by Dan | Jan 14, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It was a busy week last week, but a very fun one, and one that will go down in the books as a memory forever. Our family, except for Nick who had to stay back for school, and our second family, Steve and Carletta Hauck, and 2 of their kids, went to Orlando last week to take part in their Run Disney events. 4 days, 4 races, beginning with a 5K, then the second day a 10k, third day a half marathon, and the final day, a full marathon. You can pick and choose one or more, or all of them. Steve and I signed up for what is called the “Dopey Challenge”…you run all 4 events over the 4 days. The last time we did anything of this was 5 years ago, and we did the “Goofy Challenge”, which is the half marathon, followed by the marathon.
Steve and I were signed up to do the Dopey, but he hurt his knee and was unable to do this. He was able to “gut” it out, and he ran the 5k with me.
The weather was kind of a shock…28 degrees at the beginning of the 5k. The tough part of all of this was getting up at 2:15 AM every day, getting bused out to Epcot, which is where the start and finish of all of the races took place. Start time for the race was 5:30, and you are all assigned a corral to be in for the start. Between 20-25,000 people were in each race, and my daughters had never run a half marathon before, so we were assigned the last corral for all of the races. By being in the last corral, that meant we did not start the race until approx. 6:30 every day, so we had to stand outside for over 3 hours every day! That was harder than the run. Steve and I had a ball for the 5k, then I did the 10k myself the next day, and on Saturday, Sarah, my girls Molly and Megan, and our neighbors son Noah Hauck, all did the half marathon. Megan and Noah ran with me, and Molly ran with Sarah. It was a thrill! We got to run together, go through the them parks, high five all of the characters out on the route, and lots of pictures to be taken. Here are several:
We all had fun! I have always wanted to run races with my kids!!! Then, Sunday, it was time for the marathon…26.2 miles. I did not know how much I had left. I had already put in 22.4 miles in 3 days! Carissa Hauck, Steve and Carletta’s daughter, ran the marathon with me. She was very reluctant to do this, and her longest run had been 8 miles, done several months before this. She had never come close to running 26.2 miles at one time. She is in the military, stationed at Fort Bragg. She may not have been in running shape, but this kid is in incredible shape otherwise. If anybody was going to be able to do this, it was her. She ran with me from start to finish, and we picked up the pace as we went. Our second half was 10 minutes faster than the first half. We were on fire! So many people, so many things to do…I had not felt this good in a marathon ever! Here we are coming across the finish!
The medals were amazing. They all got one as they each ran one race. I got 6 medals! One for each of the 4 races, one for completing the Goofy, which was the half and full marathon, and one for the Dopey…doing all 4 races! People have asked me if I was crazy! How could I do this much at one time? What possessed me to do this? Why would anybody want to do this? It was called the Dopey Challenge…it was a challenge! It was a goal! I had never done this before. You never know as an individual what you are capable of doing. Several quotes stand out to me with this event: “It’s up to you how far you’ll go. If you don’t try, you’ll never know”. “You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them”. How true! The biggest thing out of all of this…I got to run with my kids, and my second family, and their kids. I have memories for a life time!
We all have memories for a lifetime! Bottom line, your only limitations are those you set for yourselves. If you think you can’t, you won’t. And if you think you can, anything is possible. The sky truly is not the limit…but your mind is! You can do this. No matter what your goal is, sometimes we all have to go out on a limb, and be a little “Dopey”…we don’t know what we are capable of until we try. Focus on your potential, not your limitations! Now Megan has told me she can’t wait to do another race with me. Nick is running in college, so when he gets done with school, I hope to run a race with him as well. If anything, my kids, and future grandkids, are going to know the importance of staying active, and living life to the fullest. Living life with adventures, challenges, setting goals…and they are even better when you have someone to do them with! This 4 days has to rank right up with some of the toughest I have ever done…and with the memories I have out of them, the run we had, I would not trade them for anything. Yes, I may be a little “Dopey”, but it was worth it. Find the “Dopey” that is hidden in all of us, and find out what you are really capable of doing. If you don’t start, you will never know. Put one foot in front of the other, and go! Strive to Survive! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan (aka “Dopey”)
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3763
by kelsey | Jan 10, 2018 | Diet, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are no doubts about it….weight loss is tough….but even tougher is maintaining that weight loss. Every New Year, many re-focus on their weight or health goals. They do well in the beginning of the year and then slip back into their old ways and gain weight back later on. This yo-yo dieting or weight cycling results in a variety of issues including poor self esteem, lack of motivation, binge eating, etc. I like to compare this cycle to being stuck in a revolving door like you’d find at a hotel…you just keep going around and around and can’t seem to get out! To help you put a stop to weight cycling, follow these tips:
- Change your mindset: No one ever wants to go on a “diet” and being a diet is never any fun, so ditch the word. Diet usually has a time period to it, so instead think of this has a lifestyle improvement. Think of healthy eating as a lifelong commitment, not a short period of time. Fad diets never work as you can’t live that way forever, so instead focus on a well-balanced nutrition plan that incorporates whole foods and portion control.
- Get adequate sleep: sleep is often overlooked in the equation to success as we tend to put a large amount of focus on food and activity….but in reality, getting adequate sleep is just as important as your exercise and nutrition. You need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep/night to allow your body to reset and repair itself. Lack of sleep or poor sleep habits typically result in poor eating habits, increasing cravings for junk foods, and a higher BMI.
- De-stress: stress can cause an increase in the hormone cortisol and when this hormone is increased, you may experience a greater desire for junk foods or unhealthy foods. Examine your stress levels and think critically about ways you could improve the stress in your life. You may consider journaling, yoga, or meditation to help you. Engaging in regular activity also helps reduce stress as it gives your body natural endorphins that aid in mood boosting.
- Practice mindful eating: Slow the eating process down and think critically about your hunger and fullness factors. Think of food as fuel and you want to choose healthy foods to provide your body with the appropriate nutrients and energy. When we think of food as “good” or “bad” it tends to make us want those bad foods even more, so instead change your mindset about food and work on portion control and feeling confident about your decisions.
I don’t expect these tips to happen overnight, but I do encourage you to examine your life and look at each part of the equation to help you stop the weight cycling and get on a path of healthy living for the long run!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 1, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
2017 is done, and 2018 is here! How was the year for you? Did you accomplish things you wanted? Is there anything in particular you want to accomplish in 2018? What is it you want? That is a good question for all of us. We have to decide what is personally important to us, and how bad do we want. At the same time, what kind of work are we willing to do to achieve. In general, New Years Resolutions don’t always have a good track record. It may be a good time to try to focus on things, and we all have good intentions, but the secret is how are we going to keep doing this year round, year after year? You need to keep going back to your original goals, your original reasons as to why you even want to accomplish certain goals. Why is it important to you?
Here we celebrated yesterday Jill reaching her 1000 mile running for the year, and Jenn reaching 1500 miles. Is the total important? No. It was a goal for them, and they achieved it, and we helped celebrate by running outside with them for the final mile, in what was unquestionably the coldest day of the year! That is what friends do…that is what family does…in this case, our running family. It always makes goals more achievable, and more meaningful, if you have someone else helping you along the way, motivating you along the way!
How truer can this be! Don’t think about it too hard, it will just give you more time to back out of your goals, or come up with excuses not to work for something you know would be of benefit to you. Just Go!
This was the group that came out yesterday to go for their final ceremonial run. We all did a mile (well, a couple of us did 3.5 miles!). I spent 45 minutes on the elliptical prior to going to meet for this run because of the cold…-22, with a wind chill of -40! Far from ideal, but also, if you wear the right clothing, far from impossible as well. We did it, and we helped them get to their final goal. Then we all went out to Caribou to celebrate! That is a reason to do this…spend time with your friends and family…people who truly do care about you, and who you care about. We want to be here more to have more of these moments. Always striving…
I will be the first to admit it…it was cold. If we were not meeting for this specific reason, and for a mile, there is no way I would have gone outside on my own. My workout would have been inside for all of it. It does prove to yourself as well how tough you really are (or stupid! Sometimes this is a very thin line!). You always have to take into account the conditions, the weather. When you are in a group, we all look out for each other. If I had been out there on my own, I would have been worried. What if I would have fallen, and it was that cold out? You have to be smart in this regards as well.
We stick together…look out for each other…are there for each other! There is even more of us when the weather is good! Your friends and family who help push you when things get uncomfortable make things or goals what would otherwise seem impossible, possible! Sometimes you even amaze yourself what you are capable of. Our biggest limitations tend to be between our ears! Believe in yourself, and good things happen.
Just remember, there is never a perfect time. If we keep waiting for that perfect time, we won’t get off of the couch. We won’t achieve our goals, and we won’t live our lives to the fullest that it could be. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Don’t wait for perfect weather. And…normally, I would say don’t wait until Jan 1 to make a start…start anytime, just keep it going. Since today is Jan 1…then this is a good day to start. Come on, what are you waiting for? We are not guaranteed tomorrow! Live today, achieve our goals, be happy, and be around to enjoy the things in life we find worthwhile! Just be safe as well!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3750
by kelsey | Dec 28, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Exercise, Food, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As we approach the weekend and New Year, many of our conversations involve discussion of New Years resolutions….a common topic for the month of January. Personally, I don’t really like resolutions…I don’t think you need to wait for a certain time of the year to focus on your health! You can do that anytime! I also don’t really agree with the mentality we have of binging on everything over the holidays followed by a “starvation” period in January. What fun is that!! Usually those drastic changes don’t last and you are back to eating normally and once again stuck in that revolving door of overeating followed by guilt and then restriction…which then leads us back to overeating because we can’t stick with it! Instead, I like to focus on healthy living all year round!
Choosing a few small things to work on over time that will help you create new habits that you can stick with. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Eat balanced! Strive for well balanced meals and snacks that are nutrient rich and portioned. Make half your plate fruits and veggies, a quarter lean protein, and a quarter whole grains.
- Eat consistently-eat several small meals and snacks a day instead of one or two big meals. This will keep your metabolism going and prevent you from being starving which always leads to overeating.
- Start your day off right with breakfast- this will help get your metabolism going and provide adequate nutrients to fuel you through your day.
- Focus on health, not weight. We put so much focus on the number on the scale it can drive us half crazy! Instead focus on healthy habits such as getting more fruits and veggies, using smaller plates and portions sizes, engaging in regular activity, etc etc. The weight will come when you achieve healthy habits!
- Eat dinner as a family. Take time to visit and enjoy. This will slow down your eating process and allow you to think more mindfully about your hunger and fullness. Ask yourself: Should I stop now? Do I really need seconds? etc.
- Get active-strive to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity most days of the week. If you can get up to 60 minutes, even better! Can’t do it all at once? That’s ok, research has shown that even 10 minutes at a time provides benefit so split it up between your day. We all have a million excuses to not exercise, so you need to throw out the excuse book and just put your mind to it! Start with 5-10 minutes and go from there. You will most likely find that you feel so much better after you exercise which makes doing it so much more enjoyable!
- Think positive- winter is a tough time for us…it’s dark, cold, and dreary. It can really wear us down at times, so instead focus on the positives. Positive thinking will help you be healthier instead and out!
- Get help from a qualified professional. If you need assistance with reaching your health goals, reach out for help! A Registered Dietitian (RD)/Licensed Nutrition (LN) like myself is your best source of reliable and credible food and nutrition information. Our next group wellness program STRIVE 2 Survive starts March 13th, but I can certainly work with you individually now!
Baby steps turn into big ones, so start slow and small and put more of a focus on health and wellness long term versus the quick fix! You CAN do this! Happy New Year!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by Dan | Dec 24, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
It was a great run this AM…not because of the temperature. It was cold outside, with a wind-chill below zero. It was great because of who I was running with. We had our weekly Watertown Area Run Club, and Sarah and I were running with our friends! Our running family. None of our group runs are really about running, but it is about spending time with people you care about, and who also happen to like running. Going out this AM by myself was probably not going to happen otherwise. As soon as I saw the temperature, a 1000 different excuses started going through my head to come up with something else to do for exercise other than running outside. But, my running family was going to be there…so you get up, put more warm stuff on, and get out the door.
It was our second annual Christmas run…and we were all decked out in our Christmas gear. Even Santa Claus was there in full garb! That also made it fun. We were quite the force going down the road. The only problem was we started at 6 AM, so there were not many cars, or people, out yet at that time. Several cars honked, and even rolled down the window to say Merry Christmas! That also kept us motivated to be out there.
We all posed in our Christmas garb in front of Makepeace jewelers. All smiling, laughing, then running…just spending time together. I had to go on a longer run yet today, and was not too eager to run on my own another 5 miles in this cold, and would have easily just headed to the car and left. Amanda decided she was going to run 10 miles too, and she was dressed as Mrs. Claus. We probably looked liked quite the sight running down highway 81. We kept each other going! Thanks Amanda! It made the cold tolerable! Now we both can enjoy the rest of the Christmas holiday!
Here are the rest of many of our run club members who could not be here this AM…but we were thinking about them this AM.
Merry Christmas to all my running friends…my running family, as well as to the rest of my family! Merry Christmas to all of you as well…take care of yourself. Get out and keep moving…be around longer to spend more time with your family as well. Strive to survive! All of this activity is part of this running Doc’s life…make it a part of your life as well! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3742
by kelsey | Dec 13, 2017 | Diet, Etc., Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Everyone’s eating habits are a little different from each other’s. The differences are usually dependent on our daily schedules, routines, choices, preferences, culture, etc. Many factors play into our eating habits. Alot of us use food for other purposes than nourishing our body–could be a stress reliever, emotional purpose, enjoyment, etc. Typically these other reasons play into what and how much we are eating. Emotional eating can lead to obesity and disease so finding that balance and making healthy choices is especially important for success long term with wellness. Mindful or intuitive eating is a concept dietitian Ellyn Satter has explored greatly. She has some basics tips about this type of eating below and I wanted to share this with you as it really gives some food for thought as we examine our eating habits.
What is Normal Eating?
•Normal eating is going to the table hungry and eating until you are satisfied.
•Normal eating is being able to give some thought to your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.
•It is leaving some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some again tomorrow, or it is eating more now because they taste so wonderful.
•Normal eating is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
•Normal eating takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one important area of your life
For more information visit Ellyn’s site at : http://www.ellynsatter.com
As you work to improve your diet and choices think about these concepts and work at incorporating them into your eating habits and thought process! Mindful eating is an excellent concept and promotes life long healthy eating habits.
-Kelsey
