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It’s a new year, a new month, and it’s time to
get back to the business of maintaining your health. Despite popular belief,
dietitians go off the healthy eating and exercise wagon (especially the
exercise) once in a while too, whether due to a physical set-back, extra
projects at work, or family obligations. When they do this, they take their own advice and set some small goals. I polled dietitians from all over
the country to find out what they plan to do to get back on track with their
own fitness and nutrition goals, and here is what they had to say:
To get myself back into a routine and excited
about exercise, I hire a personal trainer. I will work with him a few
times per week throughout January to stay motivated and on track, and to get
some new ideas to keep my workouts fresh and exciting.
Heather
R Mangieri, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, Pittsburgh
Spokesperson,
The American Dietetic Association
Owner/Nutrition
Consultant, NutritionCheckUP, LLC
I like to buy new workout clothes to signal a
fresh start for fitness in
the New Year and the good news is that they are on
sale this time of year!
Especially good selections and prices at Marshalls and
TJ Maxx.
This year I am buying purple which seems to be the 'in' color for work
out
stuff.
Carolyn
O'Neil, MS RD, best-selling author and television personality; co-author The
Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!
I'm going to enroll in a cardio-basketball
class with my husband. My husband played pro in Israel and I was scouted to
play ball in a few University's so we figured we could spend quality time
together doing a sport we both really enjoy and get more cardio into our
routine.
Toby
Amidor, MS RD, New York
Nutrition
Expert, FoodNetwork.com
As a telecommuter, I spend most of my day on my
computer or phone. My goal is to spend at least 1/2 of my work-day with my
laptop on a waist high table, to avoid sitting so much.
Jan
Patenaude, RD, CLT,
Director of Medical Nutrition,
Signet Diagnostic
Corporation.
My goal is to play actively with my kids every
day - running races
around the house, playing "football"
(football with my 3-year old
means running and throwing ourselves on the
ground) or going outside
to play in the snow when time and weather
allows.
Rebecca
Horsman, MS, RD
I am going to shoot for more variety! I
love to shop, cook, and bake, but I have a tendency to often make the family’s
favorites most of the time. This year...new horizons with new recipes. I can
practically smell the aroma already!
Bonnie
Taub-Dix, MA,RD,CDN, New York City
Owner,
BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC
Author,
Read It Before You Eat It (Plume)
My office is literally across the street from my
gym, and I often "waste" my lunch hour eating or even working
straight through it, so, my plan: At least two days a week, I'm going to put on
sneakers and walk on a treadmill during lunch to add two more workouts to my
weekly total!
(It's cold here, or else I would do it outside!)
Theresa
Jackson, RD CNCSD CDN,
Buffalo, NY
My way to get back on track toward goals is to
write it down. I plan what I'm going to do for meals and exercise for
each day and write it in a journal. Then, at the end of the day, I check off
what I did and write in what I did differently. This helps me see what I
need to work on, what works well for me, etc.
Jane
M. Giblin, RD, LDN, Meadville area
Get rid of all the sweets and deserts
accumulated over the holidays by throwing them out or bringing them to the
office!
Valinda
Baldwin,RD,CSR,LDN
Renal
Care of Oil City, PA
I am back to the Y for workouts! I used
to love my morning routine...until the holidays rearranged my routine. So
getting back on track is my goal!
Also...I need to drink more water. That seems
to be my resolution each year...so I will keep on trying until I get it
right!!!
Sandra
Luthringer, RD, LDN, Nutrition Consultant
Owner,
Super Suppers Erie PA
I resolve to eat on a more regular
schedule by not letting my work get on the way. And, definitely, get more
sleep than my usual three to four hours most nights. Slow down and smell the
roses!
Dawna
T. Mughal, PhD, RD, LD
Associate
Professor, College of Health Professions and Sciences
Gannon University
I vow to make water my primary choice of
beverage: a closet diet coke lover-have been trying to give it up
completely and choose tea, coffee, water and milk only.
Wendi
Connelly, RD, Erie
I have a very weak spot for cookies and so find
it very hard to resist all the wonderful cookies this time of year and I don’t
resist. I will admit I enjoy many of my own cookies well into January . However
I somewhat balance the cookie frenzy in that I also love to walk; so I resolve
to keep up my walking through the winter months, and fit some skiing in too.
Karen
Schmidt, MS, RD, LDN, Oil City
After hand surgery to remove a cyst, I plan to go
through physical rehab for a few weeks and by month's end, I will get back into
my upper body weight training (can't wait--
it's been 7 months!), and I'll
start training to walk the More
magazine
half marathon--my first-- on April 3.
Elisa
Zied, MS, RD, CDN,
Writer, Speaker, Nutrition Consultant
Contributor, Author,
Nutrition At Your Fingertips (Alpha, Nov, 2009)
My gym is at my hospital, but haven't been
there in a while due to a lot of projects, etc. but no excuses...getting back
to my hospital gym at least twice a week is my new goal, switching to the
"power yoga" that truly "speaks" to me (hot vinyasa vs.
Bikram yoga), and getting back to one of my loves...Latin/ballroom dancing once
a week! I’m also going to work on getting more sleep!
Margaret
M. Furtado, MS, RD, LDN, RYT
Clinical
Dietitian Specialist
Johns
Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD
I learned this from a client years ago: for the
first 2 weeks of January I have no alcohol or sweets. My client did it for the
entire month, but to me two weeks is enough. I don't ban foods normally, and I
enjoy my sweets and alcohol in moderation for the most part, but I have more
than usual in late December, so that's how I balance it all out.
Shelley
A. Rael, MS RD LD, Albuquerque, NM
Every January I take a week and measure the
amount of food I am eating. Like anyone else who eats out at restaurants
where plates hold enough food for 3 people, my eyes need an annual portion size
readjustment!
Kathleen McAllister, MS, RD, CDN, Albany New York
I plan to swim twice a week. I run regularly all
year round. My upper body stays in pretty good condition in the summer from
gardening, triathlons and other outdoor activities. However, by December my
arms have pretty much turned to mush. Time to get some strength and tone back
above the waist.
Sheryl
Lozicki, RD,
Michigan
Zumba class at least 2 times a week keeps me
moving - and it sure doesn't seem like exercise. It's a lot more fun, but you
can feel the muscles working
Linda
S. Eck Mills, MBA, RD, LDN, FADA,
Career and Life Coach, Speaker, Author
After a long day of SITTING in the office, I
often come home and SIT for more hours typing on the computer. As a gift to myself
I will work one hour less
in the office, change into my work out clothes and
exercise in my home gym!
I know I will still work on the computer in the
evening (as I do a great
deal of writing and consulting).
However, I always
think better (and feel, look and sleep better) when I
work out. I've also
started to sit on an exercise ball in my office. It really helps my back!
Susan
Weiner, R.D., M.S, Certified Diabetes Educator, New York
I sign up for early spring races. You lose
fitness so quickly when you don't
Workout, so spring races force me to keep
running during the winter
months. Also, if you're a runner, having
the proper outdoor gear for winter
running is essential. Invest in good
quality outdoor gear to make running or walking outdoors enjoyable.
Katie
Mulligan, MS, RD, LDN Rhode Island
I am going to
dance more with the Wii - Fun! Cant
wait till the next time they play Thriller - I have the moves (OK - not yet but
I will!!).
Carol
Ireton-Jones
I signed up for a Half Marathon in May
- this keeps me focused on keeping my exercise and nutrition on
track.
Jessica
Bowhall, MBA, RD
I plan to get back into a regular routine of yoga
starting with a class on New Years Day.
Lorraine
Matthews-Antosiewicz, MS, RD
Professional
Nutrition Services of Central NJ
Getting into gear for 2011 will be to take a walk
every day like I used to before I no longer had my dog who passed away last
August. I’m going to take the advice that I’ve given, walk as though you have a
dog. You do it daily for at least a little while. For me, it often has a bigger
emotional rather than physical impact. I get to clear my head.
Jill
Nussinow, MS, RD, The
Veggie Queen -- Growing Vegetable Enthusiasm
Temptation over the holidays is hard to resist.
You feel stuffed, bloated, and
tired, like I used to be when obese. Every
December holiday, I gain a few pounds. The first 3 weeks of January - no
treats! No cookies, chocolates, desserts,
fried foods, lychee martinis, etc.
It's short-term deprivation, but I need to break the
pattern and return to
healthy habits. This gives me plenty of room to eat nutritious foods, and the
energy to work out every day.
I've maintained a healthy weight for 22 years
now. Not easy, but worth it.
Maye
Maye
Musk MS, MS, RD, RD, RD
International Nutrition Counselor/Spokesperson/Speaker,
New York City
And me? Well, unlike Maye, I can’t quite
completely abstain from sweets, but I can reduce my intake significantly. (I’m
like a little kid – if you tell me I can’t have it, I won’t be able to stop
thinking about it.) I will also work on including vegetables at lunch, and more
fresh fruit back into my daily snacks. Getting back into my regular exercise
routine helps a lot too: 45 minutes of weight-lifting twice a week, and three
days of cardio (running, walking, elliptical, or cross-country skiing).
Here’s to a healthy, happy new year. Set two
small goals each week, and stick to it.
©Rosanne Rust 2010
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