Michael Ventrella, this year’s “Biggest Loser” winner from NBC's hit TV Show made history by losing over 260 pounds—half of his starting body weight! Citing hard work as the key to his success, he admitted that first he had to change his way of thinking. “As Americans we all want a quick fix,” reports Michael, so overcoming the hopelessness that came with weighing over 500 pounds was the first step. Most admirably, he remains motivated to keep losing weight with the new outlook on life that he acquired on the Biggest Loser Ranch which includes (1) seeing food, not as an occasion but as fuel, (2) incorporating exercise as a way of life—for the rest of his life, and (3) considering friends and family as the people with whom he is going to stay healthy.
If you watched even just a few weeks of effort displayed by the overweight contestants, you quickly realized that losing 50-100 pounds of weight takes a consistent combination of mental tenacity, physical endurance, healthy eating, as well as the constant encouragement of peers and coaches.
In fact, recently The Wall Street Journal reported that a new Stanford University study has similarly concluded that healthy food choices, regular exercise, and mental toughness are not the only ingredients necessary for improving ones health. Even “small amounts of social support, ranging from friends who encourage each other by email to occasional meetings with a fitness counselor, can provide large and lasting gains against one of America’s biggest health problems—physical inactivity.”
The study divided three test groups of exercisers into (1) those who received a phone call from a trained health educator every two weeks, (2) those who also received the phone calls, but theirs were automated, and (3) those who were only offered health education classes but did not receive follow-up calls. After twelve months, participants receiving in-person or computerized calls either exceeded or doubled their beginning exercise levels. Those who received no follow-up calls dipped below the government recommendations of 150 minutes of exercise per week.
WSJ: Abby King, a Stanford professor of medicine and health research and policy who conducted this study, published in 2007 in the journal Health Psychology, and other similar studies, says people trying to change unhealthy behaviors generally need something more than willpower. "Whether it's smoking or alcohol use or physical inactivity, social support helps prevent against relapse," says Dr. King. But the support doesn't have to be constant. "A light touch can have a lasting effect," she says.
This study is good news for the millions of us who struggle to change one or more areas of our lives!
If we will make the one little change that this study supports--becoming accountable to a friend or sponsor for our sobriety, joining a small group of like-minded strugglers or sojourners, paying a counselor or coach or trainer to ask us specific questions on a regular basis, joining a gym where our attendance is recorded and a chart is kept, or attending a weekly weigh-in center—we have a much greater chance of seeing big results in one or more areas of our lives!
Why not ask someone today to be on your “change” team?
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Five Foods that Aren't So Healthy After All...
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a watchdog site for consumers, has recently reported that five foods, commonly considered “good for you” are not so healthy after all.
The list of “not so great” foods starts with granola---which sounds healthy to the average person, but is often loaded with sugar and calories, especially if you eat more than a ½ cup! Next on the list are smoothies—which can top over 1000 calories per serving. Though healthy ingredients are often in the mix, the syrupy or sugary liquids added to the fresh or frozen fruit will pack on unwanted calories. Not surprising on the list are energy bars that boast of protein but often include calories loaded with a sugar base that glue them together! The fourth culprit on the list was vegetable juice because of the high sodium content it included per serving. And the final food that consumers think are better for you than unhealthy snacks were pita chips—which have almost as much fat as potato chips.
If you have been attempting to eat healthy for any length of time, this list won’t surprise you. But if you have been a trusting, casual consumer who relies only on the manufacturer’s marketing mottos, such as “natural” or “healthy” or “fresh,” you might be getting more sugar, salt, and calories than are healthy for you and your family.
One little change that you can immediately make that is guaranteed to have a big result in improving your health is to read the labels on packaged food that you purchase or review the contents of food served at your favorite restaurants before ordering. (Most fast food or chain restaurants are posting the ingredients and calories on their menus—or they will give this information upon request, including Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.)
What should you look for? Sodium content, calories per serving (noting how many servings are in bag, cup, bar or portion), sugar and fat grams, and how many foods include processed ingredients or chemicals.
Of course, if need to swap the five “not so healthy” foods for healthier ones, try making your own 100-calorie handfuls of raisins and seeds, or snacking on plain yogurt with berries, drinking water spritzed with lemon and ginger and cucumbers, or stocking up on low sodium soups or vegetable juices and dark chocolate covered almonds.
Summer is a perfect time to make these little changes -- reading labels and asking for a list of ingredients to whatever you eat! It will change your life!
Be encouraged,
Becky
The list of “not so great” foods starts with granola---which sounds healthy to the average person, but is often loaded with sugar and calories, especially if you eat more than a ½ cup! Next on the list are smoothies—which can top over 1000 calories per serving. Though healthy ingredients are often in the mix, the syrupy or sugary liquids added to the fresh or frozen fruit will pack on unwanted calories. Not surprising on the list are energy bars that boast of protein but often include calories loaded with a sugar base that glue them together! The fourth culprit on the list was vegetable juice because of the high sodium content it included per serving. And the final food that consumers think are better for you than unhealthy snacks were pita chips—which have almost as much fat as potato chips.
If you have been attempting to eat healthy for any length of time, this list won’t surprise you. But if you have been a trusting, casual consumer who relies only on the manufacturer’s marketing mottos, such as “natural” or “healthy” or “fresh,” you might be getting more sugar, salt, and calories than are healthy for you and your family.
One little change that you can immediately make that is guaranteed to have a big result in improving your health is to read the labels on packaged food that you purchase or review the contents of food served at your favorite restaurants before ordering. (Most fast food or chain restaurants are posting the ingredients and calories on their menus—or they will give this information upon request, including Chick-fil-A, Panera Bread, California Pizza Kitchen, etc.)
What should you look for? Sodium content, calories per serving (noting how many servings are in bag, cup, bar or portion), sugar and fat grams, and how many foods include processed ingredients or chemicals.
Of course, if need to swap the five “not so healthy” foods for healthier ones, try making your own 100-calorie handfuls of raisins and seeds, or snacking on plain yogurt with berries, drinking water spritzed with lemon and ginger and cucumbers, or stocking up on low sodium soups or vegetable juices and dark chocolate covered almonds.
Summer is a perfect time to make these little changes -- reading labels and asking for a list of ingredients to whatever you eat! It will change your life!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Change Made Easier
On a long plane ride recently, I sat next to a sales manager who suggested that I read a newly released business book by brothers Dan and Chip Heath, SWITCH: HOW TO CHANGE THINGS WHEN CHANGE IS HARD. After a fascinating discussion about the book's contents, I came home and immediately ordered my own copy. Within a few short days, I had no fewer than 50 colored tags flagging the many pages of intriguing stories and great ideas on how to get your (resistant) self to change!
As you might imagine, the Heath brothers’ book was an exciting page-turner for me primarily because its premise is wonderfully in sync with the Little Changes Big Results™ column and brand which is committed to the principle that big change is VERY POSSIBLE if you tackle it in small steps or short spurts of timed tasks. Chip and Dan's research, covering a wide range of genres, proved over and over that when people do very specific things—rather than espouse general or vague concepts—they have a much greater chance of “popping out” of their paralysis and gain or regain powerful momentum toward achieving a goal or solving a problem.
Rather than simply give you a highly favorable book review of SWITCH, which I would be happy to do (though it might spoil the experience of reading the entire book), I would prefer to ask you a few simple questions that have the potential to inspire change in your life where you most need it but can’t seem to make it happen.
Let’s start with physical fitness. Growing numbers of Americans are encountering serious illnesses due to lack of exercise and poor eating habits. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and strokes are impacting people at earlier ages because of the way food is both processed and portioned.
ASK: Question One: If you made one little change in your intake of food and beverages that could improve your over health, what would it be? (A few ideas include: reduce or eliminate soda pop, eliminate processed white sugar or flour from your daily intake of calories, return to a weekly weigh-in at Weigh-Watchers, attend a recovery meeting for sobriety, or ___________________________.)
ACT: Identify one little change you will make and do it for just one week.
Next, look at your relationships. Perhaps you tend to be a little self-centered or over-committed and neglect or ignore the people close to you?
ASK: Question Two: If you could do something to improve your relationship with a family member, friend, or coworker, what would it be? (Examples include: answering your emails or phone calls within 24 hours, saying “please” or “thank you” to show appreciation every time they are helpful, asking them if there is one little thing you can do for them this week that is unexpected, or _______________________________________.
ACT: Identify one little change you will make in the way you communicate with one specific person and do it for just one week.
Then, consider a goal that is unfinished or dream that is unfulfilled. We all have them and we all get “stopped in our tracks” when we consider the amount of time it might take to accomplish them. But let’s make the change smaller this week.
ASK: Question Three: If you have an unfulfilled goal or dream, what is one little change you can make that will get you one step closer to achieving it? (Perhaps you can register for a summer school class to continue your education, start saving $3 a day in a piggy bank instead of buying a coffee for a gift you want to buy someone you love, research community organizations that need volunteer help once a month feeding the hungry and homeless, or _______________________________.
ACT: Identify one little change you will make by the end of this week that will move you toward your goal or dream?
Finally, in my own book, Keep the Change I repeatedly remind people that change is made easier when we don't try to change alone: Change begins with awareness, is empowered by admission, is achieved with a daily, written action plan, and is sustained with accountability.
ASK: Question Four: Who could encourage you to make positive changes in your life (as opposed to negative changes—those people are out there too)? _______________________________.
ACT: Call them this week and go over the above questions. Ask him or her if they would be willing to keep you accountable to the little changes you have determined to make and/or ask how or if you can help them change!
I’d love your feedback!
Be encouraged,
Becky
As you might imagine, the Heath brothers’ book was an exciting page-turner for me primarily because its premise is wonderfully in sync with the Little Changes Big Results™ column and brand which is committed to the principle that big change is VERY POSSIBLE if you tackle it in small steps or short spurts of timed tasks. Chip and Dan's research, covering a wide range of genres, proved over and over that when people do very specific things—rather than espouse general or vague concepts—they have a much greater chance of “popping out” of their paralysis and gain or regain powerful momentum toward achieving a goal or solving a problem.
Rather than simply give you a highly favorable book review of SWITCH, which I would be happy to do (though it might spoil the experience of reading the entire book), I would prefer to ask you a few simple questions that have the potential to inspire change in your life where you most need it but can’t seem to make it happen.
Let’s start with physical fitness. Growing numbers of Americans are encountering serious illnesses due to lack of exercise and poor eating habits. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and strokes are impacting people at earlier ages because of the way food is both processed and portioned.
ASK: Question One: If you made one little change in your intake of food and beverages that could improve your over health, what would it be? (A few ideas include: reduce or eliminate soda pop, eliminate processed white sugar or flour from your daily intake of calories, return to a weekly weigh-in at Weigh-Watchers, attend a recovery meeting for sobriety, or ___________________________.)
ACT: Identify one little change you will make and do it for just one week.
Next, look at your relationships. Perhaps you tend to be a little self-centered or over-committed and neglect or ignore the people close to you?
ASK: Question Two: If you could do something to improve your relationship with a family member, friend, or coworker, what would it be? (Examples include: answering your emails or phone calls within 24 hours, saying “please” or “thank you” to show appreciation every time they are helpful, asking them if there is one little thing you can do for them this week that is unexpected, or _______________________________________.
ACT: Identify one little change you will make in the way you communicate with one specific person and do it for just one week.
Then, consider a goal that is unfinished or dream that is unfulfilled. We all have them and we all get “stopped in our tracks” when we consider the amount of time it might take to accomplish them. But let’s make the change smaller this week.
ASK: Question Three: If you have an unfulfilled goal or dream, what is one little change you can make that will get you one step closer to achieving it? (Perhaps you can register for a summer school class to continue your education, start saving $3 a day in a piggy bank instead of buying a coffee for a gift you want to buy someone you love, research community organizations that need volunteer help once a month feeding the hungry and homeless, or _______________________________.
ACT: Identify one little change you will make by the end of this week that will move you toward your goal or dream?
Finally, in my own book, Keep the Change I repeatedly remind people that change is made easier when we don't try to change alone: Change begins with awareness, is empowered by admission, is achieved with a daily, written action plan, and is sustained with accountability.
ASK: Question Four: Who could encourage you to make positive changes in your life (as opposed to negative changes—those people are out there too)? _______________________________.
ACT: Call them this week and go over the above questions. Ask him or her if they would be willing to keep you accountable to the little changes you have determined to make and/or ask how or if you can help them change!
I’d love your feedback!
Be encouraged,
Becky
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Red Flags of Abuse on College Campuses
Before I realized that today's blog would post on Mother’s Day, I had already planned to discuss the recent tragedy of a female college athlete who died after a violent encounter with her ex-boyfriend, an outstanding student athlete on the same campus of University of Virginia. (For the recent reported details of women’s lacrosse player Yeardley Love’s death and the arrest of fellow U of VA lacrosse player George Huguely, click here.)
But instead of changing my plans, due to the sadness of the story on such a happy day, I felt convicted that the prevalence of sexual and domestic violence on college campuses is incredibly important to discuss no matter what day of the year. In fact, whether you are a parent, student, friend, coach, relative or neighbor of a high school or college student, there are specific things you should know about abuse.
For example, in the case of Love and Huguely, it was not the first time these two students had been in trouble—other students had witnessed signs of abuse...
The Washington Post reported:
“Eight of the 41 players on the roster of the University of Virginia men's lacrosse team, including accused murderer George Huguely, have been charged with alcohol-related offenses during their careers at the school, according to court records.
The fatal altercation between Huguely and Love early Monday in her Charlottesville apartment may not have been their first violent encounter. Two months before Love's death, two current and one former University of North Carolina lacrosse players intervened to separate Huguely from Love at a party on the U-Va. campus in Charlottesville, according to two sources with knowledge of the incident. The UNC players were in Charlottesville visiting with friends.”
There is no doubt that this recent tragedy has deeply impacted the families, the athletes and the campus at University of Virginia. But it wasn’t as if they were unaware of the growing problem of sexual and domestic violence on college campuses.
In a recent article, Christine Brennan of USAToday reported, “Two weeks ago, Claire Kaplan, Director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services at the University of Virginia Women's Center, organized a two and half-hour session for a small group of the school's athletic department staff on a topic that has been vitally important to her for years: the creation of a support network to help student-athletes deal with gender-based violence.”
It wasn't enough.
Based on this story, alcohol-related sexual and domestic violence requires more attention of all concerned parents, adults and friends of college students. Why? Because we might be able to save someone’s life. How? By taking the next few minutes to become more knowledgeable of the “signs” of domestic/sexual abuse and research how to help friends who might be in an these types of relationships.
For example, did you know that of the young women on campuses who have been raped and sexually assaulted:
* 9 of 10 offenders were known to the victim (boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, acquaintance or co-worker).
* College professors were not identified as committing any rapes or sexual coercions, however they were cited as the offender in a low number of cases involving unwanted sexual contact.
* 60% of completed rapes occurring on campus took place in the victim’s residence. 31% occurred in other living quarters on a campus and 10.3% took place in a fraternity. Off-campus victimizations also were more likely to occur in residences. Some respondents also reported that incidences took place in bars, dance clubs, and work settings.
In fact, here is one little change that you and I can make that can have a big result in someone else's life: become familiar with the suggested steps that will help a friend who is being abused.
Say Something—tell your friend what you are afraid of and what you see.
Become Informed – call a Hotline in your state or on your campus if you need help.
Guide your friend to professional help.
Help your friend get a plan for safety.
For more information that is extremely helpful, visit Red Flag Campaign.org:
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
But instead of changing my plans, due to the sadness of the story on such a happy day, I felt convicted that the prevalence of sexual and domestic violence on college campuses is incredibly important to discuss no matter what day of the year. In fact, whether you are a parent, student, friend, coach, relative or neighbor of a high school or college student, there are specific things you should know about abuse.
For example, in the case of Love and Huguely, it was not the first time these two students had been in trouble—other students had witnessed signs of abuse...
The Washington Post reported:
“Eight of the 41 players on the roster of the University of Virginia men's lacrosse team, including accused murderer George Huguely, have been charged with alcohol-related offenses during their careers at the school, according to court records.
The fatal altercation between Huguely and Love early Monday in her Charlottesville apartment may not have been their first violent encounter. Two months before Love's death, two current and one former University of North Carolina lacrosse players intervened to separate Huguely from Love at a party on the U-Va. campus in Charlottesville, according to two sources with knowledge of the incident. The UNC players were in Charlottesville visiting with friends.”
There is no doubt that this recent tragedy has deeply impacted the families, the athletes and the campus at University of Virginia. But it wasn’t as if they were unaware of the growing problem of sexual and domestic violence on college campuses.
In a recent article, Christine Brennan of USAToday reported, “Two weeks ago, Claire Kaplan, Director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services at the University of Virginia Women's Center, organized a two and half-hour session for a small group of the school's athletic department staff on a topic that has been vitally important to her for years: the creation of a support network to help student-athletes deal with gender-based violence.”
It wasn't enough.
Based on this story, alcohol-related sexual and domestic violence requires more attention of all concerned parents, adults and friends of college students. Why? Because we might be able to save someone’s life. How? By taking the next few minutes to become more knowledgeable of the “signs” of domestic/sexual abuse and research how to help friends who might be in an these types of relationships.
For example, did you know that of the young women on campuses who have been raped and sexually assaulted:
* 9 of 10 offenders were known to the victim (boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, acquaintance or co-worker).
* College professors were not identified as committing any rapes or sexual coercions, however they were cited as the offender in a low number of cases involving unwanted sexual contact.
* 60% of completed rapes occurring on campus took place in the victim’s residence. 31% occurred in other living quarters on a campus and 10.3% took place in a fraternity. Off-campus victimizations also were more likely to occur in residences. Some respondents also reported that incidences took place in bars, dance clubs, and work settings.
In fact, here is one little change that you and I can make that can have a big result in someone else's life: become familiar with the suggested steps that will help a friend who is being abused.
Say Something—tell your friend what you are afraid of and what you see.
Become Informed – call a Hotline in your state or on your campus if you need help.
Guide your friend to professional help.
Help your friend get a plan for safety.
For more information that is extremely helpful, visit Red Flag Campaign.org:
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Moms Who Drink Too Much
This week, 20/20’s Elizabeth Vargas took an in-depth look at “Moms Who Drink Too Much,” citing the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse’s statistic that one third of the alcoholics in this country are women. If you find that number to be surprising, click here for clips from the ABC’s 20/20 report and other links/info regarding women and alcohol.
Most importantly, the show brought awareness to a growing trend—moms, not just teens or adult men, are suddenly confessing to drinking problems. Ironically, one of the key stories was about an author who touted mommy-drinking as social and fun:
"To fans and readers, Los Angeles-based comedian and author Stefanie Wilder-Taylor was a breath of fresh air. Her laugh-out loud books, "Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay," and "Naptime Is the New Happy Hour," and her blog, "Babyonbored," seemed to champion a little liquid courage to help moms through their day." But one morning, Wilder-Taylor, found herself in an emergency ward with a severe hangover.
She is not alone. At alarming new rates, moms are being cited for driving carpool while intoxicated, hiding wine in their coffee mugs in the morning, and entering 30-day treatment centers for addiction to alcohol. The article cited the following contributing factors in mom's lives as reasons for their turn to alcohol: "Regrets and expectations often push women deeper into their addictions, experts say, and the double-standard and stigma associated with alcoholism often keep a woman's disease under wraps."
As detailed in my book, Keep The Change, I describe the way out of any addiction or recurring problem in four steps. The first step in change is awareness. Sometimes it takes intervention from friends or family and sometimes it takes hitting bottom. But it is a fact: denial will never elicit change; it will only delay it.
The second step is where the power to change is released and it occurs the moment we admit to ourselves and others that we have a problem. Change is free to happen when we admit that we can’t change on our own—that we need the help of God and others. Once we stop hiding, we can start healing!
The third step in change is to submit to a day-to-day action plan (whether it requires in-or-out patient recovery, daily meetings at AA or other sobriety groups, and the scrutiny of a support team). The most effective way to achieve change is with a specific, detailed plan--not by embracing a vague, haphazard or general concept.
And the fourth and final step in changing your life is with accountability. Accountability is the best (and most fulfilling) way to achieve life-long sobriety. (I know, I’ve lived with my sponsor for 32 years and I have 32 years of sobriety to prove it!)
If today’s blog strikes a chord in your life—perhaps you, a friend, or a family member might have a drinking problem—I’d like to suggest that you make a few little changes that can have big results.
First, click here to take a short alcohol quiz developed by experts. If you answer “yes” to four or more questions, then you’ve taken the first step toward change: awareness. Second, consider getting help for yourself or someone you love—it begins with a conversation that can actually save a life. Next, check out AA online. It won't hurt you to do this! Then be willing to go to a recovery meeting with someone who needs support (Believe me when I say that it is very difficult to go to a recovery meeting alone--going with someone is a gift you can give them). Finally, get educated on the issue of alcoholism—visit websites such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse for both research and recovery information for adults and students.
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
Most importantly, the show brought awareness to a growing trend—moms, not just teens or adult men, are suddenly confessing to drinking problems. Ironically, one of the key stories was about an author who touted mommy-drinking as social and fun:
"To fans and readers, Los Angeles-based comedian and author Stefanie Wilder-Taylor was a breath of fresh air. Her laugh-out loud books, "Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay," and "Naptime Is the New Happy Hour," and her blog, "Babyonbored," seemed to champion a little liquid courage to help moms through their day." But one morning, Wilder-Taylor, found herself in an emergency ward with a severe hangover.
She is not alone. At alarming new rates, moms are being cited for driving carpool while intoxicated, hiding wine in their coffee mugs in the morning, and entering 30-day treatment centers for addiction to alcohol. The article cited the following contributing factors in mom's lives as reasons for their turn to alcohol: "Regrets and expectations often push women deeper into their addictions, experts say, and the double-standard and stigma associated with alcoholism often keep a woman's disease under wraps."
As detailed in my book, Keep The Change, I describe the way out of any addiction or recurring problem in four steps. The first step in change is awareness. Sometimes it takes intervention from friends or family and sometimes it takes hitting bottom. But it is a fact: denial will never elicit change; it will only delay it.
The second step is where the power to change is released and it occurs the moment we admit to ourselves and others that we have a problem. Change is free to happen when we admit that we can’t change on our own—that we need the help of God and others. Once we stop hiding, we can start healing!
The third step in change is to submit to a day-to-day action plan (whether it requires in-or-out patient recovery, daily meetings at AA or other sobriety groups, and the scrutiny of a support team). The most effective way to achieve change is with a specific, detailed plan--not by embracing a vague, haphazard or general concept.
And the fourth and final step in changing your life is with accountability. Accountability is the best (and most fulfilling) way to achieve life-long sobriety. (I know, I’ve lived with my sponsor for 32 years and I have 32 years of sobriety to prove it!)
If today’s blog strikes a chord in your life—perhaps you, a friend, or a family member might have a drinking problem—I’d like to suggest that you make a few little changes that can have big results.
First, click here to take a short alcohol quiz developed by experts. If you answer “yes” to four or more questions, then you’ve taken the first step toward change: awareness. Second, consider getting help for yourself or someone you love—it begins with a conversation that can actually save a life. Next, check out AA online. It won't hurt you to do this! Then be willing to go to a recovery meeting with someone who needs support (Believe me when I say that it is very difficult to go to a recovery meeting alone--going with someone is a gift you can give them). Finally, get educated on the issue of alcoholism—visit websites such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse for both research and recovery information for adults and students.
Be encouraged to make a difference,
Becky
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