Lifestyle Makeover: REVAMP that MOTIVATION!

Sound familiar? Was this you?

It’s been nearly six months since we started a new year with the best of intentions to get back in shape and clean up our plates. Six months… do they feel more like six years?? Perhaps back in January you did have some success in jump-starting your health goals, but your enthusiasm has waned. This is TOTALLY NORMAL. Without the motivation to keep going, it’s not likely for anyone to keep on track. Don’t let me be misunderstood – motivation is not someone yelling at you to run yourself into the ground. It's about identifying some very good reasons to do something, and to light that up inside you.

What motivates you? What doesn’t? Today I’d like to offer you a few ways that help me keep motivated and be successful in accomplishing my goals...

It’s National Nutrition Month® !

Welcome to March everyone!

There’s a traditional expression that says, “March comes in like a Lion and out like a Lamb." The reverse seems to be happening here in Virginia. If you remember on Thursday March 1^st, it was 80 degrees and now we have snow?!? Ah, that’s the classic pattern of Virginia weather for ya… classic pattern as in, there is no pattern! (Although, I am very grateful that we did not experience the tornado trauma that occurred in the Midwest - my heart goes out to anyone with family or friends who have lost their homes!)  




In less than a week, we went from this...



...to THIS! I prefer the sandals :(

 

Weather aside, the month of March is known as National Nutrition Month®! 

This year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics named the theme: “Get Your Plate in Shape!” The key message revolves around the importance of balancing your plate. Too often, we load up our plates with refined carbohydrates and high-fat proteins, pushing the nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to the side. Boost your nutrition and reduce calories by filling at least half of your plate with a variety of vegetables – especially dark, green, leafy ones like kale, chard, and spinach + red and orange vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, squash and peppers! Fill the 2^nd two-thirds of your plate with a lean protein like skinless chicken breast, seafood, beans or lentils + a wholesome, filling grain like brown rice, quinoa, bulgar, barley or wheat-berries. This will ensure adequate intake of inflammation-fighting phytonutrients from healthy food sources, along with increased fiber for satiety and portion-control.Treat yourself afterwards with a ripe and sweetly refreshing fruit for dessert, perhaps drizzled with your favorite yogurt.






Does your plate look more like plate A or plate B?

Plate B demonstates the principles of what it means to "Get your plate in shape!"

 Be sure to check out these other Nutrition Education Resources for information on boosting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, healthy eating on the run, the 2012 NNM® Fact Sheet, plus 2011-2012 NNM® recipes and more!     

Also, don't forget to RSVP for tomorrow's GLC Grocery Tour at Whole Foods! This month, there will be emphasis on where to find a good value as well as making healthy selections. Weight check-ins are from 5-5:45PM at the Glen Allen office, the tour begins at 6PM sharp in the covered entryway of Whole Foods in Short Pump. See you there!

Happy and Healthy Eating,

Chloe RD and the GLC

p.s. Interested in other weather-related sayings of yore? The Farmers’ Almanac also mentioned these three rhymes and expressions pertaining to the month of March:

            A dry March and a wet May, fill barns and bays with corn and hay.

As it rains in March so it rains in June.

March winds and April showers bring forth bundles of May flowers.



Nutrition Tip of the Day

Happy first day of February! (or is it April?!) It's entirely too beautiful a day to be cooped up indoors... But alas, duty calls. So what better reason do I have than to give you the GLC Blog's very first Nutrition Tip of the Day!

Enjoy!

mo•ti•va•tion

photo source

Per Merriam-Webster, motivation is:

1. The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

2. The general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

In psychology, motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It’s what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. It involves the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something.

In terms of weight-loss, motivation is the force that propels us to move forward on a positive track to better ourselves. It’s what gets you off the couch and to the gym. It’s the strength that helps us to say no to that brownie and yes to fresh fruits and vegetables.

During my research, I came across an article “How to Get the Motivation to Lose Weight,” by Joshua Wayne, MA, a Personal Development Coach and trained psychotherapist with an emphasis on weight loss motivation and mind/body wellness. This article really put some key concepts into perspective for me, in a clear and concise manner. In other words, I could not have said it better – so I won’t! Not only is this information helpful, but it’s structured to be the first step in a series of other articles on motivation, such as: sustaining motivation; small changes; plus, emotions and motivation. I may not agree with every sentence, but some had to be included in order to maintain the context. Follow the "read more" link below for the article content and information that I felt was most relevant for initializing that first spark:

The Secret to Keeping your New Year’s Resolutions

HAPPY 2012 from the Good Life Center!



RVA River Fireworks 

It’s the time of year again… Time for us to put our best foot forward and say: “This year, I am going to be better!” And while we start the month with the best of intentions, by mid-February, we might as well have completely forgotten about those goals to eat more vegetables, to work out every day, and never eat another Hershey’s kiss or French fry ever again!

It’s easy to lose sight of our resolutions amidst the hustle-and-bustle of work, family and friends. These are what make up our lives from day to day but somewhere in there, after the dust settles, is you! This year, GLC wants to help you find balance in yourself. Balance in health and balance in life. The following is designed to equip you with what you need to know to make healthy resolutions that will work for you.