Healthy Worcester

Some of the most effective weight loss tools are ones you never would have thought… harness the power of a social network and you’ll be amazed how far you will go…

First things first…what is social media? Social media is basically communicating with others via the internet and/or mobile technology.

What does social media have to do with weight loss/healthy lifestyle? Social media is a relatively new way of connecting to people. What is powerful about social media is that it is highly conducive to connecting to people based on shared interests/goals. When we make friends in the real world the connection is often based on proximity; our friends are people we work with, go to school with, or who live in our neighborhood. Social media is not limited by proximity at all but instead can be used  to quickly connect with people based on shared interests.  There is an abundance of online communities and groups centered around health, nutrition, and fitness.  Just think, your best weight loss buddy might be a tax accountant in Dubuque. You never know.

Why should I consider social media to help me lose weight? The support and influence we get from other people has a tremendous impact on our lifestyle and our weight.  A landmark study by Christakis and Fowler at Harvard showed that obesity is “socially contagious” meaning that we are more likely to be obese if our family and friends are obese.  A major challenge that many of my patients struggle with is that they have few supports in their current social network for their weight loss journey.  Their spouse, children, and friends might not be on the same path.  This can make the whole experiences feel lonely and like you’re going against the grain all the time.

I can’t emphasize the importance of having a social network of people who “get it,” who are on a similar path, and who you can share your victories and struggles. I read a blog post the other day by a woman who is struggling with emotional eating. She described a day where she succumbed to it, complete with her thoughts of dejection and discouragement.  So many people can relate to that experience. The comments of support flowed in.  It was powerful to read, and I bet it was powerful to write.  We have to share our stories and connect.  We have to realize that we are not alone.  We can motivate each other, and share ideas and inspiration. You can use social media to create your very own supportive, inspiring, and motivating network of people who can do just this for you.  But how?

What are the ways I can use social media to help me create and sustain a healthy lifestyle?

Facebook – Most of us have a personal Facebook page, but one idea is that you can create a (free!) group or community page on Facebook where you post about your healthy lifestyle journey.  Give it a fun name and regularly post links to recipes, websites, articles, pics and videos of interest. Post daily status updates on your progress, exercise for the day, or anything that you like.  If people “Like” your page, they will see your updates in their stream. Here is a great example of a Facebook page devoted to one person’s healthy lifestyle journey: http://www.facebook.com/WeightOffMyShouldersBlog If you are concerned about privacy, keep in mind that you are in control. Share what you want to share, nothing more.

Twitter – Get a Twitter account (it’s free!) and tweet about your journey!  Afraid nobody is listening?  Here is how to instantly create your community: “Follow” all the people on my Healthy List.  This is a carefully selected group of people and organizations that provide support, information, advice, and interactions around healthy lifestyle.  Click here to read more about it.   To find the list, go to @DrSherryPagoto on Twitter, open my profile, and find the option called Lists.  Click on Lists and find my list called The Healthy List. Click on “Follow this List”.

Once you are on Twitter, be active! Tweet every day about your workouts, recommend healthy recipes, join fitness challenges (see PlankADay for an example) or just tweet your thoughts about your journey that day.  Interact with other tweeters too, congratulate them on their successes, comment on their tweets, and don’t be shy!  I guarantee within a few weeks you will have some regular Twitter buds.

Blogs – A blog is an online journal that is viewable to the public.  Go to www.blogger.com to set one up (for free!), then compose and post entries about your process.  What to write?  Anything you want. Tweet and/or post your blog entries on your Facebook page to share them with others. This is a great way to engage others in your journey.  Why write?  For yourself.  Do it to express your thoughts, challenges and/or lessons learned.  It can take a while but over time you will get readers and commenters. Here are a few awesome blogs to check out to give you an idea: http://the-running-mom.com/ by @thismomruns http://letstalkandwalk.com/ by @letstalkandwalk and http://gingerstarrett2.blogspot.com/ by @searchin4ginger and http://www.whoatemyblog.com/ by @whoatemyblog and http://twelve-in-twelve.com/ by @minnesota_ann

Mobile apps with a social networking function – If you don’t yet have a mobile phone, health mobile applications are a GREAT reason to get one, even if it is your only reason to get one.  A number of mobile apps for fitness and/or weight loss have a social networking function where you can follow other users.  If you have a friend that you wish you could exercise with but can’t, make a deal that you both start using one of these apps and follow each other’s progress. You can set up a function on many of these apps to post updates of your progress on Facebook and Twitter.  My Fitness Pal,  Lose it!, and Nexercise are three apps that come highly recommended.  With Nexercise you can even win stuff the more you exercise.  Can’t beat that.

Online communities – Sparkpeople, Weight Watchers, and Livestrong are three websites that have online communities (i.e., discussion boards) in which you can interact with other people who use their services. Check out their websites and start interacting on the boards.

If you have had a great experience with social media for your weight loss journey, I would love to interview you!  Email me at spagoto@gmail.com

So it looks like the warm summer is behind us and we’re moving into the cool fall weather. To me, this means two things. 1) I’ve got to get back into gym-going mode in preparation for the cold weather, and 2) I’ve got to enjoy the outdoors and the fall colors before the winter sets in. Once the cold weather hits the only options for getting exercise will be to go to the gym or hang out in my apartment and do sit-ups. The problem with these options is that they become exceedingly boring over time. It’s much more pleasant to be doing something or going somewhere interesting for exercise because it helps me to focus on something other than how my body feels. Some people love the sensation of physical exertion and their love of that feeling drives their continued exercise. I am not of this ilk. My old gym was quite boring, but when it closed at the end of last winter I joined a new gym which I greatly enjoy. I enjoy my new gym because it has a slew of TVs (recently upgraded) with the closed-caption running so I can catch up on current events while I exercise. I know my body needs the exercise, and I would be home watching the news anyway, so this works well for me. Plus, I can watch multiple news programs at once. There’s actually some research behind this. A study of gym-goers showed that people were more likely to show physical improvement, stick to exercise, and exercise longer, if they had multiple forms of entertainment (several TVs, music) as opposed to only one form, or no entertainment. I guess this means I should bring my iPod to the gym now as well.

Despite my more interesting new gym, which I will start attending regularly again, I keep my eye out for ways to enjoy the last month or so where I can go outside and easily do things that are physically active. My biggest way of doing this is finding excuses to walk. I just love walking around town and taking in the sights. People walking their dogs, the leaves starting to change, even the terrible drivers seem amusing. I like walking up and down Shrewsbury street and taking a stroll through the park http://www.worcesterma.gov/dpw/parks-rec/city-parks/cristoforo-colombo-park. If you have kids, get excited because they’ve put a new playground in. I don’t always have the occasion to go to Shrewsbury street, so I’ll also enjoy the outside by parking at a place like the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley http://www.shopsatblackstonevalley.com/, and walking from store-to-store instead of driving. The view from the hilltop is quite spectacular in the fall. I just try to remember to eat before I go there because it takes some work to find a healthy meal in most of the restaurants in the area.

Another great place to walk, or even bike, is the Blackstone River Bikeway http://www.nps.gov/blac/planyourvisit/blackstone-river-bikeway-the-massachusetts-section.htm. They’re still working on the section of this bikeway that will reach Worcester, but the section in Milbury is completed and it’s quite nice to walk or bike on. It’s about a 6 mile stretch and there is a steep hill to start, but after the initial challenge the trail meanders along the river and it is quite a pleasant walk. Even though it’s called a bikeway, when I drive past it there are typically more walkers than bikers near the parking area, so don’t be shy if you don’t have a bike.

My favorite place to go is a bit outside of Worcester, the Wachusett Reservoir http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/wachRes.htm. This is a really great place if you want to feel like you’re back to nature. There are no boats allowed, so it is quiet and peaceful. If you’re an angler, like I am, I should tell you that this lake has more state record fish than any other lake in the state http://www.newenglandfishing.net/articles/wachusett_reservoir_2142008.html. Polish up your shore fishing skills! Even if you aren’t into fishing, this is a great place. Last time I was there, several people passed my fishing spot who were obviously there to enjoy a nice walk. The reason this lake is great for keeping you active is that no matter where you park, there are places to walk along the lake, or you can take a trek through the  woods (don’t worry, the trails are well-marked) to reach the lake. It all depends on what gate you start at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/watersupply/watershed/maps/WachusettResGates.pdf. It’s a great place to be active, explore, watch the leaves change, and spot wildlife.

How do you plan to stay active with the changing weather? Please share!

Author:  Matt Whited is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and resident of Worcester, MA. He is interested in healthy living for better mental and physical health, and generally anything that can be done outdoors. You can follow him on twitter @DrWhited.

References

Annesi, James J.. (2001). Effects of music, television, and a combination entertainment system on distraction, exercise adherence, and physical output in adults. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 33(3), 193-202. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=bioba20&NEWS=N&AN=BACD200100260901.:http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=fulltext&D=bioba20&AN=BACD200100260901:

I have to admit that I get sucked into The Biggest Loser TV show most seasons.  I find it fascinating to observe the transformation people make, not just physically– but psychologically– as they lose 100 or more pounds.  Of course, contestants on the show have the ranch, celebrity trainers, a 24 hour gym, chefs, nutritionists, and the TV cameras to keep them on the straight and narrow.  Makes you wonder, is it possible for people who do not have the supports of an extreme TV show to lose a large amount of weight?  Most real people are muddling through their real lives, trying to figure out how to live their healthiest life amidst the array of challenges and hurdles that real life brings.  Where is Jillian when you need her?!

When I joined Twitter a few months ago I noticed a lot of people tweeting about their weight loss journey, many of whom have lost a significant amount of weight and some who are in the process of doing so.  I found myself searching these people out, wanting to follow them as a way to get into their “heads” by reading their daily tweets.  I want to know how real people lose weight. People with jobs. Marriage. Kids. Stress.  Life.  I asked a few of these real people if they wouldn’t mind being interviewed about their weight loss journey.  This is the first in my series of interviews of real people.  First up is Christopher Boggs, formerly 452 pounds, now 262 pounds.   Be prepared to get inspired..

Click here to continue reading this post…  http://www.fudiet.com/2011/07/real-life-biggest-losers-part-1/

In The News…

1. Report From Hunger Free and Healthy

2. New BLOG posts from Sherry

Report From Hunger Free and Healthy

Please take a moment to contact your Congress person and our Senators, Kerry & Brown. Protecting funding for Safe Routes to School, trails, and support to enhance biking and walking options is a key part of the long-term health and sustainability of our communities!  Lawmakers threaten to end Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails Programs.  We need every single person who simply wants safe options to walk or bicycle to email your representative with help from the League of American Bicyclists! <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?WalkBoston/ce7833aa5e/a797fcc513/f15d93d2c9/alertid=51133866&queueid=%5bcapwiz:queue_id%5d>

Key Congressional leaders are attacking Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails Programs and are taking steps to cut off dedicated federal funding for bicycling and walking.

House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL) announced today that his proposed transportation bill will eliminate dedicated funding for walking and bicycling, including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and the Recreational Trails Program, and discourages states from choosing to spend their dollars on these activities that are “not in the federal interest.”  Chairman Mica’s statement that these programs remain “eligible” for funding is worthless; without dedicated funding for these three programs, they are effectively eliminated.

Things on the Senate side are not much better. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the lead Republican negotiator on the transportation bill, declared that one of his TOP THREE priorities for the transportation bill is to eliminate “frivolous spending for bike trails.”  This is in direct conflict with Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) commitment to maintain dedicated funding for biking and walking.  However, the Senate is working towards a bi-partisan solution, and Senator Inhofe’s comments mean funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs is at risk of total elimination.

Help protect Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails. Contact your Members of Congress and tell them to reach out to Senators Inhofe and Boxer, and Congressman Mica to urge them to continue funding for these important bicycling and walking programs.

Need some good facts to bolster your argument?  Read on:

Not in the federal interest?  Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips in the US – even as funding for biking and walking projects only accounts for 1.5% of the federal transportation budget. That is more than 4 billion bicycle trips and 40 billion walking trips a year, including trips to work, school, shopping and for recreation and tourism.

Frivolous?  Two-thirds of all pedestrian deaths are on federally funded highways.  One-third of children’s traffic deaths happen when children are walking or bicycling and are struck by cars.  Bicycling and walking programs build sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways—improving accessibility and saving lives.

The Facts

•         Biking and walking are vitally important forms of transportation, and funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements is a highly efficient use of federal transportation dollars.  Portland, OR built 300 miles of bike lanes and trails for the cost of one mile of highway.

•         These projects create jobs and build local economies.  Building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure creates 46% more jobs than building road-only projects per million dollars spent.  Cities that invest in bicycle and pedestrian projects turn downtowns into destinations, and capitalize on increased business activity.

•         Eliminating the 1.5% of transportation funding spent on walk/bike projects would have no meaningful impact on the federal budget, but instead, would decrease transportation options for American families in a time of rising gas prices and an uncertain economy.

Why Act Now?  Both the House and Senate long-term transportation bills are being written right now.  We still have a chance of influencing the outcomes.  Let’s make sure that funding for biking and walking programs don’t disappear.

We need every Senator to tell Senators Boxer and Inhofe that bicycling and walking are vital parts of our transportation system, and that there must be dedicated funding for sidewalks, bike lanes and trails to ensure that bicyclists and pedestrians are safe.  And we need every Representative in the House to tell Chairman Mica the same.

Please contact your Senators and Representatives TODAY<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?WalkBoston/ce7833aa5e/a797fcc513/3b7924b32f/action_KEY=7483> to tell them that bicycling and walking are a critical part of a safe and equitable transportation system.  Ask them to tell Representative Mica and Senators Boxer and Inhofe that any new federal transportation bill must continue dedicated funding for bicycling and walking.

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New BLOG Posts From Sherry:

10 Ways to Boost Your Weight Loss Potential in One Minute

http://www.fudiet.com/2011/06/10-ways-to-improve-your-weight-loss-potential-in-less-than-1-minute-a-week/

10 Celebrity Diets That Don’t Exist But SHOULD

http://www.fudiet.com/2011/07/10-celebrity-diets-that-do-not-exist-but-should/

Is Exercise Making Me Gain Weight?!

http://www.fudiet.com/2011/07/is-exercise-making-me-gain-weight/

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Got an Inspiring Weight Loss/Healthy Lifestyle Story?  Submit it to sherry.pagoto@umassmed.edu

After reading the first post on www.healthyworcester.com, I decided that I needed to set a healthy goal for myself. I did something that I have never imagined doing before – - I started the couch-to-5K program http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml and signed up for a race. I always felt too busy, too tired, too moody, and anything other than motivated. Every day that went by, I felt like I was sinking lower and lower. I was getting lost in the long commutes and daily responsibilities of being a wife and a mom. If I have any hope at all of avoiding the conditions that I am predisposed to (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity), then I need to break my cycle, take responsibility for my health, set a good example for my family, and become active. I kept asking myself, “Really you can’t find 30 minutes three days a week?” Finally, I realized that I could find that time. It was time to stop making excuses and get moving. I gathered my support system: my husband who has supported and encouraged me from the moment I started (who took on additional responsibilities at home so that I could fit in my workouts); my running buddies at work – Kristin, Sue, Sherry & Emily who make me accountable on a daily basis; and friends and family. I told as many people as I could that I was going to start the couch-to-5K and I was going to sign up for a race. From that moment on, I’ve been running consistently 3 times per week. It was a challenge… at first I was shocked that I could run for 2 whole minutes…, then I was actually nervous about running the 5 minute increments…, then eventually my time increased until I was running 35 minutes and wanted to keep going! It transformed from something that I needed to do to something that I wanted to do and I found it as a great stress relief. Thanks to my support system, my desire, and motivation to finally make a positive lifestyle change, I ran my 5K at Hurley’s Rockin’ Run in Brookfield, MA on 6/25 in 32 minutes! Yeah, it was a challenge, but was a blast and it was the best thing that I could have done for my health. I plan to keep up the momentum and attend the Alison Murphy 5K http://www.alisonmurphy5k.org/ in Lancaster, MA on 9/24. Thanks http://healthyworcester.com/ for leading me to couch-to-5K and showing me that it was within my reach if I simply wanted it.

Jessica (guest contributor)

Have an inspiring health story?  Submit it to Healthy Worcester  email Sherry at spagoto@gmail.com. To follow Sherry, go to www.FUdiet.com

I wanted to let you know of some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes coming to Healthy Worcester and to introduce you to my latest creation…  www.FUdiet.com

I will be moving my content to www.FUdiet.com so please bookmark this link and subscribe to my new site if you would like to continue to follow me.

No worries, Healthy Worcester will still be here, but the format is changing.  It will be far more local focused, featuring healthy resources in Central Massachusetts, including places to exercise, eat healthy, and be inspired.  Local contributors will be featured.  If you are in Central Massachusetts and would like to contribute, please email your concept or brief article to spagoto@gmail.com.

As an incentive to give www.FUdiet.com a try, I have posted the results to the Hey! I’m Exercising Outside Summer 2011 Photo Contest there.  Check it out and THANK YOU for your pics!  Special thanks to Robyn Bauman at www.robynsnestvideos.com who made the AMAZING video out of all of your exercise pics.  If you liked the Spring video, you won’t believe the Summer one!

Finally, what is FU Diet?

It’s not a diet.  It’s a mission.

Ever feel like you know what you should be doing to lose weight? You know what and how much you should be eating, you know that you should be exercising, but you just can’t figure out HOW to do these things ALL the time?  It’s hard to do the things we know are good for us. FU diet is all about the HOW.

“FU Diet” is not a diet. No meal plans. No recipes.  It’s a mission.  A grassroots mission to fight the forces around and within us that make us unhealthy.  This is where the FU comes from…these forces deserve a big FU (“FORGET YOU” or any other fitting phrase you like).  Let’s learn the forces working against us.  I will bring you the latest science of obesity and health in my posts.  Then we have to learn how to fight back so that we can achieve and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.  I will share with you only the strategies that have been shown to be effective; not gimmicks, fads, or crap that sounds good, but doesn’t actually work.

Obesity is a war that will be won at the grassroots.  Pick up your weapons soldiers, because we are about to fight the good fight.  Let’s do it together. Let’s create a support network.  Our strength is in our numbers.  Join the journey by following along.  This is  www.FUdiet.com

See you there…

I was never a fan of Disney World (not to mention the long road trip to get there). Why do we trek across the country to get to this mega-maniacal-money-machine that touts empty platitudes like “dreams really can come true” via cartoon character mouthpieces that hypnotize children pied-piper-style?  What do theme parks have to do with dreams?  Gee thanks Disney, after 10 spins on It’s A Small World, it’s become clear to me that my life is off track and I really CAN achieve the success I’ve always wanted.

But then all my views changed after I gave birth to a real live princess (as evidenced by her wardrobe, wand, and tiara collection).  Now it all makes sense.  There is something to this Disney World.  Some might argue that I’m a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, as I hum Snow White tunes in line at the grocery store, defend Ariel’s wardrobe in cocktail party conversations (somebody please apologize to Gloria Steinem on my behalf, I can no longer look her in the eye), and think I’m clever when I nudge Sleeping Beauty in the arm during our Disneyworld photo op and say, YOU’RE NOT GONNA TOUCH THE SPINDLE AGAIN, ARE YA!?!  AHAHAHA!  (Insert awkward silence).

I’ve actually learned to embrace D-World and realized there is something profound in the idea of dreams coming true and the journey to getting there.  The journey and the dreams of Disneyworld provide more important insights to the weight loss journey than you might realize…

Disneyworld is a dream destination, I use it as an example, but feel free to insert any dream destination you might have in life.  A dream destination is anywhere you’d love to be but is so far away. Perhaps 25 pounds lighter, college degree, the dream job, the house, the dream spouse, etc.  Any journey to a dream destination requires a series of steps. In life, we often focus so much on the destination that the journey itself gets out of focus.  We aren’t sure of the first step.  We don’t know what to do when we’ve gone off track.  We spend a lot of time lamenting on whether we will ever get there.  We are paralyzed by a wrong turn.  We get discouraged, give up, turn around, and go home.

On the way to Disney we are much smarter, we bring a freakin’ map.

Consider the Google map of directions from Worcester, Massachusetts to Disneyworld.  When on a long road trip like this, what do you focus on?  Silly question, of course it is the line in the directions that comes up next.    When you have accomplished that line (Head South on Main street), you move to the next one (Turn Left on Myrtle St).  In fact, the page you are holding at the time (or your GPS screen for that matter) might not even have Disneyworld on it, it might be 4 pages away, but you still trust that if you keep moving through these steps, you will get there. For some reason with weight loss, we are so much less confident.  We make wrong turns, and then call the entire journey into question.  Imagine that you turned Right not Left onto Myrtle Street?  What would you do?  Turn the car around and go home?  Of course not, you would figure out a way to quickly get back on track.  In fact, has there EVER been a time when you had a map on a trip but got so lost that you canceled the trip and went home?  Probably not.

Why do we treat the weight loss journey differently?  Three reasons.  Are any of these you?

1.  I Don’t Have A Map.  The first reason we might treat the weight loss journey differently is because we don’t actually have a map.  Not having a map means that you really aren’t sure what the steps are to your weight loss goal.  You are driving around aimlessly. You don’t know how much you should be eating, what you should be eating, how much to exercise, the type of exercises to be doing, how you should be structuring your day, etc. If this is the case, I encourage you to seek assistance from a weight loss expert such as a dietitian, certified trainer, Weight Watchers, or psychologist who specializes in weight loss, etc.  Ask that person to help you draw up a map.  But once you have your map, be sure not to do the next two things…

2.  I Have A Map But Decided To Take A Short Cut.  The second reason we treat weight loss differently is because we get lured into “shortcuts.”  Some guy on the side of the road says, “hey, you want to shave 10 hours off of your trip to Disneyworld? “ And you say: “UH, YEAH!” …and next thing you know, you’re in Ohio.   No offense to Ohio, but it’s so far off the track. In weight loss terms, this means you got lured into a fad diet or other weight loss scam that promised big things only to end you up further from your destination than you started.  Lucky for the guy on the side of the road, you are too far off track even to find him and punch him in the face.  The lesson here is to stay the course, don’t believe in shortcuts, because THIS guy will get you every time.

3.  I Have a Map, But I Don’t Use It. This is the person who has the full set of directions, but doesn’t always refer to it.  They question the directions upon making a wrong turn, “oh forget it, let’s go home, I’ll never get there!” They get impatient with the map part way into the trip, distracted or too busy, and then try to wing the rest of the trip only to end up in Ohio “I was on track, but then I got distracted and stopped using the map, now I’m way off course!”  Or, they are overwhelmed by all the directions on the map, so pull over and just stare at the Disneyworld pamphlet, feeling sad, “Oh, how I wish I was in Disneyworld. I just don’t know how to get there!” In all of these cases, the person is focused too much on Disneyworld and the if/when they’ll get there and not focused enough on the steps.  Each step is straightforward, there are just a ton of them which makes it all seem so difficult.  The objective is to trust the map and that each step is nudging you closer to where you want to be.  In fact, it is best to put the destination entirely out of your mind and focus only on what needs to be done to accomplish the next step.  By focusing too much on the destination, you miss out on the lessons and experiences the journey has to offer.  Look around, enjoy what is good about right now, and learn from your wrong turns so that they become fewer.  Live in your moments, don’t get stuck on an imagined future endpoint.  What you will find is that the journey really is the destination. They are one in the same.  If you are on your way, then you have arrived. On this journey, the road trip IS Disneyworld.  If you live a healthy lifestyle, you are exactly where you planned to be.  Your weight, your cholesterol, inches around your waist, etc…all those are just mile markers on the side of the road, guideposts to let you know you are going in the right direction, but none are the destination itself.  The only real goal is progress.  Are you making progress?  If you answered yes, then good…keep going.  If no, then what would progress mean for today?

In the weight loss journey, each day is a line on your Google Map.  What does your Google Map say for today?  It is your exercise agenda, your diet agenda, your sleep agenda, your stress reduction agenda.  Put the steps in your calendar. Focus only on (and enjoy) the leg of your journey that is TODAY.   Otherwise instead of Disneyworld…

…you might end up in Ohio.

I pulled some strings with Mother Nature and negotiated an early Summer (you’re welcome), so in return I expect to see some exercise pics.  What?  That’s right, this is the 2^nd Hey, I’m Exercising Outside! Photo Contest.  The hard core exercise crowd who came out this spring to show off their exercise photos impressed me so much that I feel the need to have a Summer Contest.  Plus my secret agents tell me you’re slacking (“Waaaaah..it’s too hot!”), so I need some evidence you are out there walking the walk, running the run, swimming the swim, and pogo sticking the pogo stick (huh?).  I also want to raise the bar even further in terms of crazy, amazing, interesting, inspirational, kooky, sweaty, and fun pictures of you, unsuspecting family members/friends, and/or the sights you’ve seen while outside EXERCISING. I challenge you to send me the wackiest photos you can come up with.  Last time we had a picture of a clinical psychologist standing on her head in her front yard.  Can you top that??  CAN YOU!?

Here is what you do. Take your camera out with you the next time you are outside exercising and snap photos of anything that inspires you, makes you laugh, or that captures the essence of being outdoors, breathing fresh air, and feeling alive. Send me your pics in TWO WEEKS and I, shortly thereafter, will release the contest results. Do not send pics from last summer, that is a CHEAT.  The purpose is to get you out NOW.

So yeah, the Spring contest turned out to have not ONE single winner, but rather an entire music video of winners (a la http://www.robynsnestvideos.com , my expert videographer).   I’m very confident that the turn-out will be even better this time.  Email your pictures to me at spagoto@gmail.com by June 16.  You have 16 days to GET OUT and EXERCISE!!  No excuses! To inspire and motivate you I am going to give you my top 20 favorite reasons to exercise out of the list of 1000 reasons to exercise that I have compiled.  I tweet one a day so if you really want the full list, you must follow me on Twitter (@DrSherryPagoto).  You may notice that I do not focus so much on the health reasons to exercise.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, exercise is good for your weight, energy, increase mobility, prevents diabetes, heart disease, blah blah blah. But who cares about all that stuff.  Let’s get down to the REAL reasons to exercise… without further ado….

TOP 20 *BEST* REASONS TO EXERCISE (OUT OF 1000)

Reason to exercise #593:  Exercise removes you from the presence of people who annoy you for a good hour.

Reason to exercise 643: Exercise removes YOU from the presence of people YOU annoy for a good hour.

Reason to exercise #124:  Tollhouse wants you to feel better about the “cookie dough incident” just as much as you do.

Reason to exercise #213: Because it puts the fad diet people out of business.

Reason to exercise #321:  Brisk walking/running is good practice for the next time you need to get out of jam right quick.

Reason to exercise #560:  Exercise gives you some good solid time to plan a strategy to get back at that son-of-a @#&!.

Reason to exercise #333:  In the event you need an alibi you can say, “what?! I was out on my walk!,” and everyone will believe you.

Reason to exercise #756:  Exercise opens up an entirely new wardrobe category and therefore reason to go SHOPPING.

Reason to exercise #299:  Exercise is the only excuse to get out of a family gathering that receives an OH WOW!  “Gotta go train, I’m walking for cancer next week!”

Reason to exercise #765:  Walk/running races are a great way to build a t-shirt collection that you think you didn’t pay for.

Reason to exercise #32:  Socially acceptable way to escape your children for an hour.

Reason to exercise #764: Because drug companies are counting on us NOT to.

Reason to exercise #12: Because gyms hope you sign up and then never go, so by going you just tick them off which is always fun.

Reason to exercise #423: Because all the cool kids are and back in the day that was reason enough for you to do MUCH stupider stuff.

Reason to exercise #901: Cure for PMS that doesn’t involve punching someone in the face.

Reason to exercise #233: Because Target sells thingys to hang your clothes on that are far cheaper than a treadmill.

Reason to exercise #716: Because Charlie Sheen does and look how much good it’s done him.  (Perhaps not the best example).

Reason to exercise #671: Because your sofa called and said he’s feeling smothered lately.

Reason to exercise #211: Because all of life’s answers lie between the cracks in the pavement, as does the occasional spare change.

Reason to exercise #999: Because you can’t possibly come up with this many reasons not to.

Q:  I just got done having kids and don’t plan to have more. I am 5ft 1in and 180 lbs. I want to lose 60 lbs.  Seems impossible!  How can I reach my goal?

A:  As promised, I have 10 answers to any weight loss question you ask.  This lady has picked a doozy!  Let’s begin at the beginning… I was involved in the launch of a weight loss program at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center back in 2004 and have been seeing patients in that program ever since.  I also conduct clinical trials testing behavioral weight loss strategies for people with various challenges including depression, type 2 diabetes, and binge eating disorder.  Of the hundreds if not thousands of people I have encountered through my clinical and research work, I can tell you, losing 60 pounds is possible.  People do it. But not everybody does it.  Which group of people do you want to belong to?  Here are 10 steps to being amongst the people who do it.

1.  Believe.  The first step to long lasting weight loss is believing two things 1) that it is hard work and 2) that you can accomplish hard work.  You cannot lose weight without exercise and healthy dietary control.  A lot of forces are going to try to lure you away from believing in yourself:  junk food, fad diets, pills, supplements, and anything else that says, “you can’t do this.”  You do not need temptations, short-cuts or false promises.  You must believe that you are capable of the hard work of lifestyle change.  Are you?  Say YES because you ARE.

2. Time Is On Your Side. You didn’t gain this weight overnight, so you will not lose it overnight.  The goal of 60 pounds is a lot of weight, literally 1/3 of your body!  Count on it taking at the very minimum about 18-24 months to get close to this goal.  People too often given themselves short periods of time to work toward their goal and then give up when they haven’t reached it.  Give yourself PLENTY of time.  I would also urge you to NOT focus on the 60 pound goal, but on smaller, shorter term goals, such as 5 pound increments.  Think of it as 12 five-pound steps to 60 pounds.  Allow yourself 4-6 weeks to lose each 5 pounds.  Some will come off quicker, some may take more time.

3. Know What Thyself Puts in Thy Mouth The necessary evil of weight control is keeping a journal of what you eat. (insert BOOs and HISSES)  Yes, it totally sucks BUT it is the single most effective weight loss strategy.  A recent review of 22 weight loss studies found that diet journals consistently predicted weight loss outcomes (Burke et al 2011).  Users of www.MyFitnessPal.com mobile application swear by it as a very handy diet tracker and it also factors in your exercise and includes a social network.

4. Fall in Love.  Someone once said to me, “There are 2 kinds of people, those who love exercise and those who hate it.”   WHAT!?  Stop saying “I hate exercise.”   It’s simply not possible that you hate all forms of bodily movement.  When people say they hate exercise, they are usually referring to what they believe is exercise (e.g., walking on a treadmill, going to aerobics class, etc).  Yes, you might not like certain exercises, but stop saying you hate them all because this is affecting your ability to develop an active lifestyle.  The objective is to find an exercise that you enjoy.  Only you know this, go out and try a few different things out.  Pick the one you like the most. Learning to embrace exercise is essential to long lasting weight loss.  You are wasting your time without it.  Look how much these guys love it! (ok, you don’t have to love it THAT much).

5.  Race for Your Cure. Another common denominator I see in “big losers” is that they do races.  Not because they are trying to win, but as a motivational tool.  I highly recommend that you sign up TODAY for a distance walk or run (5K, 10K, etc).  By doing this you have a fitness goal to strive for, and it will help you stay on track with your exercise.  If you sign up for 3 or 4 of these a year, you will always be in training.  Go to www.active.com to find races near you.  Find races that are for a charity close to your heart to make it even more meaningful.  Be sure to increase the distance of races over time (e.g., after 2-3 5Ks try a 10K) and strive to beat your previous race time at every race. Explore your physical limits, I promise you they are FAR beyond your imagination.  Cross that finish line, it’s one of the biggest highs in life.

6.  Face the Scale.  Weigh yourself once a week or more. NEVER allow a week to go by where you haven’t weighed yourself.  Routine weighing is another common denominator of successful “losers.”

7. Rocky Road is Not Just An Ice Cream Flavor. Your weight loss trajectory is not going to be a straight line.  Expect many bumps in the road (see graph of a real person’s weight loss, notice the bumps!). You might have a week where you gain a couple of pounds, and weeks in a row where you plateau.  Expect that the bumps are all part of the process, NOT a sign of failure.  Too many people get frustrated at the first sign of slowed weight loss and then quit their efforts.  Big losers do NOT do this, they forge ahead.  These people are unstoppable!

8. Develop a Regular Eating Pattern Never let 3 hours go by without eating something.  Appetite control involves avoiding extreme hunger.  Never skip meals and plan snacks for times when you start to get hungry.  By avoiding extreme hunger your tendency to overeat will dramatically decline. Check out the hunger scale below, the goal is to always keep yourself between 2 and 7.

9.  Conquer your sleep and stress issues.  If you are chronically sleep deprived or overstressed in your life, weight loss is going to be extremely difficult to impossible.  Sleep deprivation stimulates the hormones that increase your  appetite.  You know what also does?  Stress.  These are the arch enemies of weight loss (along with Ding Dongs).  Talk with your doctor about your sleep.  For stress, I highly recommend cardiovascular exercise. It is AS effective at reducing stress and depression as antidepressant medication and psychotherapy, and much cheaper.

10. Power to the People. Start building your “community” because you cannot do this alone.  Support and accountability is essential to this process and needs to come from people who are on the same road.  Your spouse may be awesome but if he/or she is not on the same road, then you still need more support from others who are.  My Fitness Pal has a function where you can be “friends” with other users and see each other’s progress, support each other, and chat.  Also, take advantage of social networking, Weight Watcher groups, or blogs to build your community.  Here are 4 great blogs written by people who are on your road.  Check them out, comment frequently.  Consider also starting your own blog.

Cubicle Dad, lost over 100 lbs http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/cubicle-dad/

Tyler, lost 140 lbs counting calories http://www.344pounds.com/

Joanna, lost 88 lbs, Diary of a Mad Fat Woman http://diaryoffatwoman.blogspot.com/

Fat Girl Fights Back, lost over 50 lbs http://www.fatgirlfightsback.com/

Buy 10 get 1 free! 11.  Subscribe to my blog. Speaking of blogs!  I eat, drink, and sleep weight loss research.  My mission is to share with you all that I know.  And I guarantee you a 100% BS-free zone.  I have tons of previous posts on weight loss, please take a look.

Have a weight loss question?  I guarantee 10 answers.  Submit your question to spagoto@gmail.com.

References:

Burke, L. Wang, J., & Sevick, M. (2011). Self-monitoring in weight loss:  A systematic review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111, 92-102.

One of the biggest challenges to long lasting weight loss is that people so often get sidetracked by ineffective weight loss plans that make big promises but deliver few returns.  It’s a challenge because we  turn our attention away from forging ahead with healthy diet and exercise to try one of these “new” weight loss programs.  The fad weight loss plans are tempting because they play into our desire to want the weight to come off easily and quickly.  The reality is that there are no magic plans or pills. They exist because there is a huge market for them.  Every weight loss pseudo-expert has their own angle, their own special diet, or special supplement.  I challenge you to avoid the temptation and stay the course.  To help, here is a list of 10 signs that a popular weight loss plan is a scam.

1. LOSE WEIGHT FAST! If a program promises FAST weight loss such as 1 pound a day, 10 pounds in a week, etc, please disregard it.  Healthy weight loss is at a pace of 1-2 pounds per week, otherwise you will regain the weight fast.  Our bodies have a natural tendency to resist fast weight loss, it is a survival instinct.  If anyone promises you fast weight loss (with the exception of gastric bypass surgery) it is a set-up for failure.
2. COLONICS. Any plan that involves snaking your pipes is an instant sign of a hoax.  Many diet plans include this because after getting rid of all wastes in your colon you will naturally be lighter on the scale.  This does not mean you have lost true body weight though. It really is just you minus poop (sorry).  They use colonics to make you think you lost weight so you tell all your friends about the diet and they make more money. Five weeks later your weight rebounds and you lose interest in the diet.
3. DETOX. Any plan that suggests that you need to be “detoxed” is downright ridiculous. Our bodies are evolved to have this wonderful organ called the liver.  It detoxifies your body more so than any diet will.  Do not worry about “toxins” in your body.  The idea that toxins are making you overweight is simply ridiculous. It’s fear tactics at their best.
4. VITAMINS. Listen carefully:  there is NO evidence that ANY vitamin will help you lose significant weight.  If you take vitamins alongside a healthy diet and exercise you will lose weight.  If you play the banjo alongside a healthy diet and exercise you will also lose weight.  Get my drift?
5. SPECIAL DIETS. If the plan involves eating a strange diet made up of foods that you would not normally eat or in amounts you would not normally eat, it is no good.  Your most effective eating plan is one that is most like your current one, but less calories.  Don’t start eating cookies, cabbage soup, or bacon in mass quantities because it will help you lose weight.  It really is as ridiculous as it sounds.
6. AUTHOR OF WEIGHT LOSS PLAN HAS NO BACKGROUND IN THE SCIENCE OF OBESITY/NUTRITION/EXERCISE. If the person writing the latest weight  loss book has a degree in Russian history, is a sitcom star, is a journalist, or a celebrity, they are NOT weight loss experts.  Body weight regulation is a multi-disciplinary science because so many factors come into play from biological, psychological, genetic, to environmental. If someone who hasn’t immersed themselves in this science claims to be an expert, run away fast.  It’s a true sign of a money making scam.  We would never turn to a non-scientist for the cure for cancer, so we shouldn’t for the cure for obesity.  The amount of pseudoscience circulating on weight loss is astounding.  Part of my mission is to call the pseudoscience out for what it truly is:  misinformation (aka: BS)
7. OVER THE COUNTER SUPPLEMENTS. There are no effective over-the-counter supplements for weight loss.  NONE. Ally (orlistat) was mildly effective but has been ripped from shelves like countless others.  Many supplements make claims but I assure you there is no data to support ANY of them.  When such data emerges, I will be happy to share it with you.
8. INJECTIONS. Please, I repeat, please do not let anyone inject a vitamin or hormone into you for the purpose of weight loss.  It will not only NOT work, but is potentially extremely dangerous.
9. METABOLISM-FOCUSED. If the weight loss plan is very focused on increasing your metabolism, I would be concerned it’s bunk.  There is no strong evidence that any foods or supplements increase metabolism to the point of weight loss.  Exercise increases metabolism, but only transiently.  If you want to increase your metabolism, exercise daily.  It is really all you can do to increase your metabolism.
10. WEIGHT LOSS DEPENDS ON YOU USING OUR PRODUCTS.  This is a sure sign of a money-making scheme.  Jenny Craig might be an exception because the product is portion controlled food, however, it can be very difficult to do any program that requires constant purchasing of products. These companies make you feel like your weight loss relies on continued use of their products, but the truth is you can lose weight without purchasing special products.  This is a business plan not a weight loss plan.

Your health does not have to be a for-profit industry.  Let’s put these people out of business by embracing what we know for sure will bring our bodies to a healthy weight.  Here’s my fad diet and  it don’t cost a thing…

~~~~~~~~~MY FAD DIET~~~~~~~~~

Fresh air, fresh fruit,

Light meals, light moods,

A good sweat, goals set,

Body moving, no food soothing,

No static, don’t panic,

Help yourself, help each other,

Love your body, there’s no other,

Heart beats, healthy eats,

A deep breath, a good stretch,

On your feet, eat less meat,

TV off, get your sleep,

Destress…

And don’t second guess.