What's holding us back?

There is a great quote by Anais Nin: "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom".

You see, there is no magic motivation pill to make us eat better, or exercise or de-stress. For most of us, it is exactly what Ms. Nin said; that we are uncomfortable where we are, and to stay there and do nothing is more difficult to our psyche than to work on changing habits which we know will create a sense of empowerment. Having said that, I also know that each of us will stall at some point. Life will get in the way, and it seems so difficult to get back on the path of healthy eating and regular exercise, and not spending as much time on our tablets or in front of the T.V.

Step one in whatever endeavour it is you want to change is to find just one thing that you need to focus on. Sometimes, trying to make a major change and being consistent with it day by day can create stress, and we give up. When it comes to food habits, I like to focus on those unnecessary snacks first. Whether these be when we come home from work, or during the evening, these are dangerous times when we are eating not out of hunger, but simply as we relax away from the demands of work. Ideally, these would be the times where we should go for a walk, or step on a treadmill. Surprisingly, physical activity, even mild, can take away that tendency for mindless eating. One challenge I throw out to people is to take just two days of the week where they won't snack, whether that be at 4 pm or 8 pm. See how hard (actually how easy) it is. Learn not to reach for food when you aren't hungry, even if it's only 2 days per week. Gradually this might translate into 3 or 5 days a week. Similarly with wine. If your habit is 2 glasses per night or even one, try 2 days a week not to have any.

As an aside, I also challenge you to get rid of the word "starving". It's a dramatic word and no one is actually 'starving'. Even the word hunger creates a 'desire' for food. Usually too much. Have you ever been asked "are you hungry?" Our immediate response is "yes". Yet, most of the time I would be willing to challenge you to define your feeling of hunger. Is it growling of stomach? Weakness of limbs or shakiness? Even if you have a mild hunger pang in your stomach area, how painful is that? How much food do you need to settle that little "pang"? The stomach is actually not very large in volume in the resting state---we just tend to like to distend it too much.

If lack of activity is an issue, then don't try and force yourself to go to a gym 5 times per week for an hour. Start with a small goal. Again, maybe twice a week, go for a 10 minute walk when you get home or after dinner. If you have equipment in your house, just get on the treadmill (or bike or elliptical) for 10 minutes. Starting is always the hardest. Once you are done you will feel better having done something other than sit.

Once you have begun to work on one habit then look in another area. Perhaps you are just having cereal in the morning. Cereal is simply sugar---maybe it has a bit of fibre, but for health benefits it offers very little; same with a bagel. Here you might try eggs twice a week, or a low carbohydrate/higher fat and protein yogurt with some berries.

Baby steps. Always baby steps. This goes for all of us. We might do very well for a while, then get off track. Getting back on track seems overwhelming. Remember to start simply. It's an overused expression, but getting back our health and maintaining it is a lifelong marathon. It's not a sprint.

All I ask is that you keep trying. Never give up. I know you can do it.

Dr. Doug