Think your way to thin If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, you’re not alone. That is the No. 1 resolution in America. Just making a resolution has gotten you off to a good start. People who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t make resolutions, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology. But if you’ve found it hard to stick to your plan in the past, it may be because you’re an all-or-nothing thinker — a common trait of women, particularly smart women! These women often throw in the towel if they eat one thing not on their plan, says Michelle Somers, certified wellness coach for Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. “You think, ‘I’ll start clean tomorrow.’ That’s black-and-white thinking,” she says. A typical example? It’s a co-worker’s birthday, so you eat a piece of cake. You immediately tell yourself the day is shot, so you reach for another piece of cake, a hamburger with fries for dinner, and maybe a bowl of ice cream before bed — why not, you’re starting over in the morning, right? “What you need to understand is that the 500-calorie piece of cake doesn’t make you or break you, but the 2,000 calories that you eat after you give up will make a difference,” Somers says. Her advice? Get right back on your plan and eat normally for the rest of the day. By the end of the week, you’ll probably still hit your goal. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too!
Want to learn more tips for weight-loss success? Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is offering a new seven-week program called Think Like a Thin Person. In a weekly 30-minute class, you’ll learn how to change the way you think to help you shed pounds. The $25 class includes a book and pre- and post-program measurements. Call 719-776-7983 for more information and registration.
bloom is published four times annually by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. As part of Centura Health, our mission is to nurture the health of the people in our community. The information herein is meant to complement and not replace advice provided by a licensed health care professional. For comments or to unsubscribe to this publication, please email us at bloom@centura.org. bloom is produced by Clementine Words LLC. Executive editor is Jill Woodford.
Get your head in the game Most of us exercise for our physical health, but getting your heart pounding is also good for your head. As you exercise and put stress on your heart, your brain responds by releasing a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF helps generate new brain cells and repair memory neurons. The brain also releases norepinephrine and endorphins, which work together to calm the brain and produce feelings of happiness. These effects are even stronger if you’re participating in an activity that brings you joy or you’re exercising with others, says Margaret Sabin, CEO of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and a certified fitness instructor who teaches fitness classes at the hospital. “There’s something about the collective consciousness of working out with a group that is inspiring. You share energy, joy, laughing, and fun,” she says.
POWER UP with Margaret Sabin, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services’ CEO and certified fitness instructor, on Saturday mornings in her fitness boot camp. Get full details on this and many other fitness classes at penrosestfrancis.org/ wellness or call 719-776-7983.
2222 North Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
bloom 2 Winter 2014
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
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