MONDAY MOTIVATION - The Motivation of Gaining Health

I'm having a GREAT day!  Hope it's great for all of you as well.

A few weeks ago, I became a Health Coach for a wonderful company that has helped me to lose 48 pounds and 48 inches in the last 14.5 weeks.  Not only do I look WAY different, I FEEL wonderful!

Three and a half years ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer, and started treatments, I never thought I'd feel good again. In January, I felt like I was twice my age - it's been 3 years since I finished chemo, and I still felt awful - no energy, lots of fatigue, aching joints, etc.  I knew my weight was out of control, too.

(This is me in January of this year, on the left - YIKES!  I started this healthy eating program, and here I am, on the right, after about 13 weeks)

I did every single thing I could to get rid of my breast cancer - I had all of the treatments my doctor lined up for me.  And now, I feel like I've taken the final step to regaining my health.  And, if my cancer ever comes back, it isn't going to be because I'm not healthy.

So, earlier today, I was reading in the Habits of Health book that I got with the program I'm on, and something I read really made a lot of sense to me:

Most changes we try to adopt (like dieting) are based on solving a problem or trying to get rid of an unwanted situation.  This type of motivation almost never leads to lasting changes.  You make changes at first, but later you fall back into your old ways of behavior.  So, for instance:  think about your health problems... you might hate the way you look or feel, and your natural response is to feel terrible about it.  In order to end that feeling, you take actions that make you feel better - you go on a diet, or you exercise.  But those actions aren't motivated by what you want (just by what you don't want), so they lead you into a predictable cycle... you act, and then because you've acted, you feel better - even if the situation hasn't changed much.  Feeling better takes the pressure off, lessening the bad feelings.  Less emotional conflict means there's less reason to continue doing the things that reduced the conflict in the first place.  Since you feel better, you no longer feel a pressing need to follow through on your actions.  And the original behavior returns.  That's what we call a "yo-yo pattern".  Conflict-driven motivation in one of the major reasons people yo-yo.  So, we need to change the way we're motivated...

We need to motivate ourselves by focusing on what we want - not what we don't want!  This is the difference between a problem-oriented motivation and an outcome-oriented motivation.  Changing our emphasis from what we're against to what we're for has a dramatic impact.

I found this fascinating.  If I'm understanding this right - what I need to do is change my motivation from thinking that I don't want to be unhealthy, to thinking that I want optimal health.  Instead of trying to lose weight, I need to focus on gaining health!  I love this idea!  If I focus on losing weight, then at some point, I'll lose all the weight, and then what?  Most likely I'll stop doing what I'm supposed to do, because I've reached that goal.  But, if I focus on gaining health - well, that never ends.  It's a life-long pursuit.  And that means, I'll be working constantly on that.  No more yo-yoing!

On the front of the Habits of Health book, it says "The path to permanent weight control and optimal health".  I'm now well on my way down that path, and I've got the goal of optimal health in mind.  It makes me happy just to think about where I'll be in 2 months, in 6 months, in a year - or even 2 or 5 years.

I've learned in just a short time that it is possible to overcome cancer - completely.  And even to feel better than ever - I've taken that final step, and I feel amazing!

I just went through a box of clothes that I've kept stashed downstairs - these are my favorite clothes, but I haven't been able to wear any of them for years!  I got into every one of them.  My son took my picture in a few items...

Life is good, my friends!

-Kara

MONDAY MOTIVATION - New Year's Goal and Resolutions - GET HEALTHY

It's the first of a brand new year - and since none of us are perfect, I figure that we will all be making a few changes this year. What changes are you going to make? You might want to focus on physical changes, or mental changes, social changes, or perhaps spiritual changes. Today, I thought I'd give you some information that can help you make physical changes - changes that will lower your risk of either getting cancer, or since most of us who read this blog have already had cancer, changes that will lower your risk of recurrence.

I've got this cool, really helpful book, called "Complete Food and Nutrition Guide" by the American Dietetic Association. The following information is from the section that talks about Cancer...

What is Cancer? Cancer is a disease characterized by abnormal cell growth. It starts with a single cell that has divided abnormally.

What causes Cancer? The causes are varied and not always clear. Some cancers are genetic and run in families. Most cancers result from environmental and lifestyle factors.

Can we reduce our risk for Cancer? Yes! Some risk factors are controllable - the use of tobacco, your weight, your physical activity level, your dietary intake, exposure to sunlight, exposure to carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents. According to 2005 data from the American Cancer Society, 1/3 of cancer deaths were related to nutrition, physical inactivity, obesity, and other lifestyle factors.

You can take a few small steps to significantly reduce your risk...

Maintain a healthy weight throughout your life. (Avoid eating more calories than your body uses).

Stay physically active. (Do moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day).

Enjoy a variety of plant-based foods: vegetables, fruits, legumes (dry beans), and whole grains.

Enjoy your veggies - and fruits! They have lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients, plus, they are low in fat.

Go easy on alcoholic beverages. Moderation is the key - no more than one drink daily for women, two for men.

Limit saturated fat and salt.

Avoid eating charred foods. When fat from grilled foods drips onto fire, smoke and flames leave polycyclic aromatic hydrocabons (PAHs). High temp cooking of meat, poultry, and fish cause heterocyclic amines (HCAs) to form. Both HCAs and PAHs are potential carcinogens.

Make your life a "NO SMOKING" zone.

Limit your exposure to the sun, as well as sunlamps and tanning booths. Wear protective clothing and sunglasses, and use a sunblock. As my doctor said: "If you think breast cancer is bad - you DO NOT want to deal with skin cancer!"

So, there's a list for you to look over. Decide what areas you'll focus on this year. Every little change counts.

(After Cancer - no special diet after treatment can prevent the recurrence of cancer. Cancer survivors are at greater risk for other cancers. And obesity is linked to breast cancer recurrence. However, healthful eating, appropriate weight, and physically active lifestyle can make a difference for overall healthy, quality of life, longevity! Being well nourished can help you gradually rebuild your strength after treatment.)

Have a great New Year!

TUESDAY TIDINGS - 6 Breast Cancer Facts

The following breast cancer facts were found in a pamphlet called "Health Connection", put out by Good Neighbor Pharmacy in October 2010...

Studies have shown that eating more fruits and vegetables helps protect against all kinds of cancer, including breast cancer.

Regular exercise can lower your risk of getting breast cancer by as much as 20 percent.

Try to limit yourself to less than one alcoholic beverage per day to help reduce your breast cancer risk.

Consider losing weight - obese women are more likely to get breast cancer than women who are lean.

Breast-feeding lowers the risk for breast cancer among women with a family history of the disease.

Mammography can detect breast cancer in the early stages when it is most treatable.

TUESDAY TIDINGS - Portion Control at Slimware...

At our last meeting on nutrition, I mentioned some beautiful plates I found that help you eliminate the guesswork when it comes to portion control. The plates are called Slimware.

Portion control works better for weight loss than almost anything else - including upping your exercise, consuming less fat, or increasing fruits and vegetables. (according to a study in Obesity Research).

These plates, with built in portion control in the designs, can help eliminate the guesswork. Just pile your veggies over the largest flower, and your meat on the smallest. The medium flower is just right for starches.

The plates come in several different styles, and can be purchased for $36.50 at slimware.com. (My favorite plate - Sunburst - a yellow square plate - is out of stock right now. But there are several other beautiful styles.)


Happy Portion Control!