Tag Archives: Set Your Intention

A Happy and Healthy Cinco de Mayo to You!

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This is one of my favorite days of the year. I love how this date has evolved into a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture here in the US. It’s not Mexican Independence Day, it’s not really a widely celebrated holiday in Mexico, but here in the US, we use the victory of the Battle of Peubla against the Second French Empire to commemorate our relationship with our southern neighbors.

Several Mexican restaurants here in the US definitely take advantage and offer fantastic food and drink specials – because it’s a party, let’s all enjoy, right? Si! But what if we want to celebrate AND keep our healthy lifestyle going? Well, you can indeed do both. Here are some tips to enjoy the day and keep it a little on the healthier side. Try practicing what feels doable for you, even if it’s just one of these. These are not written so that you would do every single one all at once – they just give you some options if you’re looking to stick to a healthy plan while out enjoying Cinco de Mayo. Pick one (or more) and see how it goes.

  • Drink a glass of water at the start of your celebration, or even just before you walk in to wherever you’re celebrating.
  • Sparkling water with a lime wedge is a great fun beverage. It makes you feel like you’re having a cocktail without any of the calories or impaired judgement that comes with alcohol consumption.
  • If you choose to enjoy alcoholic beverages, alternate with a full glass of water. Water, then alcohol, then water, then alcohol. Ask for a large water glass and finish it completely before you order the next drink.
  • Opt for consuming a single alcoholic beverage. Stick to your plan – if they are doing BOGO (buy one get one free) then pass the free drink along to a friend or stranger.
  • Enjoy a Corona Light or a “Ranch Water Margarita” (tequila + Topo Chico [or any sparkling mineral water] + lime juice) rather than a traditional margarita to save a lot of calories and excess sugar consumption.
  • Skip the chips – you can ask the server not to bring them, if that helps you do so (and if your dining companions are OK with it!)
  • Chips on the table and you don’t want to consume too many? Put a reasonable amount that you will be satisfied with – whatever that looks like, to you – on a plate and eat only from the plate, not the big basket.
  • Dip chips in salsa or guac rather than queso. If there’s guac and you’re concerned you may eat more than you intend, put a reasonable amount that you will be satisfied with on a plate, and eat only from the plate. [That works for the queso too, if you choose to consume it!]
  • Want a crunch to munch, but don’t want it to be all chips? You may be able to order raw veggies – ask the server, even if it’s not on the menu. Carrot “chips” and sliced bell peppers are becoming more widely served, and both are great for dipping.
  • Dinner – order a la carte! Pick two or three favorites (single taco, single enchilada, refried beans, etc.) You may be surprised how satisfied you feel with a soft chicken taco and a side of black beans.
  • Split an entree with someone, including your future self. If your dining companion(s) prefer to order their own entrees, ask the server to bring a box out with your meal. Put tomorrow’s food into that to-go box before you start eating. (You can even add to the box again if you realize you’re full before you finish what’s on your plate!)
  • Order the healthiest option on the menu. Many very healthy Mexican dishes exist – seafoods, lean steak, seasoned chicken and vegetables. You may find a new favorite menu item you had never considered, just by aiming to order the healthiest thing available.
  • Get up and dance, or take a short walk after your meal. It is unlikely you will burn off what you just consumed, but getting even 10 minutes of movement right after eating/drinking can reduce the impact on your blood sugars and keep you energized, rather than feeling lethargic.

Obviously at 5:15 p.m. I may be a bit late for you to take these to heart today, but let’s assume you may go out for Mexican food in the not-too-distant future – hopefully these tips can help you make choices you are happy about! Don’t overthink it, and don’t deprive yourself of enjoying the things you really want, as that can lead you to overconsume other things, or The Wanted Thing the next time you see it. (i.e. don’t skip the margarita you are dying to have, then consume 4 beers and some sopapillas you didn’t intend to eat, and likely will not be satisfied with – just enjoy the margarita and move on.) Drink and eat what you’ll enjoy. And if you do end up overindulging, just resume normal operations and do the best you can to make your next decision a good one.

Vaya con Dios!

Building Consistency

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Sweaty selfie after today’s ride.
I consistently bike every Monday.

Big goals are great motivators. There is nothing like setting a challenge for ourselves to provide us with inspiration and a burst of motivation. Ask any everyday athlete who is having a hard time sticking to a training schedule – once they put a race or event on their calendar, motivation to workout usually increases significantly, for a little while, at least!

But what if the goal is not so big or challenging? What if we’re looking to generally “be healthy”, or cut back drinking, or make it into our eighties and still be able to travel the world? Whether we’re looking at big milestone events or small (but significant) overall health goals, they key is to remember that big achievements don’t happen overnight, they happen over the long term with small, consistent efforts that build over time. And these small, consistent efforts can lead to big, long-term success.

The first step to building consistency is to get honest and specific about your goal. Write down what you want, and WHY you want to attain it. Don’t skip the “why” part! It will give you insight as to what is really important to you. It’s one thing to say you want to lower your blood pressure or diabetes risk, it’s another to understand you’re doing that because you want to live longer, have more energy and be able to move easily through life without worrying about your health. That WHY can really clarify your personal goal.

The next step is to identify the small goals and milestones that are doable for you, that point you in the direction of the bigger goal. For example, if your big goal is to move for 30 minutes per day, every day, the first small step may be to identify indoor and outdoor activities you enjoy and can reasonably participate in. Or the first step may be finding time to move on weekdays, maybe even just one weekday. Upon identifying the small actions you can take, the next step is planning a good time to do those actions. Schedule it. Choose days and times in the week you can commit to act, even if it’s only one day or two days, and only for 10 minutes each day.

Then comes action – you have to do it – and with it, repetition. Any action we take in pursuit of our overall goals should be easily repeatable. If the action is tough to accomplish or repeat, that is a sign that the small goal needs to be broken down further or revised. Back to the movement example, if your intent was to walk ten minutes a day for two days this week, and you pegged your lunch break as a good time to do it, but it only happened once, revisit the strategy or the goal. Maybe an early walk or two five-minute walks at the start and end of the workday are more doable if you frequently have lunch meetings or deadlines that make leaving your desk in the middle of the day difficult. Revise to what is repeatable.

Once you can easily repeat the small action, congratulations! You’ve established consistency and you’re ready to build on it. You can increase frequency, intensity or duration, in small, doable amounts. Schedule those small add-ons, take action to complete them, evaluate and revise as needed, and repeat.

Note that building consistency does not include creating a timeline – take the timeline off the table, for now. Focus on gradually incorporating habits and actions in a way you will continue doing them, keeping in mind that building consistency is a process that takes time, along with some trial and error. The process also does not require perfect execution. Just because you can’t hit 100% of your goal doesn’t mean you can’t do some of it. Four intentional minutes is better than zero intentional minutes and still helps establish routine, which turns into consistency. Trust that you will find what works for you long term, and don’t let a self-imposed deadline nor the pursuit of perfection get in the way of successfully building a healthier you.

So, to summarize the steps to build consistency:

  • Identify the big goal and why you want it.
  • Break that goal into small, doable steps (smaller goals and actions).
  • Schedule a time to do the small steps and take action to complete them (even partway).
    • Evaluate and revise, if needed.
  • Repeat the action regularly. Once repetition is easy, build on it.
  • Forgo timelines and perfection; give yourself credit for moving towards being the healthiest version of you.

And remember, as far as goals go:

If you are persistent, you will get it, if you are consistent, you will keep it.

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I’d love to hear about your consistently healthy routines, and how you made them part of your every day life. Please share in the comments or send me an email!

Set Yourself up for Success

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When I was rowing, one of our team mantras from our coaches was “Plan to win, prepare to win, expect to win.” When we planned and prepared to win, we did. Our team had the most successful season when we kept that phrase and mentality front and center. Everything we did was focused on the expectation to win. It wasn’t luck. It was effort to plan and prepare for it. If we plan and prepare for the thing we want, we can expect to do it.

Halloween is this week, and whether or not you have trick-or-treaters visit your house, it is likely you may encounter some extra candy or other fall “treats” this week. When that happens, how do you want to handle it? If you expect to have candy or favorite treats in the house or at work, what will keep you on your path toward your Best Healthy Self?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying some of your favorite fall treats, or any treats. Food is fun, seasonal food can be extra fun, and whether or not they are healthy foods, fun foods are part of an overall healthy eating pattern. Swearing off a particular food or food group tends to backfire and lead us to eat more or eat “around” the thing we actually want to enjoy. So, make a plan to incorporate fun types of foods – whether or not they are healthy – within the context of your healthy life. Balance less-healthy foods out with mostly good nutritional choices. Keep up with daily movement you like doing. Plan how you can savor and enjoy the foods you love, then move on to the next healthy thing to keep that healthy life going.

Specifically talking about Halloween this week, if you get trick-or-treaters, you may opt to buy candy you don’t like to hand out to the kids, therefore removing the temptation to eat any. Or you may opt not to buy candy or hand it out at all. But what happens if you buy candy you like, or are faced with candy/treats you like in some other environment, what is your plan for that? Consider how much of it you want to enjoy, and when and how you will enjoy it. What is your plan for handling any leftover candy or facing favorite fall treats, and maintaining your healthy lifestyle?

We get trick-or-treaters for Halloween, and I bought candy I like. I allow myself to eat as much candy as I want on Halloween Day only, as long as it fits into my overall nutritional goals. For me, that usually looks like starting the day with my normal workout, eating my normal healthy meals and still having enough extra calories/WW points available to enjoy one or two pieces of my favorite candy. I eat those pieces at some point in the day when I am not distracted, so that I can fully enjoy them. After the trick-or-treaters are done, I bag up any extra candy we have left and seal it for donation to a local hospital that takes candy for their staff and families of their patients. I have found it is easy for me to manage enjoying a couple pieces of candy for one day, but it is hard for me to continue managing that for several days if the candy is in my house, so I choose to get rid of any extra candy and carry on with my healthy life the day after Halloween. This is my plan for handling and enjoying some Halloween candy, and it works really well for me, but it may not work for you.

Take a minute to think about how you want your Halloween to go, and what the day after will look like. Halloween is one day, and here on Halloween week, don’t leave your healthy lifestyle up to chance or luck. You are worth the effort to make a plan, prepare for and follow that plan, and expect to continue living a generally healthy life.

How Do You Want to Feel by Halloween?

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We’re ten weeks away from Halloween. Mentally and physically, how do you want to feel when you get there? Once you answer this, you can set up an actionable plan to make that happen. If it’s too much to try to figure out improvements in both areas, pick one to focus on, and set your intention. Be realistic – think about what you have coming up as summer wraps up and fall begins.

When Halloween comes, I want to feel mentally ___________________________________________.

When Halloween comes, I want to feel physically __________________________________________.

Once you have a goal (or goals) in mind, think of a step you can take each week to make it happen. For example, if your goal is feel mentally zen, maybe a weekly yoga or art class will help. If your goal is to feel physically good while running a 5K, take a look at online programs you might be able to follow, like the Couch to 5K (C25K) program. The goal should be personally important to you, something you believe will enrich your life, and something you will look forward to pursuing.

Years ago, I had a goal to lose weight and since I’m a visual person, I made myself this template to track my weight loss up until Halloween. It was helpful for me to see my progress. You can use the template any way you want, for example give yourself a star or color in a pumpkin for each week you take a step toward your goal. Screenshot it or print it out, write your goal on it, and use the next ten weeks to move toward it!