Motivation

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How to take care of yourself when life is crazy

It happens to everyone…you are in a good routine: exercising, drinking water, planning meals, cooking, and taking time for yourself.  And then…life happens.  Things fall apart. You’re stressed, tired, not eating on a regular basis (or overeating), not planning, not exercising, and so on.  And then you feel awful physically and emotionally.

What are you to do?  You can’t just magically change your life circumstances.  You can’t take the stress away or make the problems go away.  You just have to push forward.  But do you have to accept the fatigue, low energy, cravings, and feeling out of control?  Of course not.  That’s when you enter Survival Mode.

Survival Mode

Step 1: Identify 3-5 behaviors that give you biggest impact in your health.  Here are some examples:

  • drinking water instead of soda
  • meditating
  • exercising
  • eating at home
  • keeping a food diary
  • taking time for yourself

Step 2: Based on your current life circumstances, identify which of those behaviors are most realistic.  Choose 1-3 and write them down as specific SMART goals.  Here is what I mean:

  • Walk outside in the morning for 20 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
  • Take 5 minutes of alone time on my backyard porch every evening after dinner.
  • Limit eating out to 2 times per week.

Step 3: Choose a friend, family member, health professional, or your friendly dietitian (me!) and share your goals.  Ask that person to check on you periodically to see how you’re doing with your goals.

Step 4: Adjust these goals as necessary.  If one goal seems to add more stress and pressure to your life, then drop it.  If you identify another goal that would give you a bigger impact, then add it.

Step 5: Enjoy feeling proud and happy that you are managing your health, even when things are falling apart.

Finally, in the words of one of my favorite authors, Geneen Roth, “When things fall apart…let them.  Find a soft place to land and fall apart for 5 minutes.  Then get up, wipe the tears, pick your kids up from school, and move on with your day.”

For more tips on how to manage your health, set up a FREE Jumpstart call by clicking here.

Please share, what’s your favorite way to take care of yourself when you are really stressed? 

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What will you commit to this year?

I confess, I have been dragging my feet on writing a new blog article. So much has happened over the last year in the world and in my own life, that some things just seem too trivial. I couldn’t get the motivation to write about new foods, recipes, or the latest nutrition fads. None of that seems important when so many of us have burdens of loss of loved ones and friends, lost jobs, financial problems, or health problems.

I have suffered a loss greater than I ever thought I would. My sweet husband, Lee, died of cancer on August 16, 2020, just 10 months after his diagnosis. Like many of you, my world has been turned upside down and it’s a struggle to feel right-side-up again.

You may read his obituary here.

So what nutrition topic can I write about that will even seem important right now? Well, let me first list what IS important: my support system, my faith, my career, and my health. There are so many things out of my control right now, but I can control how I take care of myself. You can control how you take care of yourself. (However, the outcomes aren’t always under your control–like incurable stage 4 cancer.)

What I want to talk about in this newsletter, is how you can control how you take care of yourself. You can choose to keep your yearly check-ups with your doctor (virtual or in-person), whether to take your meds or not, whether to exercise or not, what foods to eat, and how to spend your free time. Trust me, I know that when under stressful circumstances it is hard to do all of those things. You only have so much willpower and a lot of it used just getting through the day. But that doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to not try. You can choose to do one thing (or more) everyday to take care of yourself.

As for me, I commit to take care of myself as best as I can, so I can be there for you, for my kids, my colleagues, my friends, and my family.

What do you commit to do?

How can I help?

Here are some ways I can help you reach your health goals:

  • Monthly Masters Group: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 @ noon (virtual or in-person): Brenda Hoehn, guest speaker, with Procare: “Physical Regeneration and Strength Upgrade”. Send an email to kelli.worley@intentionaleating.net to RSVP.
  • Want to work with me to find the best diet plan for you, but don’t have time to come to appointments? Sign up for Virtual Intentional Eating 101 here.
  • Having bariatric surgery this year? Learn Everything you Need to Know Before Bariatric Surgery here.
  • This year I will finally re-vamp my Support Group. If you want to be added to the list for the beta launch, reply to this email and let me know.
  • Sign up to become a new one-on-one client here.
  • Last, I want to give you what you need. If you have any ideas or need something specific, send me an email.
How does exercise affect your motivation to eat well?
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How does exercise affect your motivation to eat well?

Some days you want to eat well and some days you don’t. Have you ever noticed if your exercise affects how you eat? A research article published in the May 2019 edition of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition Dietetics looks at this very question.

After surveying 1600 women between the ages of 40-50, the following obeservations were made:

  • Those who exercised with the main motivation to lose weight, were less likely to eat intuitively, less likely to listen to their body’s feelings of hunger and satiety, more likely to restrict their food choices based on a specific diet, and more likely to eat for emotional reasons instead of physical reasons.
  • Those who exercised because of intrinsic motivation (health, enjoyment, improvement of mood, and pleasure) were more likely to eat intuitively, listen to their body’s signals of hunger and fullness, not restrict their eating to a certain diet, and eat for physical reasons instead of emotional ones.
Exercise for fun, not for weight loss!

This study illustrates that if you can focus on exercise for the positive benefits it brings to your life, instead of weight control or improving your appearance, you may be more likely to eat intuitively. And why is that important? Because intuitive eating has been linked to the following benefits according to other research:

  • Improved well-being and mood
  • Greater body acceptance and appreciation
  • Higher self esteem
  • Greater satisfaction with life
  • Lower body mass index

Aren’t those amazing benefits? I think so too. If you need help learning how to eat intuitively, trust your body, and exercise for the right reasons, click here to fill out a request to become a client.

You can eat what you love and still be healthy!
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You can eat what you love and still be healthy!

“This is my mom and she loves chocolate”

A few months ago I was outside with my 2 youngest daughters and we started talking to someone walking by.  My little ones were probably enthralled with the person’s dog.  But anyway, out of the blue, my 3-year-old said, “This is my mom and she loves chocolate.”  I started laughing at the randomness of this comment and have thought a lot about it since. Yes, both statements are true.  I am her mom and I do love chocolate. 

Why do I bring this up?  Because I think many people have the misconception that my being a dietitian means that I don’t eat sweets and only eat healthy foods.  Some people think my kids never eat junk food and we must not have any candy or chips in my house.  This is not true!  I want to write about this today so you can see that I am just like you…I love chocolate and my husband loves chips.  I have kids that love junk food and candy (and they like some vegetables and nutritious foods too). I crave desserts just like you and want chocolate when I’m stressed out.  At various times in my life I have worried about my weight and health and been on both sides of the dieting spectrum.  I know what it’s like to hate your body and I know what it’s like to love your body.  And not only have I been through it, I’ve seen hundreds of my clients go through it as well.

I am here to share with you today, that you can break through whatever bad eating habits you have, poor body image, dieting scars, etc.  You can find the middle ground between health and “eating whatever you want.”  I’ve done it, my clients are doing it, and you can too.  It feels so amazing to feel comfortable in your own skin, to eat nutritious foods most of the time, and include the sweets/treats/junk foods a little of the time.  It’s so rewarding to go to the doctor and get a good report on blood work, realizing that you can do it!  You don’t have to be in the gym for 2 hours every day (but it’s OK if you like that) and eat only chicken breast and broccoli (it’s OK if you like that too).  There is way more to life than just that!  We can love chocolate (or French fries, or chips, or anything else) and still feel good in our bodies, be healthy, and live well.  

Will you give me a chance to show you that eating what you love AND meeting your health goals is possible for you too?  Simply comment on this post and I will put you on my waiting list for new clients. 

How to Get Motivated to Lose Weight
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How to Get Motivated to Lose Weight

One of the quotes I love to share with my clients is:

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

No matter what kind of goal you have: financial, health, dream vacation, etc., it begins with a single step.  A baby step, as I like to call it.  It’s easy to get overwhelmed when we look at the big picture: pay off the car, lose 100 lbs, or go on a cruise.  I’ve noticed for some people it seems so daunting that they don’t even try.  That’s when it’s time to break it down into manageable steps.

First, take out a big sheet of clean, white paper (or your favorite color) and jot down all the steps you need to take to reach your goal.  Second, choose the very first step that must be done.  Third, do it!  The first step doesn’t have to be big.  The best part of taking a step is that you are moving towards your goal, which helps build your confidence. Then the next day, take another step, and the next day another one, and another one until you’ve done it!

You’ll find as you take baby steps day after day, your confidence will improve, your overwhelm will decrease, and you will feel better.

Please share: what baby step are you going to take today?  Comment below or on my Facebook page.

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Are you burned out? There’s an App for that.

I know you’ve felt it before…you dread getting up in the morning and dragging through one more day.  Burn out is real.  And it can take a toll on your health: it is associated with heart disease, insomnia, obesity, and anxiety.  Can you relate?  If so, check out this infographic from Happify. 

Click here to see the infographic from Happify: Experiencing burnout? Here’s how to recover

If you recognize any of the symptoms of burnout listed on the graphic, I encourage you to download the Happify app. It’s a great tool to improving your mental health—which then trickles down to physical health.   And then, talk to me.  Let’s figure out how we can change your diet and exercise routine to alleviate any symptoms you are experiencing.

Please share, what are the signals and signs when you are feeling burnout?

Help! What Food is Trying to Tell YOU
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Help! What Food is Trying to Tell YOU

Do you have a go-to food or activity that numbs you out after a long day or an emotional event?  C’mon, be honest: is it scrolling through Facebook, playing a game on your phone, or grabbing a bag of chips?  If you’re an emotional eater, then you can relate.  What are those foods you gravitate towards when you want to feel better?  Chocolate? Ice cream?  Bread?  If you know what I’m talking about, chances are you also feel guilty about eating these foods. Well, I want to take that guilt away and instead teach you what these foods are telling you. 

Your body has an amazing and insightful secret to share with you:

When you reach for food and you are not physically hungry, it’s telling you “Something’s wrong!”  It’s shouting at you to stop and listen. 

It’s so common to plow through your day without ever stopping to listen to your body and see what it needs.  So, when you are craving food, think of it as a red flag.  Your body is saying, “Did you forget about me?   Something is wrong and I want you to fix it.”

Next time you find yourself reaching for your go-to food, notice is for what it is (a cry for help) and take these steps:

  1. Do a head to toe scan to find any areas of pain or discomfort.  Do you have a headache?  Are your feet hurting?  If so, do what you can to alleviate the pain or discomfort.
  2. If you find no obvious pain or discomfort, examine your feelings.  What are you feeling?  What triggered those feelings?  Did you have an upsetting interaction with a co-worker?  Are your kids stressing you out?  Are you mad at your best friend? Once you find the source, do what you can to fix it (that doesn’t involve food).

This is a learning process. It’s important to be patient and compassionate with yourself as you learn to work through difficult emotions and events.  But you can do it!  I’ve seen others learn how and I know you can too.

If you need help applying these steps, check out my programs to see which one might be a good fit for you.

In the meantime, please share: what are your go-to foods and why?

What is your Dream?
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What is your Dream?

I love to dream big.  How about you?  It’s fun to day dream about all the wonderful things to accomplish or places to go.  Most of us don’t have any problem dreaming big.  It’s the execution that gets us!  Life gets busy, we plug along another day without getting closer to our dreams.

What are your dreams?  If you are like most of the people I meet with, your dreams include feeling great and living a long, full life; being around to see your grandchildren grow up; traveling; and enjoying life.  So I want to know, what are you doing today to make that happen?  If we don’t take at least one step towards our dreams every day, life might pass us by. 

I love helping my clients get closer to their dreams!  But it doesn’t happen without having a “plan and a deadline.”  It’s so fun to take those dreams and turn them into realistic and personalized plans.  I’m a big planner and have been since as long as I can remember.  I started at a young age with goal setting and planning.  At first they were far-fetched goals like “don’t fight with my sister” or “practice the piano every day.”  But as I learned about effective realistic goal setting and making specific plans, I started achieving my goals.  For example, when I learned to plan exercise into my day, make a weekly menu, and have strategies for overcoming emotional eating, I became successful in managing my health.    And that’s what I want for you too.

How do you start, you may wonder?

Step 1: First write down one dream you have in relation to your health. 

Step 2: Brainstorm the steps that you need to get there. 

Step 3: Choose one step to start with.

Step 4: Set a deadline and a plan for that step.

If you need help with making your plan, watch this video and then contact me so we can talk about how my programs might help you.

Until then, please share: what are your dreams?