Surviving the Holidays

We had a great meeting with discussion about the upcoming holidays, time away from work/normal routine and strategies to cope with the stress that these things can bring.

Some of the fears that we shared:
*Being at home and away from the regular routine.
*Not having access to the KFC/FitNest.
*Being stuck at the same weight or in the same old routine.
*Family stress (holidays, family member in hospital, etc.)
*Wanting to enjoy the holiday foods.

From the discussion about our fears, we came up with some great coping strategies:
*Schedule exercise, taking your meds, drinking water, etc. on your calendar even when you are not at the office. You can even set your phone to send you reminders.
*Set a schedule for your time at home so it can be structured like your work day. This will allow you to have more control of your time.
*Make a date with a friend or family member for a walking lunch at the mall or store to get exercise.
*Plan ahead by packing your own snacks and healthy foods. Use the snack-size ziploc bags to get the right portion size.
*Buy yourself a present, maybe a Wii Fit game, or something that will re-motivate you to exercise.
*It's ok to have some of the holiday foods in moderation. Then when someone is trying to get you to eat "just one more" try saying no especially if it is going to help you to stay on track. Your loved ones should understand that you are only trying to be as healthy as you can be.
*Borrow an exercise DVD from the library or Netflix to do at home.

Most of all we talked about acknowledging your apprehensions and fears about the holiday break, make a plan to stay on track and healthy during that time, and most importantly take a break and do something for yourself!

Have a safe and peaceful holiday with your family, friends and loved ones.

Setting Goals

We had our first group support meeting this week and it was a very positive experience. I was excited to get this part of the program started and excited to meet some of the folks in the CVRR Program. And to be honest I was a little nervous about the first meeting because I really want this to be an experience that everyone can benefit from.
Like I mentioned in an email, the group meeting will talk about the same subject as the monthly email tips. So this month we are focusing on setting goals and using the SMART goal template as a guide. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time specific.

Here are some questions to think about when you are working on a goal for this program:

What kinds of things would you like to incorporate into your lifestyle that would improve your health?

What skills do you need to acquire that would improve your health?

What kinds of barriers are preventing you from acquiring those skills or incorporating healthy behaviors?

What motivates you to get past those barriers?

Now think about a time when you were eating healthier, getting more exercise, getting the proper amount of sleep, taking your medications regularly or using stress management techniques...how did you feel? Can the positive feelings you have experienced in the past, be motivation for you to take on the challenge of living healthier now?

Take a moment to answer some of these questions, and then write one simple goal you can focus on for the next week or month. Baby steps, baby steps...

Here is a SMART goal format you can use:
I will (your goal here) by (how you will do the goal). I will know I am making progress because (how you will measure the goal)(time goes here).

And an example of a SMART goal:
I will lose 20 pounds by increasing my exercise to 4 times a week and cutting back on sugar and portion sizes. I will know I am making progress because I will lose 2 pounds a week for ten weeks.

Please share your thoughts, feelings, goals, frustrations, questions, celebrations, etc. here on the blog!! I can't wait to hear how you are all doing.