Looking Within v. NAAO

I'm a huge "do-not-diet" advocate. I'm also a huge believer that eating issues (overeating, undereating), food issues (you-name-it), and exercise abuse (or lack of exercise) issues, all settle much, much, much deeper than "laziness", or "she's just a control freak", or "too many vending machines followed by McDonald's". If those three examples truly explained overeating, undereating and everything-in-between, don't you think we could Move On?

When I got home tonight, I flipped on Campbell Brown's show on CNN featuring MeMe Roth, Founder and President of NAAO (National Action Against Obesity). If you watched, or if you're familiar with her antics, you know MeMe's claims of tough love for anyone who's overweight. In a nutshell, "stop eating junk, move, and for goodness sakes, have some self discipline!"

Now, if you visit the following link highlighting her philosophies ( http://www.actionagainstobesity.com/NationalActionAgainstObesity/Founder.html), you might find some decent points like the rising problem of obesity, dangerous food marketing, and eating a balanced diet. Then, she slides in that obesity is basically a self-inflicted illness. I could write a book here, but I won't.

Look, I make a living helping others to "listen to their bodies" by moving (aka exercising). I'm obviously an advocate of a well-balanced diet, consistent doses of various physical activities, and proper rest. But, from personal and professional experience, claiming that some whippersnapper self-discipline and a 4-mile daily run will guarantee you a thin, trim, fit, svelte 20s body-for-life is bologna.

Sure, we could cut back on the regular fast-food meals or the daily vending machine snacks filled with sugar. Sure, we could all step away from our computers and televisions and take the dogs on a walk. Sure, we could try to tax all the "fat" in attempts to solve all our obesity and health insurance problems. But, if it's too good to be true, you know the rest....

If you peel back the initial layers of health education (a balanced diet, listening to your body's signals, regular exercise and sleep, stress reduction), you'll find that a) some people are quite happy and healthy not being a certain size, and/or b) obesity can likely be a sign of emotional eating and sometimes categorized as a clinically diagnosed eating disorder(s).

I have a hard time with MeMe's light-switch notion that people should be more disciplined in controlling their weight and that people CHOOSE unhealthy lifestyles. Lucky for her ego, she oozes with self control and righteousness otherwise she might not be preaching.

Let me reiterate - Let's get healthy. Let's educate ourselves. But, let's also dig deeper to find out why we have food issues. Or, drinking issues, or shopping issues, or gossiping issues, or gambling issues, or relationship issues, etc. Or, how about sense-of-self or spirit issues?

Instead of diets, or drinking, or credit cards, let's get real and fill ourselves with self-care and healthy, supportive relationships. I know it's a lot to ask, but looking within toward the tender places might just be the richest thing you will ever find.



*If you feel you need some guidance in finding a therapist to help you with these issues, please feel free to contact me.

Exercise....another diet?

Why do you exercise? Have you thought about that lately? Do you think you might exercise more for the sake of burning calories (or shaping, or sculpting, or perfecting) than moving for joy, for stress relief, for strength, for flexibility, for peace? Or, perhaps it's a combination.

It's easy to let the old Diet Talk creep into your physical activity. If you grew up like me, you might not have been very athletic. I loved to dance as a girl, but when it came to dirt, balls flying, and racing, forget about it. Or, perhaps you did play a sport for fun or competition, but maybe the Diet Mentality still crept up on you...and still does.

Whether you grew up athletic or not, or whether you still play sports or not, you hear the messages that exercise is good for you. Your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your bones, and your spirit all need regular doses of movement. Yet, as I am reminded time and time again when working with clients, or conversating with a variety of people, or even taking some fitness classes, exercise seems to be considered as another route to dieting, a way to burn the fat, a way to blast the calories.

That's sad because diets don't work. Sorry, but they don't. Diets and deprivation lead to more cravings and binges. One step forward, five steps back.

Okay, so maybe you're thinking you really do need to lose weight as advised by your doctor for critical health reasons. I get that. That's okay. There are ways to safely, slowly, and healthily lose weight. But, I still don't think viewing exercise as a means to lose weight is your ticket to weight loss success or happiness. So, what's the answer? View movement as a way to connect, a way to be present in your body, a way to be real.

Sure, "exercise" has benefits like strengthening and empowering your heart, lungs, muscles, bones and spirits. I could continue to list countless payoffs, but my point is to challenge you to view exercise differently.

Move to feel good. Find some form of movement you LOVE. At first, that can be challenging if you haven't been regularly exercising. Think baby steps. Try different activities. Seek out teachers, trainers and classes who focus on the body and spirit and sustainability versus perfect physiques. Keep a journal about this experience.

Challenge yourself, then challenge others. Challenge others to focus on moving for joy and strength rather than burning calories -- Rise above that Diet Monster. Show her who's boss, who's real, who's on her way....

The Economy Diet and Binge

...is for money. And, food, love, hope, abundance, peace, rest, fun, joy, and more peace...

How are you feeling about "this economy"? I promise not to sear fear into you like some sources of media scream on a daily basis. But, I would like to touch on how fear of the economy can show up in our lives. Besides rumbles of anxiety because of job security, stress headaches over monthly budgeting, etc. - I believe the Diet Industry is chuckling a wee bit more on its way to the bank.

Here's the deal - I was reading an article in Redbook this morning - the July 2009 issue with Jada Pinkett Smith on the cover. I can't remember the specific article, and neither do I care to specify, but the gist of the article was "in this terrible economy, there's no better time to watch your diet and your waistline, since it's about the only thing you can control right now."

Excuse me? When life gets hard, just put all your energy and concern into controlling your weight, your body, and then you won't have a care, concern, worry, not to mention a feeling? Or, wait a minute, I just thumbed through the magazine to see how many insane diet ads I could fine, and Redbook gets a high five from me because their advertising is pretty solid - sans diet ads. Perhaps I should let this particular article qualify as supporting the Diet Mentality v. Diet Industry. Same thing and perhaps worse since the Diet Mentality is what drives us to eat (or not).

I believe that an economic downturn is like any other change or life cycle. Moving, job changes, getting married, getting divorced, illness, death, taxes - they're almost all inevitable. Consciously or subconsciously, falling for the bait of "if I can get to size x, then I will feel A-OK and totally in control", or to the other common extreme, "Forget it, my [economic] life/day is in shambles, I might as well eat until I'm too stuffed to move" are both slippery slopes to living fear-based living instead of present, faithful living.

So, let's back up and gain perspective. Before you plunge into another restrictive diet or numbing eating/exercise binge, breathe. Literally, inhale and exhale. Slow down. It's okay. You might not even realize you're testing the waters of the slippery slope of the Diet Mentality until you step back and ask why you want total control of your body - or perhaps why you would rather disconnect, stuff and resist feeling what you're stuffing down.

If you suspect you struggle with the Diet Mentality, find some quiet time, ask yourself why, and eventually ask for some support. Dig deeper than "I want to be a size x". Dig deeper than "I want to wear my high school jeans". Dig deeper than "I've been rejected too many times for anything good to really happen".

Whatever change is happening in your life, whether it makes you smile, whether it makes you weep, take it day by day. Slow down a little. Practice tuning into your body. If you're stomach is growling, eat something satisfying and nourishing. If you're heart hurts, find a non-food way of comforting yourself. If you feel a buzz of energy inside, get out and move!

Use this recession as a way to get back to the basics and practice finding joy and balance from within - in your body, in your heart, and in your relationships.

Cheers to change!

When I wrote last, I opened up about my anxiety stemming from moving out of my apartment, the unknown ahead, all the change taking place - all the normal things that happen in life to everybody. And, just like any other blogpost, I try to relate life "stuff" to movement or body stuff. That's what I do. I love connecting all the movement of life with movement and energy in the body - a solid way to stay present and peaceful despite whatever is happening.

So, thank you to those of you who wrote me with encouragement and support - some of you are also moving, or changing jobs, or having babies, or dealing with loss, or embracing new opportunities. Cheers to change!

Moving with Change

Holding my Breath....

I'm supposed to be taking advantage of this "down time" by packing my apartment to prepare for my move on July 25. But, I'm having a really hard time getting it done, and I'm feeling those rumbling bubbles of anxiety in my belly.

Part of me thinks it's the nasty Procrastination Monster that nestles inside of me (just wait to the last minute!). Part of me thinks it's because I'll just pile up the boxes and not really move them out today (so why do any of it?). Part of me blames the dust bunnies for zapping my energy and depending on a wad of Kleenex for the past few mornings. Part of me knows I'm resisting change. Part of me dreads feeling vulnerable and naked - my kitty and me displaced from our ideally located bubble of safety and comfort. All of me knows it's a combination of all these things.

Jump!

When I moved to Atlanta after college graduation in 2002, I lived with three other girls while searching for my first official job, searching for my landing spot, searching for something that might define me.

When I left a job two years ago that paid well along with comfy benefits, it was my choice to jump into the deepend of self-employment. My lifevest was about four months savings. Sink or Swim.

When I accepted a marriage proposal from Nick this past March, I knew more change, more plunges were on the horizon. As July rolls by, I'm inching closer and closer to that change: I'm moving about 15 miles north into my fiancé's house. My four-year-old "City the Kitty" is going with me and will meet her canine brother Bowden and canine sister Chloe (please cross your fingers the hisses, barks and scratches stay to a bare minimum).

Exhale and Move

I know that my pictures won't be organized, and my clothes won't be boxed, and my dishes won't be carefully wrapped just by the twitch of my nose. All of the picking up, piling, stacking, wrapping, packing and taping signify an uprooting. And, before that happens, I can feel the tightness in my body, the holding of my breath. It's like last night when I was with a client - she needed some grounding after a long few days, but I knew she was leaving her home after our session - So, we stayed on the floor for some gentle movement and grounding for about 25 minutes, but I slowly and gently had her stand and Be and hold and stretch. I sensed she needed to feel grounded yet eventually ready to move on with her evening at the same time.

I need the same thing right now. I think I need more rest when I'm more anxious (ha, can I use this excuse the rest of the year since my wedding isn't until December?). Along with that rest, I need to gently transition to release the nervous energy, to unleash the stored rattle of wonder (about our pets, my commute, my relationship(s)). I need movement, I need action, I need to continue moving along with the next step.

I'm proud to be able to step back and recognize what's happening. Instead of either cruising through my packing at lightning speed and becoming a tired, worn-out monster - or - completely freezing still until 6am on July 25 then thinking "I Must Pack!", I'm meeting myself in the middle. I see the change unfolding, and I recognize my anxiety as the normal sign of all my feelings regarding change - of feeling vulnerable, of wondering about the unknowns (the not-so-good and the Great!). Just stepping back and recognizing what all the nervous buzz is about helps me to move forward, to get things done in a reasonable timeframe, and to know that I am supported by a patient, kind, generous, loving partner fuels my sense of moving forward.

So, next time Procrastination bites you, or perhaps next time Anxiety rumbles in your belly, take a step back, give your body and spirit some time to reflect on what you need, then gently move forward with the change. Go with the flow.

(to be continued....)

You Better Fuel Yourself!

Do you ever wonder what/when/how much you should eat to fuel yourself before and after a workout? Here's a simple explanation. Enjoy!

Simple NYTimes Q&A article regarding fueling yourself for exercise:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/eating-to-fuel-exercise/?em

Happy 4th!

Breathe and Celebrate

This time last year, I updated my blog as one of my best friends, Jessica, slept in my apartment after I picked her up from the airport. She'd taken a red eye from Seattle, she was behind on sleep, I was awake and ready to go!

This year, I woke up at 6am thanks to my hungry kitty, but I've enjoyed making coffee, getting caught up with the the NY Times, writing an old friend, and now, I'm listening to the helicopters hover above Peachtree as the annual Peachtree Road Race begins. (I tend to opt for my favorite step class than dodging thousands of sweaty runners - each to her own.)

Jessica called me yesterday to remind me it's been one year since we've seen each other. There are days I can't believe she's been gone from Atlanta for two years. It seems like yesterday we were at The Treehouse munching on pita, cucumbers, Roma tomatoes and hummus - both of us recovering from overnights at CNN.

Everyone says that as you get older, time flies faster. "Everyone" also says that the only constant is change. And, isn't it funny how we sometimes fight change - at all costs? Sometimes, instead of breathing, relaxing, and actually moving and grooving with some changes (perhaps with a lot of prayer!), we resist, we hold our breath, we tighten our grips, we narrow our views, we restrict, we stuff, we purge, we push, we hold tightly, we clench our teeth, we fear, we fight.

It's like a pot of water. Heat it up slowly, a few tiny bubbles might fly up the surface and pop followed by a little rumble of bubbles. More bubbles flutter to the surface, but as long as there's plenty of room to "breathe" at the top, the bubbles stay contained, gurgling, rumbling, popping, growing......Then, put a lid on it. Turn up the heat. And, if you're feeling like it, add more water, fill it to the brim. Now, you've got a really stressed out pot of boiling water. Talk about pressure cooking.

You can relate this pressure cooker analogy to any sort of change or challenge. As a personal trainer, since I help people (and myself) stay in the body with the breath, let's focus on nourishment and movement.

If you cram yourself with control, it's really harder to move, to feel, to navigate, to breathe. Think about it: If you restrict yourself from enjoying a variety of foods in your diet, you might feel tense and fearful around food you don't regularly or even just occasionally enjoy. The ewwy-gewies or sticky-salties might roar at you like monsters, spilling over, hissing, daring you to gorge. You might feel like one might lead to ten. You might avoid them at all costs.

Then, whether you indulged in zero, one or ten, you might feel like you need to shutup that "feed me!" monster by exercising. Move, move, move - punch, run, swing, reach, kick, pedal, spin, jump, stomp - harder, faster, more. Don't miss a beat.

Even when I write this, just to imagine this venomous cycle, I feel like I'm going into a little tight hole. I can't move or feel, my breath stays in my throat. I'm so focused on narrowing down the options and imagining staying rigid while aiming for control, I forget that I have feelings, and I forget that I even have a world of options! I feel like the lid's on tight, a heavy hand is pressing it down, the heat is turning up, I might explode, and everyone will see!

If you allow yourself to slow down, to stay present, to aim for what feels good, to be okay with making a mistake, to be grounded but flexible, to be open but cautious, to be fearful but faithful, you might find a sense of peace among the chaos. You can enjoy a wide variety of foods: if you tend to binge on the whole tub of ice cream, instead of buying a half gallon, go occasionally enjoy a hearty scoop from Cold Stone and call it a day. If you're afraid of eating fruit because your personal trainer told you it's loaded with sugar - fire that trainer, enjoy some fruit. If you're in an overeating mode, write down a list of non-food wishes or dreams. If you find yourself cutting out more and more foods to give yourself a sense of control, take some time and maybe talk to a confidant about your stresses or non-food "weight" that bears on you.

If you are stuck in a strict workout regimen, take a week off, and delight in some other physical activities like dancing for fun, working in a garden, taking a leisurely/mindful walk, or simply rest. If you are in a workout rut, take a new class or hire a reputable trainer, move your body in a new way. If you feel down and have a hard time getting in some daily exercise, try the 10-minute rule - Move for 10 minutes, then see how you feel. I bet 9 times out of 10, you'll feel lighter, more energetic, less depressed and more hopeful.

To celebrate the Fourth of July, to celebrate the freedom that lies within you and to honor the change that will surely come your way, my wish for you is to breathe a little deeper and stand a little taller with faith, hope, strength and flexibility.

Happy Independence Day!