Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Results Are In...I Need Your Feedback!

Thanks to all 36 of you who participated in this week's poll!  Glad to get you all involved, and now I want to go even further in interacting with you on these poll results.

The VERDICT:  Based on the poll votes, the top 3 obstacles preventing us from becoming more healthy and/or losing weight are...drumroll, please!

#1 - Eating "trouble" foods (52%)
Honestly, no surprise there, our food industry promotes all the wrong products to us, and it's no wonder we all fall for the junk every so often.  Some more often than others, I've been there!  Some of this stems from food cravings caused by chemicals in processed food which is everywhere around us, some due to self-control issues....the are a number of ways to get around this, we shall discuss this in depth.

#2 - Finding motivation to exercise (41%)
Yes, this is tough, especially if working out isn't a habit, or hasn't ever been a habit.  It's also very daunting if you're quite out of shape or overweight, it seems like a big obstacle to overcome.  I've been there too, and it can be overcome, I've got some great suggestions, stay tuned, I want to hear from you all first.

#3 - Overeating (33%)
I also would have this in my personal top three...I've been there, and it's so easy to get there.  I've mentioned before, I love food, and if it's there, chances are I'll eat it...soon enough, you feel overstuffed, and all you've eaten is junk.  SO, there are steps to take to get away from this too.  There are definitely reasons for this tendency, and I'll get into that.

BUT FIRST!

What I need from YOU! - I really want to get the blog readers interacting here...especially if you voted, but even if you didn't, leave a comment on this post, describing your struggles...leave the comment anonymously, or if you feel like leaving your name, that's fine too.  All in the name of honesty, and getting issues out there and discussed.  I'd love to be able to address comments individually, so PLEASE leave some feedback here about how you may be struggling or have struggled.  Any comment, however short or lengthy, will be beneficial!  Let's start the discussion!

Looking forward to hearing from you all!

- Dan -

7 comments:

  1. How can I teach myself to NOT like certain kinds of food? If I see some candy, a bag of chips, I go for it. Why? Because it's delicious and I don't see its bad side right way. I know it is a terrible way to live/eat, but how can I teach myself to go for the carrots and celery instead of the wings?

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  2. I absolutely understand, and I'm the same way, it's been a long process training myself to avoid those foods, and everyone has their weaknesses...thanks for the comment! I'll address your question directly in my response post...let me ask you one follow-up question. Is there anything you are extremely stingy about (for me it's spending unnecessary money)? I know that's a strange question, but I have learned to use negative association to help me out with that sort of temptation. I'll explain how later...

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  3. I struggle with consistency! I'll be ultra motivated one day, super hyped for my exercise routine, and then the next day I'll eat cheesecake and not do anything physical at all. How do you keep yourself on task?

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  4. I totally self-medicate with food. For example, I've been having a crap-tastic day today and the only thing I wanted was some kind of cake/baked good. I knew that if I had something, it would make everything better (at least for a little while). And I had a small cupcake with dinner, and everything was at peace. This was good, because I only had one, very small cupcake. However, I will totally destroy a package of Oreos if left to my own devices. I just need to build my confidence to be able to deal with problems without resorting to food.

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  5. Anonymous 1 here. I guess I'm pretty stingy with money, too, now that I have to focus on it.

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  6. I overeat, but instead of eating potato chips, I try to make enormous salads. I think I find a basic satisfaction in putting fuel in my body, but of course I'd prefer pizza to brussel sprouts. I also use food as a reward, i.e., if I'm studying, I want Sour Patch kids, etc. So, I just try to eat a ton of carrots or big fruit salads or something healthy. Other relatively guilt-free snacks include Cheerios and air-popped popcorn.

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  7. Thanks all for your honest answers and comments...I'll be posting in the next day or so, stay tuned! Keep the questions/comments coming!

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