New Year's Resolutions- a WEIGHTy Issue

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012, the year that holds the potential to be your HEALTHIEST yet! Virtually every list of top 10 New Year's Resolutions leads off with the battle of the bulge- whether it is "lose weight", "get fit", "eat healthy", "join weight watchers", "join a gym" or some other variation. With the vast majority of Americans falling into the "OVERWEIGHT" or "OBESE" categories, these resolutions certainly make sense. Unfortunately, many of us fight the SAME 10, 20, or even 30-plus pounds over and over again. We get motivated, make healthy changes, lose weight...and then gain it back. Ugh. What might we do differently this year?
Here is some food for thought...

1. Figure out the WHY of your eating behaviors, and learn to eat MINDFULLY. Dr. Michelle May's book "Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat" is a FABULOUS start- buy it today. Her focus is how to break the "eat, repent, repeat cycle". AMEN.

2. Speaking of buying- let's put our money where our mouth is- literally! I have heard over and over again that it's too expensive to meet with a dietician, join a gym, or eat fresh fruits & vegetables, or take up a new sport, yet these same people are spending far more discretionary money on their daily Starbucks, hair highlights or a round of golf. Seriously, we need to prioritize our health and be willing to pay for it!

3. Commit to ONE small permanent change each month. Experts say it takes 21 days to cement a new habit, so why not make 2012 the year to develop 12 new healthy habits? Start with something simple, like making sure you eat breakfast every day OR (assuming this was not part of your routine already.) In this case, it can be a granola bar or a cup of yogurt. Remember to keep it simple. If you try to make a change from no breakfast to cooking a veggie omelette and drinking freshly squeezed grapefruit juice- well, I'm not optimistic it will stick!

Whatever you choose, find a way to make yourself accountable. Make a deal with a friend, tell your co-workers, announce it to your family (if you have teens, they will HAPPILY hold you accountable), or simply record it on your smart phone, computer or an old fashioned piece of paper.

BOTTOM LINE: Make 2012 the year you make your New Year's Resolutions last beyond Janaury, and choose GOOD HEALTH!

Working Parents, Thriving Families- Possible? YES!

Time is flying faster and faster these days...If you have kids, you realize that the month of May is fast becoming as booked as December. Band recitals, track meets, sport tournaments, dance shows and all conceivable types of end of year banquets merge together with semester and year-end finals, packing overflowing stressors onto already busy families. If you feel like your family is crammed together on a giant version of a hamster wheel, running frantically and getting no where, then I've got the first book for your summer reading list: David Palmiter's Working Parents, Thriving Families: 10 Strategies that Make a Difference.

The best part of this "edutaining" family self-help book is that it is literally laugh-out-loud funny, so it is not a chore to read. Face it, the last thing an overextended parent needs is a dry psychology text- unless, of course, you suffer from insomnia. David brings to life common, potentially emotionally hazardous situations, and then OFFERS PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS. From coaches manipulating unequal playing time on team sports, to kids requesting violent video games, to challenges of single/divorced parent dynamics, this book offers concrete, proven effective strategies that you can add to your emotional toolbox.

Who should read Working Parents, Thriving Families? Every busy parent who has a robust sense of humor! If you are looking for a serious book on academic parenting theories, this is not it. If you are looking for a book that can seriously help you learn (or even simply better prioritize) positive family interactions and parenting skills, then grab your NOOK or Kindle and order it now, or grab a hard copy at amazon or your favorite local bookstore. Whether you're having one of those exhausting "what IS my kid THINKING?" weeks, or simply enjoy learning new nurturing skills, I think you'll enjoy and benefit from reading Working Parents, Thriving Families.

BOTTOM LINE: Crazy-busy lives with over-extended parents AND kids have become the norm. Stop racing and create some "special time" with your kids today.

PS. It's MAY- a new month- CHANGE THOSE AIR FILTERS (especially here in Austin, the Oak was out of control!)

Still Alice- a MUST READ

My mother passed away five and a half years ago after a twelve year struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Now, my father has dementia from Parkinson's disease (which for all intents and purposes looks Alzheimer's). Dementia- which means progressive memory loss- is tough on everyone. There is no "noble battle" aura like we have when people fight cancer. Friends often disappear, rather than increasing their presence. No one knows what to say. To quote my mom in a lucid moment, "It's not exactly FUN losing your mind!" Instead, our loved ones slowly, steadily slip away. It is absolutely heart-breaking.
Still Alice is a must-read for everyone, because if you don't yet have a friend or loved one suffering from Alzheimer's, odds are good that you will. Still Alice tells the story of Alzheimer's from the point of view of a young 50 year old Harvard neuropsychologist as she is diagnosed with and rapidly declines from early onset Alzheimer's. Although this is a fictional account, it is very accurate and insightful.
BOTTOM LINE: Pick up a copy of Still Alice today, read it, and pass it on.

Break the "Eat, Repent, Repeat" Cycle!

Tired of that eat, repent, repeat cycle? Dr. Michelle May's new book, Eat what you love, Love what you eat! is your ticket out. BUY THIS BOOK when you are really ready for change. This book is not a new diet to follow, and is not a quick read- but it is worth every minute you invest. Dr. May, a fellow family physician, has done an amazing job of helping readers be able to figure out the WHY behind their weight issues. She is a recovered yo=yo dieter herself, so she clearly understands the complexities of weight management.
I began recommending her book fresh off the presses, and I already have several success stories to share! The best news to me, however, is that my patients have universally agreed that this is the first book where the author "got inside (my) head". Dr. May teaches you to really "eat mindfully", enjoying and savoring flavors, smells, and the company at meals, rather than mindlessly tossing back food on the run.
BOTTOM LINE: If you have struggled with being overweight, buy and read Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat and figure out how to "eat mindfully and live vibrantly"!