Welcome back, Boot’s Campers!
New Year’s celebrations are behind us. Christmas decorations are stashed away (well, kinda). Snow flurries are falling, and I’m thinking about summer and my cute frilly dress. As I told you before, I work from basic tried and true methods for health and weight loss. These methods won’t be quick, but they do work.
Now that you know your numbers, height, weight, body measurements, and BMI and you’ve written them down, let’s do a few more calculations. We need to figure out our daily calorie needs and what our typical calorie expenditure is. During my clinical practice, I used several different methods of basal calorie calculation ranging from mathematical calcuations to lab tests measuring volume of oxygen output. In comparison of the calcuations to the lab tests, I found the Mifflin St Jeor calculation to be most accurate. (The wikipedia entry on this is reviting if you should ever feel inclined to read it. not really). To simplify all this equation mumbo jumbo, plug in your age, weight, height and activity level at this site: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html. This will tell you your daily caloric needs to MAINTAIN your current weight at your current activity level or I as mentioned to those of you with iPhones the Lose it! app is ideal and will calculate this for you, as well.
Now that you know this number, here’s your challenge for the next week:
1. If you bite it, you write it.
If you eat or drink it, keep a log of it. For now don’t worry about measuring portions. I just want you to begin to become concious of what you are eating or drinking and when you are eating or drinking. Ninety five percent of people who record what they eat and drink report meeting nutritional goals. Ninety-five percent!
2. MOVE
Weight loss involves a basic premise: calories in < calories out = weight loss. So, wherever you are on the athletic spectrum, it doesn’t matter – just MOVE! If you are sedentary at your desk all day long, make it a point to move at least 30 minutes per day every day of the work week. This 30 minutes can be all at once or in separate 3 – 10 minute sessions. ( I’ve been known to host “walk and talk” meetings with my coworkers/ employees). Take the stairs ( even just one flight) instead of the elevator to your destination. Park further away from your office door. If you are an athletic superstar, exercise 60 minutes most days of the week is recommended. Whatever it is – just MOVE! and put it on your daily to-do list. It must be part of your schedule.
What do you do if you don’t want to move? Think about the beach or your happy place. Think about that frilly dress or whatever it is you count as your goal. and when all else fails – sing a silly song:
Back in my summer camp days we used to sing a song to the “If You’re happy and you know it” tune when diners showed poor table manners: “Get your elbows off the table, Boots Mc. Get your elbows off the table, Boots Mc” I’ve started singing a new version of this to myself when I don’t want to exercise:
Get your tail off the couch, Boots Mc.
Get your Tail off the couch, Boots Mc.
If you sit here like a louse, you’ll be bigger than this house -
Get your tail off the couch Boots Mc.
Its silly, but it works for me.
3. Visualize your Goals
Not only do you need to write down your measurements, calorie needs, and your daily intake, you also must record your long term goals and your short term goals. Then – make them part of your daily to do list. I’ve provided two of your short term goals for this week. (Recording your intake and moving every work day) We’ll expand on these weekly goals in the near future. Now visualize where you will be, what you will feel like when these goals are met. Are you breathing better? Are your clothes a little looser? Are you the annoying, but inspiring friend who says, “let’s just take the stairs?” I sense you are going to be…and I like it.
I know exactly what it is to balance all of this with real life which is definitely why I don’t want to overwhelm any of us. (I’m frantically working on a deadline this week myself). We are easing into healthy habits that will be more likely to take hold. Plus anything that starts off with a bang is sure to fizzle fast.
Hang in there, campers. You are doing great. Before you know it, today’s snow flurries will be a memory and we will be frolicking in our smaller, frilly dresses in the warm summer sun.
Cheers and Sunshine, Y’all!
