Totally American Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I’m on vacation this week to celebrate my favorite holiday- Independence Day! I love it so much that I’ve decided to take a whole week off to celebrate. I’ll be spending time with great friends on a beautiful lake enjoying most of my favorite things about summer. Have a safe and wonderful holiday week celebrating all that makes us proud to be Americans!

New Triggers Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

I’ve learned a few things about myself throughout my healthy living journey. One of the most important things I’ve recognized are some of my triggers for unhealthy eating. Two of my biggest are stress eating and emotional eating. Last week I learned a new one… I make bad eating choices when I’m tired!

I’ve had a jam packed schedule the last two weeks full of fun summer activities. In that jam packed schedule I failed to pencil in enough time for sleeping! My bed and I need some quality time ASAP. With daylight savings time, it isn’t even dark at my bedtime so I find myself staying out with friends later and up longer when I’m home. Last week I found pretty quickly that I simply do not have the resolve, the planning ability or the will power to make good food decisions when I’m tired. I want whatever is easiest and quickest and sounds the yummiest when I’m sleep deprived.

Typically my triggers are also related to healthy living. For instance, getting enough sleep is definitely an important part of living a healthy life. Our brains don’t function properly without enough sleep. Emotional health and dealing with stress are also major players in being able to function properly. By identifying and dealing with my triggers, I’ve not only learned what causes me to make poor eating choices but also have aided my overall journey to a healthy life by dealing with other issues.

Leave a comment and tell about your triggers and how do you deal with them?

Sweet Summertime Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

It seems summer finally has made its appearance. Kids are out of school, pools are open, restaurants have their outdoor seating in place. Everyone is ready, including me. Summertime in Indianapolis truly offers so many great activities and events from street festivals to outdoor concerts.

For me as a downtown dweller, simply having great weather allows me to walk wherever I need to be in the one mile square. I just want to soak it all in!

I, however, struggle with the healthy lifestyle in the summer. Call me crazy! It should be easier right? Great weather allows more outdoor activity and exercise. In addition, no one likes to overeat when it’s hot outside. Being full on a sticky hot day is the WORST feeling. All indicators point to summer as one of the healthiest seasons.

Well, apparently I like to buck trends. Many of my favorite summer activities revolve around food: The Strawberry Festival, Italian Fest, etc. I mean who wouldn’t want to enjoy live music on Monument Circle on a beautiful summer day while eating the most delicious strawberry shortcake in the history of the world (and yes I will stand by that claim!)? In addition, for some reason, nice weather really makes me want to be outside with a cool beverage in my hand.

Please, believe me when I say I encourage all of you to get outside and enjoy everything Indianapolis has to offer in the summer — including that great strawberry shortcake and those frosty beverages. I think the key for me this summer will be to remember to participate in those events in moderation. Because I love these events so much I tend to overindulge. (Hey, they only come around once a year right?)

Well, turns out they will happen again next year so I don’t need to eat enough strawberry shortcake to last me the rest of my life. Also, since the weather permits, when I am going to soak up all that summer offers, I need to remember to fit in some extra quality time outside exercising before I do so.

By continuing on the healthy living track, we all will only prove to make our summers even sweeter. I wish you and yours the sweetest summer ever.

Reconnecting With The Past Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

Does anyone feel good about the way they looked in high school?

Looking back now, I would kill to be in the shape I was in then. As a swimmer, I was in the best shape of my life with two practices every day, and I also had far less trouble keeping with a healthy diet. I so envy my fitness level and ease at living a healthy lifestyle. But while my body might’ve been healthier, my self-esteem wasn’t. I absolutely hated the way I looked back then! Oh, what I wouldn’t give now …

This weekend I will be attending a high school reunion. I can hear the groans now. At first, I was absolutely not looking forward to this event at all. In fact, I contemplated not going at all. I wasn’t sure I was up to the scrutiny that these types of events can bring –– both from a physical and accomplishment standpoint. But I actually enjoyed high school (shocking, I know), even if I didn’t enjoy how I looked back then, and I absolutely couldn’t think of a good enough excuse not to go. I had friends traveling in from out of town just for the occasion and thought it was ridiculous of me to not go when the event will take place right down the street.

So Saturday I will be headi ng out to endure all that goes along with a high school reunion, wishing I looked a little more like I did back then but proud of the person I have become. While my physical shape isn’t the same, my self-esteem is head and shoulders above where it was back in those days. I’m excited to reconnect with old friends and see how we’ve all grown up! Perhaps sometimes a little look back to our past is the motivation we need to stay on the healthy lifestyle track.

The Buddy System Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

It’s been brought to my attention this week by multiple people that this whole healthy living situation is much easier with a buddy. In fact MOST things in life are much easier with a buddy. That’s the great thing about having them in your life! However, failing also can be easier with a buddy.

We all work better when we are held accountable. Using the buddy system with a friend on workouts is especially helpful. I’m much more apt to roll over and go back to sleep instead of going to the gym if I’m only letting myself down. If someone else is involved, I would rather not disappoint.

The same goes for the actual act of working out. Sometimes we don’t push ourselves as far or as hard as we would when we have someone training with us. When it comes to exercise the buddy system definitely works.

In regard to healthy eating and other good lifestyle choices, the buddy system also is helpful. I have a few friends, both coworkers and outside of the office, to whom I can go when I’m about to stress eat or fall off the wagon. They GENTLY remind me I’ve worked so hard, and some of them are very good at suggesting healthy alternatives.

In addition, having friends who are also on the road to a healthy lifestyle is extremely helpful in keeping a good social life. They understand your difficulties and struggles and help you participate in activities that won’t challenge you in ways that will be detrimental.

Sometimes though, the buddy system can hold us accountable in the wrong way. For instance, the other day, I really wanted to eat poorly and not exercise. I suggested to my best friend that we simply skip our weigh in the next day and indulge in lots of bad choices. And what do you know — she agreed! Afterward she commented that “we did so well at the beginning of our Biggest Loser challenge and we really needed to get back on track.”

Amen sister. Sometimes that buddy system of people who normally hold us accountable in good ways backfires by giving us someone to misbehave with, which makes it that much more fun. Just remember, our buddies help us through our rough patches on the road to a healthier lifestyle, and we want to help them in the same way. By holding yourself accountable, you won’t want to let your friend down.

Here’s hoping that you have many buddy systems that help you and the ones you love stay on track to a healthy lifestyle!