by kelsey | May 19, 2015 | Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Today marks our last STRIVE 2 Survive lecture until fall. This icon is one of my favorites at is wraps up the basics of wellness. We put a lot of focus on diet and activity, however in order to truly be successful with those key components of wellness, one must be happy and content inside. Weight loss, eating healthy, exercising, etc are not easy…they do take some effort, motivation, and determination, but once you get into the swing of living a healthy lifestyle, it becomes easier and easier and eventually it’s your new lifestyle. Many times we consider ourselves failures due to our previous unsuccessful efforts at wellness or weight loss, we compare ourselves to others and downgrade our abilities as we don’t believe in ourselves and our abilities, and then we obsess or over-think about it that it basically inhibits us from moving forward and truly being successful. Does this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone, there are many struggling with this! No matter what your weight status is, you deserve to have a healthy body…and you are worth it! Whatever is inhibiting you from your past experiences, let go of it. Everyone has our own unique genetic makeup so quit comparing yourself others and accept your body for what it is and work it as you are able to (ie- if you are genetically predisposed to carry your weight in your butt and thighs, it’s unrealistic to think you’re going to have stick legs!). Journal your daily intake and personal insight and include at least one positive thing about yourself daily to help boost your self worth and self esteem. Surround yourself with positive, happy people and let the little things go. Reflect on these 7 rules of life and apply them to help you live a healthier life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 26, 2015 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my Dad passing away. It has been a tough year. I don’t think a day has gone by where I have not thought about him. It is surprising to me just how difficult this has been. He has taught me a lot over the years, and as I have stated before, he was part of the inspiration of my consecutive exercise streak. He had been riding a bike anywhere from 15-45 miles a day, and I wanted to see what I could do. He was very active his entire life, and did manual labor for his job, always lifting, moving. It has also been an eye opener going through pictures of how we have transformed over the years. This first one was about 1 year prior to his passing away.
This next one was when my daughters were being baptized 20 years ago.
This last one was when I was around 6 or 7.
We had great times as a family, and those memories I will have forever. We were always active together, whether our early years, or later years. I will be thinking of you lots tomorrow Dad! I miss you! I will remember those things you have taught me, and I will be like you…exercising until I no longer physically can. You have been a great role model, Father, Husband, Grandfather. As long as we have memories, you will always be alive in our hearts. Keep moving everybody, and enjoy the time, and the days you have, to enjoy life to the fullest, with no regrets!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2736
by Dan | Mar 8, 2015 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We all have those days when life just seems hectic, and we have no idea how we are going to get everything done. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and remember what is truly important. My recent vacation in Mexico was a perfect time for “reflection”, and relaxation. What is important to me? Here is number one!
I have said many times in public, and on this blog, my main reason for the consecutive exercise streak is to try and help me stay healthy, and be around longer for my family. Here is the love of my life. Words can’t express what Sarah means to me. I am going to enjoy having her as long as I can.
There was time there for relaxing, and just listening to the ocean, where I got to just sit back and realize what I truly have, and to appreciate it all even more. Forget about the little stuff, because in reality, it truly is “little”, and won’t mean anything in the long term. Here are some views I got to witness, and was able to sit back and really have some quiet time to be able to truly appreciate what I have in my life.
It was easy to watch all of this and just forget about all of those other little, trivial things in life. Don’t take the days we have for granted. We don’t know what the future is going to bring. Enjoy life to the fullest! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2718
by Dan | Feb 1, 2015 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health, Winter
I said on my last post how tough Hills can be for running. Here I am at the top of one, and the sign in the background says “Moon Mountain”…How appropriate…it flet like we ran to the moon!
Here is Sarah…of course, some of us felt a little better after them. It was a good thing I took the picture several minutes later after she was able to recovery!
The scenery there was very nice. Getting to watch all of this kind of made the Hills a little easier to take.
It is always easier to do a workout with other people as well.
My true training partners…Steve, my marathon partner, and of course Sarah, my forever running partner. It always make adventures somewhere else that much better when you can explore it first hand out running. Some of these places we would not see had we not been out on foot. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2683
by kelsey | Jan 21, 2015 | Motivation, Weather, Weight Management, Wellness/Health, Winter
January is a long and dreary month. It’s cold, wintery, dark, and feels like it lasts forever after the buzz and excitement of the holiday season in December. With less sunlight and cold temps, our time outdoors is limited and can make us have the “winter blues”. Last week, I was able to enjoy vacation with my family in Hawaii (the picture is of one of our Hawaiian sunsets we enjoyed!) and as I drove into work this morning on ice covered roads, I couldn’t help but imagine myself on the beach drinking a tasty fruit drink, and soaking up the sun like I was last week! The wintery weather can really bring our spirits down. Below are some tips to help you spark your spirit and stay motivated with working on your wellness goals.
- Get active! Activity produces natural endorphins that boost mood and it will aid in a healthy heart and weight. Try getting at least 30 minutes of activity in a day…if you can do more, the better. Vary your activities to decrease the chances of boredom.
- Eat Right: healthy eating will make you feel healthier inside and out. Aim to get at least 5 fruits and veggies a day, include whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. Vitamin D has been proven to aid in seasonal affective disorder, so be sure to get your 3 servings of low fat milk or dairy products. If you aren’t a milk drinker you may consider taking a daily multivitamin with calcium and vitamin D or a vitamin D supplement. Please ask your dietitian, pharmacist, or doctor for the correct dosage.
- Spice up your life: Sometimes getting a new shirt, going to the movies, reading a new and exciting book, or getting new tunes on your ipod will help spice up your life and add some more excitement to your life.
- Get out! Plan a family/friend trip, bum around downtown Watertown, or plain just get out of the house! It’s easy to dwell in our sorrows by becoming a hermit and staying inside. We need to get out and get some socialization!
- Think Positive! Dwelling on the negatives can sure take a person down. Instead think about the positives in your life. Tell yourself one positive thing about yourself and your selfworth daily. Focus on the blessings in your life!
- If you feel you are suffering from the blues very seriously then I encourage you to contact your physician for further assistance as we can help you with this!
Spring and warmer temperatures will be coming. Stay positive, eat right, exercise, and get out…those winter blues will be gone before you know it!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Dec 30, 2014 | Diet, Food, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
New Year’s is almost here and with it comes the inevitable resolutions. We confidently vow to shed pounds and inches to change our lives for the better but these resolutions tend to fail. We often set lofty goals like “ I will lose 15 pounds” which is a valid goal but could take up to a year to properly reach it. We tend to eat too little and exercise to vigorously during the first couple of days just to give up in frustration and hunger. I am not a big fan of resolutions, because they typically aren’t followed long term, I am however a big fan of lifestyle changes!
Here are some tips and guidelines to assist you in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight loss and lifestyle change:
¨ Set realistic, short-term goals such as “I will lose 1 pound/week.” After success with the first reasonable goal, the next goals will seem attainable.
¨ Do not keep junk food at the house. If unhealthy choices are in sight, you might be tempted to reach for them. Remember, out of sight, out of mind!
¨ Eat a serving of protein and whole grains to feel full longer which could curb hunger cues.
¨ Eat the majority of food during the earlier parts of your day. This can help end that bad habit of late night snacking.
¨ Pay attention to feelings like boredom, loneliness, stress, and fatigue, which can cause mindless eating. Only eat when you are actually hungry and think of food as fuel.
¨ Use smaller plates, bowls, etc. to help keep portions under control. This could help trick the mind into thinking you are eating a large portion.
¨ Eat slowly and away from distraction, if possible. This will allow you to pay attention to any cues of becoming full. Remember it takes 20 minutes for you to feel full.
¨ Try to get more active each day. By aiming to increase your exercise level by 10 minutes each day, you can build up strength and stamina gradually, which could help you from not quitting exercising in frustration.
These guidelines can help end the New Year’s resolution failures and hopefully create healthy, lifelong habits.
-Kelsey
