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Health versus fitness

What is your goal in following the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet? Do you want to improve your health or improve your fitness? This is an important question because the answer helps determine what goals to set. You can improve your health by making simple or major changes such as adding or increasing activity, improving diet, quitting smoking, reducing stress, getting adequate rest, and laughing.

Yes, laughing. According to William Fry, MD, professor at Stanford University, who has conducted 50 years of laughter research, laughter conditions the heart muscle, exercises the lungs, works all the abdominal thoracic muscles, boosts the immune system, and even increases adrenaline and blood flow to the brain. Humour can add years to your life! Many of these changes will show up in improved mental health status but not necessarily as a noticeable physical change.

Fitness improvements may take more effort. But the resulting change in body fat, increased muscle tissue, cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, and improved mental alertness will all be worth the extra sweat!

That said, fitness goals require fitness-oriented strategies, including a regular exercise routine, a well-balanced meal plan, adequate rest, and a plan of action. The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is designed for fitness-oriented people, but most people can use this plan for health improvements, too.

Determining your goals

Do you want to run to your goal or walk? In other words, do you want to achieve your goal quickly or make gradual changes? Goals need to be set according to what you are planning to accomplish. The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet was designed for people who want to lose body fat and keep their muscle tissue. The following examples may give you some ideas for setting goals:

1. Although weight loss should not be the primary focus, most health experts agree that 1 or 2 pounds of weight loss per week is safe and healthy. Rapid and extreme weight loss can also result in muscle loss, which is often associated with low-calorie meal plans.

TIP: Make your goals specific and measurable so you’ll know what you’ve achieved.

2. Reducing your clothes size is a measurable goal. Get out your smallest-size clothes so they’re visible. If you can see it, you can achieve it!

3. Waist, hip, and thigh reduction—measure those areas and try to lose one inch per month in your “problem” area (waist or hips).

4. Lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar by starting a regular exercise routine.

5. Increase your daily energy by improving your eating exercise and habits. You can measure your progress by keeping a food and exercise journal (see the section on journaling later in this chapter).

6. Gain strength or increase lean muscle tissue through weight training. Improvements can be measured by increased weights lifted or body composition testing.

7. Commit to eating breakfast every day.

8. Switch the nightly food binge to fruits, vegetables, or lean proteins only.

9. Reduce body fat to the healthy range—women 17 to 24 per cent, men 14 to 20 per cent.

10. Exercise for 20 minutes during your lunch hour every day.

The list can go on. It may take several small goals to achieve your results. I call these “mini-goals”.

Put it in writing

A great way to launch a new health-and-fitness regime is to commit yourself to it on paper. That’s what the 3-Apple-a-Day Personal Contract is all about.

When filling out your contract, first start by determining what you’d really like to achieve—your ultimate goal. All mini-goals will be set to lead to your main objective. Think of it as walking up stairs—eventually you reach the top. How long it takes will depend on what your ultimate goal is. Take some time to think realistically about your goals. If you decide you want to lose 50 pounds but you’ve never been that light, then this type of goal may not be realistic in a short time frame. An example of the contract is on the next page.

Tammi’s Personal Contract

1. Tammi Flynn, plan to accomplish my ultimate goal of competing in a mini-triathlon. To reach this goal, I have established several mini-goals, which are as follows: 1. Continue the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet.

2. Start swimming on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6 A.M.

3. Increase my biking to four days per week, 45 minutes each. I am beginning my journey on Monday, July 5, to reach my ultimate goal by September 18. I will continue to move forward and redefine my goals. My motivation level is extremely high. As I reach each of my mini-goals, I will reward myself weekly by getting a massage.

Signed by: Tammi Flynn

Date: July 1.

Support person: husband, Dan

The 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet Personal Contract

I, __________, plan to accomplish my ultimate goal of _______________. To reach this goal, I have established several mini-goals, which are as follows: 1._______________. 2. _______________. 3. _______________. I am beginning my journey on this date: _________________________. I would like to reach my ultimate goal by this date: _________. If I don’t make this date, I will continue to move forward and redefine my goals. My motivation level is [circle one] high very high extremely high. As I reach each of my mini-goals, I will reward myself

by ______________________________.

Signed by: ____________________

Date: ___________________________________

Support person: ^* _________________________

Find someone to lean on

The Personal Contract has a place for the name of a support person. This person should not only cheer you on but also hold you accountable to your contract for as long as you want him or her to. My husband, Dan, is my support person, and he takes care of the kids in the mornings so I can go swimming. He also checks my training journal each week.

Give yourself a treat

Finally, think about how you will reward yourself for reaching your goals. Just make sure your reward isn’t an unhealthy choice and a step in the wrong direction. Some positive rewards include a massage (my favourite!), a manicure, or a good book. One of my clients hires a babysitter every Friday afternoon for two hours so she can do whatever she wants. It’s usually shopping!

Journaling prevents “amnesia”

Keeping a food and exercise journal is a key way to stick with your plan. Writing down an accurate record of your intake of food and beverages daily and recording the calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fibre will help you become more aware of what is in the foods you eat.

Writing it down will also hold you accountable for what you have been eating or drinking. Although you may have good intentions, what you intend and what you actually do may be two different things. I call this “amnesia”. An exercise journal works the same way. You’ll know if you are making progress by keeping records of where you were when you started. In the Appendix, you’ll find a sample form for keeping a food and beverage record (Appendix).

Tips from Past Contest Winners at Gold’s Gym

1. Keep a food and exercise journal. This keeps you accountable and on track.

2. Focus on a specific goal. Visualize your end result. Keep reminding yourself that you are committed to achieving that goal.

3. Plan, prepare, and commit.

Plan what you want to accomplish (goal), how long it will take you (time line), and how you can accomplish your goal (specific program).

Prepare—know what you’ll be eating and when you’ll be exercising daily. Prepare meals ahead of time and plan your workout before you get to the gym.

Commit—make a contract with yourself, spouse, children, or trainer to accomplish your goals. Again, be specific and use this contract to hold yourself accountable.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. —Nancy Vanhoven, group fitness instructor, Gold’s Gym of Wenatchee, Washington

Don’t kid yourself

A frustrated client e-mailed me saying she had been following the plan but wasn’t making any progress. I asked if she was writing anything down. She wasn’t. I asked her to keep a journal and send it to me after a few days so I could see where she might be struggling. No wonder she hadn’t made progress! Her journal indicated that she ate almost everything out of a box or a container! Except for eating two apples per day, she wasn’t following the plan at all. In addition, she hadn’t changed her exercise program (walking) for over a year. I made some suggestions in order to accommodate her busy schedule (the reason for her dependence on convenience foods) and food preferences. A few weeks later, she e-mailed back to say, happily I might add, that she had finally started seeing some results.

Again, your intentions may be good, but writing it down is the only way to outsmart your biased and forgetful mind!

Breaking barriers and excuses, excuses, excuses!

Why is it that when we start an exercise or food program we often don’t follow through (as in “it seemed like a good idea at the time”)? There are a few legitimate reasons that may be out of your control that can inhibit you from reaching your goals—such as illness or certain disabilities. But mostly, barriers are excuses that keep you in your comfort zone—or rather, out of your discomfort zone! Changing eating and exercise habits may be one of the most difficult challenges you’ll experience. But remember, the rewards you’ll gain far outweigh those initial struggles.

Here are some of the common controllable barriers that factor into changing your lifestyle habits:

• Not enough time to exercise. Exercise needs to be a priority just like brushing your teeth!

• Too intimidated to go to the gym because you’re out of shape. Start walking or working out at home with exercise videos. But remember that a good gym can offer professional help to guide you to your goals.

• The belief that you need a diet very low in calories in order to lose weight. Eating too few calories is a sure way to lose valuable muscle tissue. Women need at least 1,200 calories per day, and men need at least 1,800.

• Environment. You’re surrounded by a feasting society. Fast foods and quick-food markets are loaded with high-fat, high-sugar, nutrient-light temptations. When you plan ahead and prepare your meals yourself, the temptations will become less, and you will not have to rely on willpower.

• No energy or too tired. The first thing many people notice when they start following the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet is that they have more energy. Get started, you’ll see!

Beware of emotional triggers—They make you eat!

Have you ever been sad and sat down with a tub of ice cream smothered in chocolate and just kept eating it? Or been stressed out and stuffed a whole bag of crisps (family size!) in your face? Or just felt bored and wandered through your kitchen “searching” for something interesting to eat and discovered (and ate) your kid’s leftover Halloween candy? Or felt the “winding down” of a busy day and needed a little pick-me-up from food?

This is emotional eating. There are several emotional triggers—anger, stress/anxiety, PMS, boredom, and sadness—that cause us to eat. And we usually don’t choose healthy snacks in this state of mind. Instead, we choose “comfort foods” that temporarily fill the void. Often, not only do we consume way too much of these foods but we repeat this type of eating way too often, all of which leads to weight gain and low self-esteem.

How to break the cycle

Breaking the cycle of emotional eating may take some effort. But you can do it! When you feel one or more of the emotional triggers come on, resist the urge for five minutes. Ask yourself if you are truly hungry or are just feeling emotional? Often just waiting a couple of minutes will be sufficient to overcome the urge. If waiting doesn’t work and you are still feeling emotional, try diverting yourself. Go outside for some fresh air, take a walk, turn on some upbeat music, or call a supportive friend.

If you do decide to eat, choose a healthy snack. Dip some unsalted pretzels in yogurt or spread apple slices with peanut butter. Or treat yourself to some low-fat popcorn and a diet beverage. And don’t turn on the television! Huh? That’s right! Watching TV could actually cause you to “unconsciously” eat more.

I definitely have times of emotional overeating—where do you think the examples came from? What I have found to work, besides avoiding unhealthy snacks, is having an established eating plan. If you follow the 3-Apple-a-Day GI Diet, as I do, you should be able to keep your appetite under control and lessen those unhealthy food temptations.

Hunger versus appetite

Blair McHaney, co-owner of Gold’s Gym, Wenatchee, Washington, suggests this visual: “Think of appetite as a sleeping lion. If you keep him fed, he will purr and sleep. If you starve him, he will attack.” The lion is your appetite. If you aren’t prepared with food on hand, your appetite may attack and you’ll be relying on your willpower. That’s doing it the hard way for sure.

It’s a lot easier to shop for healthy foods in the supermarket if you are not hungry as a lion going in. Not only that, if you don’t go in hungry, you’ll be less likely to buy unhealthy items. It’s much easier to decide not to buy junk food than it is to resist it once you’ve taken it home. Keep your home environment “safe” and junk-food free to avoid temptation.

Last but not least, eat breakfast! You’ll be less likely to eat a donut at work if you’ve already eaten at home.

TIP: Take apples with you everywhere you go.

Key Points of Part II

• If you can visualize what you want to become, it will happen.

• Keep a food and beverage journal.

• Set your ultimate goal. Make sure it’s realistic and measurable.

• Set measurable mini-goals to help you reach your ultimate goal.

• Find some inspiration to motivate you.

• Break the barriers that prevent you from reaching your goal.

• Prepare and plan so willpower won’t be an issue.

*Check in with this person every two weeks and let him or her know how you are doing.