Lose Weight For LIFE

Lose Weight for Life - Week 7

2010-05-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

As said, it may be our final week in Sooke, but it is only the beginning... Congratulations to everyone for your interest and participation (bracelets and keychains for everyone!).

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Karen K and the IHN team (Lynn, Jo and Barb) for their support - we would not have been in Sooke if it was not for their hard work and dedication.

Today we did a power session - doing an overview of the many new tools and strategies you can use to become "fitter and healthier" for good!

Remembering the letters in CRAVED no more will help you go the distance.

When an unhealthy choice or behaviour is upon us - we can "kick it to the cortex" and make a better decision.

This is best explained in the 2009 Psychological Science study by Fujita and Hann called
"The Effect of Construal Levels on Evaluative Associations in Self-Control Conflicts."

From PsyBlog, http://www.spring.org.uk/

They used a simple test as a way of measuring people's unconscious thoughts about eating either an apple or a tempting candy bar.

Before taking the test people were put into either an abstract or concrete mode of thinking. Participants were split into two groups with each asked to think about maintaining good personal relationships, but in different ways. One group thought about why we need to maintain good relationships (abstract, high-level) while the other focused on how we maintain good relationships (concrete, low-level).

As you can see, for the purposes of this experiment, the reason participants were thinking abstractly didn't matter so much. That's because when we think abstractly about one thing, we tend to carry on thinking in an abstract mode about anything else that's put in front of us, including the choice between an apple and a candy bar.

Automatic, unconscious self-control

The results showed that, when participants were thinking concretely, they tended to unconsciously see candy bars in a positive light and apples in a negative light. But this was reversed when participants were thinking abstractly. Just as predicted, abstract thinking automatically made people unconsciously think of candy bars as the devil's own food.

To back this up they asked participants in the two conditions whether they would like an apple or a candy bar, right now. They found that when participants were thinking in a concrete low-level way, they chose the apple over the candy bar only 50% of the time. But when they were thinking abstractly this percentage shot up to 76%. Not bad for such a simple manipulation.

So it seems you can bolster resistance to temptation by thinking abstractly about the goal you want to obtain because it causes your mind to automatically associate temptations with negativity. Hey presto, more self-control and thank you unconscious mind.

To get abstract high-level think CRAVED no more!

You are doing it! SS had continued on her Committed Action of getting fitter and healthier by thinking past the Aero McFlurry... TV continues to do Activity/Exercise despite her pain (wtg!!)...JG is using the CRAVED concept for keeping on track...GC is using the "put 20% back rule" (go Environ -mental) to get slimmer... RB was using her Deep breathing and thinking that she is the only one Responsible and Accountable for her happiness and well being. WTG group!

Here is the list of "Short Snappers" to help get fitter and healthier:

Remember 5-2-1-0: 5 fruits and vegetables a day, 2 hours of media a day, 1 hour of Exercise/Activity a day and 0 sugared drinks like pop or sports drinks a day (1 tsp in your tea or coffee is fine!)
Drink healthy - water with a twist of lemon/lime or teas (white, chai) are great choices
2 to 3 bites of a dessert plus a hot beverage goes a long way to satisfy (it's all about portions!)
if you are at a buffet, then only take 2 items at a time and go back for more
never eat from the box or a bag - plate or bowl it out
when at home - eat in the kitchen only (sitting down) - NOT in front of the computer or TV (go Environ-mental)
if dining with others - pace yourself to the slowest eater at the table
water, Deep breathe or grace before your meal (remember the 20 minute rule)
use smaller plates, glasses and utensils (put them down between each bite)
Remember the 1/2 plate rule: 1/2 vegetables and fruits, 1/2 starches and protein
Nutrition Action is a great unbiased food resource: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/canada.htm
when coming off track, use a SUCCESS Chart to get back on course
lower calorie comfort foods like oatmeal, yogurt + frozen fruit, chicken soup, homemade mac & cheese and rice chips can go a long way
eat breakfast (wtg LS!)
using the phrase: "I'm not hungry, but I'm going to eat it anyway."
use the "20% less rule" when plating out food (wtg GC!)
Remember your 21 Days/Topics and CRAVED no more!

HOMEWORK includes:

1) continuing 20 minutes of Exercise/Activity a day (try and move up to 30 minutes everyday for full effect!). It doesn't matter if you are sitting for an upper body workout (the Sooke IHN team has a DVD which demonstrates this!).

2) keep the SUCCESS Charts going - remember a change of 100 calories a day translates into 10 lbs in a year! Slow and steady wins the race (Chunk it down!). Stay Commited to your Cause of becoming fitter and healthier for good! Remember your Attributes (your strengths) and Accomplishments! Appreciation and gratitude go a long way. Don't forget to Value your Values daily for success. Enjoy and savour each and every day of this journey. And don't forget to Deep breathe (4-6-7, fire breathing, box breathing or full breathing) for full effect!

3) check in with your family physician in the weeks ahead to have your blood pressure and other health parameters reviewed (especially if you had double digit scores on your PHQ-9 or GAD-7).

Remember we will be reconvening on Wednesday, June 30th at 10:30AM for Day 91 of the program. At that time, we will discuss the Rebel With A Cause in all of us and the IHN team will recheck your measurements to see if you are staying on track of becoming fitter and healthier (and any other 'er) for life!

Have a healthy month!

Dr.P

Lose Weight for Life - Week 6: Mmmmm marshmallows!

2010-05-12T22:54:00.000-07:00

Hi ho everyone!

Another great day in Sooke! Nice walkin' group... TV you are definitely getting fitter and healthier!!

Today we reviewed our HOMEWORK from last week with continued behaviour change using our SUCCESS Charts (again if you have done at least 1, you will be Rewarded next week!).

We discussed Dr. Walter Mischel's marshmallow experiment which demonstrated that delayed gratification can go a long way when it comes to “success” in life.

Way back in the 1960′s, he took 4 year olds and gave them a choice of either eating one marshmallow right away or, if they were willing to wait while the researcher stepped out for a few minutes, then the child could have two marshmallows when they returned.

Mischel then went on to follow these children into their late teen years. He found that there was quite a difference in the “grabbers” versus the “delayers” in terms of life “success.” The “grabbers” had lower S.A.T. scores (210 points on average), they struggled in stressful situations, often had trouble paying attention, and also found it difficult to maintain friendships.

Mischel could predict life “success” at 4 years old… But the most promising thing that came out of these experiments is that one could teach the skill of delaying gratification. The “grabbers” could be taught the skills necessary to suppress the impulse to grab and eat the marshmallow right away.

This is exciting stuff! When it comes to addiction and other maladaptive behaviours, we can learn new skills and techniques to help our impulse control (i.e. CRAVED mnemonic).

We also learned about "an apple a day" may not keep the Doctor away. Merely adding 100 calories (an example would be a large medium apple) a day without changing activity and the types of foods eaten can result in about a 10 lb weight gain in a year (BTW I stretched the truth a bit with the apple analogy - the 100 calorie apple with it's fibre content is a much better choice than a `100 calorie cookie!). We also found out that it takes you brisk walking for about a mile (or 1.6 kilometres) to burn that many calories. So be mindful!

We also discussed that rest and sleep are important for healthy weight.

Topic 16: Sleep, Rest and Relaxation

The hormones leptin and ghrelin which are factors for satiety and hunger respectively become unbalanced with poor sleep. In class, we all did the Epworth Sleep Score and noted that if you scored 10 or more, been told you stop breathing while you sleep or snore loudly (ear plug anyone?) then you should follow up with your family physician. There are treatments available for these conditions!

We also added one last breathing technique to our breathing repertoire - full breathing (hands on stomach and chest - when inspiring, trying to push out the lower hand; the upper hand next and then the shoulders, then all 3 with 3 sets of breaths).

Lastly, keeping Accountability and Consequences at the forefront of our choices, remember that we make over 200 food decisions a day, we covered:

Topic 17: Creepy and Chilling Consequences

Topic 18: Choice, Responsibility , Accountability and NOT becoming a Victim

To ramp up Accountability, we will be having a Day 90 (since starting the program) class on Wednesday, June 30th at 10:30AM at the Sooke IHN office (I will be telelinking from Nanaimo!).

You can do this! It starts and ends with you and your Choices. Think CRAVED no more to help!!

HOMEWORK included:

1) 2 day Eating Log - if you find planning your eating for the day before then write out your Log in advance (Eat healthy!).

2) increase Activity or Exercise level to 15 minutes alternating with 20 minutes or 35 minutes every other day (remember not to skip more than 1 day to keep on track!).

3) add a set of 3 new behaviours to your SUCCESS chart - one new food choice (are you at 5 fruits or vegetables a day yet?), one Activity - see #2 above and one behaviour, i.e. Clean the Clutter in the kitchen, eat in the kitchen only, Appreciate 3 things/people in your day, Drink 1 more glass of water a day (you can add the limes we gave out to help with the water).

4) fill out the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 health questionnaires (which are useful to help monitor for depression and anxiety).

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

P.S. For our final week in Sooke (and it's not the end! it's only the beginning!), we will be meeting at 10:15AM to walk our walk and then talk our talk!

Lose Weight for Life - Week 5

2010-05-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

Another great walk and day in Sooke!

We reviewed our HOMEWORK and Emotion Logs and how we felt during the week: it ranged from irritated/angry to happiness/enjoyment and savouring...

The first step in managing our emotions (as opposed to controlling them) is to be mindful and to Acknowledge and Accept them (even renaming can help, i.e. "miffed" vs angry). As said, our emotions can be much like the weather, we will get a whole range of meteorological conditions - it's in the how we respond which matters most. Again, Deep breathing can go a long way to help us Defuse or Distance from them. Got an umbrella?

We also reviewed the CRAVED no more mnemonic to help with higher (cortical) thinking. The munch monster at the midbrain level will get us doing behaviours which at times are less than healthful - so by thinking of "CRAVED" and the words and ways of thinking it represents can help us make better decisions (CRAVED words are now in bold).

Topic 13: CRAVED no more

For healthy living, "5-2-1-0" can help guide us. 5 fruits or vegetables a day, i.e. more vegetables vs fruits! 2 hours or less of media (which includes TV, computer, video games, etc.) a day. 1 hour of brisk Activity, i.e. walking counts (and yes, we are only at 15 minutes a day which is great!). 0 sugared soft drinks (including sports drinks) a day. All of these behaviours will keep the Doctor away for good!!

Lastly, we talked about the 20 minute rule - it takes that long for our satiety hormones to be released to let us know that we are getting full and satisfied. Remember from Dr. Wansink's experiments that we can eat less, but feel just as satisfied if we change our Environment and HOW we eat!

Topic 14: Ask - Questions are the Answer
Topic 15: Go Environ-mental

HOMEWORK for this week includes:

1) doing another SUCCESS Chart with 3 behaviours (food, activity and eating behaviour). Please hand in at least one so that you are eligible for a Lifestyle Intervention Clinic Reward.

2) increase your daily Activity to 15 minutes every day or 30 minutes every other day

3) adding or trying one new eating behaviour like eating in the kitchen only, putting all foods out of sight in the house except for a fruit bowl; using smaller glasses, plates and utensils; divide up large portions of food (like big box stuff) into smaller portions (to help curb the munch monster); saying grace or Deep breathing at the beginning of the meal or pacing how you eat to the slowest person at the table (it will be our secret!). Go Enviro-mental!!

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

P.S. We will again be at the IHN at 10:15, so that we can do a walk before class! Rain or shine!

Lose Weight for Life - Week 4

2010-04-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

Another sunny day in Sooke! Thanks for the walk plan Lynn! Kudos to everyone who came out and did the walk - TV you are inspiring!! You went above and beyond today!

We did the raisin meditation to realize that we can Enjoy and Savour anything and at any time... it all begins with being mindful.

We also began the discussion on the HOW of eating. As it turns out, as GC so aptly pointed out, it is our midbrains (aka the munch monster) that can hijack our eating and choose other unhealthy behaviours. We are up against thousands of years of evolution.

Dr. Brian Wansink's book, Mindless Eating, has numerous examples and methods to overcome our "midbrain moments," i.e. the plate size experiment.

We also reviewed some of the best strategies for healthy weight change and referred to the National Weight Loss Registry at:

http://www.nwcr.ws/

There is a cluster of healthy behaviours and attitudes which help like eating breakfast, choosing low fat foods, doing regular daily exercise, i.e. walking and limiting media - screen time (TV, Internet, video games). Can you say 5-2-1-0?!

Lastly, we discussed our feelings...

Topic 12: Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings

which begins with being able to acknowledge what we are feeling - try and do the Emotion Log for the week ahead (at least twice a day).

HOMEWORK for this week includes:

1) doing another (or a first) SUCCESS Chart (thanks to JM for the blank charts!).
2) being more mindful of our emotions (2 or 3 times a day) and doing an Emotion Log from Topic 12: Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings.
3) moving up to 15 minutes a day of Activity/Exercise alternating with 10 minutes or 25 minutes every other day.

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

P.S. I have posted DW's great recipes in the comments!!

Lose Weight for Life - Week 3

2010-04-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hi ho everyone!

I Appreciated being in Sooke today!!

Today we discussed WHAT to eat using the Canada Food Guide. We also noted that most of us VALUE food/eating, so again, the food choices we discuss (not diet), should be FUN. There are no exclusions here - only mindful eating!

Check out:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

I also noted that I am a physician and not a dietitian and for more specific questions about food choices - the IHN dietitian or 811 (Dial a Dietitian) can be great resources!

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/dietitian/

As said, fruits and vegetable as well as whole grains (rice, oatmeal, pasta, breads, even barley! - the browner, the better) rule!

It is important to note for the Milk and Alternatives - low fat choices are a good source of protein (more on this next week). Calcium carbonate 1000-1500 mg a day and vitamin D 800 IU are helpful.

The Meat and Alternatives are also important for protein with nuts (walnuts and almonds top the list of nuts) and legumes are good choices, but one must be mindful of nuts and the amount fat they contain (a handful is a better portion!)...

In the weeks ahead, we'll talk about how important portions are with regards to the HOW of eating.

Topic 9: Food for Thought
Topic 10: Appreciation and Gratitude
Topic 11: Enjoy and Savour the Moment

HOMEWORK for Week 3 included:

1) making a SUCCESS Chart for the next week - plotting 3 different behaviours: i) food choice (i.e. eat one more fruit/vegetable daily), ii) activity (i.e. 10 minutes of walking or any other activity - adding music and humming/singing can really help!) and iii) eating behaviour (i.e. drinking 1 glass of water (herbal tea, etc.) extra a day, eating breakfast, etc.).

2) plan your food choices for a day ahead - and see how close you can eat to your meal plan

3) the above Topics with their EXERCISES.

Next week, we'll begin our discussion around the HOW of eating.
Be sure to arrive at the IHN offices at 10:15 so that we can do a 10 minute walk before class (we'll be able to check it off our SUCCESS Charts!!).

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

P.S. The fat and sugar that the delicious donut above represents is a reminder for me to tell you my donut story next week!

Lose Weight for Life - Week 2: Just add bacon!!

2010-04-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

It was nice to see everyone again!

This week, we reviewed WHY we eat (see below). We also discussed how certain foods like sugar, salt and fat have a stronger impact on our midbrain in terms of why we crave and desire certain foods (like chocolate and bacon).

Homework for this week included doing the EXERCISE in the following:

Topic 6: Remember Your Accomplishments/Powerful Moments

Topic 7: Compelling Future – Hope

Toppic 8: Don't Hold Your Breath

For the week ahead, try and be mindful with Deep breathing.

Next week we will discuss WHAT to eat.

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

Lose Weight for Life: The doctor is ill!

2010-04-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Can you say H1N2? It’s amusing to think that I went through the entire flu season this year without one bug (including H1N1) and then BOOM!

My apologies for not being in sunny Sooke this week…

Karen had a grand idea in that we would continue the momentum of the program and meet this week (kudos Karen!)…

We wanted to review your HOMEWORK and how you felt about it… please hand in your 2 day Eating Logs, how did it feel to leave food on your plate?...as well as we started some regular physical activity (5 minutes every day or 10 minutes every other day). We played badminton regularly this week and skied Mount Washington on Saturday!

We were to discuss WHY we eat (besides for nourishment), but some of the other reasons we munch (stress, social, boredom, low mood, etc.)... Next week we will learn about DOPAMINE, the little neurotransmitter which causes all sorts of "good" things...How it is involved with eating and procreating (the 2 F’s)...How it can be misused and overused in addictions.

We will also discuss that humans (like most animals) have the propensity to BINGE eat. Dr. Brian Wansink's book, Mindless Eating, demonstrates this concept very well...

We’ll talk more about this next week…

I have included some more TOPICS to help with mood and motivation:

Topic 3: Adding to Physical Activity and Exercise

Topic 4: The Value of Values

Topic 5: Rewards and Anticipated Events

HOMEWORK for this week includes:

1) try RATING (out of 10) before and after an ACTIVITY, i.e. walking or dancing – how you feel about it before then how you feel after.
2) find out what your VALUES are (pick your top 7 to 10, is EATING/FOOD valued?).
3) make sure you ACKNOWLEDGE that you are doing something very special for yourself and plan a REWARD or treat in the next week.
4) walking, dancing (singing, humming to music) or any other physical activity 10 minutes alternating with 5 minutes every other day or 15 minutes every other day. Don’t forget to use your new PEDOMETERS!

Have a healthy week.

I will be back!!

Take care,
Dr.P

Lose Weight for Life - Week 1

2010-03-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

It was nice meeting everyone today. I wanted to thank Karen and company for having us down to Sooke to teach this program!

As promised, we have this blog to help you with your journey of becoming "fitter, healthier and slimmer/thinner/curvier/ sexier/happier (you pick the ____'er)"...

Today we discussed how language can have a significant impact on behaviour change like weight loss through neurolingusitic programming (nlp). As said, the unconscious mind only processes positives, so we won't be "losing" weight in this program!

The program is FUN and not fear-based... Remember there is no failure here... SUCCESS is a continuum.

HOMEWORK for Week 1 is:

1) complete medical history form (including height, weight, waist circumference and BP).

2) 2 day Eating Log - write down everything you eat (time, what and how much, where, with whom and reason/feeling).

3) leave something on your plate/glass at least once a day this week.

4) walk or dance with music (hum or sing along) 5 minutes a day or 10 minutes every other day. Parking the car further from work or the mall can help. Put those FREE pedometers to good use!

5) think about your personal REASONS on why you are doing this program (specific health reasons, family or friends, financial, personal growth?).

If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to post them on the blog or e-mail me at d.poteryko@gmail.com

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

Lose Weight for Life - Sooke IHN

2010-03-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

This will be a resource for those patients who are taking the "Lose Weight for Life" program at the IHN Sooke. Over the next 7 weeks, we will post a brief overview of the week's topics and the assigned homework.

The important note here is that you will only get as much out of this program as you put into it.

The address of this blog is: www.lifestyleinterventionclinic.blogspot.com

My e-mail is: d.poteryko@gmail.com

Looking forward to the weeks ahead!

Health and happiness!

Dr.P

Lunch Clubs for January and February 2010

2010-01-06T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

This blog has moved, but I wanted to let everyone know that Lunch Club updates will be at the http://www.cisic.ca/ website...

For January and February, Lunch Club will be on Monday, January 11th at noon and Monday, February 15th at noon in room B224 at NRGH.

May you all have a happy and peaceful 2010!!

Dr.P

This blog has moved!!

2009-11-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that we are still alive and well... we have started a new blog:

http://www.mediatherapyblog.wordpress.com/

This blog will discuss much of the same topics that have been discussed in the Lose Weight For Life blog (which we will not be writing in regularly anymore).

We have finished a movie and published a book and are excited to use the "media" to help with healthy change, i.e. smoking cessation and weight loss!!

Check out: http://www.mediatherapy.ca

Remember that we still have Lunch Club on the third Wednesday of each month at NRGH in room B224. This is a time to discuss anything related to lifestyle and healthy behaviour change.

Take care,
Dr.P

Lunch Club cancelled for August

2009-08-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Hope your summer goes well!

Just wanted to let you know that there will be NO Lunch Club this month because we are on Vacation (V in CRAVED no more!)...

For health, we all need balance...

Coming next month, we will be releasing our book, First You Smoked, Now You Live, and movie to help hospital inpatients quit smoking. Stay tuned!

Health and happiness.

Dr.P

Walk With Your Doc Fridays - Week 4

2009-07-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!

My apologies for this late entry...

I was too PRESENT with my holidays and the busyness of returning to work...

I had not been thinking about the FUTURE and this blog, until I saw BH. She reminded me that she was checking the blog!!

She has been implementing a number of the strategies we had discussed over the month!! That's awesome BH!!

On our 4th and final week, we discussed the Time Paradox which is a new book that discusses how we all perceive time so differently. It turns out, those who are caught with problematic behaviours, have too much of a PRESENT orientation. They are not as weighted (pardon the pun!) in FUTURE thinking; the ability to think (and feel) about future consequences or the sweetness of future rewards (delayed gratification). They are stuck in time, in the hedonistic or fatalistic PRESENT and are unable to get free...

Fascinating stuff!

That is why with this program, we have been looking at the past and future in a different light...

In your handy, dandy notebooks we asked you to write out some of your more noteworthy Accomplishments or Powerful Moments (positive past). As well, looking to a Compelling future by envisioning a successful future; looking and feeling fitter, healthier and ______'er... then Chunking each step down on how to get there, i.e. walking 15 to 30 minutes a day, eating breakfast and making healthier choices (you get the idea).

Lastly, we discussed how not to get hooked on cocaine (apparently it's good stuff?)...it's because we see and feel that the future (Creepy) Consequences are so distasteful, that it turns out to be not a great (present) choice...

So if it takes envisioning a future of more disability like more pain from osteoarthritis or the development of full blown diabetes from your current behaviours then there is more fuel in your tank and motivation to stick with some of these new strategies.

We also planned as a group to reconvene on the second Friday in September (the 11th)... this will be a time where you can be Accountable for changes in your measurements. BTW, DH and the team from the IHN would be happy to check in with you over the summer. Let me know by e-mail for contact information.

I wanted to thank the IHN team again for their involvement in this pilot program...I had a lot of fun and hopefully you did too!

Remember CRAVED no more!

Keep me posted on how things are going, my e-mail is d.poteryko@gmail.com

Have a healthy and happy summer everyone!

Dr. P

Walk With Your Doc Fridays - week 3

2009-06-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

My apologies for the late blog, I was playing ice hockey with my brother and spent Father's Day with my Dad in Vancouver this weekend!!

As you can see, I was doing some of the things I VALUE, like exercise (ice hockey) and family.

This week, we talked about doing the things which we value as a way of helping with lifestyle change.

As it turns out, values are your hot keys and if you honour them while you make lifestyle changes then you are well on your way. Feelings of guilt, shame or regret are usually signs of not valuing your values!

We also talked about how certain eating behaviours can sometimes be viewed as an addiction (thanks for sharing SB!). Many of the same brain pathways and neurochemicals (can you say DOPAMINE!) are involved in both.

As with addiction recovery, it takes a VARIETY of strategies to help with lifelong healing.

We did some DEEP BREATHING (4-6-7 technique).

We talked about cleaning toilets and other things. We know that we have to do some things (i.e. EXERCISE for health), but the fun thing is to ADD something to it to help it

We DETACHED or DISTANCED from food by continuing to use food logs or take pictures of what we are eating (say cheese!)...

Lastly, we started to understand feelings and how important they are and to ACKNOWLEDGE them if one wants good EMOTION management.

HOMEWORK this week included:

1) continue to use a food log or take pictures of your food
2) DEEP BREATHE (use an hourly chime on a watch)
3) walk or do ACTIVITY of 15 minutes a day, and don't forget to ADD something to it to help (i.e. music, a friend, a small REWARD when done!)
4) keep an EMOTION log daily, figure out at any given time how you are feeling...try and identify the feeling (i.e. happy, at peace, sad, anxious, blah, etc.), ACKNOWLEDGE it and move on! Use your spiral notebooks!
5) have FUN!!

Take care,
Dr.P

BTW Here's a good website for organic vs safe foods:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808

Walk With Your Doc Fridays - week 2

2009-06-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Another great walk!

This week we talked about WHAT to eat. The new (it's 2 years old) Canadian Food guide can help show you the way (including portion sizes)...and it's free!

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

Again, choosing more whole fruits (fresh or frozen berries anyone?) and vegetables, whole grains and choosing less meat (more poultry and fish please!) and animal protein helps with healthy weight. We also talked about the importance of calcium and vitamin D.

In terms of resources, the Nutrition Action newsletter is great for healthy food information.

The IHN team has a dietitian (V), who would be happy to answer your questions. Let me know by e-mail if you wish a consult.

Today we also talked about goal setting and CHUNKING down the steps needed to achieve our goals. As said, even though we are in a group, we are all on our own separate journeys and hence we will do different things to achieve success. Thanks to SG for her thoughts and handout on personal goal setting.

With that, I want you to "Detach from the result," much like what BH was asking...we are NOT losing weight here...we are becoming fitter, healthier, slimmer, curvier (you pick the 'er)...forget about the weight loss stuff and concentrate on the steps for health, i.e daily physical activity, better food choices and better emotion management.

We handed out a VALUES list this week, they turn out to be the "hot keys" to behaviour change. There is no such thing as a right or wrong value, but when our behaviours and our values are aligned - nothing can stop us! Try and pick out your top 5 or 10...

HOMEWORK for this week includes:

1) At least 15 minutes of daily physical ACTIVITY, i.e. walking for the week. Go at your own pace.
2) DRINK at least 4 glasses of water (or herbal tea - try out the green/white blend!) a day.
3) Be more mindful of the Canada Food Guide and EAT more fruits, vegetables and whole grains...if you want the weekly checklist, let me know.
4) Value your VALUES and choose the 5 or 10 which are most important to you. Here's a challenge, try and find out what are the values of your partner/friend/family member.
5) Think of and VISUALIZE a COMPELLING FUTURE, ANTICIPATED EVENT or REWARD (VACATION anyone?) where you are healthier and having the time of your life!
6) Don't forget to DEEP BREATHE, a great way to slow down and refocus! 4-6-7 technique rules!
7) Keep on logging your food log or better yet, take pictures of what you are choosing...It's a great way to help DETACH like the "leaving something on your plate" exercise.
8) Don't forget to do the PHQ-9 health questionnaire. More on mood, EMOTIONS and feelings next week!

Make sure you use your spankin' new spiral notebooks for these activities...

Have a healthy week!

Dr.P

Walk With Your Doc Fridays

2009-06-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!

It was great seeing and walking with everyone today!

As said, we will use this blog as a resource; a place to see what we covered this week and check the HOMEWORK exercises. Remember with the exercises and this program, it's like a smorgasbord, give something a try and see if you like it!

This program is a pilot and would not be possible without the involvement of our team from the Integrated Health Network (DH, WB and SG)! Also special thanks to SW from the Practice Support Program for helping us with the initial concepts!

You are all pioneers with this new kind of medical practice and we appreciate your time and interest!

Remember, we are not losing weight anymore. We are becoming fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer/happier (pick any ___er!)...

The program is to be FUN and not fear-based...This week we discussed WHY we eat (besides for survival)…some other reasons included pleasure, stress, social, boredom, low mood, environment, our family...We learned about DOPAMINE, the little neurotransmitter which causes all sorts of "good" things...How it is involved with eating and procreating...How it can be misused and overused in addictions.

HOMEWORK this week includes:

1) write out 1 day food log (everything you eat in a day and why)
2) try and leave something on your plate or glass at 1 meal a day
3) be more mindful of water intake (this includes green/white tea)
4) think of 3 to 5 of your most Accomplished or Powerful Moments (it can be anything, anything that you feel good about like when you learned how to ride a bike, getting your driver's license, graduation, getting your first paycheque, getting married, having children...you get the idea).
5) daily Appreciation (every day think of three moments or people you appreciate and are grateful for)

And don't forget to write them down in your spankin' new notebooks!!

See you next Friday at 1PM at Anchor to walk about to NRGH!

Take care,
Dr.P

Lunch Club is moving to Wednesdays!!

2009-05-17T21:37:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

Hope you are all having a healthy and happy spring!!

I wanted to let everyone know, due to changes in my schedule that Lunch Club will be moving to Wednesdays (i.e. May 20th)... still the third Wednesday of the month at 12:00 noon in room B224 at NRGH...same bat time and same bat room!!

Hope to see you there!

Dr.P

Lunch Club March - Positivity anyone?

2009-03-17T21:48:00.001-07:00

Hi gang,

It was nice to see everyone today...

There was some good discussion on a great many things.

We talked about how the CRAVED no more mnemonic is a great tool to keep us on track.

We talked about clinical depression and how it can slow your progress.

http://www.bcguidelines.ca/gpac/pdf/depression_full_guideline.pdf

Pages 11 and 12 are the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ - 9) which helps identify depression... if you or someone you know may have depression, then one should consult a healthcare professional for further help.

We also asked: "What will prevent me from achieving my goals?" as a great way to uncover the positive aspects of current behaviours...this may also lead to further therapy so that you can do it!

Lastly, we talked about Dr. Barbara Fredrickson's book, Positivity, which covers the tangible tools (ways of thinking and doing) needed to help with positive and fulfilling emotions. Can you say CRAVED no more?

Curiosity, Experimenting and being open will help lead the way. Connecting with others. Contributing, Volunteering and Random acts of kindness. Healthy Distractions (physical Activity, i.e. walking; crafts; reading; journaling) are helpful. Appreciating Nature (20 minutes a day will keep this Doc away!). And lastly, Disputing negative thinking.

On negative thinking, the best way to take another look at what is said is to ask: "What would my best friend say to me in this situation?" I'm sure it will be kinder, gentler and more encouraging!

Today our group made monthly goals: K - will eat more vegetables, PS and RP - will be physically Active 15 minutes a day 3X/week and KM - will become fitter and healthier by 1, and Dispute her negative thinking, by being kinder...

Have a great month!!

See you on the 21st.

Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 7

2009-02-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

It may be the end of our night program, but it is only the beginning of positive lifestyle change!

Thanks to everyone for their interest, it was an honour and pleasure!!

As said, we are not done...we will reconvene next Tuesday the 24th at noon in room B224 at NRGH in Ambulatory Care to award LIFEstyle keychains to those who complete their 21 day SUCCESS Charts. This is the usual time for our monthly support class called Lunch Club...which meets on the third Tuesday of the month in room B224...it's a time to review and discuss any challenges you may have with "becoming fitter, healthier and _____'er" (you can't get rid of me that easily)...

Tonight, we gave you a primer for the CRAVED mnemonic...things to do or ways of thinking to help shift to a more empowering state of mind.

We talked further about Reverse (R in CRAVED) or paradoxical thinking...terms like "I am such a LOSER!" can be viewed as a negative or a positive...it all depends on your point of view...When it comes to healthy weight change the answer may be more than Eating healthy and regular Activity. It lies in a Variety of things...

We talked about precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and relapse as ways of looking at any behaviour change...They are called the stages of change made famous by James Prochaska. We are hopeful that we continue in Action phase, but know full well and Acknowledge that relapse can happen...it's important to identify where you are at and then "get back on the bike!"

We supplemented supplements by saying that calcium carbonate and vitamin D are important as well as the fact that probiotics are beginning to show promise with digestion and health...

We also discussed Eating Out and how that it can be a happy and healthful experience...

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/guide/healthy-choices-when-eating-out

Lastly, we handed out graduation certificates tonight which included a 1 week pass to the pool/gym at Nanaimo Parks and Rec. - special thanks to Damon Johnston for his time and efforts to make this program possible!!

We'll see you at NRGH next Tuesday at noon!! Remember that our class' Day 100 will be Tuesday, May 26th at noon at NRGH...

Take care,
Dr.P

P.S. Some great books to help with behaviour change are Changing for Good by James Prochaska (for EP!), How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie and The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Peale.

Lose Weight For Life - week 6

2009-02-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Hi ho LIFEstylers!

Tonight we did a little Reverse (R in CRAVED no more) or Paradoxical thinking...

We tried our (collective) best to not talk about Eating healthy and Activity.

They are both definitely important for significant change, but they are not the only answer...as we said, it takes a Variety of options to make healthy lifestyle change stick for good!

We talked about Credibilty and how buying a used car can challenge this concept...To help build self-Confidence, it takes making a Commitment and staying on course to become "fitter, healthier and _____'er." Your 21 day SUCCESS Chart is living proof of this change!

We also discussed how to enhance and improve Relationships...understanding the Commonality (of Values), a little Active listening, Eye contact and Acknowledgement/Validation can go a long way to help with this...being able to hug (Embrace) in your more intimate relationships can be a booster!

Lastly, we talked about Accomplishments and Adding as ways to help motivate. When it comes to the things we may not want to do right away, but are important like cleaning the bathroom (or regular Activity like walking)...try rating out of 10 how much you will enjoy/like doing the activity before you do it (i.e. 3 out of 10)...then go ahead (grumble...grumble) and do it...now rate it...invariably the score will be higher! The funny thing about us humans is that we enjoy Accomplishing things...no matter how mundane it may be we get an emotional life when the job is done! Adding to the activity like music or with a friend makes it more FUN!

When it comes to changing the Environment...it's much easier than changing your mind...Your mind will follow gladly! The challenge for the week is to leave every environment (room, outside, etc.) a little more neater/tidier (i.e. Clean the Clutter) than when you first found it. You'll start to feel good doing this!

For HOMEWORK:

1) continue your 21 day SUCCESS Chart, if completed, you will be eligible to pick up a brand spanking new LIFEstyle Clinic keychain on Tuesday, February 24th at noon at NRGH (room B224)...
2) clean your bathroom...rate it out of 10 before and then after...you'll see how easy it is to Accomplish!
3) Change your Environment. Clean the Clutter even if you Chunk it down and clean only one drawer in a messy room...you are on your way!

Have a healthy week.

Take care,
Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 5

2009-02-04T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hi gang!

Tonight......we talked about Rest and Retire (to bed for sleep that is!)...Both are vital for weight and stress management. In today's fast-paced world, we are sacrificing the zzzzzz's for other things. We also found out that poor sleep can be a factor with weight gain. Can anybody say grehlin? If you or a loved one stops breathing at night or snores excessively then you may want to check with your family physician. Especially if your Epworth score is 10 or more. There are simple and effective treatments available. Good sleep hygiene can go a long way for good health.

Your goal of becoming "fitter, healthier and slimmer/curvier/_______'er" just got easier by using a SUCCESS Chart to plot your Accomplishments. Remember to Chunk it down for lifelong success!!

Your LIFEstyle challenge (for a rare LIFEstyle Clinic keychain) is to do a 21 day SUCCESS Chart with 3 vital behaviour changes (a food choice, environmental/behavioural and Activity)...Remember from last week's Tips #1 sheet...that is the gold standard, if you are hitting all of those behaviour's and food choices you will be maximizing your success...but as said, we want to build your Confidence, so better to choose small and achievable goals before we move on to loftier heights!

As said, this course is for life...if you apply these principles...you will achieve your goals!!

Homework for this weeks includes:

1) design your 21 day SUCCESS Chart with 3 new changes (1 food choice (Eat healthy), 1 environmental/behavioural and 1 Activity, i.e. walk 15 minutes every other day).
2) try Resting for 5 to 10 minutes a day in the middle of the day...you may find your energy and concentration soaring!

Have a wonderful week!

Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 4

2009-01-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

Tonight we reviewed VALUES (V in CRAVED no more!)...as said, there is no such thing as a right or wrong value...some of the class' VALUES include: HEALTH, FAMILY, CHILDREN, INNER PEACE, (SELF-)ACCEPTANCE, CREATIVITY (which can be in many different forms!), ECOLOGY, GRATITUDE, LEARNING, HUMOUR, RATIONALITY, SELF CONFIDENCE and WEALTH.

As said, now that we know what we value...if we honour our VALUES daily, we will find making positive behaviour changes much easier!

We handed out the "Tips #1" sheet...this is the gold standard for weight change...if all of the behaviours are followed to the letter for the next 21 days then one can get the greatest results (paired with regular Activity)...but as said, "slow and steady will also get you there!"

Remember if you have DIABETES, I want you to check your sugars regularly and stay closer to the Canadian Food Guide as we discussed last week.

As noted, I am not a dietitian, but would be happy to re-refer you to the hospital's clinic.

Lastly, we talked about "SUCCESS Charts" to help give you emotional and physical traction to show how far you have come to build and strengthen your self-Confidence (a CRAVED letter) and self-efficacy.

For this week, 1) pick one food choice which brings you closer to your goal, i.e. eat 1 or 2 more vegetables/fruits, drink more water/green tea, etc., 2) choose one Environmental/Eating behaviour change which can include plate/utensil size, writing out your eating log, eat a breakfast, location, i.e. kitchen only, 20 minute rule, 7PM rule, etc. and lastly choose an Activity each day or every other day...even if it is 5 minutes of walking - it's a good start! Try out your new pedometers (now that's Rewarding!!)! Special thanks to Donna at the IHN!

At the end of each day, check your Accountability...So for this week:

January/February 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 ____________________________________________
Daily walking 5 10 5 15 10 15 10
(minutes)
____________________________________________
Eat something
for breakfast x x x x x x x
____________________________________________
Drink water x x x x x x
(1 glass)
____________________________________________
Eat 3 fruits x x x x x x
per day
____________________________________________

Remember your SUCCESS Chart will not be perfect (who is?).

Also VISUALIZATION can be wonderful tool with motivation and resolve...so making a bulletin board and put your Accomplishments (and SUCCESS Chart!) or inspiring pictures on it to help keep you focused...the fridge door is a great place to put "I'm getting fitter, healthier and curvier!" This visual tool can help show you and Remind (another CRAVED word!) how far you have come!

HOMEWORK this week includes:

1) being mindful and living by your VALUES daily
2) making a 3 behaviour SUCCESS chart for the week which includes one new food choice, one Environmental/eating behaviour and increasing Activity (try out your new pedometers!)
3) continue to Deep breathe daily (even hourly)

Have a wonderful week!

Take care,
Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 3

2009-01-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstyler's,

Tonight, we learned some of the HOW's of eating..."to become fitter, healthier and _____'er."

As said, the term diet is not a good one...increasing one's better food choices is the key. Remember that everyone is on their own journey (it is NOT a race), how fast you go with the changes suggested is up to you.

For behaviour change to stick life long..."slow and steady will win the race!"

There was much discussion tonight about the number of servings suggested for healthy weight change. Interestingly, these are the numbers suggested by the Canada Food Guide with the exception of 2 to 4 grains (half) instead.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

We also discussed how environment plays a key role in our eating behaviour. Changing utensil and plate sizes, eating in the kitchen only, using the 20 minute rule and drinking 6 to 8 glasses/cups (green and white teas are great choices) of fluid a day are helpful.

We also learned about the very useful CRAVED mnemonic tool. It helps us kick our "animal" behaviours to the cortex before we get into trouble...

We did some Deep breathing (D in CRAVED) with some upper body stretching...The shoulder scrunch is great for stress relief when it's in the neck and shoulders!

Tonight we learned about Values (V in CRAVED). They turn out to be the "hot keys" to behaviour change. There is no such thing as a right or wrong value, but when our behaviours and our values are aligned - nothing can stop us!

For HOMEWORK:

1) determining what your top 10 Values are
2) making food choices which are more aligned with the Canada Food Guide with the exception of grains (2 to 4 servings)...just remember that slow and steady will win in the end!
3) write out 2 more days in your food diary
4) try and increase your physical activity; it can be as simple as increasing your walking from 5 minutes a day to 10 minutes or 20 minutes every other day

Have a wonderful week!

Dr.P

P.S. On HOW to eat, Dr. Joey Shulman's book, "the last 15" is another wonderful resource.

Lose Weight For Life - week 2

2009-01-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

Hi gang!

Tonight we reviewed what the 3 F's (food, fornication and fun) are...and how they help survival and DOPAMINE.

We also discussed that you are no longer going to lose weight anymore, but instead become "fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer/sexier/happier, etc. (you pick the ____'er)." As it turns out, the unconscious mind (which really runs the show!) only processes positives. So by stating the desired behaviour change in the positive, it is easier to move towards something versus away from it.

We also talked about WHAT to eat. As noted, I am not a dietitian, and if you wish further dietary information the free Dial a Dietitian is available at 1-800-667-3438.

The new Canadian Food Guide is also a good resources.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

We talked about CARBOHYDRATES (simple and complex), PROTEINS and FATS. All are essential for health and wellness. We also showed you a number of food items which may not be as good for you as their label suggests.

We also learned how to do the clinic's DEEP BREATHING technique, the 4-6-7 technique. It can be a wonderful stress reliever and way of becoming more mindful when required.

For HOMEWORK:

1) DEEP BREATHE x 3 daily
2) try and do physical activity on a regular basis; it can be as simple as walking 5 minutes a day or 10 minutes every other day
3) use your new gifts, your eating log, for 2 days this week

Next week, the FUN really begins when we'll talk about HOW to eat!

Have a wonderful week!

Take care,
Dr.P

Parks and Rec. Week 1

2009-01-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings LIFEstylers,

It was nice to meet you all!

As promised, we have developed a blog to help with your journey of becoming fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer (pick any ___er!)...

We will give a brief overview of what we discussed in class as well as review your homework for the week ahead.

The program is to be FUN and not fear-based...

This week we discussed WHY we eat (besides for survival)…some other reasons included pleasure, stress, social, boredom, low mood, environment, our family...

We learned about DOPAMINE, the little neurotransmitter which causes all sorts of "good" things...How it is involved with eating and procreating...How it can be misused and overused in addictions.

Homework for week 1 was:

1) fill out GREEN medical history form
2) do your baseline measurements (waist, height and weight) and put them on the GREEN form
3) 2 day food log
4) leave something on your plate or glass once a day

Have a wonderful week.

Next week, we will discuss WHAT to eat...

Take care,
Dr.P

P.S. On HOW to eat, Dr. Brian Wansink's book, "Mindless Eating," is a wonderful resource.

Lunch Club - Addiction, addiction, everywhere?

2008-10-21T23:07:00.001-07:00

Hi gang,

Nice to see everyone! Great discussions...we went from covering the "animal brain," the midbrain, right to thinking about nondualism and detachment. Getting "comfortable being uncomfortable." Pretty heady stuff!

As said, addictions or compulsions involve our primitive midbrain which is primed to help us survive. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we live in a culture of abundance...hence food and its availability can be abused and misused (can you say emotional eating?)...

That is why with the LIFEstyle program there is a de-emphasis on eating (no diet!) and activity/exercise (they are essential to healthy weight change) and an emphasis on all of the other lifestyle issues , i.e. emotion management, relationship management, time management, sleep hygiene, etc.

Here's a very interesting discussion on time management from Prof. Randy Pausch (start video at 12 minutes to bypass intro's):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5784740380335567758

When we are "happy" with that stuff...everything else takes care of itself...

We talked about Chunking down and Compartmentalizing (C in CRAVED no more) big jobs into more manageable parts is key to SUCCESS!

We covered Responsibility, Accountability and Accomplishment as a way to stay on track...

Didn't we all feel good that we Accomplished what we said we would do from last month?! WTG RP for the new lunch time behavior change!!

Remember that it takes a Variety of strategies to stay committed...

The Canada Food Guide can help guide us with healthy Eating...

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/myguide-monguide/index-eng.php

...and don't forget that daily Exercise or Activity is required...Pedometer anyone?

And lastly, Drink healthy (low cal beverages)...if we think we are hungry and "crave" something...you may want to try drinking something...it may only be thirst calling out!

So for this month, we all made some more small lifestyle/behavior changes to be completed by next month's Lunch Club (Tuesday, November 18th):

TC - toning exercises 5 minutes a day (5X/week)
KL - have 3 to 4 more good conversations in the next month
KM - 2-3000 steps per day on her pedometer (14,000 steps per week)
RP - 10 minutes of yoga (3X/week)
PS - 30 minute walk video (3X/week)
for myself, I will have finished the script for the upcoming hospital smoking cessation video (last month's commitment helped me finish my book! thanks group! having someone else to answer to can be very empowering and inspiring!)

May peace and joy be with you always!

Dr.P

Lunch Club - Tuesday, Sept. 16th

2008-09-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hi gang,

It was nice to see everyone out today!!

We covered a great many topics as they pertain to healthy lifestyle change...Understanding that Variety is the way of doing this...

We discussed how Chunking behaviors down is a key ingredient to maintain change...When we complete a task/goal (be it small or big), we get a deep sense of satisfaction from the Accomplishment. We also discussed Accountability as a valuable tool to keep us on track.

As promised, to our Lunch Club group...we all made some small lifestyle/behavior changes to be completed by next month's Lunch Club (Tuesday, October 21)...they are:

for R, to change her Environment and Eat in the kitchen for 5 days (we end up eating fewer calories if we eat in the kitchen!)...she will try Adding a Radio or Reading to enhance the experience
for E, to do the same, but >5 days of kitchen eating
for L (welcome L!), to be Active/Exercise and run 12 times in the next month
for P, to continue to be Active every day (even if it's 5 to 10 minutes)
for K, to have 3 to 4 good conversations/Connections in the next month
for myself, I will complete the initial draft of my book...and will continue to Eat healthy, Exercise (soccer, floor hockey) regularly and live each day valuing my Values!

Have fun this month!

Take care,

Dr.P

BTW...finishing this blog is an Accomplishment (even though it is small), but it still feels great that it's done!! :-)

Lose Weight For Life - week 7

2008-08-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hi gang,

As said, even though this is the last session of the program...it truly is the exciting beginning of lifelong change and growth!!

Some of the interesting books and topics we discussed today were Dr. David Burns' Feeling Good which forms the basis of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dale Carnegie's book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (written in 1948), Dr. Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking (written in 1952) and Ekhart Tolle's Power of Now.

The bottom line, is that there is no one "right" way to think or live...with this program and the use of the CRAVED no more mnemonic, you now have new tools to feel better so making positive behavior change is easier.

As said, we are not out to "lose" weight, but to become "fitter, healthier and ______'er."

Chunking down your goals by starting off with smaller daily changes goes a long way, i.e. 10 minutes of walking or any physical Activity, changing the plate size or eating only in the kitchen (Environment change) as well as choosing healthier foods (Eat more beans, fruits, veggies and whole grains)...Just by having breakfast can have a healthy impact on your road to success!!

Regular Rewards can be valuable Reminders that you are worth it!! Your brand new LIFEstyle keychains look mah-velous!! Music can be a great motivator...remember Radio!

Appreciating (3 moments in the past day) and relishing your Accomplishments/Achievements can put you in a better state...Visualization of your success and past successes can alse be a great motivator!

And lastly, don't ever to forget to Deep breathe!! and Drink healthy fluids!!

May peace and joy be with you always.

Take care,
Dr.P

P.S. We'll see you on Day 50, October 21st at 11:30AM...

Lose Weight For Life - week 6

2008-08-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hi gang!

Hope you are feeling better TC!!

This week, we reviewed the CRAVED mnemonic (yet again) on how it pertains to Rest (Retiring to bed or sleep, Relaxation and Recreation) and Relationships...

With regards to Retiring to bed (or sleep), we discussed how important it is for good health. We also found out that poor sleep can be a factor with weight gain. Can anybody say grehlin? If you or a loved one stops breathing at night or snores excessively then you may want to check with your family physician. Especially if your Epworth score is 10 or more. There are simple and effective treatments available. Good sleep hygiene can go a long way for good health.

Rest and Relaxation are so important for good health. Daily "Rests" can be beneficial where you take 5 or 10 minutes and lie down and Reflect and Recharge - early or late afternoon "Rests" will leave you feeling Refreshed and Ready for the evening challenges!! The work-play balance is key for success!! Designating "R and R" time regularly is helpful and may also take the form of a Vacation!! Like a cruise in the fall (for DB and DB)!!

When it comes to Relationships, Retiring and Rising together is another great help in establishing Rapport...We talked about Active listening and Eye contact as being keys with establishing positive communication. All we really want is Acknowledgement, Acceptance, mutual Respect and Connection...hence Acknowledging and Validating may be all that is required in the battle of Mars with Venus!? Remember, we always have a Choice to be involved in a relationship...Choosing to have a Date a month may be helpful to fuel those fires.

Commitment for a Cause ("getting fitter, healthier and _______") is what all this stuff is about. It's the caring about the self which makes it all come together!! Affirmations can be useful for some.

We looked at your SUCCESS Charts (some were more complete than others (wtg KL!!)) and awarded the very first LIFEstyle Clinic keychains to help Anchor your new healthier behaviours.

Even though it will be our last session on Tuesday, August 26th at 11 AM in room B224 (Lunch Club will follow), it merely is only the beginning...

For HOMEWORK, keep up with the SUCCESS Charts with 2 or 3 new behaviors (Eat healthy -food choice, Environment and Activity (walk 15 minutes a day, anyone?))...I will e-mail you some concepts to ponder in the days and weeks ahead...

Have a healthy month!! Until the 26th!

Take care,

Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 5

2008-07-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

Hi gang,

The FUN continues!

This week we talked about CHOICE... How every day we make over 200 CHOICES around eating - let alone all of the other CHOICES we make in a day. It still goes back to the CHOICE that we all want to be "fitter, healthier and _______" through this program. We are totally RESPONSIBLE for who and what we are - we are the sum of every good and bad CHOICE we have ever made in life. We are only ACCOUNTABLE to one person and you look at that person in the mirror every day!

Just remember, long lasting lifestyle and behaviour change is more a slow process. Slow (changes) and steady wins the race!

We also discussed a number of things including more helpful hints about HOW to eat. Dr. Wansink's book, "Mindless Eating," is a wonderful resource. Other resources include the Canadian magazine, "Nutrition Action," which gives sensible advice around food and lifestyle. Another web-based site is: http://www.sparkpeople.com/ which over the years I have found to be helpful for motivation, calorie counting, recipes, etc and it is free!

We also talked about how the CRAVED mnemonic can be a useful tool to refocus the mind on becoming "fitter, healthier and _______(curvier/slimmer/happier/even sexier)." Deep breathing can be a wonderful way of becoming more mindful of our behaviours. The raisin meditation showed us this. You can read it at: http://yogateacher.com/text/meditation/on-line/eating.html

Homework this week included: 1) picking 3 vital behaviors (one healthy Eating (i.e. one extra vegetable/fruit per day), one Environment (i.e. plate change, kitchen only eating, physical Activity (i.e. 10 minutes of walking a day, carry the gracery basket, use stairs, etc.)) for the month of August in your SUCCESS Charts, 2) write out (at least) 10 of your recent and past Accomplishments/Achievements, 3) write out your Compelling future of what you want yourself to look like 1 year from now (Visualize!) and 4) don't forget to Deep breathe!!

Have a healthy week!

Stay real,
Dr.P

P.S. There will be a surprise for all of you next week when you bring in your SUCCESS Charts!!

Lose Weight For Life - week 4

2008-07-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

As we all become "fitter, healthier and (curvier, slimmer, sexier, happier, etc.)" - you pick the "_____'er"...

We now know WHY we eat, WHAT to eat and today we discussed HOW to eat...As said, the HOW is a very important part of the equation for a healthy lifestyle...

We talked about Dr. Wansink's Mindless Eating principles...like "it's easier to change your environment than to change your mind." So eating only in the kitchen (not in front of the tv or computer), using smaller plates and taller glasses, having food not visible in the kitchen except for a fruit bowl to name a few...

We also learned about the CRAVED mnemonic. It can be a useful tool to refocus your mind on becoming "fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer." Your goal or Cause (C in CRAVED). Remember your Reasons for doing this (R in CRAVED). Affirmations (A in CRAVED) can help like "I deserve to be happy and successful." Value your values (V in CRAVED)...more on this next time.

In the weeks to come, we will discuss how mood/stress, sleep and relationships play a key role in this process...

As said, lifestyle change is a process...be patient, if you add in new foods and change your activity level slowly and gradually, it will be FUN...and FUN is what all this is about.

Homework this week was:1) Emotion check (E from CRAVED) - check what emotion you are feeling daily (2 to 3 times), what you are doing and how are you behaving? - becoming more mindful of our Emotions is very empowering, 2) picking 3 vital behaviors which will help you with your goal...they can be small (Chunk it down (C in CRAVED)) and be ready to put them in a SUCCESS Chart for August, and 3) maintain 10 minutes of walking or other activity daily or 20 minutes every other day, 3) BELIEVE and Visualize (V in CRAVED) - Think of yourself in 3 months, 6 months and a year from now already feeling the success you will have, NOW...In other words, bathe yourself with the feelings of success of becoming fitter and healthier today...How will you feel when you have reached your goal? Think about it and 4) walk away or Detach (D in CRAVED) yourself from media (tv, computer, video games) once a day...There are recommendations that media should be limited to 2 hours a day or less. So after reading this blog, go out and walk, jump or dance!

Have a wonderful week! See you next week at 12:30PM in room B224 (we have a surprise for you all!).

Take care,
Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 3

2008-07-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

Are we having FUN yet?...

The road to self mastery is always an adventure! This week we discussed WHAT to eat (where was everyone?!)...We reviewed some of the latest food choices which help to maintain a healthy weight. Increasing 1) whole grains, 2) vegetables, 3) whole fruits and 4) legumes, beans, peas and lentils (soy).

We also found that the Canadian Food Guide emphasizes these choices:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php

More whole grains (be careful of labels), vegetables and fruits as well as a de-emphasis on dairy and meats. Although meat alternatives like beans, peas, nuts are better choices because of increased fibre and less fat. Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation are also important. If meats are restricted then one should consider vitamin B12 (250 mcg).

Dr. Niel Barnard has a number of interesting publications on this topic:

http://www.nealbarnard.org/pubs.htm

Remember healthy living is a process...Slow and steady wins the race!

I am a physician and not a dietitian, and if you wish further dietary information the free Dial a Dietitian is available at 1-800-667-3438.

For the weeks ahead we will talk about HOW to eat.

Homework for week 3 included: 1) walking 10 minutes a day or 20 minutes every other day, 2) continued practice of DETACHMENT whether it's leaving food on your plate or walking away from media (i.e. tv, video games, Internet/computer) after so much time (i.e. 30 minutes or 1 hour...when the time has elapsed...you switch off and walk away!), 3) use a SUCCESS chart (see Feb. 12/07 blog entry) for 2 eating behaviours (i.e. eat one more fruit or vegetable a day or 1 extra glass of water a day) and 4) food diary in advance, for one day plan your meals instead and eat to the schedule as much as possible.

When it comes to the subconscious mind (see week 1), Dr. Brian Wansink has a remedy for "over" indulging...before you indulge, say to yourself: "I'm not hungry, but I'm going to eat this anyway."

Have a wonderful week! See you on Wednesday, July 23rd at 12:30PM in room G103!

Take care,
Dr.P

P.S. Due to holidays, etc., our monthly Lunch Club will be on the fourth Tuesday of the month in August...the 26th!

Lose Weight For Life - week 2

2008-06-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Gang,

Today we discussed WHY we eat, including some of the other reasons we munch (stress, social, boredom, low mood, etc.)...We also found out that eating/food is highly valued by the group and physical activity (exercise) less so...

We learned about DOPAMINE, the little neurotransmitter which causes all sorts of "good" things...How it is involved with 2 f's: eating (food) and procreating (fornicating)...How it can be misused and overused in addictions.

We also discussed that humans (like most animals) have the propensity to BINGE eat. Dr. Brian Wansink's book, Mindless Eating, demonstrates this concept well...

We handed out the Canadian Food Guide to prepare you for our next session where we will discuss WHAT to eat.

Homework this week included: 1) finding out what your VALUES are (pick your top 7 to 10), 2) do another food log for a day, 3) leave something on your plate or glass once a day and 4) walking or any other physical activity 10 minutes alternating with 5 minutes every other day or 15 minutes every second day.

Have a healthy 3 weeks and remember have FUN! Next time, we'll meet on Tuesday, July 15th at 11AM in room B224.

Take care,
Dr.P

Lose Weight For Life - week 1

2008-06-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

It was nice to meet you all!

As promised, we will post on this blog to help with your journey of becoming "fitter, healthier and curvier (pick any ___er!)"...As we will discuss next week, the unconscious mind only processes positives...so we won't be "losing" weight with this program!!

For the first week, we discussed some of the principles of neurolinguistic programming (nlp) and how they apply to weight loss. The program is to be FUN and not fear-based...Remember there is no failure here....SUCCESS is a continuum!!

Homework for week 1 was: 1) 1 day food log 2) walk 5 minutes a day or 10 minutes every other day (make sure you do it daily or every other day). Parking the car further from work or the mall can be helpful and 3) do your baseline measurements (waist).

If any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to post them on the blog or e-mail: dr.poteryko@yahoo.com

Have a wonderful week!

Take care,
Dr.P

LIFEstyle mini program - night 2 of 2

2007-10-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

Thanks for coming out and choosing LIFEstyle change over “Dancing With The Stars!”

If you apply some of the principles discussed during the mini program, in the weeks ahead you will be “dancing” to SUCCESS!

We discussed the importance of HOW to eat and exercise. Both turn out to be just as important (if not more) than WHAT to eat.

If one reduces 100 to 200 calories a day (strategic eating and some exercise) it all adds up to a “fitter and healthier” you at the end of the year! Slow and steady wins the race…

Lasting behaviour change takes time. The SUCCESS chart is a great way to visually encourage keeping on track…My challenge for November was to pick 3 small lifestyle changes (eating behaviour and some form of exercise)…Check out the Feb. 12th 2007, Week 6 blog entry for some ideas…

To help maintain some of the wonderful changes that you are making, you are invited to our monthly Lunch Club on Nov. 20th (3rd Tuesday of the month) in room B224 at NRGH. We discuss MOTIVATION and MAINTENANCE when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices (get your M+M’s!!!)…

Have a wonderful month!

Dr.P

P.S. If the feedback is favourable, we may offer another mini program in the spring.

LIFEstyle mini program

2007-10-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

As promised, here is a quick synopsis of what we talked about last week...We talked about WHY we eat (it's all about DOPAMINE!) and WHAT to eat (can you say Canadian Food Guide?)...

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html

In that, we found out that FIBRE is the friend and FAT is the foe...In other words, a diet which is rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help you achieve your goals.

We started to discuss how environment plays a vital role with eating behavior. Dr. Brian Wansink's book "Mindless Eating" is a wonderful resource to help with positive change.

Next week we will be discussing HOW to eat and HOW to exercise for longterm success.

Take care,
Dr.P

Reminder: Last Lunch Club - Tuesday, August 14th?

2007-08-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Hope your summer continues to sizzle with healthier choices...

Just a reminder that we will be holding our Lunch Club one week earlier this month because of summer holidays...We will be meeting at noon on Tuesday the 14th in room B224 of the Ambulatory Care at NRGH...

It will be our last session discussing LIFEstyle and healthy food choices...week 7 of the program.

Next month, we will be back to the third Tuesday of the month at noon for both programs: "Quit Smoking For Good" and "Lose Weight For Life."

Hope to see you there!

Take care,
Dr.P

Reminder: Tuesday, July 17th Lunch Club

2007-07-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

Happy 5 month anniversary(since graduation)!

Hope your summer is fun and fulfilling...

Just a quick reminder that we will be hosting our July Lunch Club in room B224 at NRGH at noon on Tuesday July 17th...At this session, we will be available to answer your questions as well as give you a dose of Motivation!

We will also be going over week#6 of the Lose Weight For Life program (if you missed it or need a boost)...E-mail me at dr.poteryko@cisic.ca, if you wish any other issue to be discussed.

See you there!

Take care,
Dr.P

Reminder: Tuesday, June 19th Lunch Club

2007-06-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

Happy 4 month anniversary(since graduation)!

As we discussed in class, it is Maintenance and Motivation (M & M's) which are key with longstanding lifestyle change...Maintenance can be a challenge, but with certain tools it can be much easier to attain and maintain. Can anyone say "Success Chart?" That is why we have the ongoing support through the Lunch Clubs and e-mail access to help you stay "on your bike!"

We will be hosting our June Lunch Club in room B224 at NRGH at noon on Tuesday June 19th...At this session, we will be available to answer your questions as well as give you a dose of Motivation!

We will also be going over week#5 of the Lose Weight For Life program (if you missed it or need a boost)...This month, we will bring some dopamine-inducing "treats" to help with detachment.

E-mail me at dr.poteryko@cisic.ca, if you wish any other issue to be addressed.

Take care,
Dr.P

Reminder: Tuesday May 15th Lunch Club

2007-05-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

Happy 3 month anniversary(since graduation)!

As we discussed in class, it is Maintenance and Motivation (M & M's) which are key with longstanding lifestyle change...Motivation comes from within... How will it feel when you achieve your goal? Really get into it...How will you look, what will you be thinking/hearing and how great will it finally feel?

To help with M & M's, we will be hosting our May Lunch Club in room B224 at NRGH at noon on Tuesday May 15th...At this session, we will be available to answer your questions as well as give you a dose of Motivation! We will also be going over week#4 of the Lose Weight For Life program (if you missed it or need a boost)...

E-mail me at dr.poteryko@cisic.ca, if you wish any other issue to be addressed.

Take care,
Dr.P

Reminder: Tuesday April 17th Lunch Club

2007-04-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Hope there is some spring in your Spring!

Happy 2 month anniversary(since graduation)!

The question of the month is:

How do I get "fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer" and have FUN doing it?

Great questions give you great results! Think about it...Versus "Why can't I lose weight?"

As we discussed in class, it is Maintenance and Motivation (M & M's) which are key with longstanding lifestyle change...Motivation comes from within... How will it feel when you achieve your goal? Really get into it...How will you look, what will you be thinking/hearing and how great will it finally feel?

To help with M & M's, we will be hosting our April Lunch Club in room B224 at NRGH at noon on Tuesday April 17th...At this session, we will be available to answer your questions as well as give you a dose of Motivation! We will also be going over week#3 of the Lose Weight For Life program (if you missed it or need a boost)...E-mail me at dr.poteryko@cisic.ca, if you wish any other issue to be addressed.

Take care,
Dr.P

Reminder: Tuesday March 20th Lunch Club

2007-03-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Happy 1 month anniversary(since graduation)!

Hope everyone is well...and getting "fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer."

As we discussed in class, it is Maintenance and Motivation (M & M's) which are key with longstanding lifestyle change...Can anyone say Success Chart?

To help with M & M's, we will be hosting our March Lunch Club in room B224 at NRGH at noon on Tuesday March 20th...At this session, we will be available to answer your questions as well as give you a dose of Motivation! We will also be going over week#2 of the Lose Weight For Life program (if you missed it or need a boost)...

E-mail me at dr.poteryko@cisic.ca, if you wish any other issue to be addressed.

Take care,
Dr.P

Parks and Rec. - week 7

2007-02-21T20:50:00.000-08:00

Greetings all!

It's already week 7...where does all the time go? This may of been the last session, but it is truly the beginning of the FUN and wonderful journey of becoming "fitter, healthier and _____'er!"

Tonight we discussed "Love and Chocolate" and how dopamine plays a key role in both. It can sometimes be difficult to sort out something when it feels (and tastes) so good. Again, it is Mother Nature and our survival to blame. Does the behaviour harm or nurture us is the question to ask?

We talked about how values help with our behaviour. They become out "hot keys" to success because when our behaviours and our values are aligned - nothing can stop us. There are no right or wrong values. Our group was very noble, many ranked integrity, truth and honesty. Other high ranking values included health and family. The Decision Line brings it all together.

We also reviewed the CRAVED mnemonic again, which can be a useful tool when confronted with cravings, stress and other cues. Remember that deep breathing and visualizing can be powerful portable tools as well.

It is easier to change your environment than your mind and many of the "Short Snappers," we discussed tonight help with cutting 100 to 200 calories a day (which translates into 10 to 20 lbs a year!).

Lastly, we talked about negative self talk and how it can undermine success. At times, we can be our own worst enemy. We all deserve to be happy. It merely takes more nurturing self talk like how we would talk to your "best friend." Dr. David Burns and his approach to cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful.

You have made a wonderful DECISION with this journey. You are not alone. Please keep us posted (email dr.poteryko@cisic.ca) and remember that we have the free monthly group meeting on the third Tuesday of every month at noon in room B224 at NRGH. This can help with the M & M's - the Motivation and Maintenance. Remember, you cannot fail here...whether you take big steps or small steps, it's your choice. The Success Chart is another great visual tool to help.

Homework for week 7 and beyond:

1) 20+ minutes every day or 40-45 minutes every other day of brisk walking or any other physical activity (be sure to use your Parks and Rec. passes! Thank you Liz W. at Parks and Rec.!!)
2) Continue to deep breathe regularly.
3) Practice trying the tools: CRAVED mnemonic, Success Chart and Decision Line - they all can help make us more mindful of our choices and decisions.

Remember to gage your success (especially initially) with inches and not pounds.

Health and happiness always!

Dr.P

Parks and Rec. - week 6

2007-02-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

We were having so much FUN tonight, we ran out of time (my apologies). With Valentine's Day coming, we will talk about "Love and Chocolate" next week.

Speaking of chocolate, we discussed M & M's tonight and the fact that we can change the way we look at things by changing how we perceive them. As said, M & M's can be seen as Motivation & Maintenance instead...so in the future, you can remember how to stay motivated and maintain the wonderful DECISION of becoming "fitter, healthier and _______'er."

We also reviewed some more strategies on HOW to eat including using the most successful strategy of maintaining weight change with your brand new "eating logs." Just by tracking what you eat, helps keep you on course. We also discussed that deprivation diets don't work. It's more important to enjoy food and not to eat with shame or guilt. It's better to become mindful and eat that "less than better choice" and release the feelings by saying "I know there are better choices, but this time I will eat this ______." Then you get on and walk and make healthier choices. This journey of self mastery should be one of FUN and enlightenment.

We also found that the new Canadian Food Guide has many similarities as the program with emphasis on whole grains (be careful of labels), vegetables and fruits as well as a deemphasis on dairy and meats. Although meat alternatives like beans, peas, nuts are better choices because of more fibre and less fat. Vitamin D supplementation is also important. The link:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html

It's free! You can make your very own food plan with portions for a day! Oh thank you Canadian government!

We also discussed sleep and how important it is for good health. We also found out that poor sleep can be a factor with weight gain. Can anybody say grehlin? If you or a loved one stops breathing at night or snores excessively then you may want to check with your family physician. Especially if your Epworth score is 10 or more. There are simple and effective treatments available. Good sleep hygiene can go a long way for good health.

We talk about a "Success Chart" to help give you emotional and physical traction to show you how far you have come to build and strengthen your self Confidence (a CRAVED letter) and self efficacy. Put how much you are walking (the Exercise in CRAVED) each day or every other day...even if it is 5 minutes, it's a start! Then put 3 other food behaviour choices down like choosing certain foods, beverages or even that you will track your eating log each day for a week...At the end of each day, check your Accountability (a CRAVED letter!)...

Success Chart (use lined paper on its side, each day is a line/column)

February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 . . . 28
____________________________________________
Daily
walking
(minutes) 15 10 15 15 15 - 30 15 15 15 20 15 20
____________________________________________
Eat
something x x x x x - x x x x x x x . . . x
for
breakfast
____________________________________________
Drink water
(+lemon) x x x x x x x x x - x x x . . . x
with one
meal
____________________________________________
Eat 3
fruits per x - x x x x x x x x x x x . . . x
day
____________________________________________

The "Success Chart" will not be perfect (who is?). Also write on the back page by refreshing your memory of 5 different things that you were successful in in your life. It could be getting your driver's license, high school graduation, getting your first job/pay cheque, your wedding day or even registering for "Lose Weight For LIFE" :o)

This visual tool can help show you and Remind (another CRAVED word!) how far you have come! Put it on the fridge and at the end of the day review your accomplishments!

Just remember that we are learning new skills here and many of them will take time and practice to master. You are welcome to come out to NRGH on the third Tuesday of the month at noon in room B224 in Ambulatory Care to experience the "LIFEstyle Lunch Club" which will discuss any issues you may have on your road to self mastery. I will also be covering the program again with week 1 starting in February, week 2 in March and so on. Hope that you can make it!

Homework this included:

1) Make your own "Success Chart" and plot the wonderful gains (and soon to be losses of inches) you have made
2) Try out your brand new Eating Log and plot out your choices over the next week - have FUN with this one (see above)...Be kind to yourself!
3) Hourly deep breathing with a shoulder scrunch for the tension
4) walking 15 minutes alternating with 20 minutes or 35 minutes every other day...now that the days are getting longer and warmer this will be easier.

Next week is our final week, but really it is only the beginning of something fantastic...We might just have a surprise for graduation!

We will talk more about "Love and Chocolate," self confidence and purpose.

Have a great week, everyone!

Take care,
Dr.P

Parks and Rec. - week 5

2007-02-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstylers,

The FUN continues! Just remember, healthy lifestyle and behaviour change is more a slow process. Slow (changes) and steady wins the race!

This week we discussed a number of things including more helpful hints about HOW to eat. Dr. Wansink's book, "Mindless Eating," is a wonderful resource. Other resources include the Canadian magazine, "Nutrition Action," which gives sensible advice around food and lifestyle. Another web-based site is: www.sparkpeople.com which over the year I have found to be helpful for motivation, calorie counting, recipes, etc and it is free!

We talked about the use of waist circumference as a better predictor for cardiac risk versus BMI. You can follow the inches with your new Heart and Stroke Foundation tape measure!

We also talked about stress and how the CRAVED mnemonic can be a useful tool to refocus your mind on becoming "fitter, healthier and curvier/slimmer." Deep breathing still can be a wonderful way of becoming more mindful of our behaviours.

Homework this week included:

1) 15 minutes everyday of walking or 30 minutes every other day
2) your Top 10 List of things you enjoy doing or make you happy (get in touch with the part of you that has/had FUN!)
3) practice the CRAVED mnemonic which include deep breathing. More on this next week!

Next week we'll talk more about how to improve relationships and sleep. Bring your show and tell to share.

Have a healthy week!

Take care,
Dr.P

P.S. Bev had a great resource which plots your walking progress across Canada at www.speakwell.com/ipedcanada/

Parks and Rec - week 4

2007-01-30T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstyl'ers!

Thanks for the comments Rika and Christine...

As we all become "fitter, healthier and (curvier, slimmer, sexier, happier, etc.)" - you pick the "_____'er"... We now know WHY we eat, WHAT to eat and last night we discussed HOW to eat...As said, the HOW is a very important part of the equation for a healthy lifestyle...In the weeks to come, we will discuss how mood, stress, sleep and relationships play a key role in this process...

As said, lifestyle change is a process...be patient, if you add in new foods and change your activity level slowly and gradually, it will be FUN...and FUN is what all this is about.

To one of our LIFEstylers who is very busy and finding the 10 minutes a day walking challenging...Try parking your car 5 minutes away from work in the morning and you'll get the 10 minutes needed...We would much rather see you do the activity daily for less time regularly than moving up to 15 minutes and doing it every third or fourth day... Go slow and you will definitely see, feel and hear the results!!!

For motivation, we talked about the only constant in life is change...just like the Swiss watch makers, if we do not change with the times...we may fade...We have hopefully been helping you think outside the comfort zone to help with internal growth...With time, you'll be amazed with your results! We talked about emotional traction and how important it is to make a date with destiny...Your new blue DECISION bands can be a symbol for some of the changes that you are making...

Homework this week was:

1) increase walking or any other activity (now that you have a Parks and Rec pass!) to 15 minutes alternating with 10 minutes or 25 minutes every other day
2) deep breathing, just can't get enough of it
3) BELIEVE! Think of yourself in 3 months, 6 months and a year from now already feeling the success you will have, NOW...In other words, bathe yourself with the feelings of success of becoming fitter and healthier today...How will you feel when you have reached your goal? Think about it.
4) walk away or detach yourself from media (tv, computer, video games) once a day...There are recommendations that media should be limited to 2 hours a day or less. So after reading this blog, go out and walk, jump or dance!

Next week we will talk about stress and cravings...

Have a wonderful week!

Take care,
Dr.P

Parks and Rec. - week 3

2007-01-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

Hi LIFEstylers!

Are we having FUN yet?...The road to self mastery is always an adventure! This week we discussed WHAT to eat...We reviewed some of the latest food choices which help to maintain a healthy weight. Increasing 1) whole grains, 2) vegetables, 3) whole fruits and 4) legumes, beans, peas and lentils (soy). Dr. Niel Barnard has a number of publications on this topic: http://www.nealbarnard.org/pubs.htm

Remember healthy living is a process...Slow and steady wins the race!

As noted in the first session, I am not a dietitian, and if you wish further dietary information the free Dial a Dietitian is available at 1-800-667-3438.

Next week we will talk about HOW to eat.

Homework for week 3 included:

1) walking 10 minutes a day or 20 minutes every other day
2) deep breathing hourly, we discussed thinking of a focus word as you exhale like PEACE, POWER or STRENGTH.
3) we wanted to value your values, by choosing the top 5 values. As noted, there is no such thing as a right or wrong value. With behaviour change values become your "hot keys" for change!
4) food diary in advance, for one day plan your meals instead and eat to the schedule as much as possible. It appears a number of you have work situations which prohibit regular snacks. My challenge to you is to find a way to snack and do good work at the same time. It can be done! You are human.

Have a wonderful week.

Take care,
Dr.P

Parks and Rec. - week 2

2007-01-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

Hi Gang,

This week we discussed WHY we eat, including some of the other reasons we eat (stress, social, boredom, low mood, etc.)...We learned about DOPAMINE, the little neurotransmitter which causes all sorts of "good" things...How it is involved with eating and procreating...How it can be misused and overused in addictions.

Homework included:
1) deep breathing hourly if possible
2) beginning to BELIEVE and VISUALIZE your success in 3 months, 6 months and 1 year from now
3) leave something on your plate with every meal
4) walking 10 minutes alternating with 5 minutes every other day using your new PEDOMETERS! Enjoy!

Have a healthy week. Next week, we will discuss WHAT to eat...

Take care,
Dr.P

Welcome! Parks and Rec - week 1

2007-01-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings LIFEstylers,

It was nice to meet you all!

As promised, we have developed a blog to help with your journey of becoming fitter, healthier and curvier (pick any ___er!)...

We will give a brief overview of what we discussed in class as well as list your homework for the week ahead.

For the first week, we discussed some of the principles of neurolinguistic programming (nlp) and how they apply to weight loss. The program is to be FUN and not fear-based...

Homework for week 1 was:

1) 2 day food log
2) walk 5 minutes a day or 10 minutes every other day (make sure you do it daily or every other day). Parking the car further from work or the mall can be helpful.
3) do your baseline measurements (waist, hip and weight)
4) practice some deep breathing

Have a wonderful week!

Take care,
Dr.P