Caught right in between the baby boomers and millennials, I am a member of Generation X. During my teenage years, we witnessed the rise of ultra-processed foods. I loved cereal for any and every meal — Captain Crunch and Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs were amongst my favorites. And, outside of the mile run for the Presidential Fitness Test, we were seldom asked to apply ourselves physically. Those habits die hard. So, it came as no surprise to me when an article on CNN said that my generation is in worse physical shape than the baby boomers were when they were our age (40s and 50s).
In my 20s, I was no exception to our generation’s lack of wellness. I was overweight, inactive, and miserable. Determined to fit into my old clothes, after graduating from college, I fixated on losing weight and began exercising like crazy. Today, as a certified personal trainer, I know that the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends at least:
· 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise, or
· 75 minutes (1.25 hours) of vigorous-intensity,
· or a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity exercise per week.
NASM also says that more benefits can be realized with more activity, but I was exercising at high intensities way more than these recommendations. In an effort to get an inactive culture moving, there isn’t a lot of emphasis on how overdoing it in the gym can impact a woman’s ability to stay hormonally balanced and can weaken our immune system.
However, given the truth behind that fact, it makes sense that I was often sick and struggling with depression when I lost my excess college weight. As I looked back, I began to ponder what I could have done to lose weight without throwing my hormones out of whack as a result of my long hours in the gym. I was certain there had to be a way to attain health without lengthy and extreme workouts that I was leaning into, and I suspected the answers lay in cleaning up my food choices.
In an effort to attain answers not just for myself but also for the women I coach, I added another certification to my repertoire in 2023 and became a certified nutrition coach. The curriculum covered a ton of good scientific information, ranging from energy balance and metabolism to macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
But, in my opinion, the most valuable section was on navigating the real world, which emphasized the value of planning ahead in a healthy lifestyle.
Plan ahead situations and strategies to help ensure success included:
Food Prep – Select recipes for the week and prep some items in advance so that you don’t have to prepare an entire meal once you get hungry. One strategy I heard recently is to at least have the protein prepared in advance. I love that idea.
Navigating the grocery store – Create a shopping list from the recipes you have selected. To avoid impulse buys, don’t shop when you are hungry and give yourself time to read food labels. Check the serving size and remember that ingredients are listed in a decreasing order of prevalence on products. I have noticed that one brand of hummus touting “made from olive oil” on the front label did have olive oil in it, but it contained less olive oil than grapeseed oil (which is a known inflammatory). Be on the lookout for misleading marketing such as this. Also, be mindful if you are shopping the internal aisles of the store as most of the ultra-processed foods are found there.
Dining out –Restaurant portions can be large and lead to excess intake. They are also often laden with excess butter and sugar. So, dining out can add several hundred extra calories to a single day. Treat dining out as an occasional splurge, look at the menus ahead of time to get an idea of what to order, and avoid showing up at the restaurant excessively hungry, as this may result in overeating.
Parties – Offer to bring a healthy dish, have a light snack prior to the event, and set a drink limit ahead of time (then stick to it).
Travel – Travel with healthy snacks whenever possible. If traveling by car, bring a cooler if possible. If traveling by plane, remember that you are allowed to bring food through security gates, just not liquids.
None of these strategies are earth-shattering revelations. But it is my hope that these small steps will feel easily within your reach to implement. It takes practice to create healthy eating habits and since consistency is the secret sauce to a healthful lifestyle, the point is that a little planning for whatever your week ahead may contain will help you achieve your goals.
Article by Mindy Cochran. Mindy is a practitioner, teacher, and performer of aerial arts; as well as a columnist for Montana Woman Magazine. Her column shares expertise for elevating health & wellness which she has acquired through her certifications as a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and life coach. To connect with Mindy, please visit: www.instagram.com/aerial.mindy or https://elevatedaerial.wixsite.com.
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