Outside the Box New Year’s Resolutions for 2013

The New Year is a time for new beginnings and to set goals that strengthen you and make your life better. When making New Year’s Resolutions, the YMCA of Greater Louisville wants to remind families that resolutions should also include family time.

Here are some simple things families can do at home to improve their health while spending more time together. The following are 5 New Year’s Resolutions the Y recommends for 2013:

1. Eat Together. Sitting down together for a meal is a great way for parents and kids to share stories, talk about the school day or share their favorite part of the day. Set aside time for your family to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner at least once a week to catch up.
2. Volunteer Together. Giving back and supporting neighbors benefits everyone. It teaches children and teens to the value of helping others while meeting new people or discovering new interests. Find an opportunity in your community that the entire family may enjoy, such as distributing food at a local food bank or cleaning your neighborhood park.
3. Unplug from Technology. Limit screen time (TV, video games, computer, etc.) and instead set aside an hour to play games, go for a family walk, take a bike ride, or a trip to the park. Make some family memories outdoors!
4. Be Physically Active. It’s important for kids to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. And children aren’t the only ones who need activity – 30 minutes a day for adults too. Go swimming during Family Swim at your neighborhood Y or take a family exercise class.
5. Put Extras to Good Use. Do you have extra clothes or canned goods that could benefit others in need? Clean out your pantry, closet or attic and donate extra items to homeless shelters or community outreach programs. You can get the entire family involved and demonstrate the value of giving.

What are some of your New Year’s Resolutions?

Sandy’s Weight Loss Journey with the Y

Sandy Campbell has been a member and participant in the YMCA Weight Loss Program at the Oldham County Family YMCA since January, 2012. She has seen great success through this program, and has graciously shared her views on the program, her success, and her overall attitude with us.

Sandy, how has your life changed since beginning the YMCA Weight Loss Program?

I’ve been on every diet in the world and I was mislead on how to lose weight. The difference that I have seen since January in my life is night and day. I have figured out what hungry means and my body is now in charge of telling me what I need.

When losing weight in the past, what led to gaining the weight back?

Once I had reached my goal, I thought I was done. I went back to eating more, back to the TV, and back to eating while watching TV. I didn’t really think or know much about maintenance.

What is one of the main health improvements you have seen?

I was actually told by my physician at one point that I was a Type 2 Diabetic, but my last fasting glucose was 78 and my Hemoglobin A1C  was 5.1%.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

I always have a goal in mind. My next goal is to eliminate artificial sweeteners. Also, I am not a water lover, so I am still working on that. I will never give up my creamer, though.

What part of this program makes it work for you?

I have learned to set goals that I can reach. This program’s focus on goal setting and counting fat grams is great. I was taught about the macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. I have now found the perfect formula for me!

What would you tell someone who was thinking about joining the YMCA Weight Loss Program?

If you want back your youth, you’ve got to get yourself back. The person inside has a lot of self worth, you have to get back that self worth to compete in this world. You’ve got to want it. You’ve got to want it bad.

Any last words of wisdom?

My lifestyle has changed and I will never go back. I am throwing out my fat clothes. I stopped listening to what I wanted and started listening to what I needed.

Choices by Tom Whortan

It is happening again, I look up and realize that I do not like some of the choices I am making. I know, the bad choices are so much easier, grab fast food instead of cooking something healthier, plop in front of the TV instead of interacting with the family or walking the dog, watching 15 minutes more TV instead of reading to your child at bedtime.  Choices, we have so many of them every day and honestly I am not sure we ever really think about how important the little ones are over time. How many people would agree with the statement “I would love two weeks every year to spend with my kids or spouse” imagine what we could accomplish in those two weeks, how valued they would feel. Well 15 minutes every day adds up to two weeks every year.  I can find that two weeks, can you?

Most of us have seen the Cola commercial where the guy asks “and?” after each thing that happens in his life and something even cooler happens. But that commercial misses the most important “and” question he (and we) should be asking. The one we ask of ourselves, “and what can I do for him/her/them?” Instead of waiting for the next cool thing, why not be the next cool thing? It really is just about choices, choosing our attitude, actions and behaviors.

We all get the big choices and how important they are. Getting married, having kids, accepting a job, joining a church, we can list them and we all get that they matter to us, our families and those close to us. But those little choices we face every day, do we really pay attention to what they do, how much they add up to mean. If it is true that “we are what we repeatedly do” then those daily choices become our habits, they make us who we are.  Here are some questions about those little choices:

• Did you tell your spouse (significant other, etc….) how much they mean to you before you left this morning?
• When was the last time you hugged your kid this week, just because?
• Have you thanked someone for doing something they should have/would have done anyway, just because it will make them feel appreciated?
• Did you let someone in the traffic line even if you were in a hurry?
• Called your Mom lately? (Not just for Mother’s Day)
• Got a best friend?  Told them they are important recently?
• When was the last time you did something to benefit someone who could not help you in any way?
• How did you treat that person at work today, you know the one that really does not fit in, ignore, ostracize or were you pleasant?
• Do you smile at the cashier and say thank you for ringing up your purchase?

Ok, you get the idea. Choices we all make them, every day. Sometimes I even make the right one, how about you?

Y VENDING GETS A FACELIFT!

Let’s face it, the vending machine has historically been a dangerous place for anyone trying to limit their heart attacks to one per lifetime.

“Hmm…should I go with the Snicker’s bar or the Doritos? I mean, it was a pretty tough workout, maybe I should go with something like that Honey Bun.”

But, fear no more! The Y is helping its members choose healthier snacks with less effort!  Not only are we applying a new, easy to read labeling system, but many branches are improving the very options they are providing. By decreasing the amount of total fat and added sugar in our vending machines and increasing the amount of natural energy sources like nuts, you will be provided with the nourishment you need during your daily visits to the Y!

Look for the green, yellow, and red labels coming to your vending machines soon! Stick to the green and yellow items for healthier choices!!!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

…Especially if it’s a beautiful woman with legs as long as the Mississippi River, or a tall, dark, handsome gentleman. I’m thinking Ryan Gosling, y’all. Breaking up means change, and who really likes change? We’re humans and we thrive off repetition, a schedule, a plan. Okay, maybe I’m just talking about myself here, but think of all the things we plan in our lives; our weekends, our meals, our work day, meetings, parties, etc.

One of the hardest breakups is saying goodbye to soda. I imagine the scenario going something like this: “It’s not you, it’s me. Your ingredients are breaking down my bones, your coloring is artificial, and if you were all natural you’d be as green as Shrek. I’m not Princess Fiona here. I need something REAL. I’m not (artificially) sugar coating it (pun intended), it just isn’t working anymore.”

Switching to real life mode, you can’t call that an illegitimate breakup, folks. The United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption. The average per-person consumption of soft drinks is in excess of 270 quarts per year, or about 5 quarts per week (2 cans of soda per day!). Soft drinks have long been known to decrease calcium levels and increase phosphate levels in the blood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low is when calcium is pulled out of the bones, and over time, contribute to brittle or weak bones which are easily broken. This is what we call osteoporosis.

According to the Nutrition Research Center, the following is what happens to your body within one hour of drinking a can of regular soda:

10 minutes in: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system, which is 100% of your recommended daily intake (this is ONE can of soda, people… one can). You’d normally vomit from such high sugar intake, but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.

20 minutes in: blood sugar skyrockets. Your pancreas attempts to maximize insulin production in order to turn high levels of sugar into fat.

40 minutes in: as your body finishes absorbing the caffeine, your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver pumps more sugar into the bloodstream. Adenosine receptors in your brain are blocked by preventing you from feeling how tired you may actually be (hence the so-called “energy boost” you think you get from the soda you’re drinking).

45 minutes in: your body increases dopamine production, causing you to feel pleasure and adding to the addictiveness of the beverage. This physical neuro response works the exact same way it would if you were consuming heroin.

<60 minutes in: the phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine, which boosts your metabolism a bit further. High doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners compound this effect, increasing the urinary excretion of calcium. The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play (which is what causes the “I HAVE to go to the bathroom NOW!” feeling).

>60 minutes in: the sugar crash begins. This is where you begin to get irritable and feel sluggish.

Another soda, anyone?