Megan Nechanicky

Buddy enjoying the snow.

I spend last weekend in New Jersey with family celebrating my Grandma’s 90th birthday. When I arrived, I met Buddy, my cousin’s dog. I had always heard about Buddy, but was speechless when I walked in the house and saw Buddy for the first time. Buddy is suppose to weigh between 60-70 pounds and currently weighs in at 150 pounds. In people terms he would be classified as “morbidly obese”.

Granted Buddy is an older dog, it is was painful to watch him stand on all four legs and move around the house. It was obvious he preferred to spend the day laying around, watching the football games with my relatives and sleeping. Who would blame him when he has to move so much added weight? Carrying an additional 90 pounds around all day would slow the most conditioned athlete down to a shuffle.  The entire family talked openly about Buddy’s weight problem and I was told Buddy loves Jersey bagels. Jersey bagels are amazing, but shouldn’t be eaten daily and certainly not as dog food.

The thing that struck me the most was realizing how much my cousin loves his dog. He would do anything to care for Buddy, however some of the very things he’s doing out of love are causing him to have a shorter life.    I challenged my cousin to get Buddy moving and the next time I visited I wanted to see slimmer Buddy and not a “stuffed Buddy”. My wish for Buddy would be to give him the opportunity to do the things dogs love must—taking long walks, running, and chasing tennis balls.

Oftentimes we show love for our children, friends and spouses by preparing huge unhealthy meals. I challenge you to show your love in healthy ways that will keep the people you love most around for years to come.

When running a few weeks ago, my friend and follow training partner shared his 2012 resolution. He wanted to start taking lunch to work to not only save money but to eat healthier. An average a lunch out costs about $10, so by the end of the work week that’s $50 and by the end of the year that’s $2,600. What a GREAT resolution… not only saves money but most likely calories (considering most people eat more when eating out). Here are some ideas to get you started:

 
Plan Ahead: You have to think ahead and plan so you don’t get to noon and end up calling out for Chinese. Think through the following questions: What would you like to bring to eat for lunch? When will you buy these items? When will you pack these items?

 
Grocery Shop: Go to the grocery store at least once per week. Think about what you’d like to have for lunch for an entire week. The only way to prevent eating out is to have food on hand to pack.

 
Stock the Work Frig: Having food already at work will prevent you from using that excuse “I have no food to eat” (especially by the end of the week). Keep foods in the work frig or freezer. You can also keep non-perishable foods in your desk drawer (nuts, granola, dried fruit)

 
Healthy Brown Bags Ideas:
1. Greek Goddess- Hummus, whole wheat pita bread, carrots and peppers

2. Athlete- Peanut butter on whole wheat bagel, yogurt and banana

3. San Diego Surfer- Bean burrito (buy frozen), tortilla chips and guacamole

4. Trailblazer- Granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit

Greek Goddess

Athlete

San Diego Surfer

Special K "What will you gain when you lose?" campaign ad.

This past week I took part in an employee health fair at the hospital. Being so close to the New Year, it was the perfect time to have your cholesterol checked or sign-up for the hospital gym. I happened to be stationed right next to the Tanita scale which measures body fat. As people walked by the station, they’d be asked if they wanted their body fat tested. Since this health fair was only days after the holiday vacation most people declined with a chuckle.

What I realized was the only people that said “yes” were those that felt they had improved their percentage from the last time they stepped on. It dawned on me that most people know if they’ve gained or lost weight and the dreaded scale is not an 8 ball that you shake, cross your fingers and wish for the best future.

My advice on weigh-ins, reminded me of the great Special K Times Square ad. Don’t step on the scale each day and let it change your mood from happy to hopeless. You know if your pants are tighter, you stopped working out or you now regularly eat an entire box of cookies. If you need a starting point, step on the scale, get the number, step off and then get to work.

Stepping on the scale daily will drive you crazy especially since weight fluctuates based on the time of day you weigh yourself, when you ate last and hydration status. If you want to monitor your weight, step on the scale weekly or even better bi-weekly or monthly. If you know your weight hasn’t changed, don’t bother letting the scale change your mood. Make it a goal to do something differently (move more, eat less, both!), smile and check your weight on a “good” day.

Celebrating an even happier and healthier 2012!

As we ring in the New Year, countless people embark on resolutions to get healthier, lose weight and start working out. These aspirations are wonderful and if maintained will help achieve a healthier life. However, most people unknowingly set themselves up to fail before they even begin. To maintain your health resolution beyond just the first week of January, try to avoid these common health mistakes:

1. Setting Unachievable Goals- Setting goals similar to the ones you hear about in popular weight loss plans: “Six-pack abs in 6 weeks” or “Lose10 pounds in 10 days”, set you up to fail. When establishing a health goal think about what is actually achievable and work each day to meet that goal.
2. The Starvation Diet- Cutting too many calories at once will leave you starving and obsessing over food. This way of eating is extremely hard and unhealthy to maintain. Instead reduce 250-500 calories (small snack) each day and work toward lasting weight loss.
3. Hitting the Ground Running- For some, hitting the ground walking in better than running. Beginning a fitness routine too fast can leave you sore and unmotivated to do another day. Build slowly and gradually progress to reaching your fitness goal.
4. Expecting Immediate Results- Don’t fool yourself into believing health results occur overnight. Stepping on the bathroom scale daily to see if you have lost a pound since that day prior or thinking you could run 10 miles after working out one week is unrealistic. Expecting fast results is setting yourself up for disappointment; give yourself appropriate time to reach your goals.