit. Think about yourself, what situation would activate an encoded habit? You find yourself in a situation, and internal forces wake up to trigger a response. The situation and the habit work together and suck you in as if you were in a whirlpool on the ocean.

Imagine the rotating current is the encoded habit. The opposing arrows represent a situational cue that puts the habit into action. Willpower is no match for that amount of force.

Top 5 Strategies for Breaking Bad Habits

  1. Avoid the situation – if you don’t want to eat the bagels don’t go into the staff room.
  2. If a situation can’t be avoided, make a detailed mental story – if I’m going to a wedding I will wear an outfit I feel great in, I will eat 3 hors d’oeuvres and my entree, and spend the rest of the time socializing and dancing.
  3. Create a network of others to draw strength from, I am going to face a challenge next weekend like going to a winery, so I will talk about it with my weight watchers community to help me focus on what I really want.
  4. Disrupt a situation by inserting a new cue – I come from work and sack out on the couch but no – my workout clothes are there waiting for me to put them on. I work out instead.
  5. Find new rewards that will develop healthy habits – Instead of rewarding myself with a latte for a job well done, I put the money in a jar and let it collect there as a reminder of all I am accomplishing. Then spend it on something bigger and better.

Beware, bad habits. Steer your ship away from those insidious whirlpools. For they have no choice but to suck you back into the old lifestyle you are trying to escape. This journey is all about making the most of the situations you find yourself in, avoiding unhelpful situations, and building momentum for the good. You are the one who decides how this will go – never doubt that you are powerful! We got this.

Just for fun

Remember when we were all watching videos of sea chanties?

If you’d like to learn more about Whirlpools, this is a great video:

Make it Obvious

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Pretend you were able to walk into the home of someone you didn’t know. Once inside, you decide to look around. You walk into the living room and there on a chair in the foyer were some workout clothes folded neatly. You looked down at the coffee table and you see a half-filled habit tracker and some colored pens. In the kitchen, you see a food scale, and a bowl of grapes cleaned and trimmed into little bunches. Down the hallway off the kitchen and to right there is a small alcove and scale. A 64-ounce (pink) water bottle sits on a table, and it is almost empty. All of these objects tell a story about the person who lives here – this person is living a healthy lifestyle.

Environment is the invisble hand that shapes human behaviour.

James Clear Atonmic Habits

Are you making it easier or harder to achieve your weight loss goals?

Leaning Into Weight Loss

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Last night was a total “fail: for the implementation intention I set to work out. I wasn’t home by 8:15 pm and then it felt like permission not to do it by the time I did get home. Maybe that’s a dark side to the technique or maybe I was just too tired by then to do it. I have been thinking about it today, and it is possible that I might sneak in a workout tonight, but I’m not willing to commit to it because I want to keep my options open.

Now is the time when I need to fully dedicate myself to the weight loss goals I have set for myself. I say that because I need to hear the message. My weight is fluctuating and it feels like I’m spinning my wheels. When I look back at my data I see that there is a pattern: I have a loss followed by two days of slight gains. Right now is an important moment in my journey. It’s time to be consistent and maintain my resolve. Here is my mantra:

I am strong! I am smart! I have the skills I need to be successful! I can do this but only if, I don’t give up. I will not give up on me.

March 10, 2023

If you had to write a mantra for yourself, what would it be? Let’s inspire each other to keep going. We don’t even fully realize how amazing we truly are yet. That day is coming.

Weighing in…

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I am part of the Weight Watchers community, and lots of members are talking about the company’s decision to partner with another company called Sequence. Now members will have the option to use pharmaceuticals to help them lose weight. Some members are having a hard time with this decision because they feel it is contradictory to the beliefs of the organization.

Dealing with obesity takes a tremendous toll on the health and well-being of many people. It’s not for me to judge anyone’s choices. I just want to support my friends who are on the journey. As for me, right now, I think I am learning a lot about myself on this journey. My plan is to keep working the program and to reflect on my process. So far today has been a good one on plan. I made time to sit and eat breakfast in the morning. I packed a low-point lunch and snacks that I ate during the workday. I did not eat any candy, even though I spent the day with that candy bowl. Instead, I ate a clementine, it was quite refreshing and sweet. And, I’m going to set an Implementation Intention to work out later this evening here goes;

I will use the Peloton for 20 minutes at 8:15 pm in my bedroom.

Jenn Hayhurst 3/9/23

The only thing I feel a bit discouraged about (not always but sometimes) is that on the inside, I know I’m making big progress but it’s not showing on the outside. It’s not rational for me to get upset about something I can’t control. The weight will come off because I am making all these smart choices. Every choice I made that gets me closer to my goal brings me joy, and that is what I am choosing to focus on.

What drives weight loss?

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Today we celebrate women! March 8th is a global holiday called, International Women’s Day. It is a day we set aside to honor women. If you’d like to read more about how this holiday came to be: click here. As for me, I celebrated by taking a 20-minute Peloton ride this morning before going to work. I loved the idea of earning this badge in my Apple Fitness App because it was a nod to empowerment.

So find what motivates you. Find what makes you feel accomplished and good about the journey. There are so many parts to this process that have the potential to not only transform your physical self but also define the core of who you are in the world.