Change something...anything

What is that old saying? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We've all heard this and yet we often continue with the same pattern of eating or exercise, and get frustrated because nothing seems to change for the better.

Change comes when we begin to do different things. Weight loss, improving energy, becoming more fit; all of these things take mental (and emotional) work. If what you are doing right now doesn't seem to be moving you towards your goal, then you must change something.

We all need to move more, not just formal gym activity, actual daily movement. Sitting in our office all day hammering away at the keyboard, or coming home and sitting in front of the T.V., or computer is not healthy. What can you do differently? Assuming your joints can handle it, could you do 10 or 20 squats in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon. This would take no more than a minute to do. Just stand up from your chair and lower your bottom no more than to touch the chair, then come back up. Maybe you could add 10 or 15 upright push-ups. Use your desk or something higher and push off it with body extended a bit, morning and afternoon. Just 30 seconds of exercise! This isn't much, but if done regularly will build muscle strength, and have good mental and physiologic benefits. At noon, could you walk around your building and get some fresh air, or walk up and down 2 flights of stairs? Beyond thinking you must go to the gym to work out, search out simple things you might do throughout the day to interrupt the habit of sitting. I see a few women who, when they are cooking, will do calf raises; simply lifting their heels off the ground 15 or 20 times.

Our eating needs to change if nothing seems to be working. Can you challenge yourself to not eat from supper to lunch twice a week? Even going from supper to breakfast with absolutely no evening snacks would be wonderful. Could you skip a meal? Often we are eating a lot more than we need and get into the habit of eating even when we aren't truly hungry. As I've mentioned to most people, it's worth listening to Dr. Jason Fung on You Tube, or read his blog or buy his book, on Fasting. It is something any of us can do, although if you are on medications that might need adjusting during these periods of fasting (such as insulin), I would need to monitor you carefully.

Sleep is a challenging issue for a lot of us. For some, it's not being able to get to sleep, for others it is waking up and not being able to get back to sleep. Or, worse, we have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which needs referral to a sleep clinic. Look at your evening and see if there are changes you can make. Are you going to bed too late, simply because you are looking at your IPad or smart phone? The light from these devices messes with our pituitary sleep hormone, melatonin. Could you go to bed a bit earlier and promise yourself not to have one of these devices nearby? If you wake at night, rather than ruminating or getting anxious about not falling back to sleep or worrying about work the next day, could you do some deep breathing--meditative - exercises to calm your brain.

Stress is a big component in all of our lives, and the cortisol it produces (along with fatigue), may slow down weight loss and certainly takes away from our energy. Looking at some simple meditative methods might help. Some people spend a lot of time doing this every day, but I find the simpler techniques that last just a few minutes, like slow deep breathing, are very beneficial. Mind you, exercise of any sort, is a stress reliever.

Keep searching for those things you might change or add. We must be our own critics and change chronic longstanding habits that work against us.

Keep on trying and searching. Don't ever give up. You can do it.

Dr. Doug