Getting yourself out of a rut.

So up until this point in my life, I haven't really had any reason why I couldn't eat healthy or exercise. I've never been off of the bandwagon and therefore, never had to get back on the bandwagon. Well...Up until about a month or so ago. I'm sharing this only because I want you all to see that I am human...regardless of being a trainer and a soon-to-be Dietitian. I am human...and this experience has lead me to become even more human. I've been off and on sick since mid February--my birthday weekend to be exact (horrayyy). I've had the flu (possibly twice), severe GERD *acid reflux* and heart burn to the point where I couldn't eat practically anything, nauseau (from meds), horrible head aches, possibly asthma, fevers,...you name it. Let me just sum it up and say, my body has been OFF of its rocker for a little over a month. I've had a hard time eating, experiencing decreased energy, decreased appetite, and some days, the inability to get myself to the gym/exercise. Just to allow you to understand me a little bit, I see all of this as "detrimental" to my life/health. This was a big deal to me. I couldn't eat fruits (because of the severe GERD and heartburn), barely could consume vegetables, and basically lived off of toast for a week and a half. I had to take several days off from exercising. This all lead to me being in a small rut. LONG story short, my body got used to the days off of exercising and also got kind of used to eating just toast (which is NOT okay with me--soon to be dietitian here). Although this is definitely not a year long rut, or a rut of many many years...it was still a rut nevertheless...just on a smaller scale. SO how do you get out of the rut? Well for me, it was kind of easy...because I wanted to exercise again....I wanted to eat fruits and vegetables and eat normal 3 meals a day. But I think I am no different than most people..most people WANT to change or get back on the bandwagon...but wants don't always relate over to changing a behavior. Just because you want to lose weight...or eat healthier...does not equal action. This brings me to how and why people change behavior: People change when... 1) It is important to them 2) They know how to 3) They believe they can. If any one of these componenets is missing, behavior change will not occur, or will not last. So when coming out of my "rut"...I knew it was important for me to get back into healthy behaviors for my mental and physical health...I obviously knew how (eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and exercise)...and I did believe I could because I had been doing these healthy behaviors my entire life. But what happens when one of them is missing? If it isn't important to you to change: no motivator...no reason to change...or the reason is not something you hold at high priority. If you don't know how to do the change: thats where education comes in...look up information from reliable expert resources (American Dietietc Association, American College of Sports Medicine), ask professionals in those fields. If you don't believe you can: this is where counseling comes into play...looking deep within yourself....figuring out what it would have to take in order to feel confident that you can change. Remember, the only person stopping you from your goals is YOU. So again, I understand how tough it might be to get back on the bandwagon. I think if you look at the 3 components that have to be in place in order to change and really ask yourself what's missing...you might be able to start making some progress towards a healthier life. Ask yourself: Why is it important that I change? Do I know how to do the change (eat healthier, exercise, etc)? And do I believe I can make the change? I think once you answer those questions, you'll be all set.

Healthy thoughts, healthy body.

I can't tell you how important it is for you to understand and appreciate the concept of "healthy thoughts lead to a healthy body". If you think positively about yourself and your body, you will be more apt to take care of it: you will exercise on a daily basis and you will nourish your body with the food it needs for optimal health. You will also be less apt to "let yourself go" as some would put it if you are truly in touch with your body, your feelings, and the way you feel about yourself and your body.

Alongside this, exercise and eating healthy will impact your thoughts. When people exercise they have a feeling of accomplishment, happiness, and a feeling of absolute euphoria. Have you ever worked out so hard that you got to that place where you honestly said to yourself "this feels awesome". If yes, good for you...and you obviously get what I mean. If no, get yourself to that point...it's truly a breaking point. Once you get to that place in your mind and body, nothing seems too hard or unreachable. And that is just absolutely amazing.

OR like most will admit to, they feel that way AFTER they have worked out, which is great as well.

Allow yourself to do positive things to your body. You don't have to eat like a pig...you don't have to be a lump on the couch...you don't have to go out on all night drinking binges with your best friends every weekend...YOU make the choice to take care of yourself. YOU make the choice to think positively of yourself and your body.

Give yourself a reason to be proud of who you are and how you carry yourself.

I promise that if you feed yourself healthy food (remember 75% of the time works for me) and give your body the chance to move (aka exercise/activity) you WILL feel BETTER about yourself and about your body.

What better gift can you give yourself?

I can't think of anything better than that. Giving yourself that gift will snowball into other good things happening in your life. The sky is truly the limit. GO live your best life and make the choice to think healthy thoughts and have a healthy body.

:)

Cait

PS I haven't received any questions or comments lately and it makes me sad! Come on now people...any holiday weight gainers freaking out right now? Anyone feeling like a blimp?! Anyone have some new tips on how to maintain a healthy positive attitude about yourself? Talk to me about it!

It's what you do 75% of the time that matters.

Hey all. Merry Christmas Eve. It's been a while since I've written a post!

Today I want to talk about the mere fact that your health is dependent upon what you do the majority of the time....I like to use 75%. That 25% matters very little...that 25% could be you going out to dinner and eating whatever you'd like 1-2x a month...it could be you taking a "day off" of heavy cardio/lifting 1 day a week. It could be you doing a half ass workout 1-3x a month because you don't want to take a day off but you are just mentally not into working out. It could be you indulging in a cookie or two at the office a day or two throughout the holidays. Whatever that 25% means to you.

Let's put into perspective that other 75%. That 75% is what you do the majority of the time. Ask yourself: Am I moving 75% of the day? Am I sitting 75% of the day? Am I eating healthy meals and snacks for the majority of the time? Am I taking time out for myself to keep myself happy and energized 75% of the time? Am I slacking off and feeding my body crappy food and not exercising 75% of the time?

You figure out what you do 75% of the time and then you take the 75% and you modify it...make it a better 75%. Then after you work on the positive....then look at what you are doing the other 25% of the time and make small changes there. Remember: It's about what you do the majority of the time.

If you never eat crappy food, but a couple days during the holidays you indulge...don't kill yourself over it. Just increase your workouts a little and get over it. Unless you eat 3,500 calories of extra food over those couple days, you shouldn't gain weight....however, if you do gain weight, it's probably because you are eating unhealthy 75% of the time during the holidays, and healthy 25%. Just switch it back. No big deal.

SO for example: Last night I went out with some friends to have a couple drinks. I LOVED every sip. Did I drink 5 of them? NO, I drank 2. Did I eat a huge meal after because I already "ruined" the day? No, I ate some small healthy snacks after I got home. Did I go home and tell myself that I needed to go kill myself at the gym today? No. So what did I do? I went home, drank a bunch of water, ate some healthy snacks and got lots of good rest. Then I woke up today, went running with my friend (5 miles), and then when I got home I said to myself "I'm not tired and I know I am going to be doing a lot of sitting today due to homework and church, SO I am going to just walk on the treadmill while I watch the Dr.Oz show". It was an easy way to add in some activity while still enjoying the show I was going to sit and watch anyways. Today I am going to try to be sitting only 25% of my day and up standing or moving the other 75%.

I challenge you to try to to the same!

Everyday try to find ways to be moving 75% of the day. It doesn't matter if you exercise for an hour if you are sitting/laying down for the 75% of your day. I'm not saying that exercising for an hour isn't good enough *it is* but what I am saying is that doesn't mean that you should be fine with sitting the rest of it. You shouldn't exclude yourself from those 10,000 steps that all of us should be getting a day.

Try these tips:

1) Move your legs while you are at your desk or doing hw in my case. People who figit or tap their feet burn more calories per day and also have a lower BMI than those who don't. Keep that in mind!

2) Try standing up while on the phone...walk around a little bit while you are on the phone at work or at home.

3) Try to find ways to get more activity into your day...walk the stairs, park further away, get up to talk to coworkers, get up and take a short walk every 45 min to an hour.

4) GO for a walk in the morning, at lunch, and right after work.

5) Eat standing up. Like breakfast, we don't need to be sitting. Lunch is usually on the go anyways, and dinner...let yourself sit with your family but know that the more activity you get after dinner, the less energy you will be storing *as fat*. *As long as you are paying attention to the fact that you are eating, it's okay to be standing up, as long as you don't overeat at meals*.

SO the take home message. Eat healthy and get moving 75% of the time. The other 25% you can work on once you get that 75% down.

Working on the positive first will not only get you moving in the right direction *no pun intended* but it will also allow you to see the positive things you are doing for you and your health. We tend to only focus on our bad habits. Let's focus on the good habits and expand on those! :)

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.

Caitlin

Make a committment to your future

As of right now I am interning in a hospital through my dietetic internship program. To be honest, the majority of the conditions patients come in with could have either been prevented or lessened by just living a healthier lifestyle. Not all conditions are preventable through diet and exercise and I do realize this, however, diet and exercise can help to manage the condition so it does not get worse or require medications.

Long story short, I see a lot of these conditions: high blood pressure (hypertension), COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-typically smoking driven), overweight/obesity, Diabetes (usually uncontrolled), and heart conditions.

Most of the patients I see tell me that they know they are eating unhealthy and that they aren't following the recommendations set forth by the doctor or dietitian about diet and exercise...and I just want to ask WHY NOT and give them a swift kick in the butt. We could talk about will power and this and that all day, but seriously...if you have a severe medical condition, IS THAT NOT ENOUGH to make a CHANGE? When are we going to wake up and figure out that our nation is not getting any healthier unless we CHANGE. What is it going to take for the light bulb to go off?An epidemic? ALREADY HAPPENING!

When we're young (which I am) we don't think about how our behaviors today may affect our future...but quite honestly, that gets you nowhere and if you really believe this, then you are probably ignorant or just don't understand the word "consequence". So many patients will say "I wish I had listened to my doctor, or put on sunscreen, or ate better, or exercised" blah blah blah. You don't want to be saying "I wish" later on in life, instead you want to be saying "I'm glad I did everything I could".

Seriously, every day you must make a committment to yourself in order to have a healthy and happy future. Keep reminding yourself why you are exercising and why you choose healthier options; it's because if you put in the work now and for your entire life, you will have less medical complications later. Some issues are genetic and some issues are bound to happen that are out of our control, however, focus on what you can control and you will never have to say the words "I wish I had ____".

If you have a family member or loved that one that needs a swift kick in the butt, have them read this and talk with them about it. And if YOU need a swift kick in the butt, email me :) and I will do it for you. cait.croteau@gmail.com

Thanks guys...and I hope you are all having a healthy and happy Sunday!

Upcoming Holiday #1 Thanksgiving

Hey all. As I'm sitting in Baltimore, MD...I keep thinking to myself how every store is filled of Holiday-ness (which by the way I am pumped about---I'm obsessed with the Holiday season) and how the next Holiday is Thanksgiving. Let's chat about thanksgiving for a sec.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner...I believe in enjoying food and especially food around the Holidays because it is how we tend to celebrate them.

Thanksgiving is notoriously the day where you consume food like it's the last food you'll eat before hibernating for the winter months. Truth is, you're not a bear or any other animal that hibernates.

Here's the truth. Your body uses the calories it needs and then it stores the rest (primarily as fat). The average caloric consumption on Thanksgiving is between 5,000-6,000 calories. The typical American consumes about 2,000 calories per day. So Thanksgiving provides an additional 3,000-4,000 calories. Likewise, a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. SO you can assume you will at least gain 1 pound of fat just from Thanksgiving. Not that a pound is a big deal, but then when you think about all of the salt that is added to food, you'll end up gaining more "weight" because of all of the fluid retained from the salt. Long story short, if you step on the scale the day after Thanksgiving, it's not going to be good. And I do not encourage using a scale anyways because it makes us think that our health is equal to the number on the scale...and how screwed up is that.

Here are some tips for making your Thanksgiving healthier:

1) Sign you and your family up for a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. There is at least one in every area...so do yourself a favor and start your day out healthy...you'll be less apt to overeat and also to indulge a little less.

2) Stay in touch with your body...especially your stomach. There is no need to eat to the point of unbuttoning your pants or feeling nauseous. It's FOOD....and it will be available tomorrow and the day after that.

3) Try a new recipe that is perhaps a little bit healthier than the typical meal. Perhaps you make a healthier apple crisp instead of the heavy one. Perhaps you make a lighter stuffing. OR perhaps you just don't fill your entire plate.

4) Perhaps you go on a walk or play basketball with the family after the meal.

5) The day after Thanksgiving...is of course, Black Friday. Use Black Friday as a way to get a little more exercise. Get some exercise in before you leave and then use your shopping as extra exercise. Every step counts.

Here's the deal. Don't forget about your health just because it's Thanksgiving. Yes, it happens once a year, but the Holiday season is about 4-5 weeks long. Know that each day counts...enjoy the food...and keep in touch with your body. Get active on Thanksgiving and invite your entire family to join you. You'll be setting a great example and you'll feel less inclined to eat like you're never going to eat again.

Cheers!

Caitlin

Fitness is not a luxury...it's a necessity

Equinox gyms sold T-shirts with this saying on it...and honestly, it's so true.

Being fit/healthy is not something that is luxurious...it's not something only the rich and famous get to become....it's something that is necessary for all of us.

Being fit is not easy either. It takes WORK to be healthy...to truly work our bodies so that they can endure stress, emotional demands, and the physical demands that arise in our day to day lives...the expected and the unexpected.

Let me tell you a story of a man named Matt Long. Matt long is and was a NYC firefighter. He ran marathons and completed Ironman triathalons (if you don't know what an ironman is look it up--it's an amazing accomplishment). He was unbelievable fit individual. Then about 5 years ago, as Matt Long was riding his bike to work, he got hit my a 40,000 pound bus that was making an illegal turn. Without giving everything away, Matt Long basically only survived the accident because of how fit and healthy he was....his heart and lungs were able to endure the trauma. He bled out so much blood that in a normal person, the heart would stop pumping, however Matt's did not stop. It was because he made fitness and health a necessity that he was able to save his own life (along with the amazing doctors but he deserves the credit for how strong his heart was). Matt survived 40 something surgeries and 1 year after his recovery, ran the NYC marathon and later completed another Ironman.

Matt Long is an amazing person for so many reasons and I will let you be the one to buy and read his book "The Long Run" so you can get to understand and appreciate this man even more than you already do. However, let his story be a wake up call. YOU need to be fit for other reasons than just being at the perfect weight. You need to understand and open up your eyes to the other REASONS why you need to be fit. If you work out just to lose weight, it's time to first off, figure out why a number is so important to you, and second off, losing weight typically means losing muscle, and the only reason why Matt lived was because of how STRONG his heart was (your heart is a muscle). Placing stress on your heart and lungs and skeletal muscles (arms, legs, etc) will train your heart to endure more stress. Your heart will have to pump less (do less work) in order to do the job it has to do (pump blood in and out of the heart).

You should be fit so that your day to day life is easier, so that you're healthy your whole life, and so that in the case that an unfortunate event happens (like Matt Long), your body will be better able to handle the trauma placed upon it. I am by no means saying that if you are fit you will survive whatever comes your way, but what I am saying is that if you are fit, you will have a better chance of surviving. Make your body strong, keep your heart and lungs fit, and keep your spirits positive.

Being fit is not just about weight loss or preventing weight gain. Shift your focus to the bigger picture: decreasing your risk of developing lifestyle diseases, increase your bodies ability to endure trauma, live your life feeling good, setting a good example for our family and friends, and last but not least, it may save your life one day.

Fitness is not a luxury, it's a necessity.

I met Matt Long this past weekend and he is truly an inspiration to anyone. He inspired me to make goals for myself and so I am going to run the NYC Marathon November 2011.

Here is Matt Long's foundation website: http://www.iwillfoundation.com

Buy Matt Long's book "The Long Run".

Get inspired. Get moving.

The end to CHILDHOOD obesity. YOU have something to do with this.

Okay so while I was taking a run with my dog Simon, I started to think about what I would want to write about today. And...within 30 seconds I had about 100 ideas. SO I am going to start with my first idea.

CHILDHOOD obesity.

The fact that these two words are even together makes me pissed. Yes children should have a little meat, but quite frankly, being 20 pounds overweight is not BABYFAT. It's "cute" only until the child starts to develop conditions such as metabolic diseases, type 2 diabetes, thyroid issues...not to mention the psychological effects it has on the child.

Here's the deal. We are so afraid to tell children NO because they might get mad at us or say that we are the worst person in the world. WE (meaning any one of us that has interaction with children) need to teach children HOW TO BE HEALTHY. PART of teaching to be healthy involves a little bit of discipline. If you tell a child they can have all of the sugar in the world, aren't we teaching them to eat that way? YES.

What would happen if we don't allow children to eat macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, pizza, chicken fingers, pop tarts, etc for meals? Are they going to hate you forever and develop this life long grudge? NO. I'm thankful my parents didn't allow me to eat whatever I wanted to eat because they actually taught me healthy eating. I was not allowed to have dessert until I ate dinner...or at least the majority of the veggies and meat. They wouldn't force me to eat everything...we need to teach children how to listen to their bodies...actually, they are much better at this than adults...so maybe kids should be teaching the adults...but let's not get too a head of ourselves.

ANYWAYS. I'm over Childhood Obesity. Sorry for the language, but this is bullshit. Kids are supposed to be active....parents/grandparents/babysitters should be feeding their children healthy food (and the occasional sweet treat). OH and how many of us as children were rewarded with a cookie or some type of sweet treat? ....now how many of us NOW do the same to ourselves? It's so true.

What we do in our childhood greatly affects us later in our lives. Teach children how to eat healthy...or just don't buy crappy food. All people do is complain about how much money healthy food is....I think it's time we cut the shit. Seriously, a bag of doritos and a box of macaroni and cheese HAS ZERO nutritional benefit really...so actually the money you spend on junk food is TOO EXPENSIVE since it's a waste of money. It's too expensive to buy healthy food yet we don't mind spending money on products that do NOTHING for us...actually those products cost even more than healthy food because you are going to have to spend that much more on healthcare later on. Whether that be dietitian appointments, physician appointments, gastric bypass surgery, diet books/food/magazines, cancer treatment, insulin for diabetics....that's the expensive part.

SO do me a huge favor and take some responsibility for the children in this nation. Teach them how to live active and healthy lives. Make fruits and vegetables something that is part of their diet and not just the evil green peas on the plate...oh and parents, don't pass on your eating preferences to your kids....they LOOK UP TO YOU for what is right or wrong or delicious or gross.

KIDS look up to ADULTS. It's our responsibility to take care of these children. Our kids should not be obese and we are going to be the ones to change that. Set a good example for the kids around you....whether they are yours or not.

IF we buck up and take care of ourselves, kids will follow suit. IF we show children how to take care of themselves, they will love us forever. IF you say no to having 5 cookies after dinner, they will not hate you, they will thank you later on. IF we get kids to be active and eat healthy, we will prevent Childhood Obesity. That's my solution.

Childhood Obesity...it's something we are all shaking our heads about but doing nothing about. And that's a shame.

Take some responsibility for your health

You have one body. One mind. ONE LIFE.

Take advantage of all of the information and equipment that is out there in the fitness and nutrition fields. There is no reason why we can't eat healthy and exercise.

Wake up early or work out right when you get home. Don't allow yourself to make excuses. It's time to stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for your own health.

Healthcare is not preventative. Healthcare is what happens AFTER the damage is done. No one does any prevention right now....no one cares until something bad happens. And honestly, that sucks.

Why not eat healthy NOW and exercise NOW instead of becoming obese with Type 2 diabetes and a high risk of having a heart attack or acquiring cancer?

We can't control everything...we can't control our family history or our genetics. BUT it's about what we CAN control. You can control what you buy at the grocery store...what you put in your mouth/your children's mouth...you can control what you do with your body. You can decide to work out and challenge yourself. YOU can decide to be as healthy as you can.

With the rates of obesity (child and adult) increasing...the cancer rates increasing...the diabetes rates increasing...the rates of heart attacks increasing...it's a no brainer that SOMETHING has to be done.

It's time to take control of your own health..and your family's health.

SO control what you can and forget about what you can't. If you don't do anything about your health, your health will do nothing for you.

Hope this makes you want to get moving and start eating real food.

because You're worth it.

The fine balance between healthy and unhealthy. Very important you all read this

I honestly believe that there is always a fine balance between being healthy and unhealthy. Just roll with me on this one.

Health is a spectrum from unhealthy to healthy or the other way around. However, if we become obsessed with being healthy it can lead to really horrible things like eating disorders, extreme exercising, etc etc. The media is obsessed with losing weight, exercising, not being obese....etc etc. If we aren't careful, we can turn a good thing into a monster. Trust me, I've been down that path and it's not worth it.

We as a society are so obsessed with weight loss. We think that healthy means "skinny" when really healthy is much more than just what the number says on the scale. I have mentioned this a thousand times over. You can have a high percentage of body fat and still be skinny. However, having too much fat on our bodies is what typically leads to all of these health problems we are facing today. So I get it that it can be hypercritical to say exercise, but not too much...eat less, but not too little. But honesty, we all know when we are hungry and when we are full. We don't need to count calories to figure that out.

I've heard of way too many people who have developed unhealthy eating and exercise habits from what started as something healthy. They become obsessed about calories, exercise, and not allowing themselves to enjoy life. I will say it again, it's not worth it.

Eating disorders are deadly. People die from them. It's not just about losing weight or throwing up. It's a disease of the mind that manifests itself in physical form. There are 6 year olds diagnosed with eating disorders and also 86 year olds that are still battling with an eating disorder since they were a teenager. It's really a sad disorder.

SO it's not about the scale...it's about how you are taking care of yourself.

Be nice to your body. Feed it...nourish it with vitamins and minerals from fruits and veggies that will allow your body to function properly. Move your body...let it get some activity. Our muscles need that to keep themselves healthy. Find healthy ways to manage your LIFE. Not just your stress....good and bad things happen in everyone's life. Find ways to MANAGE YOUR EMOTIONS. Respect yourself and your body.

Having said this, please be cautious when you are talking to others about their weight or your own weight. Especially parents...you guys have no idea how much you affect your children...they hear everything you say, regardless if you think they heard you. So be aware of what you say around others. You never know who you are positively or negatively impacting.

If you think that someone in your life may be suffering from an eating disorder...go to www.NEDA.org and check out all of the info they have. They have a hotline for you or anyone else (suffering or not) to call.

Oh. And you are beautiful the way you are. Just needed to say that.

Tips on how to get a workout in EVERY DAY!

Hey all! Here is my weekly post...and since I just saw a woman walking with hand weights and doing biceps curls...she inspired me to write a post on how to get a workout in every day. SOMEHOW. :) Let's face it...we don't have much time to workout in our days anymore. I've included some tips to address this as well.

HOW to get a work out in everyday:

The best way:

Wake up n the morning and work out. Put your clothes and shoes out the night before...wake up, get dressed...and GO. The reason I say this is best is because then it is done and over with before you even eat breakfast or go to work. Plus, you have less excuses and reasons to not go in the morning. TIRED? Aren't we tired no matte what time we wake up? SO that's not a good excuse. Working out in the AM is also a great way to wake yourself up...it sets a really positive tone for the day. You will also be less likely to eat poorly if you set yourself up for a healthy day the minute you wake up.

I get up at 5:25AM each morning and put on my clothes and work out.I put out my clothes the night before so all I have to do is throw them on and go. Mon-Fri...no matter what. If I'm tired, I just tell myself...this is the only time you can fit this in...so it kind of just forces me out of bed. I feel SO much more awake and feel better once my workout is done.

If you are one of those people who are great at making excuses/reasons not to exercise or just have so many other things that can happen in the day...THIS is the time to get your exercise in...THE MORNING.

2) LUNCH TIME. Most people take a lunch break. SO eat while you work either before or after your break...and work out during your break. Just get in and get out...don't waste time in the gym or outside (wherever you are exercising). It can be a little more difficult to workout during this time in the day because meetings/hw/life happen.

3) EVENING. Get home and get moving. One pro of working out at night is that you can really use your frustrations/any other emotions to really get in a great workout. Your work is done for the day...and now it's you time. The con for working out at night...most people just want to relax at the end of the day..plus, if you are a parent, things are bound to come up.

PICK one of these to start with and see how it works. Everyone has their peaks in energy at different times of the day...mine is mid morning but I am in school mid morning so I have to workout before school. And I know how I am at night...not interested in working out.

THEN figure out what you want to do. Do you only have time for 30 min? 1 hour? Take a walk? Run? Lift? Figure all of this out the DAY BEFORE so you don't waste time wandering around the gym or sitting there trying to figure out what you want to do. PLAN PLAN PLAN.

LASTLY DO the workout. Do what you planned unless you felt like doing something else.

It's that easy. We are all busy but it is those who plan and are motivated that fit it in.