by Dan | Jan 1, 2015 | Etc.
What are your goals/plans for 2015? What do you want to do? To Achieve? It basically comes down to what is right for you. Only you can decide what that may be. Just remember to keep some basics concepts in mind. Look deep inside of you to decide what is it that is really important to you. What drives your interests? What truly is important to you? For me, it always boils down to the main essentials: My Family!
My kids home for Christmas, with Molly’s boyfriend Tanner.
Sarah enjoying having everybody home for Christmas too.!
And of course, we can’t forget about Zeus!
Just remember, keep in mind what is important to you, and then set your goals in relation to them. It will be much easier to create goals that are important to you. Set those goals to be challenging, but achievable. Remember to take into account your schedule limitations, as everybody’s is different. How hard are you willing to work, and what are you willing to sacrifice? As long as you keep your core objectives in mind of why you are even wanting to have goals in the first place, then they will be much easier, and rewarding, to achieve. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2652
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
by Dan | Dec 24, 2014 | Etc.
Who says just because the holidays are here you can’t still workout, and yet still have fun. Megan is home from school, so we have been going to Anytime fitness together. Molly will be too. Meg and I had some fun this AM while we were there.
Of course, we get to laughing so hard, we have to remember we are there to exercise! Here are a few more shots…
Megan started out a little slow trying to smile for the camera…
Then she started to smile a little more in between sets…
Just remember, even though it is the holidays, you can still work in some time to be fit, and take care of yourselves. Keep moving everybody! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2644
by Dan | Dec 21, 2014 | Etc.
Whoever said that brothers don’t miss sisters, has missed out on a lot of things. Megan came home from college for Christmas…George Mason University in Farifax, Virginia. Nick may be the tough guy, but deep down, he missed his sister.
Mr. Tough guy is happy! Megan has not been home since mid August. Molly made it home from SDSU a few days prior, but did not get to come to the airport because she had 4 wisdom teeth removed the day prior. Believe me, she would have rather been at the airport!
We get to be a full family again for the next few weeks. This is what the holidays are about…spending time with the people you care about, and love. Not what presents you are going to get, or go have to buy, or the rest of the stress that goes with the holiday times. Just spend time together. Both girls have already asked when I am going to be working out, as they want to join me. Whether at home, or going in to Anytime Fitness, it does not matter. Another opportunity to spend together, and be healthier as a result. As I have said before, the family that works out together…lives longer and stays together longer, and gets to spend more time together. Enjoy the holidays coming. And remember, keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2641
by kelsey | Dec 18, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Wellness/Health
With Christmas a week away, I thought we’d better discuss proper food safety practices. My mom likes to call me the “food police” because I’m always asking her about her cooking and food holding practices, checking out the fridge, and making sure the hot food stays hot and cold foods stay cold. I know it may seem a little OCD on my part, but the reality is, the holidays usually involve all day eating or grazing for several hours and if someone isn’t watching the temps or being mindful of the proper food safety practices, bacteria can develop in your food and food borne illness would put a major damper on your celebrations! Below are some tips to help you practice proper food safety so that you and your family can enjoy the festivities and stay healthy!
Wash: wash your hands in warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after food preparation. Anyone who is helping with the food prep, should practice this! Keep your kitchen surfaces and cutting boards clean and sanitized (use one cutting board for meats and another for the ready to eat foods such as veggies). Be sure to use separate serving utensils for cooking and serving as well.
Thaw Properly: the best way to thaw is in the fridge, so be sure to put the big turkey or roast in the fridge several days before you plan to cook it to allow for ample time to unthaw. Be sure to place the meat in the bottom shelf of the fridge so the juices don’t drip on other foods. You can unthaw/defrost in the microwave, but if you do this, it needs to be cooked immediately. Another option is to fill the sink with cold tap water and place the wrapped meat in the water. If you choose this method of unthawing, be sure to change the water every 30 minutes.
Check your Temps: the only way to determine if the meat is at the proper temperature is to use a meat thermometer. Color, smell, appearence, etc are not reliable measures to make sure your meat is done properly. Whole turkeys should be cooked to 165°F, roasts should be cooked to 160°F, hams and pork roasts should be cooked to 145°F. When using a thermometer, stick it in the thickest part of meat and make sure it’s not touching the pan, bones, or fat.
Practice Proper Holding: after two hours of having food out, bacteria can rapidly multiply on perishable items. If you want your food to stay out for longer than that, you may consider using a crock pot or keeping the hot food in the oven to keep it hot and using ice packs or keeping the cold foods in the fridge. The basics is that we want to keep “cold food cold, and hot food hot” to prevent bacteria from growing. Be sure to check the temps before eating if you have been holding the food for hours.
Leftovers: reheat your leftovers to 165°F and bring gravy to a steady boil on the stove before serving it again. Refridgerated cooked turkey should be using with in 3-4 days and stuffing within 1-2 days. Casseroles and cooked veggies should be used with in 3-4 days. When in doubt, throw it out! Yes, this is hard to do, but the longer it sits, the more risky it is!
Most of all, just be mindful and use your common sense when preparing and handling foods and be sure to cherish what the holidays really are about!
-Kelsey
