The Official Blog of Tara Marie Segundo, M.A.
TARA MARIE’S TOP TEN WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS!
FIVE: Understand the power of cumulative exercise.
The single most common excuse that people give for not exercising is lack of time. I get it. I know what it’s like to have so much to do that you don’t even know where to begin. As my life has gotten more hectic, I have also had to get more creative.
At one point, I would not go to the gym at all if I didn’t have time for my “full” workout. My definition of a full workout meant time to do cardio, weights, and a full stretch at the end. Back in those days, I could kill an easy two and a half hours, five times a week doing my “full” workout. The days that I can devote that kind of time to the gym are long gone, but I’ve adapted.
The truth is, life is hard and life is always changing. We go through periods that are more challenging than others, and hopefully as things flow, they will also ebb. It is during the busy times that you must be extra diligent about maintaining some semblance of a routine or risk getting so out of the habit of exercising that you wake up a year and a half later wondering when the extra twenty-five pounds accumulated on your back side.
I am offering a FREE teleseminar for people struggling with binge eating. It will be based on my blog, Battle Binge Eating with R.A.G.E.®
We will be discussing what binge eating is, what it is not, and how to connect the behavior to your emotions so you can bring self-awareness and self-control to any situation. Please join me for this event and pass this information along to anyone who would benefit from it!
Battle Binge Eating with R.A.G.E.®
Date: Tuesday, November 27
Time: 8 PM Eastern Time
Conference Line: 805-399-1000
Access Code: 534333
I’ll meet you there!
Happy Thanksgiving, Tara Marie
I have had the great pleasure of working with a wide variety of clients, including young athletic types, moms and dads just trying to stay fit, and often, people that struggle greatly with eating issues that plague so many of us. As I have said before, I have suffered with my share of problems regarding body image and compulsive behaviors around eating and exercise.
One of my lifelong struggles has been with binge eating. I was finally able to conquer my compulsion to binge, and I now teach my clients to do the same using a system that I devised that brings awareness to the problem and helps the client connect the undesirable behavior to its triggers—and offers an alternative means of dealing with the stressors of life.
Binge eating is a coping mechanism used by millions of people, and at its best, it serves as an ineffective way of assuaging unpleasant emotions and temporarily distracting us from our feelings. At its worst, it compounds every problem with which we suffer and gives us one more thing to worry about when the binge is over. Often, binge eating becomes a form of self-punishment. Binge eaters hate themselves for not being able to control their own behavior around food.
I know EXACTLY what it feels like to be obsessed with an irrational urge to eat to the point of being physically sick. I understand the shame involved and the need for secrecy. I have experienced the isolation, and it is a horrible way to live.
If you suffer with binge eating, it is of primary importance that you understand that it has NOTHING to do with food. You don’t want the FOOD, but rather the FEELING that the food gives you. In fact, as long as you continue to believe that your problem is food, you have little hope of overcoming the behavior. Food is never a PROBLEM, nor is it ever a SOLUTION.
When we binge, we reach for foods like muffins, pies, cakes, bread, uncooked cookie dough, frosting, chocolate, ice cream, chips, crackers, pizza, etc. These foods literally change your brain chemistry by way of increasing serotonin and other neurotransmitters and calming anxiety. I have never heard of someone bingeing on steamed broccoli and celery stalks.
We binge for the same reason that people smoke one cigarette after another, take drugs, or drink to excess—to cope with feelings that are uncomfortable or in some cases, we want to totally numb our pain. It’s not very different from giving a baby a pacifier, as it creates instant calm.
Anyone who has ever binged can attest to the fact that the good feelings are fleeting. Once the binge is over, guilt, shame, disgust, self-loathing, and feelings of worthlessness overwhelm an already-troubled person.
Conquering binge eating IS possible, if you are willing to do the hard work to learn another way of living and coping in an increasingly stressful world…and all you need is R.A.G.E.®.
TARA MARIE’S TOP TEN WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS!
FOUR: Give yourself a break.
I always get nervous when people describe their weekly exercise routine as though it is set in stone: “I do chest and triceps on Mondays, half of legs on Tuesdays, I rest on Wednesdays, do back and biceps on Thursdays, the other half of legs on Fridays, and shoulders on Saturdays. I also do abdominal training on Tuesdays and Fridays and cardio for exactly 45 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays.”
While I admire their commitment, I wonder how they handle it when life gets in the way. I used to be very rigid with respect to my exercise routine—so much so that if I had planned to do a certain workout on any given day and I ran late or I could not be at the gym to perform my predetermined routine, I would skip the workout altogether. This is faulty thinking and I always felt frustrated because life rarely goes as planned (at least mine does not.)
I have learned two lessons that have served me well, both in the gym and in other areas of my life: remain flexible at all times and do the best you can with the circumstances you are given.
Hi Tara Marie,
I am 57 years old, and I started weight training about two years ago. If I exercise one part of the body, how many days should I rest before I exercise the same body part again?
Thanks, Elena
Hello, Elena!
Thanks for writing! This is a great question and it’s one that I am often asked. There are three basic components that must be considered for muscle growth:
- Work the muscle.
- Feed the muscle (this includes supplements, water, and food).
- Rest the muscle.
If, for instance, you work your chest on Monday, wait at least 24 hours before repeating a chest workout. I say “at least” because, if you are sore, I recommend waiting until the soreness has calmed.
You can do a great job working your muscles, and you can give your body great nutrition in the form of supplementation, water, and food, yet you can still hamper your development if you do not give your muscles proper rest.
Dear Tara Marie,
I just began an exercise program. I have always heard about the aerobic “target heart rate range,” but I don’t know how to find my range or what it represents. Please help!
Laurie, Staten Island, NY
Dear Laurie,
I totally understand your confusion! The “target heart rate range” is considered the range in which you can do your cardiovascular activity “aerobically,” meaning depending primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. The term aerobic literally means “living in air” and refers to the use of oxygen to meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism. Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time.
Some people must monitor their heart rate diligently due to a past cardiac event or another health issue. These people should wear a heart rate monitor, which will provide an accurate, up-to-the-minute reading of their heart rate.
For people for whom there is no cardiac concern, there are 3 easy ways to gauge exercise intensity, and I teach all 3 methods to my clients.
TARA MARIE’S TOP TEN WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS!
THREE: Structure your time.
If you want to truly transform your life by making a plan of exercise and healthy nutrition a priority, you will literally need to MAKE it a priority. Many of us have good intentions, but the truth is we end up doing the things that we deem most important. Everything else gets done if we can fit it into our already-over-scheduled lives. I have found that when my schedule is too unstructured, I get much less done. I do what is in front of me at the moment and before I know it, the day is over and tasks remain unfinished. The best way to manage your time is to schedule blocks during which you will work on specific tasks.
When it comes to exercise, you must apply this same kind of structure to your plan. This is largely why working with a trainer is so effective. My clients have to book appointments with me in advance and without 24 hours notice, they are charged whether or not they keep a scheduled appointment. Once they book an appointment with me, they book the rest of their day around it.
This shot was taken at the 2011 WNBF World Championship in which I competed in the Pro Figure Division. I hadn’t competed in 4 years and I felt really rusty!!! I had to take this year off due to a hectic schedule, but I hope that I can be back in 2013!! You are NEVER too old to compete if you are interested. This show was 4 months after my 46th birthday! You can do whatever you put your mind to! Go for it and live your dream!!
~ Tara Marie
Dear Tara Marie,
I will be heading off to college in the fall and want to look and feel my best. How do I enjoy my social life at school without gaining the “Freshman 15?”
Thanks, Carla
Miami, FL
Dear Carla,
No problem! Want to have a social life but still watch your weight? There are easy ways to be festive but not pack on the pounds. Here are some tips to keep your waistline in check and still enjoy la dolce vita. When you go out to party remember these…AND have fun!
1. Don’t be a two-fisted eater. Slow down, chew, talk, and keep one hand free to wave at cute guys across the room!
2. Drink smart. If you want to drink alcohol, drink one glass of sparkling water between imbibing in the fun stuff! This will fill you up and slow down your intake of alcohol (and empty calories).
3. NEVER go to a party famished. There are two reasons for this: there may not be any healthy fare offered, and also, being hungry will undoubtedly lead to binge eating.
4. No loitering allowed! Back away from the buffet after you have filled a plate, and go to the other side of the room to mix and mingle. Lingering by the buffet table will encourage mindless eating.
5. Size matters! Instead of using an entrée plate, grab an appetizer plate and fill ‘er up. Our eyes can trick our brains into believing that we are getting more food when the plate looks full!
