Successful Clients Share Their Tips on Surviving the Holiday Season

"I have a shake in the morning of a big meal like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It really helps start the day off low-calorie. Plus, make 'in the box' versions of your favorite holday things."

"Keep yourself full with 'in the box' foods. There will be challenges everywhere you go...candy in every store for example. If you're full, you're more likely to avoid eating 'out of the box'."

"I don't let anything get in the way of my exercise routine during the holidays. If not for my routine, I wouldn't find the time for it."

Top 5 Tips for Holiday Party Survival

Ready or not, the holidays are upon us. Having a solid eating plan before going to your event is critical. Use these "to do" HMR® strategies to get through your events with minimal calorie damage:

1. Have one (or more!) HMR Shakes and/or Entrees before you leave home. You'll arrive at the party feeling full helping you resist high calorie foods.
2. Take along a BeneFit Bar® (or two!) to eat during dessert. The calorie savings could HUGE.
3. Call your host ahead of time to find out what's being served, and offer to bring a vegetable or fruit platter or a giant salad along with a low-calorie salad dressing.
4. Double or triple an entree recipe from the HMR Recipe Book to serve to guests.
5. Get in extra physical activity the day of the event. You'll be more likely to make healthier food choices.

Helpful hints for the Holidays

HMR's Triple Imperative® Party Survival Guide

Is it possible to get throught the holiday season without the scale creeping up?
YES! Let the "Three P's" ( and the Triple Imperative) guide you through your holiday parties:


PLAN

• Before: Plan some low-calorie days the week before the vent. Add in extra MR meal replacements to diplace even more calories than usual. Practice More Is Better™!
• During: At the party, try to eat 2-3 cups of vegetables first. Then, fill up even more with at least two non-caloric beverages (i.e. diet soda, or sparkling water).
• After: Plan out some low-calorie days for the week after. Add in extra meal replacements to displace even more calories than usual. Practic More Is Better!

PREPARE

• Before: Offer to bring a fruit/vegetable platter or other low-calorie dish to share.
• During: Keep track of your fruit/vegetable servings. Eat more to practice More Is Better.
• After: If you're hosting the party, toss out any leftovers. If you're the guest, don't bring any leftovers home.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA)

• Before: Have a high PA day (or two) in the couple of days leading up to an event. Make a plan to get in two bouts of PA the day of the party.
• During: Dance the night away. If there is dancing available, go for it!
• After: If your calorie intake was high, practice More Is Better. Push yourself to do extra high PA days for at least 2-3 days the following week.

Recap

Well, I have my house back to myself, and had a lovely visit with my in-laws. They truely are fantastic people whom I respect very much. We just don't happen to see eye to eye when it comes to food.

Some of my strategies worked quite well - especially the idea of having an HMR Shake as my drink during a meal. Another new strategie for me that I will keep is freezing a shake to grab as I leave the house. I was shy about running the blender alot, so I ran it once a day and made 6 shakes at once. I drank some, and put the rest in blender bottles in the fridge or freezer and they were perfect grab and go solutions. I usually cook a lot of my entrees in the oven, and it was a challenge trying to cook for everyone else and me at the same time, so I ended up making a lot of my meals the night before (bulk recipes rock!) and then just heating them up right before meal time.

I did have to stretch my comfort zone on a few occaisions. I ended up doing a workout with weights in front of everyone while we were watching tv one night. I did some heavy duty yardwork, much to my father-in-law's chagrin - he didn't feel it was a girl's place to be lugging heavy bags of mulch around and that he should have been the one to do it - but when I told him that moving the mulch would get me out of having to do pushups as he was trying to watch baseball on tv that night he changed his tune! I didn't always feel great about leaving everybody to go walk the dog - but, well, he does need to get walked and by doing that I was able to get to over 2600pa calories for the week. I was just shooting for 2000 so it felt really good to get that higher number in there.

We did end up eating out on the spur of the moment one night. Let me just say, I don't do spur of the moment well. I need time to plan what I'm going to eat ahead of time - usually by looking up the menu online. I also pack fat-free sour cream and salad dressing to bring with me. None of that happened this time. Thank goodness I'd already had 10 fruits and vegetables by that time, 5 shakes and an entree, so I wasn't really "starving". Had I only had a few fruits and veggies and a shake and entree that day, I probably would have had to rely a lot more on will-power to order something healthy.

This experience had helped me to realize how truely important your home environment is when you are trying to make healthy food choices. I had lots of fruits and vegetables in the house, but because there were also options that I enjoy (the pumpkin bread was my downfall! :) I nibbled here and there, and it showed on the scale. I gained a pound and a half over the two week period and was down on myself. Nancy, my health coach helped me to put it in perspective by showing me how much I'd gained over the same amount of time when I'd been the visiting my in-laws' farm. 8 lbs then vs 1.5 lbs this time. That showed me that I'd learned from my mistakes at the farm, had adapted old stragegies and adopted new ones and have seen great improvement in being able to manage my weight. Oh, and by the way, as soon as my guests left, I walked around the house with a garbarge bag and got rid off all the temptations (much to my husband's dismay! :). Ahhh, much easier to make a good choice, now that only good choices are available.

Adapting to a change in routine.

I like routine. It’s easier to plan out my food for the day and my exercise routine. But now my in-laws are arriving today for a two week visit. Routine, meet window. I know that the next two weeks are going to involve meals out, junk food in the house, a birthday and anniversary celebration, lots of shopping and very little support when it comes to me being on “that chicken farmers diet”, as my mum-in-law calls it. Did I mention that my in-laws raise cattle and eat red meat almost every day? I’m not willing to put on loads of weight over the next two weeks, so here is what I’ve come up with as a plan.

Let’s look at the food side…

• I’ve stocked my pantry and fridge with fruit and vegetables.


• I did buy the food that my in-laws prefer, but have placed it up high and out of sight.


• I have extra meal replacements on hand.


• I’ve looked ahead at some of the meals that I know my in-laws want and have planned substitutions for myself (i.e. Meat and cheese lasagna with garlic bread for them, HMR Lasagna with Meat Sauce mixed with mushrooms and spinach for me. Roast beef for them, HMR Beef Pot Roast for me, with “skinny” mashed potatoes for us all – by the way if you’ve never made skinny mashed potatoes, it’s really easy. Simply cook your potatoes in fat-free chicken broth until the liquid is mostly evaporated, then mash with a little low-fat sour cream. Delicious!) Oh and did you notice? Red meat - on the "chicken farmer's diet" so I'll score some points there :).


• I have planned on making some bulk meals for myself so I have a few meals already made, and don’t have to try and cook two different meals at once. I’m also much more likely to eat the lower-calorie options if they are already made up (I’m talking out of the box, into bowl already mixed with vegetables and seasonings).


• One trick I learned while on vacation this summer was to make several shakes up at once, and place some of them in the fridge in a blender bottle. This way I don’t have to feel like I’m bothering anyone by running the blender at all hours of the day, and by putting the shake in the blender bottle it’s easier to whip it back up to a good consistency.


• I’m going to freeze a couple of double shakes in blender bottles also – just grab one in the morning as we head out the door to go shopping, and it’ll be defrosted in a few hours, just in time for a mid-morning snack.


• I do plan on having some meals when I’m eating the same thing as everyone else. On those occasions I’m going to load up my plate with healthfully prepared veggies and drink an HMR shake on the side to help fill me up.


• I plan on bringing packets of fat-free salad dressing and low-fat sour cream with me when we go out to eat at restaurants (I keep the sour cream in a cooler pack in the car, and then transfer it to my purse just before going inside the restaurant – works like a charm!)


• I know that nuts and chips are going to be around, so I’ve prepared my favorite roasted chick peas, and have popcorn to snack on.
  

  For the roasted chick peas, all you have to do is lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive-oil flavored cooking spray, then drain two cans of chick peas and spread them out evenly on the cookie sheet. Lightly dust the chick peas with the same cooking spray and sprinkle 4 tsp of seasoning over the top (my favorite is the Hidden Valley® Fiesta Ranch Dip Mix and 4 tsp is half of a packet). Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, stirring halfway through. My super special secret is to place the cooled chick peas in a covered bowl, along with 5 pumps of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spray and a sprinkling of seasoned salt. Shake well and enjoy. This recipe counts as 7 servings of vegetables, and I usually eat it in two sittings.
  
  For the popcorn I use the lowest calorie microwave popcorn I can find (it comes in at 15 calories a cup) and I cook it according to package directions. Then I sprinkle 3-4 capfuls of white vinegar over the top and salt to taste. I give the popcorn a good toss and voila! I have my version of salt and vinegar chips.



• I have enlisted the help of my husband or, partner in crime as I like to call him. I’ve asked him to stay in the kitchen after supper as leftovers are being put away (and ideally to help of course) because I’m much less likely to munch on leftovers being put away if I have a “witness”. He’ll also either come with, or go for me when I need to go the kitchen during the evening hours – which is typically the time of day that I tend to reach for higher calories treats or leftovers.

Okay, now for the exercise side.

• Luckily the dog still needs to be walked, so that will stay in place.


• I can get to work 10-15 minutes early and walk around before going in and/or stay 10-15 minutes later to walk around before going home.


• For some strange reason I don’t believe I’m going to feel super comfortable doing crunches and weights in front of the in-laws in the living room (which is where I usually work out at home), but what I can do is move my exercise ball and weights into my bedroom and do a few minutes of exercise before going to bed.


• We will be walking around while shopping, but a good way for me to get a teeny bit extra in is to drop everyone off at the store entrance, and then park far away and sprint to get back to them.

Alrighty then, that’s the plan. I’m curious to see what happens over the next two weeks. Wish me luck!

Hidden Valley® is a registered trademark of The HV Food Products Company

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is a brand of margarine produced by Becel/Flora/Promise, which is a subsidiary of Unilever

Dargie's letter to Nancy

Nancy Cosgrove, RN, BA, started RNfit Weight Management in 2001. A Registered Nurse since 1983, her passion is helping people improve their quality of life throught preventive health behaviors. For seven years running, RNfit has been recognized by HMR® as one of the top programs in the U.S., out of approximately 250 nationwide.

This is a letter that Dargie; one of our clients who has lost 96lbs, wrote to Nancy. We are sharing it here, with Dargie's permission.

5:30 A.M.2/22/09

Dear Nancy,I am wide awake and not sure why, but I am thinking of you.
There must be some way to thank you for this gift that you have helped me to attain.
Our meeting was not by chance, but an arrival after a very long search.
There were days when I would cry- not only when I was a child, but as an adult as well.
Many were eager to tell me where I needed to be, but none were able to set my journey into motion.
Hundreds through the years have laughed at me, with me or behind my back.
Some wanted me to fail because of their own struggles.
Few understand the magnitude of my situation.
Only one has led me through this by encouragement, praise, education and discipline.
You have changed my life in such a profound way that I have become a new person.
Weight loss was my original goal, but that is only a small portion of what you have helped me to achieve.
Our successes cannot be measured by scales or bank accounts.
Our payoff is life, health and (never before felt) confidence.
I can look into a mirror and not want to look away.
I can have a seat with confidence that the chair will hold me.
I can stand in front of a classroom of children or my peers and feel good about my self.
I can shop for things that I like to wear, not in a “big girl” store with very limited choices.
I can do these things because you do what you do.
You care about me, and I know it.
You don’t give up on me when I have a hard time.
More importantly, you don’t let me give up when I have a hard time.
You are a hero-you save lives.
You helped me see that I could start a new chapter in my life and make it better.
Thank you just isn’t enough, but it is like a bow on the present- that you helped to make so much better for me.
Forever your friend, Dargie

Travel Tips

Debby Bridges, Office Manager at RNfit Weight Management shares these tips and tricks for staying "In the Box" while traveling.

Pack:
· All the shakes and entrees you will need while you are gone and MORE
· A cooler filled with fruit and vegetables to snack on
· Lots of canned fruits and vegetables with pop tops
· Plastic forks and spoons, paper cups, napkins and bowls
· Blender bottle or an electric blender
· Individual packets of fat-free salad dressing and sweetener
· Dishwashing detergent to wash the blender bottle

Plan:
· Make a plan for the travel day and the first day of your trip in case you don't make it to the store right away. Before you leave, prepare your meal (mix vegetables with entrée) so it is ready for heating and eating.

No microwave, No problem:
· Stop at Travel Centers to use the microwave to heat entrees
· Ask restaurants to heat entrees
· Put entrees over hot vegetables (examples: baked potatoes or steamed broccoli)
· Put entrees in car windows (on dashboard, out of box with black side up), the sun will heat them up! It really works!!
· Fill sink with hot water and let the entrees sit in water
· Put heated entrée in thermos with vegetables before you leave- the meal is ready when you are
· Heat entrée and wrap in a towel and store in cooler to preserve heat

On Airplanes:
· Have HMR food and fruit in all suitcases, including carry on
· Ask for bottle of water on the plane. Drink some and add package of 70+ and shake. Have as pudding or shake.
· Be sure and pack plastic utensils in carry on

Get your Minimums In, No Matter What!
· Eat Early, "front load"
· Have an entrée for breakfast
· Have 3 shakes for breakfast and 2 entrees for lunch, Eat vegetables for lunch and dinner
· Eat the entrée before you go to the restaurant
· Don't get hungry. Your "willpower" is strongest when you are full
· Decide what you are going to eat before you get the restaurant. Check out menus on-line.
· Take a short walk EVERY time you stop!

More is Better(TM)

Back again…

I’ve talked about going back into weight loss, and how I keep up with my physical activity. Well, I lost the weight that I gained over summer holidays (yay!) and now am trying to decide whether to stick it out for anther ten pounds, or transition to maintenance and keep losing there.

This go around in weight loss I rediscovered how the More is Better™ idea got me losing 8.5 lbs in 4weeks. I’ve never eaten so many fruits and vegetables in my life! Going for roasted chick peas when I was craving salty and crunchy foods kept me from feeling deprived – that “oh woe is me” syndrome that has me invariably reaching for “gap” foods.

How do I incorporate more is better throughout my day? I’d heard the 9 by 5:00 statement before (9 fruits and vegetables eaten by 5pm) but for me on my most stressful days I need to eat 5 by 10:00 (5 fruits and vegetables before 10:00am). My go-to breakfast when I know I’ve got a busy day ahead? The night before I throw a bunch of veggies onto a cookie sheet (usually a combination of green peppers, mushroom, onions and prepared potatoes) and cover them with two HMR® Mushroom Risotto Entrees and then bake the whole lot in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes – the risotto becomes almost crunchy, and very much like a breakfast omelet and I end up with half the recipe (1 entrée, 3 veggies) for breakfast, and half for lunch the next day. This super filling breakfast helps keep me on track, and away from the muffins and bagels that call my name. I follow that up with a couple of fruits before 10:00 and I guarantee you that I’m going to have an easier time staying “in the box” the rest of the day.

Another “more is better” idea that a lot of people (including me!) forget about is water. There are definitely days that I eat when in actuality what I am is thirsty. The days when I drink 8-12 glasses of water are good days for me because I eat less, and being hydrated helps things “move through my body” as it were. Gross to talk about I know, but true nonetheless.

I also tend to eat more when I’m tired – eating to stay awake, so “more is better” also applies to sleep for me. For one thing, if I’m sleeping I’m not eating and when I’m well rested I tend to make better food choices anyway.

All these things – getting enough sleep and water, front-loading, eating more fruits, vegetables and meal replacements are strategies that I learned in the weight loss and weight maintenance classes at RNfit Weight Management™ (an HMR® Program). It has been a matter of experimenting with all sorts of different strategies and picking the combination that works the best for me. Putting them into practice can be a whole other thing, which is why I’m still attending classes. :)

Fitting in physical activity

Last week I set a new personal record for physical activity - mostly thanks to a 3 hour hike with a good friend. It's not every day that I can fit in a three hour hike, but it sure feels good to do it from time to time!

Seeing that amount of physical activity tracked in my journal got me to thinking about how much a part of my life being active is now. I never used to be this active, I might walk a few times a week for 15 minutes, or attend a water aerobics class now and then, but not much more than that. I know that being physically active is key to keeping my weight off, so how does "plain Jane", ordinary me do it?

1.I make it a need, not a want. I need to be active for at least an hour a day. I think ahead about what my day has in store (drop the kid off at at school - quick to the grocery store, race to work, get the kid from school, swim class for the kid, home to change the wet laundry to the dryer, homework, kiss the husband, whip up a fabulous and healthy meal, feed the dog, fold the laundry, check the mail...) - what was I saying? Oh yeah, physical activity. Whew! When in the world do I think I'm going to find an hour in my day to walk?!

Okay, so let's break it down.

• Can I walk the dog in the morning for 10 minutes before heading off to school today? Yup.
• Can I park the car at the far end of the parking lot at the grocery store? Yup.
• Can I walk around the office while on a conference call? For a little while, sure.
• Can I make it a priority to spend a half hour walking the dog after the kid is in bed and the dishes are done? You bet.

Voila! - an hour of physical activity in my day. Sure, there are days when it's super easy to plan for an hour at the gym, but most days I just sneak it in here and there, and it feels so manageable when it's broken down into little chunks. The minutes really do add up!

2. I make plans with other people. It's so easy to talk myself out of going out for a walk alone sometimes, but if I know I'm meeting someone I'm much more likely to not try to back out of it. Besides, walking with someone makes the time pass so much faster, and surrounding myself with other physically active people is a good motivator for me. I also make plans with my family. Where two years ago a typical Saturday would have included a movie, some reading and a drive, now it involves walking around the farmer's market to pick up some fresh fruit before going to the playground with my daughter (she swings on the swing set, and I walk the dog around the playground), followed by some gardening, and maybe a quick trip to the swimming pool before supper.

3. I have positive role models in my life. Okay, I admit it. I'm easily influenced. This can be a bad thing (like going out with friends who all order nachos and beer) or it can be a good thing. People like my hiking buddy, (who, by the way, was headed to the gym after our walk to work out with weights) or my good friend back home who has made being active a priority in her life, teaching Pilates classes and sharing how she manages to get an hour 's workout on the elliptical machine(I'm still working on that one!) are key for me. I need the friends who just like to sit and chat, because that's important to me, but balancing that out with the friends who like to walk and talk is going to help keep me on track. I also happen to work with some very good role models here at RNfit Weight Management, and being able to problem solve with them is so helpful.

4. I need variety. I'm a big walker. Always have been. I like the being alone in the woods kind of walking, just me and my dog. I like routine, but I know for me that changing things up helps me to lose weight. So for me, variety while walking means walking different places, different times of the day, and having some walks that are longer, to make up for the days that I can't get to that one hour that I push for every day. I know that I like to walk most of all, but I also like working out with weights, swimming and doing water aerobics, rowing and kayaking. I fit those in here and there to keep from getting bored.

5.I acknowledge what I've done. For me this means two different things. It means writing down how much physical activity I've done for the day in my journal to help me stay on track, but it also means giving myself the proverbial "pat on the back" for what I've accomplished. I've changed so much in the past two years, from someone who exercised occasionally to someone who is very physically active. Sure, I would love to work out more, do more, be more like a lot of the people that I know, but just doing what I am right now is huge for me (and keeping me from being huge :), and I need to recognize that.

Back in the box....

Well, here I go again!

After 5 months of keeping the 110 pounds off, I went on vacation - to my mother-in-law's house no less. Three weeks of yummy home made EVERYTHING, from muffins to rolls and bread to chocolate cake for my hubbie's birthday, and voila! Up 8 pounds. (And I was walking an hour a day, and eating 10 fruits and vegetables and keeping up with my HMR® Shakes and Entrees - it just goes to show you how important environmental controls really are! - Oh and can you imagine what the scale would have read had I not had such good skills in place?!)

Alrighty then. Up 8 pounds. No problem - just get back on track and go back to exactly the same behaviors I was doing before my vacation. Only now the peanut butter is calling my name, and now I'm back to eating more bread, and sure enough - the weight is not coming off a few weeks later. What to do? Do I just give up and accept that I'm now a few pounds heavier - no one else really seemed to notice the extra weight... After some internal debate (and the unbuttoning of some now too tight jeans...) I know what I need to do.

I need the structure of the weight loss class. The extra support and accountability, the meal replacement and physical activity assignments, and being in a room where everyone understands what it's like to try losing weight in today's society are exactly what I need to get back on track. I'm looking forward to the "decision-free" atmosphere also. It's hard standing in the grocery store when nothing is off limits and trying to make healthy decisions. Being "in the box" means that the biggest decision I have to make is which blue box to rip open, and which vegetables do I want to add to it? There are no bad choices to make when you're "in the box".

Now, as I'm writing all this down, I'm on my fifth day on the diet. It's as easy to follow this time as my first time around. There is comfort in knowing that I've done this before, and quite successfully at that, but also in knowing that I can make the transition to weight maintenance after the 8 pounds (or more - I'm thinking of losing another 20 pounds this time) when I'm ready. I know that in the weight maintenance phase I'll be able to keep on building my skills with regards to physical activity, environmental control, high levels of fruits and vegetables and using meal replacements to offset higher calorie foods.

Well, that's it for now. I'll keep posting every week, and hopefully be able to share some tips and tricks that are working for me. I'd love to hear from anyone else out there who has good ideas to share too!

take care,

Patricia

Physical Activity-Let's get started!

Physical Activity—Let’s get started!

It is that time of year when people are thinking of making changes, particularly health-related changes.

If you’ve decided to start an exercise regimnen—good for you! But be careful not to do too much too soon, and then not be able to move. That is a guaranteed way to short-circuit your good intentions.

You know all the reasons that you need to be more active—and you may already be saying “I know I need to, but…” Let’s look at some of themore common barriers, and see how we can resolve them.

Most of the national health agencies say we should be getting about 60 minutes a day of “accumulated”physical acitivity. For weight loss and to maintain weight loss, that daily time rises to 90 minutes per day.

Keep on reading, and we’ll figure out how to get you there!

Also, let me say that if you are starting to exercise in order to lose weight, you’ll also have to make some dietary changes. Most of us are not capable of burning enough calories to see significant weight loss. In fact, 70% of weight loss comes from changing diet. If you read my article last year, a good place to start is by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. Eat at least five full cup servings per day, and increase from there for more results.

How to get past the major barriers to becoming more active.

#1 excuse: No time.

Actually, you don’t have time not to exercise. Being physically active gives you more energy and allows you to be more efficient at everything you do.

Most Americans watch about 30 hours of television per week. Start by getting up during commercials, and doing laps or walking in place. Or, make it a rule that you have to be on the treadmill or other exercise equipment for the first half hour of TV viewing each evening.

If nothing else, stay seated and do arm exercises, with or without weights. Do anything to move more!

Set aside time in the morning, even just a few minutes. This sets a good tone for the day, and will probably have you figuring out how to do more the rest of the day.

Go for a short walk on your lunch break. On your busiest days, this will help you to prioritize tasks for the rest of the day, and actually get more done than if you work through lunch.

Always stand while on the phone, and walk and talk if you can.

Schedule walking meetings with colleagues—you’ll both enjoy the change.

Walk around the store while waiting for a prescription to be filled, or around the parking lot while waiting for the oil to be changed in your car. You get the picture: waiting times can be times to get moving!

One of the favorites: park farther away from your destination, and do a few laps around a store, before you settle into your errand

#2 excuse: Too tired.

Again, start earlier in the day. It is nearly impossible to get motivated once you get home from work and into your evening routine.

Recruit an exercise buddy. You can keep each other accountable.

Don’t zone out on late-night TV. Go to bed earlier and get some sleep!

Find activities that you enjoy, that provide you with the social time, stress release or stimulation you need. You’ll enjoy being more active.

#3 excuse: Weather

Find indoor options: join a gym, do exercise DVD’s or TV workout shows, use home equipment. www.collagevideo.com is a great resource for all types of exercise videos and DVD’s. They even have specialty videos for those with arthritis, or other medical issues.

Another source of videos for those who need to sit to be fit is Armchair Fitness in Washington DC. Call 1-800-453-6280 to order, or visit managementwisdom.com.

Turn on some music and dance!

For outside activities, choose appropriate clothing. High-tech fabrics can keep you cool in the heat, and warm and dry in cold or wet weather.

Go to a mall or big box store and do laps. Leave your credit cards at home.

#4 excuse: Can’t get motivated

The first step is the hardest!

Set doable goals: Just a few minutes here and there really do make a difference. Also, it usually only takes about 3-5 minutes for the endorphins to start kicking in, so that you feel like doing more.

For instance: “I will walk the dog another five minutes, since I’m already outside.”

Change shoes before leaving work, stop at the track and walk for 10 minutes on the way home.

Or, immediately get on the treadmill for 10 minutes when you walk in the door.

Get a pedometer and see how many steps per day you take. Recommended goal for good health is about 10,000 steps per day. If you are not there, look to increase by a few 100 steps each week. Studies show that those who use pedometers are more motivated to move.

#5 excuse: Childcare is a problem.

Swap workout time with your spouse, or with a neighbor.

Working parents usually do better with lunchtime activities, since childcare is already in place during the workday.

Choose options that can be done at home while the child is napping.

Teach your kids to enjoy physical activity by doing it with them. Playing active games, biking or hiking are some family ideas.

#6 excuse: I'm not overweight, so why should I work out?

Being physically active is like taking a preventive medicine. Regular physical activity, to the tune of 30 minutes a day beyond your normal daily activities, can cut your risk of heart disease by and osteoporosis by 40-50%. It reduces risk of stroke and diabetes by 30-40% and of colon cancer by 30-50%.

It also provides a number of psychological benefits, such as stress relief, reduced depression symptoms, and increased self-esteem.

If you’ve read to this point, I hope you have found some useful ideas to help you get started, or to increase your current level, if your routine is not where it needs to be.

written by Nancy Cosgrove RN, BA