Habit 4: Get Active!

I was a skinny kid.  I’m not sure if was because my metabolism was awesome or if I was just hyperactive.  Maybe a little of both.  My mother rarely let me watch TV, though that didn’t bother me much, since we only had 2 channels and there was never anything good on.  I spent most of my days outside and rarely ran out of fun stuff to do—climbing trees, turning cartwheels, building forts, playing tag, swimming, tether ball, shuffleboard.  As I got older I stopped climbing trees, but I started taking dance class, gymnastics, and swimming lessons.  During my high school years I remained active through cheer-leading, dance-line, and softball.  I gained a little weight, but still considered myself in good shape. 

Then I went off to college and the most physical thing I accomplished was walking from point A to point B.  After college I was even less active.  My first job required sitting at a desk all day, 40 hours a week.  It’s not hard to imagine what happened to my body, (especially when you count up all the 20-ounce Cokes I drank from the downstairs vending machine). 

By the time I decided to do something about it, even walking felt like a burden.  I’ve tried off and on to regain my former physique, but it’s usually short-lived.  I look at exercise as one more unpleasant thing to shove into my already packed schedule.  Now if it were something I enjoyed, like reading a book or eating cheesecake, I’m sure I would find time to squeeze it in somewhere.  Unfortunately for me, exercise is about as fun as going to the dentist (no offense my dentist friends).  It’s painful.  I just don’t like doing it.

I’m no fitness guru.  I’m not speaking to you as someone who has mastered this.  In fact, I struggle with this habit more than anything else.  That's why I chose this topic.  There are so many good reasons for getting into shape.  Here are the top 7 benefits of regular physical activity, according to  MayoClinic.com:

• Exercise controls weight
• Exercise combats health conditions and disease
• Exercise improves mood 
• Exercise boosts energy 
• Exercise promotes better sleep
• Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life 
• Exercise can be fun 

No surprises for me in that list, (except perhaps the part about exercise being fun). Even though I know about the benefits I still find a thousand excuses for NOT exercising.  If I do happen to dredge up enough motivation (see habit #2) to start a fitness plan, I have trouble staying with it beyond the first couple of weeks.  Do you have this problem too?

Exercise is like shopping for shoes…you have to try on a bunch before you find the one that really fits you and doesn’t leave you with blisters or a sore back.  You also have to wear them for awhile to really break them it.  Until then, you just have to put up with a little discomfort.  

Exercise is like car shopping.  It’s helpful if you do a little background research and know what you want before you walk in the store.  There’s usually some bargaining and haggling involved.  

Exercise can be like online dating sites.  You are more likely to find long-term success if you take the time to explore your personality to find a compatible match.

Not everyone is meant to be a distance runner.  Not everyone is meant for Zumba.  Not everyone is meant to be a rock climber or power lifter.  Don’t get discouraged.  Maybe you just haven’t found your perfect match.  

Your Challenge:

This week’s healthy habit is to find your body’s “soul-mate” activity.   Your goal is to discover a form of exercise that works for you.  Something you connect with.  Something you can stick with.  Once you’ve found it, start doing it.  Try for 30 minutes a day at least 3 to 5 days per week.  Granted, this process may take longer than a week.  It might take a whole year for that matter.  Don’t let that thought deter you from getting started.  Every day we put it off is another day of unhealthiness. 

No idea where to start?  Take an inventory of your strengths, weaknesses, and personal preferences to help you find the right fit to get fit. 

Sarah’s "Exercise Compatibility" Assessment

Think back to your childhood (or teenage years or whenever you felt you were at your peak physical condition) and then answer the following questions.  

1.    What activities did you participate in then that contributed to your overall fitness level?

2.    What did you enjoy about those activities or what motivated you to do them?

3.    What, if anything, did you dislike about those activities?

Now think about your current lifestyle and answer the following questions.

1.    Are there any obstacles or challenges that stand in the way of getting physically fit?

2.    What top 3 excuses do you usually use to get out of exercising?

3.    What are your own personal reasons for wanting to be physically fit?

Look at the pairings below.  Take a piece of paper and write down the one that best describes you now.

Prefer being indoors               versus             Prefer being outdoors

Tend to be introverted             versus             Tend to be extroverted

Prefer individual sports           versus             Prefer team sports

Tend to be competitive           versus             Tend to be non-competitive

Prefer doing cardio                 versus             Prefer doing weights or resistance training

Adrenaline junkie                    versus             Scaredy cat

Overly packed schedule         versus             A few chunks of free time

Have some money to invest   versus             Little to no money to invest

Have room for equipment      versus             Little to no room to store bulky equipment

Okay.  Now let’s assess your answers.  

Below are the original questions followed by another question in red.  Consider the answers you wrote down and then answer the questions in red.  I've included my answers to give you an example.

1.    What activities did you participate in then that contributed to your overall fitness level?

Looking at your answers, are there ways you can incorporate those activities into your fitness routine now? 

The activities I wrote down were gymnastics, cheerleading, dancing, and softball.  How can I tie those into my life now?  There might be dance classes available in my area, such as ballroom dancing, or at the very least I could get workout DVDs that are dance-based.  For softball, there are summer recreational leagues available in most places.  Maybe just going to a batting cage once a week or playing catch with my kids would be fun.  Chances are, if you really enjoyed it when you were young, you will probably still enjoy it as an adult.  At least it’s a good place to start.  Set some time aside to research your community and find out if any of the activities you listed are available to you (in some form or another).  Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to ask around.

2.    What did you enjoy about those activities or what motivated you to do them?  Can you incorporate the parts you enjoyed into your current workouts?

I enjoyed the personal challenges involved with gymnastics.  I liked stretching the limits of my body in order to achieve the next level.  I could use that to my advantage now by keeping track of my progress and making a game out of trying to surpass my own personal bests.  For dance, I loved the moving to the music.  That one is easy.  Having music playing at home naturally inspires me to move more.   I can’t help but dance to my favorite songs.  In the other sports I listed, I enjoyed the more social aspects like building friendships with my other teammates.  Perhaps that means I would stay more motivated in the long run if I worked out with friends.  Take your list and brainstorm ideas of how you might incorporate those qualities into your current fitness.

3.    What, if anything, did you dislike about those activities?  What can you learn from your answers?

Danceline started at 6:30 am, which meant I had to leave my house by 6, which meant I had to wake up long before my brain was engaged.  Let me state for the record that I am not a morning person.  My energy levels have always been lowest during the first few hours of the day.  I really loved Dance, but having to do it at O-dark-thirty was a huge challenge for me.  If it’s that hard for me to get out of bed to do something I really love, it’s gonna be darn-near impossible to get my butt out of bed for something I don’t really want to do at all!  That would be setting myself up for failure.  From that experience I learned a very important fitness lesson.  I need to plan my workouts later in the day when my energy levels are higher.  Whatever aspects you remember disliking from your fitness-past are probably the very same things that will trip you up now.  Do you best to identify those things and either remove those obstacles or find ways to work around them.  Write them down.

Now think about your current lifestyle and answer the following questions.

1.    Are there any obstacles or challenges that stand in the way of getting physically fit?  Once you have your list, scrutinize them.  What can you do to remove those obstacles or counter those challenges? 

Heck yeah I have obstacles.  I’ve got three kids.  That means I can’t just go out jogging whenever the mood strikes me.  I would have to take them with me or plan my excursion for later when my husband gets home.  This is a strong deterrent for me. Inevitably, when my husband comes home, I’m no longer interested in jogging.  I’m cooking dinner, helping with homework, writing a blog, too tired, or just plain not in the mood.  This requires a work-around.  Maybe that’s letting the kids ride their bikes while I jog alongside them.  Maybe that’s doing a workout DVD at home instead.  If you plan in advance how you’ll respond to your obstacles, you might respond in a healthier way the next time that situation arises.  Have a plan prepared for each obstacle or challenge you listed.

2.    What top 3 excuses do you usually give to get out of exercising?  Dismantle them. 

My top excuse was “I don’t have time.”  I admit it…that is a ridiculous excuse.  Yes, my schedule is overly packed.  I must also acknowledge that I created this circumstance by saying “yes” to more things than I should ever commit to do.  Yet, even on my busiest days, I can surely find 15 minutes to benefit my health.  Maybe that means only taking10 minutes to get ready instead of 30.  Maybe that means taking a shorter lunch or cutting back on Facebook time.  The truth is…I always find time to do the things that are important to me.  That means my choice to avoid exercise really has nothing to do with lack of time and everything to do with lack of priorities.  Being fit is simply not important enough to me; otherwise I would make it a bigger priority.  Here's the reality…Every excuse masks a painful truth.  Tackle those excuses one by one.  Expose the underlying painful truth, and correct it.

3.    What are your own personal reasons for wanting to be physically fit?  How can you turn those reasons into motivation? 

My kids are getting to the age where they are starting to participate in team sports.  They want to practice at home with me.  They want to play catch or kick around a soccer ball in the back yard.  I want to enjoy these kinds of activities with my kids, but I can’t if I’m totally out of shape.  It’s winter now, so we are inside a lot more.  I bought some of those “Just Dance” games for the Wii.  My kids love doing those and they are fun to do together as a family.  It feels like playtime, not work, which helps me stay engaged.  Whatever reasons you have for wanting to get fit, make them an integral part of your fitness program.   

Now onto those pairings of opposites…

Indoor vs. Outdoor

Bad weather is my favorite go-to excuse for skipping a planned activity.  I think, “would you look at that…it’s raining today.  I guess I can’t go running.  Total bummer.  I was SO looking forward to it.”  Totally sarcastic, of course.  The weather provides nearly an unlimited amount of plausible justifications.  Too cold, too hot, too windy, too calm, too wet, too dry, too sunny, too cloudy…and so on and so forth ad nauseum.  

However, whatever you were planning to do outside probably has an indoor equivalent.  This isn’t true in every case, but there’s a lot of crossover.  Like to ice-skate but no ice?  Try rollerblading at an indoor roller-skating rink.  Enjoy biking but it’s the wrong season?  Try a stationary bike.  Similarly, if indoor sports seem boring or repetitious, try them outside.  Take a yoga class outside in the park instead of indoors.  Instead of swimming laps in the pool, try snorkeling or scuba diving in a lake.  

Having a preference for staying inside or for going outside doesn’t have to limit your possibilities or dictate your fitness level.  No more excuses!

    

Introverted vs. Extroverted

This ties in a little bit with individual vs. team sports to some extent.  Although it is entirely possible to be introverted and still enjoy team sports, just as it is possible to be extroverted and prefer individual sports.  According to TeachPE.com, introverts tend to like sports which require concentration, precision, self-motivation, intricate skills, low arousal levels, and individual performances.  For example, archery, golf, and snooker.  Extroverts prefer sports which are exciting, team related, fast-paced, have high arousal levels, and involve large simple motor skills and low concentration.  Examples are rugby and boxing.  Extroverts tend to choose more aggressive sports as well, either indirectly (aggression towards a ball) or directly (aggression directed towards an opposing player).  

If you are introverted, try running, rollerblading, swimming, hiking, rock-climbing, yoga, or biking.  If you do choose something that might be dangerous, such as hiking or rock-climbing, be sure to let someone know where you will be and when you plan to return.  Always bring an emergency kit and some basic provisions with you, and stay on top of weather advisories.  I mention this because of a tragic story I know about a man and his two young sons who went out hiking.  The weather took a turn for the worst and they got lost.  They weren’t prepared for the dramatic drop in temperature and they never made it home again.  Stories like this break my heart, so please take extra precautions if you intend to go out alone.

If you are extroverted, try taking a class at a local gym or through a community program.  Gather up a few friends to go with you.  You are more energized by the social aspects, so pick activities that are popular, well attended, and fun to do as a group.

Individual vs. Team Sports

If you prefer individual sports you might not click with a Zumba class or joining the curling club.  If being on a team or working out in a group is not your thing, no sweat.  There are tons of things you can do that don’t involve large groups of people.  Wikipedia lists a whole page of them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Individual_sports  Not all of these qualify as physical exercise per se (like chess).  Some of them I’ve never heard of, but they sound interesting.  Try something new.  

The immediate drawback of individual sports is the lack of an accountability partner.  I’ve already established in previous posts that having an accountability partner greatly contributes to the long-term success of any goal.  However, just because you prefer individual sports doesn’t mean you have to work towards your fitness goals alone.  Find a friend to participate with you or alongside you.  At the bare minimum, find an accountability partner to report back to.  If there’s no one holding you accountable, it’s a lot easier to just push snooze and skip your workout time.  Unless you have a strong drive and excellent self-discipline, this could be a large hurdle to jump.  Get yourself an accountability partner.

Team sports have the added advantage of a built in support network and a feeling of community.  Team players usually have to show up on a regular basis for practices and/or games.  When I have been part of a team, I show up even when I don’t really feel like it, because I don’t want to let down the team.  This provides automatic motivation for me.   Wiki has a page dedicated to team sports if you are looking for something new to try: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Team_sports

Competitive vs. Non-competitive

If you are a competitive person, make a game or contest out of whatever you do.  Even if you are working out at home, challenge yourself.  See how many sit-ups you can do in 60 seconds.  Next week try to beat your previous time or do more in the same amount of time.  My uncle and my cousin challenged each other by creating a contest to see who could lose weight and keep it off for a specified amount of time.  Wanting to be the winner helped motivate them towards goals they already had as individuals.  If you find yourself getting bored, then raise the stakes.  If you have trouble finding new challenges to try, here’s an awesome site I stumbled upon that contains more than 30,000 fitness challenges! 

If you are not competitive, you’ll want to shy away from anything that puts a lot of emphasis on winning, the end result, or where there are a lot of other people competing around you.  That might turn you off or leave you feeling stressed out.  Instead, try to focus on other benefits for exercising, such as stress relief or having more energy.  If you love team sports but don’t enjoy the competitive aspects, you might be able to find a recreational team where the players don’t really care whether they win or lose; they just want to have fun playing the sport.  It might take a little more persistence to find groups teams like that, but they do exist.

 

Cardio vs. Weights & Resistance

Most of us probably have a preference for one of these over the other.  I would pick weights any day of the week over a cardio workout, because when I do cardio I can’t breathe.  I feel like I’m either going to suffocate or hyperventilate.  Unfortunately, this is one of those categories that you can’t pick and choose one over the other.  You need both.  Your heart health depends on cardio workouts.  Your bone density and muscle toning rely on strength training and weights.  Incorporate a little of both into your schedule, whether you like it or not. 

   

Adrenaline Junkie vs. Scaredy Cat

There’s something to be said about stretching the boundaries of your normal comfort zone.  That’s a healthy way to grow and adapt, (although that doesn’t mean you have to do something completely against your nature, or do things in an unsafe manner).  On our 15th wedding anniversary, we visited a cenote in Mexico, which is basically a pool at the bottom of a pit.  Underground rivers run between layers of limestone and sometimes the limestone above collapses, creating a sinkhole.  This one required walking down 95 steps to reach the water level.  There was a platform about 12 or 13 feet above the surface of the water, where you could jump into the pool.  It didn’t look very high until I got up there.  I’ve never been afraid of heights, but for some reason my stomach was in a giant knot just thinking about jumping so far down into the dark water.  My head said it was safe.  It wasn’t that high.  It wasn’t like I was landing on concrete.  It’s just water.  Yet, I stood there for at least 5 minutes watching dozens of other people take the plunge.  If it felt horrible, there wouldn’t be so many other people doing it, right?  I convinced myself to try it, just once.  I still had knots in my stomach, but I did it…I jumped in feet first.  

You know that feeling you get in a roller coaster when your stomach drops out.  Imagine that, but imagine your body in free-fall, not strapped in with a 5-point harness.  I can’t say that I enjoyed the tug of gravity, yet I climbed the platform to do it again.  This time I tried diving in head-first.  That felt surprisingly more natural.  There was no stomach-dropping-out feeling associated with the dive.  Swimming in the cenote itself was beautiful and exhilarating, almost a spiritual experience for me.  I still can’t say I totally loved the free-fall part.  That tells me I probably won’t enjoy sky-diving, base jumping, bungee jumping, rock-climbing, or anything else that includes jumping or falling from a great height, (or the potential to do so).  There’s a tiny part of me that wonders if I’m missing out on something wonderful, and for that reason I am prone to try stuff like this at least once.  If you are the type that doesn’t even want to try it, that’s okay.  There’s nothing wrong with you.  You are listening to the voice of reason inside you—your self-preservation instinct.  Make peace with it.  You’ll probably live a lot longer than me.  

I was going to write a nice long paragraph for those adrenaline junkies out there, but they probably aren’t reading this post anyway.  I may be making a big assumption here, but most sensation-seekers aren’t sitting around watching TV or reading incredibly long blog posts.  They don’t usually have trouble finding athletic stuff to do and they are generally pretty fit.  Maybe I need to friend a few of those people to befriend…maybe they’ll drag me away from my computer and out the door to go on some heart-pumping, athletic adventure...

Packed schedule vs. chunks of free time

Even if you have a full schedule, there are probably tiny chunks of free time that can be carved out of your day.  Rather than trying to set aside a large block of time for exercise, work it into your existing schedule by changing the way you do what you already do.  You’ve probably heard to park your car farther away from the door while shopping or to take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Those don’t require a huge time commitment, but they can still add up to big results.  When you visit the mall, spend 15 minutes walking laps first and then go shopping.  If you have a baby, instead of rocking them in a rocking chair, stand up and hold them while you do side lunges back and forth.  While using the computer, try sitting on an inflatable ball instead of a regular chair.  You’ll improve your core and tone your legs at the same time just keeping the ball in a stable position.  Whatever you do during the day, ask yourself how you could modify it slightly to move more.

If you are lucky enough to have some extra free time, maybe the hard thing is finding the discipline to use that time wisely.  I noticed something strange recently about my calendar.  On the days I have meetings, appointments, or errands scheduled I tend to get more accomplished.  The days I have nothing written down are my most unproductive.  I sit down with my coffee and get on Facebook or Pinterest.  An hour and a half goes by before I notice my coffee is gone.  I can find a thousand things to distract me when there’s no agenda.  There’s nothing wrong with building in some down-time, but find a balance.  Make exercise a part of your schedule.  Actually write it on your calendar like any other appointment.  Use those unclaimed chunks of time to benefit your health.

    

Money vs. No Money

Obviously, having a little cash in your pocket is going to open the door to some wonderful fitness opportunities.  Skiing, snowboarding, golf, polo, mountain climbing…these things require expensive equipment or admission fees that make them inaccessible to some people.  That doesn’t make the lack of funds a valid excuse for sitting around on your bum all day.  Here are some low-cost (or no cost) things you can do to stay fit:

 

• Use your own body as resistance.  
•  Use objects from around your house, such as soup cans instead of hand weights, or a belt or scarf instead of an exercise strap (use common sense where safety is concerned though)
• Take a walk or jog around your neighborhood or local park
• Find used exercise or sporting equipment and/or workout DVDs at garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops, or online auction sites
• Most libraries have exercise DVDs you can borrow if you are afraid to invest in ones you might not like
• If you have internet access, find some exercise tutorials on YouTube.com.  Try something new, like dubstep dancing or parkour.  You never know what new thing you might encounter that changes the way you view fitness.

Roomy vs. Itty-Bitty Living Space

No room to store bulky exercise equipment?  Good news!  You don’t need anything fancy to stay fit.  Think back to elementary gym class and all the exercises your P.E. teacher had you do without any props or with very little props.  Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, planks, calf raises, etc. are all wonderful moves for toning your body without any equipment needed.  If you need a little more variety, try adding small hand weights or resistance bands.  These items are relatively inexpensive and small enough to tuck under your bed or in a drawer.  Get a few workout DVDs.  They take up practically no room (unless you collect 50 of them).  Borrow some from the library if you really want to stay minimalist.  Why not rent a bike from a bike shop and go biking once a week?  Snowboarding, skiing, ice-skating, roller-skating, bowling, and rock-climbing are some other ideas of sports where you can rent equipment rather than bringing your own.

If you have plenty of room, consider investing in one or two pieces of equipment.  Start small.  Be careful not to invest a lot of money into something that’s just going to take up space and never get used.  We have a treadmill.  My husband uses it several times a week, but I rarely touch it.  Treadmills make me feel like a hamster spinning in its wheel.  No matter how many calories it says I burned, part of me still believes I’m just not getting anywhere.  Don’t rely solely on other people's recommendations.  Try it before you buy it.  Spend some time testing similar equipment out at a gym.  If you keep going back to it at the gym and really enjoy it, you’ll probably use it at home too.

Post Your Progress and Comments Below!

Further Resources:

The Importance of Exercise:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/116004.php

The CDC’s List of Benefits of Physical Activity:  http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html

Exercise Statistics from StatisticBrain.com: http://www.statisticbrain.com/exercise-statistics/

Habit 3: Drink More Water

Well, we are already three weeks into the new year.  How are you feeling?  Have you made any strides in the sleep department? If you struggle to get 7 or 8 hours every night, then shoot for 5 nights a week of good sleep...whatever is doable right now in your lifestyle.  We aren't striving for perfection, just improvement.  Maybe pick a few nights of the week and claim them as your catch-up-on-sleep nights.  Mark it on the calendar, and then go to bed on time that night, no matter what.  Your to-do list will still be there in the morning, and likely the world will continue to spin, even if you don't wash all the dishes in the sink or read Facebook updates or iron your shirt or whatever it is that keeps you up too late at night.  Turn off the TV.  Turn off the phone if necessary.  Hopefully you will continue to improve your sleep habit until it becomes the new normal. 

How about motivation and inspiration?  Did you find some tactics last week that work for you?  I once read about a guy who wakes up every morning and during his morning routine, he stands in front of his bathroom mirror and speaks compliments to himself.  He says stuff like, "You're the man.  You can sell anything.  You are a great motivator.  You can win friends and influence people.  Plus, you're pretty handsome too..."  You get the point.  Flattering self-talk.  This guy filled himself up every morning with positive affirmations, the same way I fill up on coffee and bagels.  He was equipping himself to face the stress and hard work of the day.  Three thoughts on this:

1. If you don't receive a lot of positive feedback from the people around you, why not start giving yourself some?  Be your own biggest fan.  Become your own cheerleader.  Believe in yourself enough to go towards your goals with confidence and arm yourself with the proper mindset to get there.  You don't have to do it in front of a mirror, you can write them down and read them every morning.  You can hang posters, you can use symbols or read articles.  Whatever inspires you, just incorporate that somehow into your daily life.  Don't skip this!  I know it takes a little extra time and effort to add these elements into your routine, but they will be SO worth it.  Maybe you feel silly.  Do it anyway.  Get over the awkwardness.  Just try it for a week or two, and see if it makes a difference.  If you've given it an honest try and it doesn't change your life in any way, then you can skip it.  

2. Become the positive force in the lives of those around you.  When I read that part about the man giving himself compliments in the mirror, I felt bad for that man.  I mean, he had a wife...why wasn't she the one giving him compliments?  Yet, I'm the first one to admit, I am TERRIBLE at this.  I completely suck at giving out compliments.  I sure bark enough commands, reminders, and criticisms throughout the day, but I forget to use encouraging words.  It is completely against my nature and something I have to work very hard at remembering.  If you begin to use more positive words towards yourself and towards those around you, it will have a ripple effect on your whole life.

3. Surround yourself with inspirational and motivational people.  I have a good friend who excels at building people up.  Several times a week I get a Facebook message, text message, or phone call that is positive and uplifting.  Stuff like "when I think of you I smile" and "I'm so glad we are friends" and "thanks so much for____" or "awesome job on ____."  These small little statements mean so much to me.  They help me refill my depleted bucket and give me the extra oomph I need to keep moving forward.  We all need a few cheerleaders...people who make us feel good about who we are and what we do.  Find one, and be very good to them.  Better yet find a whole group of them.  These people become your support network and help carry you through the rough patches on the road.


Alright, on to this week.  The habit for this week is....
 

Drink More Water

Water.  It is absolutely essential for our life, yet water is another one of those things I have a love/hate relationship with.  I don't enjoy drinking it.  Never have.  Probably never will.  I'm pretty sure I exist in a perpetual state of dehydration.  Even though I know there are wonderful health benefits to staying hydrated, I just don't make it a priority.  Why not?  It doesn't take more time to drink water versus my other beverages of choice.  It's not more expensive than my go-to drinks.  It's the taste.  It either doesn't taste, or it tastes like iron, chlorine, or pond scum.  Lately, it's been tasting the way an aquarium smells, even after it's been filtered.  Not a fan.  I got myself a Brita water bottle that filters the water as you suck it up through the straw.  I like it because it's convenient.  I can take it with me and refill throughout the day.

How Much Water Should I Drink?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the old rule of eight 8-ounce glasses is not necessarily accurate.  It depends on many factors, like your individual health, your level of physical activity, or even where you live.  In an article on their website, it says "The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. "  Those numbers are based on the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate.  I was a little bummed that they didn't go into more detail.  

My mom used to drink several pots of coffee throughout the day, right up until bedtime.  We've tried, unsuccessfully, to convince her that drinking coffee does not replace water.  She maintains that coffee is liquid, so that has to count for something.   Researchers are still debating whether coffee hydrates us or dehydrates us, but it's 1 am and I'm too tired to get caught up in that research right now (and darn it, I'm breaking habit #1 again).  

What about eating foods that are high in water content, like iceberg lettuce and celery, or broth-based soups and vegetable juice?  Do these count?  The answer is, any fluid you take in will count towards the total fluid needed in a day, so long as you are not consuming diuretics or laxatives that deplete those levels.  Also, if you exercise or live in a hot climate where you sweat a lot, you need to drink more water.  There are medications and foods that dehydrate you, so you just have to figure out your own proper balance.  Basically, if you feel thirsty, that means you are already dehydrated. 

Why Should We Drink More Water?
The simple answer is because our bodies require it.  The human body is made up mostly of water.  Many of our body's systems require water to function.  Dehydration leads to a bunch of unpleasant things...headaches, irritability, weight gain, dry skin, poor digestion, premature signs of aging, high blood pressure, and heart problems, to name a few.  There are lots of long lists out there with all the benefits to drinking adequate water.  I'm not going to talk about all of those here.  I'd rather focus on a few that mean the most to me.  

The Top 5 Reasons for Drinking More Water

(Starting with number 5 first, because countdowns are just more fun).

#5. Healthy Skin
Winter is here.  I know this because my skin looks like a reptile.  I hate lotion.  It feels slimy, or leaves an oily residue, or smells funny, or irritates my skin, and so on.  I prefer moisturizing body washes, although sometimes it feels like they are not getting me clean, just filling all more pores with gunk.  And they are short lived.  By lunchtime I am scaly again.  We have a humidifier going in our living room, which helps, but not as much as simply staying hydrated.  I always know I am dehydrated when my pee is dark yellow, but the next sign is my skin and chapped lips.  Not only does my skin get dry and itchy, but when I look in the mirror I look OLD.  When I don't drink enough water, my wrinkles are more noticeable, my eyes look sunken with dark circles, my skin tone and color is dull and pale.  It's not attractive, no matter how much make-up I throw on top.  Staying hydrated makes my skin look and feel more youthful.  Frankly, until the real fountain of youth is found, I will take whatever water I can get.

#4. Flush Out Toxins
Water helps eliminate toxins and waste from your body.  Toxins can build up in your system and too many can cause a deluge of health problems, including cancer.  You don't need any fancy pills or herbal supplements to get rid of the toxins.  Just drink more water!

#3. More Energy
I had no idea that a lack of water can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, and dizziness.  I have these symptoms from time to time.  I usually blame my petri-dish children for bringing home another strange illness.  Whoops!  Next time I'm gonna try good old-fashioned H2O.

#2. Less Headaches
I get a lot of headaches.  Headaches make me unproductive and cranky.  It would be wonderful to have less of them.  I usually end up going through a lot of Tylenol and Advil because I assume my headaches are from eye strain, muscle tension, stress, or hormones.  I rarely attribute them to thirst.  Apparently, lack of hydration is one of the most common sources of headaches.  If you experience headaches, try drinking more water before taking medications.

And...drum-roll please....my number one reason for drinking more water is...

#1. Weight Loss
My first job out of college was working at an accounting firm.  I wasn't a huge coffee drinker at the time.  My beverage of choice was Coca-Cola.  The vending machine downstairs sold it in 20-ounce bottles, and it wasn't unusual for me to have 5 of those glorious beverages a day.  I was a little surprised at first when my clothes started to get snug, because my eating habits hadn't changed all that much.  If anything, I was eating less.  I often skipped lunch altogether.  Still, I had gained 10 lbs.  One day, I looked at the nutritional info on the side of a bottle of soda.  A 20-oz Coke contains 220 calories.  A healthy calorie goal for my height is approximately 1500 calories per day, and I was consuming 1100 calories on soda alone.  DUH!  That shoulda been a no-brainer.  It is easy to consume a lot of extra calories in a quick hurry by drinking beverages other than water.  

Want a diet tip that actually works?  Stop drinking soda, coffee with cream & sugar, energy drinks, and other beverages that are relatively high in calories and sugar, but low in nutritional value.  Even fruit juice isn't that good for you.  It contains way more sugar than we are supposed to have.  If you want the vitamins and minerals of fruit, eat fruit.  For your beverages stick to water...plain water, water with a squirt of lemon, or unsweetened green tea.  Make it your beverage of choice and over time, some pounds should come off.  Another way that water contributes to weight loss is our bodies often mistake being thirsty for being hungry.  It's really hard to tell the difference sometimes.  If you feel snacky, especially if you crave something salty, try drinking a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. Another easy trick to getting enough water is to have a glass 30 minutes before a meal, plus you'll eat less during your meal that way too. 

Some of you may argue that diet sodas and sugar-free energy drinks are okay substitutes, since they have fewer calories or none at all.  Unfortunately, a University of Minnesota study found that even one diet soda a day was linked to a 34% higher risk of metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, and increased risk of heart disease.  Diet sodas have been linked to kidney problems, reproductive issues, dental issues, obesity (yes DIET soda causes obesity.  Artificial sweeteners can disrupt the body's natural ability to regulate calorie intake, leading us to consume more calories later), and even cell damage.  Read the full article here: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/diet-soda-bad-you/

Still need more convincing to kick your diet soda habit?
http://pharmacytechniciancertification.net/10-seriously-disturbing-facts-about-soda/
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/18/health/jampolis-dangers-drinking-soda/index.html

Just Do It!
Okay, so now you know why you should do it, and how much you should do it, now you just have to go do it.  If you currently don't drink plain water, even 12 to 16 oz per day would be an improvement.  If you drink one bottle of water a day, try drinking two.  Don't attempt to make the switch from drinking no water to drinking 13 cups in a day.  Start small and increase your water consumption slowly over time.  Set goals for yourself and track your progress.  Share your goal with a friend and encourage each other this week.  Remove all the not-so-good-for-you beverages from your fridge and from your cabinets.  Stop buying them.  Get yourself a good quality water filter on your faucet or the pitcher kind for your fridge (see below for some options).  Or buy water by the jug or bottle.  No excuses.  If water is the only thing available to you, you will eventually drink it.  Get some herbal teas or lemon juice if you have to flavor it, or use a fruit infuser.  Do NOT use those fake-sugar flavored packets (for the same reasons you shouldn't drink soda or diet soda--too much artificial junk that causes problems).  I'm going to put a dry-erase board on my fridge and draw an empty glass on it divided into 9 segments.  Whenever I drink one cup, or consume an equivalent, I'm going to color in one segment and hope it will be full by the end of the day.  If not, I'll wipe it clean and start fresh the next morning.  There are apps for tracking water consumption as well.  Whatever works!  

Here are a few products that may help you drink more water:**

I want to hear from you!
Do you get enough water?  How does that affect your daily life and physical health?
Do you have any tricks that help you stay hydrated?  What works for you?
Feel free to comment below.

Further Resources:
Want more info on the health benefits of drinking water?
20 Benefits of Drinking Enough Water: http://www.age-well.org/drinking-enough-water.html

Here's a blog with more ideas for starting the habit of drinking more water:
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/07/9-great-reasons-to-drink-water-and-how.html

Bottoms up!  :)

Habit 2: Find Motivation

Finding the Motivation to Turn Your Resolutions Into Habits

“According to recent polls, 45% of Americans make some sort of New Year's resolution. By far and away the most popular resolution is to lose weight and get healthy. Out of this group, 25% drop out and no longer pursue their goals after the first week of January. The polls indicate that only 8% find success with their resolutions by the end of the year.”

                                        -NaturalNews.com

I usually fall into that 25% above.  My biggest obstacle to completing a goal is my own motivation (or the lack thereof).  I am always eager to start a new health or exercise program, but seem unable to maintain motivation for any real length of time.  Heck, if 25% of people gave up their resolution after the very first week…that alone should be enough to convince anyone that motivation is a large and legitimate hurdle.  So why make resolutions at all?  According to StatisticBrain.com, people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions.

I'm sure you've heard the Confucius saying in the picture below.  There are multiple lessons hidden within the story of the man who moved mountains, and they speak volumes about finding motivation.  The first lesson seems obvious.  He started by carrying away small stones, which implies that goals should be broken down into smaller, more doable chunks.  Logic tells us if we fix our eyes on the enormous mountain, it will seem like an overwhelming and impossible task.  People are much more willing to make changes that are small.  Baby steps.  Focusing on just one small stone at a time means making tiny, daily changes.  

The deeper lesson that can be learned through this adage is about persistence.  Moving one rock at a time may be a simple action, but that one action needs to be repeated a thousand times, or maybe even a hundred thousand times, to attain the goal of moving an entire mountain.  I don’t know about you, but I’m the type of person who gets bored real quick if I'm doing anything repetitive.  I do not like structure or routine and I struggle with perseverance.  Yet, perseverance is the building block that resolutions are made of.  The word ‘resolve,’ in its noun form, is defined by determination (a firmness of purpose) and by decision (a firm decision to do something).  Perseverance is defined as “a determined continuation with something; steady and continued action or belief, usually over a long period and especially despite difficulties or setbacks.”  That’s the kind of action it takes to reach goals.  It doesn’t matter if your goal is weight loss or writing a book or learning to play the piano.  The same principles apply.  Practice mixed with perseverance will get you there.  

So, how can we turn our small changes into habits?  The answer is by finding the motivation to continue making small steps towards the direction of our goal, over and over again.

"True life is lived when tiny choices are made.  Tiny choices mean tiny changes.  But it is only with infinitesimal change, changes so small no one else even realizes you're making them, that you have any hope for transformation."

-Leo Tolstoy

Challenge For This Week:
This week, focus on finding what motivates you.  Start with these 10 steps 

10 Steps to Get Motivated

Step 1: Define Your Goal

“I want to be healthy,” is way too vague.  Be more specific.  For example, instead of saying “I want to lose weight,” write how much weight you want to lose and the timeframe in which you want to do it, such as “I want to lose 30 lbs by the end of the year.”  Similarly, instead of saying “I want to be a better mom,” define what that means to you.  What would it take to be a better mom in your mind?  Perhaps “I want to spend 30 minutes of individual, quality time with each child every day” better describes your objective.  Or maybe, "I want to see how many days I can go without yelling."  Make your goal concrete and tangible.  It also needs to be something within your control.  “Win a million dollars” is not something within your control, and neither is “Fix my marriage.”  There are things you can do to improve your chances of winning a million dollars, just like there are things you can do to improve your relationship with your spouse, but ultimately you do not have control over the end results of those things.  One is pure chance.  The other depends partly on the actions and habits of another person.  Pick a goal that is within your own personal control to accomplish.

Step 2: Break It Down

Here’s where you divide up the mountain into smaller, more movable stones.  If your goal is to lose 30 lbs in 52 weeks that means you would have to lose approximately a half of a pound per week.  If your goal is to spend 30 minutes of quality time with each kid and you have 3 kids, you need to find 1 1/2 hours somewhere in your daily schedule and plan for it.  If your goal is to learn to play the piano, try practicing 30 minutes a day and getting one professional lesson each week.  Maybe your goal doesn’t have natural increments.  Let’s say your goal is to get your book published.  You can still chunk it up into smaller tasks to accomplish each day and each week.  Make a list of all of the steps necessary to reach your goal.

Step 3: Be Realistic

Evaluate Step 2 and ask yourself “is this really possible?”  If the answer is no, go back to step one and modify the goal.  For instance, if your schedule is too packed to squeeze 1.5 hrs of quality kid-time in there, then that goal isn’t realistic or doable.  What can you change to make it possible?  Instead of 30 minutes, try scaling it back to 15 or 20 minutes per kid.  Perhaps do this 3 or 4 days out of the week instead of every day.

Step 4: Identify the Obstacles

What things stand in the way of completing your goal?  In the parenting example, if you have a hard time making room in your schedule, are there things you can skip or change in order to free up some additional time?  Perhaps time is not the issue.  Maybe it’s the “one-on-one” part that’s proving to be difficult.  Maybe other family members are interrupting the time you’ve set aside to spend with your child.   Maybe you keep getting distracted by phone calls or text messages or Facebook.  Whatever is holding you back, write it down.  The easiest way to identify obstacles is to think of all the excuses you commonly use to get out of doing whatever you need to do to reach that goal.  Whatever hinders your progress…write it down. 

Step 5: Plan to Overcome

Once you’ve identified all the barriers, brainstorm potential solutions.  Take the exercising example.  If your obstacle is lack of time, what can you do to make more time for exercise?  If you lack energy, what are some ways to improve your energy levels?  If exercise is too boring, how can you make it more fun?  Try to find 3 to 5 ideas to counter every obstacle you listed.  Write them down.  When you start to make an excuse, look it up and apply one of the tactics you’ve already planned.  Strategy is half the battle.

Step 6: Find Inspiration

I’m really good at starting new projects.  I would even go so far as to say that I excel at starting new projects.  However, I am terrible at finishing them.  Even after I have gone through all of the above steps, I still have trouble staying motivated.  I take my eye off the prize.  I lose the desire to achieve my goal.  Sometimes I switch to a different goal that seems easier or more appealing at the moment.  If this is one of your shortcomings, take some time to dig deep and find motivation that really works for you.  Think about WHY your goal is so important to you.  What would it mean to you to accomplish your goal?  How would your life change for the better?  What areas of your life would be improved? Write down all the reasons you chose this goal and the benefits for completing it.  

Here are some simple ideas to build motivation:

• If you are a visual person, place some visual reminders around your house.  These can be as simple as writing the reasons for doing it or the benefits you'll gain onto index cards.  Then, tape them to your mirror, your closet wall, or the backside of the door on your cabinets. 
• Maybe you would be more inspired by buying and hanging framed posters with motivational quotes.  Make your own poster by taking a photo and using a photo-editing program like Picasa or Canva.  Add your favorite quote or text.  Print it, frame it, and hang it somewhere special.  Here’s a website filled with inspirational quotes you can choose from.
• Find a meaningful object and make it your symbol for change.  For example: find a rock or stone that has a flat part, which would be suitable for writing on.  Use a fine permanent marker to write “one small stone at a time…” or another phrase that is meaningful to you.  Put it somewhere you can see it every day.  My nephew, Justin, wore a rubber bracelet around his wrist to remind him of his commitment towards his goals.  Experiment with one or more objects that have significance to you.
• Perhaps try reading a book or magazine article about others who have achieved similar goals as yours.  For example, if you have a dream of being an Olympic athlete, reading the success stories of other Olympians may help you dig deeper and go for it.  Here’s an article I really like: If You Need a Push...8 Top Coaches Offer Irresistible Motivation. 
• If you are an audio person, find some audio recordings of motivational speakers and listen to them while you get ready in the morning, while driving in the car, while you are waiting for your kid’s practice or meeting to end, or 15 minutes before you fall asleep.  Surround yourself with positive and uplifting words that will help keep you on track.  (See Shia LaBeouf's video below)
• Research.  Find out what makes you tick by taking this quiz from Oprah.com: What’s Your Motivation Style? 

The real trick is to find what motivates you before you actually need motivation.  Whenever you find yourself struggling and your resolve failing, having that reserve of inspiration will give you the strength you need to keep moving forward.  

My children's favorite method for getting motivated is watching a little motivational speech on YouTube (embedded below).  In fact, my kids have been walking around for weeks now, shouting "Just do it!  Nothing is impossible!" at every opportunity.  I hadn't seen the video yet, so I had no idea why they were saying these words with such intensity and drama.  I asked them, what in the world is that from?  They said, "Shia LaBeouf, of course," as in, duh, mom, don't you know anything??  When I finally watched it, I couldn't stop laughing, because they truly had nailed their impersonations of Shia.  It's a little intense, but it's straight to the point...."Stop procrastinating and just do it!!"

Watch that every time you are feeling unmotivated, and perhaps your excuses will start to melt away.  If you enjoyed the short clip, there's supposedly a longer version, but I have not watched it.  One and a half minutes might be all I can handle... ;)

Step 7: Create a Support Network

My parents used to say “no man is an island.”  Usually they said this when I was being stubbornly independent.  No matter how self-sufficient we become, most of us still crave human connection.  That is the whole reason Facebook and other social networking sites are so popular.  Yes, we are individuals.  Yes, we are each unique and different, but that doesn’t mean we have nothing in common.  Most humans desire a sense of community and a sense of belonging.  We seem to need a network of friends and family and desire to share our life journeys with others.  Yet, when it comes to our personal goals, many people attempt to accomplish those goals completely on our own.  Sometimes we even keep our goals a secret.  This might be a defense mechanism (because if we fail, at least no one will know we failed).  However, we will find more success by sharing our goals and committing to be accountable to at least one other person.  According to the American Society of Training & Development, there’s a much higher rate of success towards accomplishing a goal if you have a support network or an accountability partner.  They  provided the following statistics:

The probability of completing a goal:
-if you hear about an idea is only a10% likelihood
-if you consciously decide to adopt the idea it becomes a 25% likelihood
-if you decide when you will do it it's 40%
-if you plan how you will do it it's 50%
-if you tell someone else you will do it it's 65%
-if you report back to the person you've committed to you reach a 95% likelihood!!

Having an effective accountability partner can fill in the gap between simply setting goal and actually accomplishing it.  These statistics suggest it's absolutely imperative to find an accountability partner if you want to succeed.  That's one of the big reasons I decided to start this blog...to create a community of accountability partners. 

Here are some tips: Choose a group or community of people who share the same goal and connects in way that fits into your existing lifestyle.  Choose an accountability partner who cares about your success, who has time to devote towards keeping you on task, and where there is mutual honesty and respect.  Communicate with that person or group on a regular basis.  Make a weekly appointment on your calendar if necessary.  It doesn’t have to be in person.  You could connect over the phone or even online, but do it often, especially on days when you are struggling.

Step 8: Track Your Progress

Keeping a journal or scrapbook along the way can be an important step towards discovering what works for you and what doesn’t.  Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” So true, and you can’t connect the dots at all if there are no dots to connect.  Record what you do each day, regardless of whether you think it is moving you towards your goals or not.  Examining it later can help you find patterns that are either helping you or sabotaging you, which you probably weren't even aware of.  Be brutally honest with your record keeping. 

Step 9: Fix the Flaws

If you are not making as much progress as you initially hoped, looking through your journal may provide insight and point you towards those things you need to do differently.  You might also stumble upon an idea or breakthrough that you hadn’t thought of before.  New obstacles will emerge along the way…tackle them in the same manner as before and keep moving forward.  Don’t be too hard on yourself when you stumble or stall; just keep trying.  If you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, adjust accordingly.  Remind yourself to take smaller bites in the future.  Always think about the lesson behind the mistake.  Rather than beating yourself up over the failure, think "what can I learn from this?"  Go back to your initial plan, re-evaluate, and make adjustments as needed.  

Step 10: Reward Your Progress

Make sure to celebrate the small successes along the way.  Acknowledge how far you’ve come and reward yourself not only for the outcome, but for the process and the journey.  My only caution here is to use rewards that don’t inadvertently thwart your progress.  For example, if your goal is to lose weight, rewarding yourself with a big slice of cheesecake or a basket of fries is counter-productive.  Buy yourself some new lipstick or get that book that’s been on your wish list.  Build a system of rewards into the plan.  Example, if your goal is to lose a pound a week, make it part of your plan to get something every week you reach your goal, such as getting to watch one episode of your favorite TV series, or spending time with a favorite friend.  Give yourself bigger rewards when you reach larger goals, like when you lose 5, 10, or 15 lbs.  Make sure the rewards are big enough to provide some real incentive.  For me, it’s a sexy, red dress that’s hanging in my closet.  I bought it back in 1999 and have never worn it.  It has been folded up in my “too-small” box for nearly 15 years.  I go through this box periodically.  I weed out anything that is out of style and the stuff I know, in my heart of hearts, that I will never wear again.  But I can’t seem to get rid of that dress.  There must be some hope that still lingers in me; a hope which prevents me from parting with that dress.  To get rid of it would seem like the death of a dream.  Recently, I dug it out of it's little resting spot and hung it up with the rest of my clothes in a very visible place within my closet.  The thought of finally fitting into that dress might be just the spark I need to ignite the commitment inside me; a passion that will propel me forward and provide just enough motivation to keep me working hard, with consistency, towards my dreams.

I sincerely hope you will will have time this week to work through this exercise, whatever your goals may be.  May it be a blessing in your life and help you form new, healthy habits.

Sincerely,
Sarah

P.S.  Join the conversation!  What sabotages your goals?  What helps you stay motivated towards your goals?  What one thing do you plan to implement this week?  Please comment below!