Pain Management and Weight Loss Success

Recently I wrote about pain and how I had been letting my physical pain keep me from working out as much as I normally would.

Maybe I'm naive but I was surprised that this concept would stir up any sort of controversy! But, I got messages from people who think maybe my pain isn't real or that I'm dismissing people who are in chronic pain.

Since that is certainly not the case, I thought I'd follow up with some information I read this weekend about ways to reduce your pain...because I DO know that being in pain can seriously hinder our ability and willingness to move our bodies...and even to eat right. When we are in pain (physical or emotional) we seek comfort and sometimes food gives us that comfort, albeit temporary, and we can then ADD to our pain by increasing our physical weight.

This comes from Doctors Oz and Roizen...the title is "Mindfulness meditation conquers stubborn pain" (Click the title if you want to see the entire article)

people who meditated for just 20 minutes a day saw their pain tolerance rise

Meditation doesn't work because your pain is "all in your head." Chronic pain is all too real...When pain won't quit, stress and worry kick in, boosting levels of stress hormones, which tricks your brain into thinking the pain is worse than it is.

De-stressing with meditation or similar mind/body techniques dials back stress hormones which in turn diminishes pain.

meditation eased pain by helping your brain to stop anticipating it...Less stress and less pain also can mean better sleep, more motivation to exercise and even less depression, all of which also make you relax more and hurt less.

So how do you do it? Here are 3 different methods to try from the good doctors:

First, find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down for 10-15 minutes

Mindfulness meditation:

• Close your eyes to help you stay focused
• Breathe in and out slowly & naturally
• Acknowledge your thoughts, feelings and the physical sensations in your body but don't get wrapped up in them
• Keep gently returning your focus to your breathing
• After 10 minutes begin to notice your surroundings as you breathe calmly
• Then plan to go about your day with this feeling of calm awareness

Guided Imagery:
This technique works by distracting you and helps ease pain similarly to meditation.

• Shut your eyes and imagine an idyllic "happy place"
• Use all of your sense to put yourself in that place
• Remember scents, colors, the air, mood, anything that makes it come alive
• Stay there, relax and enjoy

Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

• Breathe slowly from your abdomen
• Isolate and tighten each muscle group without straining for 7-10 seconds
• Release the muscles abruptly
• Rest 15-20 seconds
• Start with your fists
• Move to your forearms, biceps, face, neck, shoulders, upper back, chest, stomach, lower back, buttocks, thighs, lower legs, feet.

Hope that helps...practice mindful meditation and reduce your pain...if that weren't good enough all by itself, it will help with your weight loss success!

Dancing the Night and Fat Away

Last night the Celtic Rock group, The Elders, played in town. It was a fantastic night for the event...nice and cool which gave extra incentive to get up and dance!

I feel really fortunate to live in a town that provides fun entertainment during the summer for free. And at concerts like this where we are encouraged to dance we get entertained by the musicians and people watching and if we loosen our inhibitions just a little bit we can burn off a few calories at the same time without going to the gym!

Moving our bodies can be a lot of fun...and if you aren't able to get up and dance, then do what you can. Clapping and swaying to the music, stomping feet and waving arms in the arm all count as moving your body--especially compared to sitting like a log in front of the television.

And you also get at least a short walk in from the car to wherever you are seated...

Make events like this special. One family had a little table with candles and flowers...others at the top of the rise had pop-up rain/sun shelters...bring the kids and wear comfortable clothes.

One word of caution--at this event they were selling ice cream...and I'm sure most venues will have some great treat. You don't have to NOT have it...just make it a conscious choice and realize that you probably won't be dancing it off, even if you dance all night long. My friends bought some and shared it...that worked out really well. They all got some of the great treat, but no one got weighed down. One good thing about treats at these sorts of events...they come with portion control!

Enjoy the events, dance and get your oxygen pumping and muscles moving...and you'll go to sleep with a smile on your face...and maybe wake up with a little less fat on your body!

For Weight Loss Success Love Yourself Enough to Eat Healthy

I know that it SEEMS like we eat comfort food because we love ourselves and want to pamper ourselves...and maybe SOMETIMES that is true.

I contend that more often our comfort food and grabbing "convenience" foods in order to save time is really because we are not loving ourselves enough to make healthy choices.

We wouldn't knowingly poison our kids or our pets, yet we are willing to poison ourselves with food that we know will make us sick.

Eating healthy does not have to take a lot of time, or cost a lot of money--and one of the best things is you don't have to be fanatical about it...you don't have to be perfect! *Whew!*

The healthier I eat, the lower my grocery bill! And making fresh, healthy meals can be quite quick, if you stick to a few dishes and keep the number of ingredients down. I don't try to make the dinner of Ozzie and Harriet...I have too much going on to have a salad and a vegetable and, the list went on and on. So I make maybe 3 things.

Often I make enough of one or two dishes to last several days...I call that "Planned Overs"...that saves a lot of time, which I know is a precious commodity for most of us.

Here is one of the tricks to not wasting a lot of produce and still getting all the nutrients that your body needs: don't try to buy one of everything. Instead, choose enough for a couple of days. Try to get some variety of color in your produce too...that helps you get a wider array of vitamins. Then the next time you go shopping try a few different items. That way you get the variety without having to make so many dishes all at one time.

Go for stealth shopping...the goal is to get in and out quickly. Cruise the outside of the store (that's where the fresh stuff usually is) and stay out of the middle unless you have something specific on your list that you need, like some canned or frozen item to supplement your fresh produce.

Take care of your body...show your body that you love yourself enough to feed it the good, healthy foods that it needs to function at its peak. Do that and your body will reward you with energy, vitality and you will drop excess fat, too!

Can It Be Salsa if it's Not Hot, Hot, Hot?

Subtitle: I got a bunch of cilantro and didn't know what to do with it...

Some friends of mine gave me a HUGE bunch of cilantro. I wasn't sure what to do with it at first, but then I had a brainstorm: I could make salsa out of it.

I've had cilantro salsa before...and I didn't have a recipe for it...and maybe the bunch wasn't really THAT huge...so I thought about what I did have and figured I'd "punt"...

What I had:

• Some tomatoes that were slightly overripe
• Red, yellow and orange bell peppers
• Avocado
• the aforementioned Cilantro

(side commentary...did you know Cilantro is the leaves of the same plant that is Coriander...which is the seeds? I didn't know that until I was digging around looking for a cilantro salsa recipe, which I did NOT find, by the way!)

I minced up the cilantro, diced up the tomatoes and the yellow and orange peppers (decided to hold the red peppers as I had plenty of red with the tomatoes) and put them all in a bowl. Then I added a little bit of red wine vinegar and tossed it altogether.

Put it in the fridge and added avocado just before serving.

OH YUM, if I do say so myself.

I don't know if technically this is a salsa recipe or not, but it was cold, chunky, vegetables that was the best complement to my blackened burgers. OK, they were supposed to be grilled, not blackened. Reminder to self: do not attempt to multi-task while grilling.

Still, the contrast of the hot meat and the cold vegetables was excellent. And I've gotta say this low-cal recipe would also be good as a chip dip or could serve as a nice refreshing salad.

And as much as this sounds like a lot of chopping...and like it would take a lot of time--it DIDN'T! Fast, easy cooking...gotta love it!

Simple Tip to Stop Emotional Eating and Achieve Weight Loss Success

I'm alone this week...and will confess to feeling a bit lonely and that I have fallen prey to the comfort food syndrome!

This isn't bad if it just happens once in a while, but I want to be sure I don't make a habit of it or I will 1. be angry with myself (which isn't helpful) and/or 2. gain weight back which will just make me angry with myself...did I mention that isn't helpful?

One thing that I found that IS helpful is to look at a picture of myself as I used to be.

That's me back in 2006.

The point of this looking back is definitely not to beat myself up...it is to remind myself of just how far I have come and that I definitely do NOT want to go back to being that person.

And it is the BE-ing that is important...sure it is about the weight, but not the most important part. The most important part is how unhealthy I was, how much pain I was in and what I could not DO because of the behaviors I engaged in.

So I took out a picture from one of my heaviest periods (even more than the one I just posted here) and I put it on the frig so that it is front and center should I reach for a choice that is less-than-healthy. I don't make the food off-limits, but this really helps make the choice a conscious one...and I found that it really helped me to make healthy choices.

If looking at the "old" you isn't enough to keep you on track, take that picture in to the nearest mirror and compare it to the you of today.

Since you can't join me at the mirror, here's a picture to help drive home the point! I sure don't want to having to get into those pants the old fashioned way again ;-)

If you haven't yet achieved your weight loss success and therefore don't have before and after pictures (or before and during pictures...that works just as well!) then look at pictures of how you want to be.

Take pictures from magazines or ads that capture the person you want to be...how it will feel when you have achieved that weight loss success! This can be your own health vision board...one that will definitely help you to reach your goal!

Cool Treats for Hot Summer Weight Loss Success

Typically the 4th of July here is hot and we are looking for ways to stay cool...yesterday proved to be the exception as we huddled under umbrellas in our jackets in the pouring rain to watch the fireworks...which were delayed due to the storms...

Cold as we were, we just had to try our cool treats that turned out to be delicious and healthy, if not fully appreciated for their temperature!

These treats are easy to make and enjoy and can be made more (or less) healthy, suitable for adults or kids, depending on the ingredients you choose.

I'm talking popsicles, of course! But not the store-bought kind that is filled with high fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners. Try making your own instead, easily, so you have 100% control over what (and how much) goes into the cool treats.

You can buy popsicle molds at a variety of stores, or you can use paper Dixie cups for smaller servings or even ice cube trays. Simply insert popsicle sticks and you have a portable treat...or use the cubes in your water for summer refreshment!

So what ingredients to use? For the easiest popsicles, get 100% fruit juice, pour and freeze. I had a wonderful blueberry-pomegranate pop last night...yum...delicious and loaded with antioxidants and no added sugar.

Add fresh fruit (or for super easy, use already frozen) for fiber, texture and fun for the tongue.

Have more time and want to get creative? Make your own juices--with a squeezer or juicer. Add Stevia for zero calorie sweetness to lemon or lime based pops. Puree some fruits (fresh or frozen) for a creamier texture. Throw in a little raw (unsweetened) coconut for a tropical "punch."

Flavors can be consistent, complementary or contrasting. For example, using a sweet strawberry juice as a base...adding strawberries for a consistent taste, banana slices for complimentary flavor, or contrast the sweet juice with tart kiwi.

Of course, adults can add a splash of alcohol for a festive cube. It doesn't take much...and keep in mind that frozen alcohol still has calories and, well, alcohol.

The only thing that limits your popsicle is your imagination. You could even have a "Pops on Ice" party, with a variety of juices and ingredients all ready for guests to create their own. I suggest using small paper cups for this method...have each guest write their name on the cup before concocting their treat(s). Have this be the first thing folks do, then move on to the grilling and games and later in the day or evening you'll have flavor-filled cool-down treats made to order!

Thanks to Dr. Diana Hill for this inspiration!

Favorite Foods for True Weight Loss Success

Last week I gave my Chiropractor a copy of my book, Refuse to Diet: Weight Loss Success Starts with Your Mind...Not Your Mouth. He was very excited to get a copy and see what I've been up to. Yesterday when I went back to see him he told me that someone else had already borrowed it from him!

That was a really cool feeling, to know someone was so excited about my book that they asked to borrow his copy...and that he [reluctantly] agreed (she is a very important person in his life, after all!)

He had read a large part of the book and was asking me if I really still have my favorite treat (for those of you who are new to following this blog, that would be ice cream, the richer the better.) I said definitely. I also enjoy pizza, beer, wine and lots of other goodies. I just don't eat them as often or in as large of quantities. And the truth is I don't crave them like I used to!

A huge part of the "magic" is that I no longer put foods that I love on a list of forbidden foods. That didn't work for me. That doesn't mean I have gallons of ice cream on deck (although I have upon occasion.) I prefer to give myself permission to eat whatever I want, give myself smaller portions and then go back for more if I really want it.

See, the next part of the "magic" is making it all a conscious choice.

I couldn't do either parts of the magic when I was dieting, or when I was trying to lose weight because it was what my doctor told me to do, or my mother wanted me to do, or even because I would get a better health insurance rate.

I had to totally decide that I deserved to be healthy...which is a completely different mindset than wanting to lose weight or look good. With this mindset I can enjoy my favorite foods and not stress about what I am eating.

Am I stick skinny? Could I be a model? Hell no...but then that has never been my goal. I am a healthy weight for my body. I can go hiking like I never could before. I enjoy food like never before. I feel better about my body than ever. In my book, that is true weight loss success!