Weight Watcher

Five Summer Time Tricks To Stay Fit

Don Grier

Summer officially starts tomorrow, June 20, but the heat index has already crept into the 100s in Austin for a few days.   If you want to continue to Change Well with physical activity, we all need a few tricks to stay cool when it is hot.  Here are a few techniques I use to keep active during the doldrums of August. 

1. Sunrise, Sunset.  They say the early bird catches the worm.  But I say the early walker catches the cool breeze. (ok, make that a warm breeze in Texas).  The good news for those working is that the sun rises earlier and sets later in the summer.  That means you don’t need to search for a flashlight to take your walk before or after work.  I always use the early and late sun to walk before or after work (or both).  This way, I catch the morning sunrise or glorious sunset when the temperature is less hot.  You rejuvenate yourself before a busy day or decompress after a stressful one.  Nothing soothes stress better than birdsong carried on a cool morning breeze or seeing the sun touch down over a shimmering pond.   To change up the lyrics a bit from a song from Fiddler on the Roof:

Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Avoid the heat of day,
Cool breezes fade after the morning,
Turning into a stifling haze.

Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Wait until the evening comes,
Take a walk with the moon and birdsong,
That way, you can walk extra-long.

2.  Stay Cool In The Pool. Playing in the pool is one way to exercise and avoid heat exhaustion. But what if you are not Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky?  I am assuredly not a great swimmer.  I did not know how to swim until I was a plebe at West Point and never got out of the rock squad (those who sink like a rock).  I still do not know how I passed with a C- since I nearly drowned during the timed swim.   

You can engage in activities in the pool other than swimming, even if you’re not in the best shape.  The one that helped me when I was first beginning my weight loss journey was water aerobics. Weighing in at 350+, I entered the pool because it was the only thing I could do without my joints protesting.  Once I overcame my initial self-consciousness of being the youngest in the class, I found that water aerobics provided a fantastic workout. The best part was that I didn’t need to be overly coordinated.  It was my first step in reclaiming my fitness, and it’s still a reliable exercise option when the weather gets hot. 

For all the young parents out there, playing with your children in the pool is not just a way to beat the heat but also a fun way to stay in shape.  When my oldest daughter was learning to swim (not from me, the Rock, but from classes), we used to have a blast playing a game called Butterfly.  I would lift her and toss her in the pool, singing, “Butterfly, butterfly, how high can you fly?”.  She would then swim 15 feet back to me and respond upon return, “Over the trees and meadows!”.   We sometimes repeated that for about 20 minutes. This is how she learned how to swim, and I got my weightlifting done. The bottom line is to be creative when staying cool in the pool and enjoying precious moments with your children.

3.  Drink and Know Things. One of my favorite lines from Game of Thrones is when Tyrian says, “I drink, and I know things.”   I even have a T-shirt with that saying. This is good advice for the summer as long as, unlike Tyrian, you drink water instead of wine and know when to stop and stay hydrated.  You may be saying that advice is obvious.  I might agree.  But here is something that is not as obvious.  You can drink a lot of water and not remain hydrated.  Here is what I mean.

I went on a Kennedy Walk (50 miles in one day) during a hot day. I kept stopping at water stations along the way and became waterlogged. However, around mile marker 35, my muscles cramped up terribly, and I became woozy.  Then I realized that I had not been taking enough electrolytes and had sweated out most of the salt in my body.  I stumbled to a nearby store and was crestfallen when they ran out of Gatorade.  Luckily, they had some jars of pickles.  So I ate some pickles and drank pickle juice and got better.  The story’s moral is that staying hydrated means also watching your electrolytes.  So drink electrolytes with your water, or you’ll be in a pickle.  Ok, that was corny even for me!

4.  Buddy Up.  I usually walk alone to listen to the latest David Baldacci book.  But in the summer, I know enough to buddy up when hiking.  First, it will keep you motivated.  But more importantly, you can watch out for one another.

If I have to exercise in the heat, I try to find a friend to come with me.  This advice has saved me on several occasions directly and probably a lot more indirectly.  Here is an example.   I enlisted my youngest daughter to come with me on a walk one early fall day.  Even though the place we were walking in was wooded, we unfortunately got a bit lost.  Plus, the temperature, which was supposed to be in the low eighties, jumped into the nineties (never trust a weather report).  We finally found our way out, but it would have been scary if I had been alone in the woods in the heat. 

5.  Switch it up with indoor activities.  Lastly, summer is an excellent time to switch up with some indoor activities.  My go-to exercise will always be hiking in nature.  However, it is time to try something indoors when it is 110 in the shade.   Summer, for me, is an excellent time to take on a new Peloton exercise series or to catch up with some low-impact on YouTube with Paul Eugene. Also, if I want to go on a walk, I can always catch up with the latest stores at the mall or what is happening at Costco.

These are five ways to beat the Summer heat and keep your fitness progressing.  Other recommendations include wearing sunscreen and head covering outdoors, bringing a wet towel to cool off, or, better yet, taking a cool shower after working out.  Lastly, do not forget about your pets when you take them outside.  The first rule of “Sunrise, Sunset” is essential for a dog’s paws.   So take them out before the sidewalk gets too hot.  Remember these rules so you can continue to change well, even in the summer heat!

Ten Amazing Weight Loss Tips for the Road Warrior

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Some people say losing weight and traveling are diametrically opposed.  I beg to differ!  I lost over 170 lbs. in a year and a half while traveling weekly.  I got on a plane each week at 5 am and left for home on Friday after five.   That year, I lost 3 lbs. or more a week, despite traveling weekly and getting stuck several times over the weekend due to plane delays or twice because of blizzards!  Channeling my inner David Letterman, here are my top ten weight-loss travel tricks!

  • Get a refrigerator when registering!  When registering and later checking in to a hotel, I always ensure I have a fridge.  I can shop for healthy snacks or meals or get some from the breakfast buffet or the concierge lounge spread.  That way, I have a healthy snack if I’m working late. You may already have a refrigerator in an extended-stay hotel like a Residence Inn.  But other business hotels may not have them in the room unless you request them. Get one and get healthy!
  • Check-in with the Concierge Lounge.  While traveling for work, I had access to a concierge lounge back due to my status as a frequent traveler.  I would hit the concierge lounge and load up on vegetables before going to a restaurant for dinner.  I even would skip dinner and eat in the concierge lounge.  The approach still applies even with limited or no travel.  Eat some vegetables or small appetizers at home before ordering or eating out.  Fill up on veggies instead of filling out on steak and burgers!  When you travel often, you usually get access to a concierge lounge.  You can use this access to your advantage if you make the correct choices.  Here is the approach.  For breakfast, fill up on lean protein (hard-boiled eggs, nonfat Greek yogurt, etc.), oatmeal, and fruit.  Also, grab at least two bananas and two apples for your snacks throughout the day.  Lastly, stay hydrated by taking a few bottles of water.  Nine times out of ten, when you are hungry, it is just a substitution for being thirsty!
  • Walk to Work. No Uber for me!  I walk to work unless it is pouring or ten below (sometimes in the Midwest).  I also picked a hotel about a mile away, so you get 2 miles in no matter what.  This at least gets you up and going.  Remember to bring a book on tape (Podcasts and Libby, which, if you are a library member, is free!)  or time your walk with a work call.   It gets you outside, and you barely notice the activity.
  • Coffee Cups are not just for Coffee.  I have a secret weight loss weapon when traveling the road – coffee cups.  This remarkable tool is ubiquitous at hotels.  Here are three simple weight loss hacks related to coffee cups:
    • The first is the obvious one – use it for coffee. Nothing gets the constitution working better than coffee. I drink one cup, and you are ready for the restroom. But stop at one or two, or you will have the opposite result since coffee is a diuretic. Also, if you are walking to the office, you may not make it in time for the restroom!
    • They are the perfect hard-boiled egg container.  Hard-boiled eggs are almost as ubiquitous as coffee cups at the hotel breakfast counter.  They are an ideal source of protein and a great way to satisfy a mid-morning snack or lunch.  A standard coffee cup can hold three large, hard-boiled eggs.  Place a lid on it and label it, and now you have a ready-made free lunch to stick in the office refrigerator!  Coffee cups can also serve as containers for the fresh fruit often set up on the breakfast buffet (don’t forget bananas and apples in your backpack).  You could also use coffee cups for oatmeal.  All three are wholesome snacks or lunch on the run.  You can also save money if not on an expense account.
    • Larger cups for infused water.  I love that many hotels are now providing fruit-infused water at the hotel.  But I do not love the little dinky plastic cups with no lids.  Answer – use coffee cups with lids and get 16 ounces of delicious water (to wipe away the effects of the second coffee).
  • Box it and Bring it To Boots. Portion control is the key to keeping your weight down and your friends happy.  In my case, my friend is a bear/dog named Boots, as shown below. I always think of my buddy Boots when craving a big steak.  I then make a conscious choice.  I eat 5 oz. Instead of 10 oz of a steak, I cut my calories in half and make my dog leap in delight!  This trick also works for a later meal in your trusty fridge but is more fun to give to your dog. Half your plate and make your friend feel great!
  • Eat like a plebe. The faster you eat, the more you repeat (think Buffet).  When I eat out, I return to my training at West Point and eat like a Plebe!  We learned to eat slowly at West Pont by squaring our meals so we would not wolf down food. Here is how you square a meal.  You lift your fork straight, bend your fork at 90 degrees to your mouth, straighten your arm back out, and then bring your fork entirely down.  You do not return your fork until you have thoroughly chewed your food.  On top of this, you needed to take small bites to recite knowledge to senior cadets without your mouth full.  All served to slow how fast we ate and cut down on food intake while practicing good manners.  Over thirty-five years later, I still eat like a Plebe, especially when traveling.
  • Don’t stress; catch up on your rest! If you let it, missing your flight home due to the weather can be stressful.  But it also can be an opportunity to catch up on your rest.  If you can’t leave your hotel, catch up on your snooze time.  Most of us are sleep-deprived anyway, and a few extra hours of rest can do wonders for your metabolism.  On the flip side, overly worrying can lead to stress eating.
  • When late, Meditate. You do not have to get caught up in the noise and bustle when stuck in an airport.  Most airports have a chapel, lounge, or quiet space where you can meditate or pray according to your practice to clear your head.  Here is a guide that can help you out.  https://www.sleepinginairports.net/. One of my favorite places is the chapel at DFW.  But you can also find one of the gates that does not have a flight for an hour.  I keep meditation applications Headspace, Calm, or Hallow for these delays on my iPhone. A plane delay or cancellation does not need to be a reason to go off the wagon. 
  • When it Snows, Find a Skywalk. Getting stuck overnight in a hotel because of a blizzard can curtail your weekend exercise routine.  I do not know about you, but walking on a treadmill does not get it.  I like my walks with some scenery and adventure.  One way to switch it up if you can’t get outside is to find a mall or indoor Skywalk.  Once, I was stuck in Des Moines, Iowa, when my plane was canceled.  Luckily, I did not have to miss my Saturday Morning walk.  I found an entry to the downtown Skywalk about a block away.  After a brief bout with the sub-zero wind chill, I soon walked and got lost in the Skywalk.    It was quite an adventure trying to find my way back through the maze of corridors.  Also, it felt a bit like Maxwell Smart with all the automatic opening doors.  When I was finally done, I had five miles in while braving the cold for only a few minutes.
  • Remember, Three out of Five Ain’t Bad. I cannot claim this last rule since I learned it from a colleague.   Every meal at a restaurant usually includes five options:  bread, appetizer, entrée, dessert, and alcohol.  The simple rule is to keep it to three!  Either Bread, Drink, and an Entrée or some other combination.  Remember, scrap two and keep 3!  While I can’t claim this idea, I can confirm it works and claim the below song parody to emphasize it.  Make like Meatloaf and remember.
I want you,
But I don’t need you,
And there ain’t no way I am ever going to eat you,
Now, don’t be sad,
Because 3 out of 5 ain’t bad!

Because 3 out of 5 ain’t bad! In closing, you can lose weight while traveling.  These are ten, but you may have others.  If so, please feel free to comment. To listen to this and other content on our Change Well podcast, click this link.

You can’t love someone to health

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“You can’t control another person. It doesn’t matter how much you love them. You can’t love someone back to health and you can’t hate someone back to health and no matter how right you are about something, it doesn’t mean they will change their mind.”

Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & the Six

Anyone who has ever dealt with addiction and unhealthy habits understands the truth behind the statement above from the bestseller and Amazon Prime mini-series Daisy Jones & the Six.  I know from my own experience on both sides of the relationship.  I have tried unsuccessfully to dissuade loved ones from unhealthy habits.  On the flip side, my wife and children tried to stop me from overworking and overeating.  I do not want to stop you from trying to help your family and friends.  However, the truth is that they will not tackle the negative routine until they realize that they have a problem and take concrete steps to change.  They may change for a season, but sooner or later, they will fall into their old routines unless the change is something they want in their soul. 

I will not talk about others, but I know it was the case with my addiction to unhealthy eating and overworking.  Despite my grumpiness and excess weight, I still marvel at how loving my wife and children were to me.  My kids often tried to convince me not to go on an ICR (Ice Cream Run), even though they wanted a Blizzard of their own!  They also had to deal with their dad not keeping up with them or hindering an event.  One event that stands out is my youngest son and daughter when they made the homecoming court.  In the picture below, you see me at near-peak weight after just barely avoiding disaster.  Arriving only 5 minutes from when my wife and I were to walk my son onto the field, my legs cramped up, and I had stretched to the very second I had to arrive on the field. They loved me enough that they wanted me to walk with them.  But I did nothing to change my ways until I was ready.

So, what can you do to help those you love who are off the rails?  There are three things not to do and three things to do.

Not to do:

  1. Nag or beg.   Those in addiction may not do what you want when you love them, but they will not do it if you nag or beg them to stop their behavior.  It will instead put them on the defensive or have them looking for problems on your end.  Here is one example. The few times my wife asked if I really needed another glass of wine or blizzard, I would say something like this:  “You would not ask me this if I had your fidgety habits.  You can eat this and not gain a pound because of your metabolism.”
  2. Disconnect.  I understand that sometimes a person’s addiction threatens to drag you in, so you may need to separate from them, especially during the negative behavior.  But, if at all possible, stay connected with the person.  In that way, you can help them when they are ready.
  3. Enable them.  Even if you do not have a similar temptation, try to avoid activities or actions that trigger the unhealthy behavior of your friend.  If the person drinks excessively, avoid bars and nightclubs on your outings.  If they overeat, avoid the buffet line.  Find other activities that do not trigger harmful habits and potentially reinforce positive habits. 

To Do:

  1. Continue to love them.  I know I opened up with the idea that you cannot love someone into health.  But you can love them through the tough times and be there when they are ready to make a change. 
  2. Intervene when necessary.  Intervention when critical is not the same as nagging.  Also, sometimes love calls for tough medicine.  If someone is about to harm themselves or others, you need to intervene either directly, if possible, or with authorities if you or they are at risk.  When and when not to intervene is often a hard call.    But sometimes, it is the loving thing to do and the only thing to let the other person know they need to change.
  3. Quietly lead by example.  If you can and do not have a similar bad habit, live the positive one you want them to take.  Make a healthy meal.  Ask the workaholic to take a break and walk with you.  It may not work the first or second time.  But, if you keep it up, they will notice your quiet example.

Five Habit Combos for Body and Soul

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Today at our Weight Watchers meeting we talked about the idea of piggybacking to establish beneficial habits more quickly. Here is a simple example. You need to take medication each day which is an established habit. However, you want to also institute the beneficial habit of drinking sixty-four ounces of water. A way to establish the new habit it to place a water bottle next to your pill container. Presto! Now you have a ready-made container with the right amount of water next to your pill box. You need to wash down the pills and in so doing start on drinking the water you need for the day!

I established these habits in losing 150 pounds in just over a year. You can read more about that journey and the Power of Habit in this previous blog Fat to Fit Again! The Power of Habit. Now with the weight off my body, I turned to heal my soul. My physical transformation healed my body, but my soul was still suffering. I was still at times a curmudgeon and my peace of mind though better could still get rattled. So, I decided to piggyback some new soul habits with some of my firmly established body habits. Here are five of the body and soul habit combos that I do on a daily and weekly basis. My habits will have a Catholic Christian flavor, but you can adopt for your own faith practice.

  1.  New Saturday Texas Three Step. I wrote about my initial Texas two-step habit in this blog.The Saturday Texas Two Step! Two years ago, my parish established Saturday morning prayers (called Lauds in the Liturgy of the Hours) combined with Adoration on Saturday in the early morning. This led to my new and improved Texas three-step Saturday ritual. I get up on Saturday at 5 AM and exercise to get as close to my weight target as possible. I then go to my Church and pray for an hour to clear the weight off my soul. After praying (and sometimes Mass), I head to my WW meeting to share wellness ideas with my friends at the 9:30 WW Meeting. And in one fell swoop, I shed weight on body and soul and share fellowship to start the weekend off right!
  2. Mike and Bike. I documented my love of cycling in these previous blogs. Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium, Don’t Stop Believing: A Weight Loss Journey in Three Intervals. Right up there with this love is my respect and admiration of Father Mike Schmitz. He was instrumental in my wellness journey both and body and soul. I started listening to his homilies after a Lenten retreat at our parish retreat and would exercise to his homilies while using the elliptical training. With the launch pf the Bible in the Year podcast, I have taken it to a whole new level with Mike and Bike. At least three times weekly, I put on a 20-minute scenic ride on the Peloton and turn off the sound. I then turn on the daily Bible in the Year podcast and listen to the Lord’s word while circumventing the pathways of Rome, Paris, or the Alps. With each Mike and Bike, I grow in the knowledge of the Lord’s plan for me and build my quads to boot! You can download the Bible in the Year podcast here Bible in a Year if you want to try it.
  3. Marching with Mary. During the month of May, I participated in a fundraiser to raise money for the mental wellness of veterans and soldiers. The StopSoldierSuicide.org fundraiser called for me to March 50 miles during the month of May while carrying a 50 lbs. ruck. My 50+ year old body does not march fast with a 50 lbs. on his back. It was seriously cutting down on my prayer time. I therefore decided to add reciting a silent Rosary while marching. This Marching with Mary practice allowed me to add fifty prayers on each ruck march. In this way, I not only was able to raise money for Veterans, I could pray for them also.
  4. Hinge and Hallow. One of the reasons I walked slow while marching with is weakness in one of my knees. To help this issue, I use a physical therapy application called Hinge Health https://www.hingehealth.com/. This application has a set of tailor-made exercises to help strengthen my knee. While I am doing my Hinge exercises, I listen to the Hallow mindfulness application https://hallow.com/ . This application is an excellent resource for all Catholics and includes everything from The Daily Miracle meditation to Gregorian Chants to books from doctors of the Church. This combination helps me fix my knee and my disposition all at the same time! Here is links to both of them
  5. Exodus for soul (and body). The last body/soul combination is the one that launched it all. Two years ago, I participated with a group of men in my church in Exodus 90. This program is a is a ninety-day spiritual exercise for men based on three pillars: prayer, asceticism, and fraternity . Part of the ascetism practice is daily rigorous exercise, exclusion of alcohol and sweets, and days of fasting. It also includes daily prayer practice. It gave me the idea for the other four practices previously stated. I highly recommend it for all Catholic Men that need a wakeup call for both body and soul. Here is a link to there website https://exodus90.com/.

This fast-paced world can wear the body and the soul. Use the art of habit piggybacking to fight back and build a better you!