What does it look like when things are DIALED IN?

When things are considered to be “dialed in” your life flows well, you feel good and are proud of your daily habits. This means work, family, and all of your other personal commitments are made a priority and are well-organized. You may be wondering how this impacts your self-care, in particular, things like consistent healthy eating and exercise? 

When things are dialed in, you may find it effortless to get to the gym regularly, grocery shop for healthy foods, do some meal prep, and eat those healthy foods on a consistent basis. 

That DIALED IN feeling is AWESOME. 

If you are feeling DIALED IN, make a list of what that looks like for you. 

We often worry about life stressors and the impact this has on their health. If you are feeling DIALED IN, it's time to explore ways to maintain that level of wellness. 

Challenge yourself to take a minute to explore what it looks like when your dial is turned down. Very much the opposite to that DIALED IN feeling, when you're stressed you may isolate yourself, find yourself wanting to avoid gatherings, wear baggier clothes, eat unhealthier foods or beverages, and it takes much more effort to participate in healthy activities that once felt effortless. 

Challenge yourself to look at some of these DIALED IN vs NOT SO DIALED IN patterns for yourself. What have DIALED IN patterns looked like for you, what worked, and what didn’t work to help you stay engaged in your health and wellness goals? 

Here’s an example of a
DIALED IN vs NOT SO DIALED IN
list

Remember that your brain loves patterns, routine and comfort. It is easy to resort to behaviors that feel comforting and familiar when we get stressed. It’s easy to resort to things on your NOT SO DIALED IN list when stress hits. Each time you try a new behavior, you are working on changing your brain. 
The challenge lies in recognizing our patterns, and then challenging our ability to participate in behaviors that help us become more DIALED IN, choosing things on that DIALED IN list, even when we are lacking motivation to do so. Practicing new behaviors - the opposite action to emotion- helps to create new healthy patterns and routines and can increase our likelihood of having a happier and healthier end of 2020. 

The next time you feel like your dial is starting to turn down and you are resorting to items found on your NOT SO DIALED IN list, pull out your DIALED IN list and challenge yourself to participate in just one of those behaviors. Treat yourself well, even when you don’t feel like it. 

There is a great sense of accomplishment when you sit back and realize that you were tough enough to not fall back on old patterns that derail your health and wellness goals. By changing the way you think and react to stress, you may find that you are less stressed and happier.

If you need some help TURNING THE DIAL the time is now to book your free appointment with a coach using this link:

Studies have found that most people’s nutrition is significantly different over the weekends versus their week days. One study found that 19-50 year olds consumed, on average, 115 kcals more each weekend day. In a given year, that adds up to 17,940 additional calories or about 5#. 

With sunny days, free hours to get together with friends and families, weddings and birthday, and all other social activities upon us, we can find ways to enjoy our time mindfully! 

Lets talk about navigating your nights out, specifically looking at 4 settings you may find yourself in. 

Scenario #1- Sit Down Restaurant 
SKIP THE EXTRAS: Appetizers can easily contain up to 800+ calories! That is more than an entire meal! An easy way to stay mindful of caloric intake is to opt out of ordering apps! 

STICK WITH WATER: Sugar sweetened beverages (including artificially sweetened drinks) increase risk of weight gain, diabetes, gout, tooth decay, and more. Choosing water is a great way to limit sugar intake at meals and will help to suppress hunger, allowing you to stay mindful.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: Stick to the plate method and use your hands as an easy portion guide. Don’t shy away from asking for a box to hide the extra food! 

Scenario #2- Fast Food
GET PROTEIN: Think about your lean sources of protein such as prawn, chicken, and fish. Find items that highlight those ingredients. 

GRILLED OVER FRIED: Choosing grilled options is an easy way to minimize calories as well as fat. 

CHOOSE BETTER SIDES: Over the years, fast food places have made an effort to offer additional sides that highlight a lighter caloric intake. These sides include fruits, yogurts, veggies, and salads. If you stick with traditional sides like fries, order a kids size! 

Scenario #3- Mamak
CHOOSE THE BEST OPTION, NOT THE FIRST: Before you decide on a mamak option, be sure to check out all the options and choose one with easy staples that focus on protein, vegetables, and mindful portions sizes.

EAT WITH A FORK: Eating with a fork allows you to fill up on the nutrient packed filling rather than the carb loaded vehicle. An observation found that simply choosing a fork cut out close to 300 calories and 33 grams of carbohydrates. 

EAT AWAY FROM THE STALL: The most important thing you can do to assure you are following your natural patterns of hunger and fullness is to T U N E  into them. Removing yourself from distractions will allow you to be more mindful leading to proper portion sizes.

Scenario #4- Parties
START THE DAY RIGHT: We know that when it comes to these types of events, we often have less control over our food options. Focusing our breakfast and lunch to aim for lean protein and vegetables with less fat is always a great way to stay balanced and leave a little extra wiggle room to enjoy the night. 

MAKE A PLATE: Not making a plate and picking off the appetizer or dessert table can lead to mindless overconsumption. Simply put, when the food is within reach, you are more likely to consume it. 

RETHINK YOUR DRINK: We want to stick with simple drinks that are not loaded with sugar and remember to keep a 1 to 1 ratio with water. This will slow down the alcohol consumption while minimizing its dehydration effects on the body! Clear liquors, light beer, red wine and cocktails with soda water are great options. 

Now, enjoy your weekend!