AFFIRMATIVE LIFE MANAGEMENT SKILLS: ACHIEVING A BETTER FIT

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AFFIRMATIVE LIFE MANAGEMENT SKILLS ACHIEVING A
BETTER FIT

• Presented by
• Joe Prieto, Counselor, Hinsdale Central HS
• Cris Legner, Coordinator of Admissions, College
  of DuPage
• IACAC Annual Conference
• May 4, 2005
• Arlington Heights, IL

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Overview

• Self-Nurturing Assessment Test
• Diet and Exercise
• Beyond Diet and Exercise
• Questions and Sharing

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Self-Nurturing Assessment Test

• HOW DID YOU DO?
• 10 49 points Self care is lacking
• 50 79 points Not bad, room to improve
• 80-100 Great--You can present next year!
• Assessment test provided with permission from
  Colleen Morgan, Advisor, College of DuPage

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Whats It All About?

• Affirmative adj 3 positive
• Life n 1 a the quality that distinguishes a
  vital functioning being from a dead body or
  purely chemical matter
• Management n 1 the act or art of managing
  CONTROL, DIRECTION 2 judicious use of means to
  accomplish an end
• Skill(s) n 3 a learned power of doing a
  thing competently a developed aptitude or
  ability
• Source Websters Seventh New Collegiate
  Dictionary (Springfield, Massachusetts).

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Survey Questions

• I would like to get more done at night, but I am
  always too tired.
• I know I should eat better, but my crazy schedule
  keeps me from doing better meal planning.
• I am going to hit the gym hard next week and
  start losing some weight.
• I wish I could get more restful sleep.
• I would like to fit into my clothes better (and
  keep fitting in them).

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Session Background Hurting the ones I love

• Mr. Prieto needs to be more willing to reach out
  and seek advice when something might not be as
  familiar to him as he would like. Mr. Prieto has
  a tendency to internalize stress and pushes to
  do it all.

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Being on the right track doesnt matter
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Setting new goals

• Get back into wardrobe
• Plan better dinners
• Have lunch help me work, not work against me
• Make moderate adjustments in food intake i.e.,
  reduce caloric level of two meals each day
• Increase daily caloric expenditure

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Setting new goals (cont.)

• Devise and begin patterned/diverse exercise
  program to
• Reduce my waist size.
• Tone my upper body.
• Increase my endurance.
• Extend my range of flexibility.
• Increase my overall strength through moderate and
  sensible weight training.
• Avoid the soreness, injury, frustration, and
  boredom that leads to quitting.
• Be creative and patient when I plateau.
• Not just talk the talk, but walk the walk
  from experience.
• Set new standards of what the average person can
  do with a little persistence.
• Increase daily productivity time by adding one
  more thing to my schedule.
• Be a better life partner and parent.
• By having more energy and feeling better, I will
  be more effective in serving my students.

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Issue recognition and firmness of purpose

• Assessment of daily stress and time usage
  patterns and compensatory behaviors
• Whos the boss? Who and what really matters?
• Having it all may not be possible, but I will
  have as much as possible on my own terms.
• I will leave the house with a clear conscience.
• I will not be desk and pile driven.
• I may eat lunch at my desk, but it will be by
  choice and not by necessity.

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Defining sensible/reasonable exercise
decisions, decisions.

• Aerobic Treadmill
• Non-Aerobic Stairmaster
• Walking Frequency? Schwinn Airdyne
• Running School Track
• Weight/Strength Training
• Universal/Free Weights

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Defining proper nutrition.

• Food reality Numero Uno Sammy Hagar cant
  drive 55. Joe cant diet. You have to ask
  yourself the question What can you do
  without?
• Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?
• Three meals?
• Five to six small meals?
• Frozen or home-cooked?
• See also sections on Meal Sequencing and Fall
  Prep

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GETTING STARTED FIVE WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT

• 1. Work out before breakfast. Monique Ryan, a
  sports nutritionist and author and author of,
  Sports Nutrition For Endurance Athletes (Velo
  Press), believes that, Its a fact that you burn
  a greater percentage of fat before breakfastA
  moderate 30 minute exercise session, or even a
  brisk walk, is all you need to draw on your fat
  stores to fuel your activity and spark your
  metabolism.

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FIVE WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT (CONT.)

• 2. Learn to love dairy. According to Robert P.
  Heaney, professor of medicine at Creighton
  University , Substituting three or four servings
  of meats and starches with non or low-fat
  servings of yogurt, cheese or milk each day can
  help you lose an average of 15 pounds over the
  course of a year. How? And Why? Naturally
  occurring calcium, which induces the body to
  metabolize fat more efficiently.

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FIVE WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT (CONT.)

• 3. Avoid liquid calories. A can of soda is
  loaded with sugar and it doesnt fill you up as
  well as a piece of fruit. With the exception of
  milk, liquid calories dont cause your body to
  register a sense of fullness. As a result, you
  stay hungrier, consume more calories, and gain
  more weight.

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FIVE WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT (CONT.)

• 4.Walk after dinner. According to Carl Foster, a
  professor in the department of exercise and
  sports science at the University of
  Wisconsin-LaCrosse, a brisk walk after dessert,
  while slow enough not to interfere with
  digestion, burns up to 100 calories and reduces
  the amount of fat-promoting insulin released into
  your body.

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FIVE WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT (CONT.)

• 5. Late night? Eat meat. For a protein-rich
  snack, eat a slice of turkey instead of an orange
  or a slice of toast. The sugar and carbs in the
  latter two stimulate the production of insulin,
  changing the way your liver processes glucose,
  turning it into fat.
• Source Outside (February, 2005) pg. 50.

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Defining adequate rest, and relaxation/recreation

• Sleep restriction/deprivation wears down your
  body and beats up your brain. These are among the
  chief side effects of not giving the Sandman his
  due
• Heart Disease According to a study in the
  Archives of Internal Medicine, those who average
  less than five hours of sleep are nearly twice as
  likely to have a coronary, or die from one
• Weight gain According to Jan Klauser, an
  obesity researcher at New York Citys St
  Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital, Sleep deprivation
  disrupts your metabolism, seriously sabotaging
  efforts to maintain an ideal weight. Fat cells -
  gt the hormone leptin -gt peaks during sleep. Sleep
  deprivation also causes a drop in the production
  of human growth hormone.

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• Poor sex drive According to Jon L. Pryor, a
  professor of urologic surgery at the University
  of Minnesota, sleep deprivation can increase the
  risk of erectile dysfunction. Your testosterone
  level plummets and you are just too tired to care
  or to maintain interest.
• Weakened immune system A study reported in the
  Journal of The American Medical Association found
  that, when two groups were given a flu vaccine,
  those who were considered to be sleep-deprived
  built up only half the level of anti-bodies than
  their fully rested counterparts.
• Mental slowness According to Sara Mednik,
  Ph.D., a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute,
  Studies done on visual perception, motor skills,
  and creative tasks all show that if you dont
  sleep enough, learning just doesnt happen.
• Source Mens Fitness, (August, 2004), pp. 91-93.

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• See also, section on Sleep, Rest, and Stress
• Quiet time
• Hobbies and diversions

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An elusive butterfly the efficient use of
time

• Timing is everything
• Merging errand runs
• Multi-tasking household activities
• Bringing closure to projects

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The implications of stress on daily and long-term
health

• Its not a myth chronic or acute periods of
  high stress can increase your risk of developing
  certain diseases. Over 50 of deaths in the US
  can be attributed to behavioral and social causes
  such as personality, lifestyle and environment.
  Further studies show that both exercising
  regularly and maintaining a circle of supportive
  friends help reduce the effects of chronic
  stress i.e., the extent to which it contributes
  to the development of disease.
• Source Fitness, (June, 2004) pg. 137

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• Stress is sometimes described as, the
  perception that events or circumstances have
  either challenged or exceeded our ability to
  cope.
• Information on whether that state of equilibrium,
  homeostasis, or balance is being maintained,
  disturbed, or threatened is processed and
  responded to by the central nervous system.

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• Hans Selye the general adaptation or, fight
  or flight syndrome
• Alarm ? Resistance ? Exhaustion
• Adrenal glands ? Blood vessels ?
  Digestive system

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• A question of control multi-tasking means
  multi-accountabilities and which, at times,
  results in conflicting demands and responses.
  Feeling overmatched, confused, and overwhelmed
  often results.
• Living on the edge can be a rush, but it can
  strain personal and professional relationships
  and, over time, possibly lead to the development
  of a bungee-cord mentality.

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THE STRESS-FAT CONNECTION

• Both fleeting and chronic stress have the same
  effect they initiate the release of adrenaline
  and cortisol. Adrenaline causes your pulse to
  accelerate and elevates your blood pressure. It
  also dampens your appetite. The signals that
  cortisol sends to your muscles and fat cells
  cause them release carbohydrates and fat for
  quick energy.
• As your body returns to a normal state, cravings
  are indicative of a need to replenish these
  nutrients. Consumption of high-carbohydrate and
  high-fat foods answer these cravings and also
  boost levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that
  helps you feel relaxed.

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THE STRESS FAT CONNECTION (CONT.)

• However when stress is chronic, the flow of
  cortisol continues and so do the cravings. At
  this same time, the body starts producing
  insulin, a hormone that stores any excess
  calories from carbohydrates and fats as
  fatWorse, the weight you gain from chronic
  stress is more likely to settle around your
  middle. The fat cells inside your abdomen are
  most responsive to an increase in cortisol
  because theyre closest to the liver, where
  calories are metabolized.
• Unfortunately, the abdomen is the most dangerous
  area on the body to gain excess weight
  apple-shaped people have a greater risk of heart
  disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes,
  and
• cancer.
• Source Fitness (October, 2001) pg. 55-57.

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BEYOND DIET AND EXERCISE

• Who Am I?
• Baby Boomer Type A Personality
• Over Achiever Type E Professional
• Want it All! Catholic-school educated
• Oldest Child Syndrome ENFP---Huge F
• Want to Make a Difference in Peoples Lives
• Energized by People

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Type E Women and theStruggle for Balance

• Try to do too much
• Poor delegators
• Concern with excellence at everything
• Job must be done as you would do it
• Maintaining control and quality means doing
  everything yourself
• Cannot say No
• Energized when people say We need you
• taken from presentation material prepared by
  Marguerite Waters, North Central College

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Type E Traits and Cris at her Worst

• Not enough time to go around
• Feel rushed-pressured-hassled-pulled in all
  directions-frustrated-overwhelmed-out of control
• Viewed by others with unlimited resources and
  always available with time/energy/ideas
• Feel leaned on more than I feel I can lean on
  others
• Always seem to end up in charge

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• Asked to present for this session
• What Can I Offer?

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A Strong and Affirming Support System

• Family
• Encouragement
• Reality checks
• Acceptance of limitations
• Have fun together
• Admission-Registration-Records Leadership Group
• Personal and professional support
• Book Clubs
• Conference bracelets
• Celebrationsbirthday and COD anniversaries
• Breakfast meetings

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• Friends in lots of places
• Have a best girlfriend
• Couple friends/travel partners
• College friends
• Church friends
• Church
• Parish community
• Small Christian community
• Diaconate formation community

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• Colleagues in the profession
• IACAC
• AACRAO
• IACRAO
• ICCARROO

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DAILY POSITIVE INTERACTIONS

• Extending positive emotions can lengthen lifespan
  by 10 years
• Bucket Filling philosophy
• Prevent Bucket Dipping
• Shine a Light on What is Right
• Make Best Friends
• Give Unexpectedly
• Reverse the Golden Rule

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• Companions on the journey belief
• Were all in this together
• Here to help each other
• Fish Philosophy
• Play
• Make Their Day
• Be There
• Choose Your Attitude

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• Rudy Guilianis Leadership Principles
• Develop Beliefs
• Be an Optimist
• Courage
• Relentless Preparation
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Love and Care about People
• Taken from Rudy Guilianis book Principles of
  Leadership

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Positive Impact Test Questions

• (Condensed from book How Full is Your Bucket )
• I have helped someone in the last 24 hours
• I have praised someone in the last 24 hours
• I have developed a knack for making other people
  feel good
• I have told someone I care about him or her in
  the last 24 hours
• In the last week, I have listened to someone talk
  through their goals and ambitions
• I make unhappy people laugh
• I always smile at people I meet

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START OVER OFTEN

• View everyday as a new start
• Get up and try again

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SPIRITUALITY

• Deep faith
• Connect with something beyond myself
• Its not all about me
• Called to serve one another
• Forming the heart
• Gives me peace

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Self-Nurturing/Re-Energizing Tips

• Fresh flowers on table every week
• Vanilla Lattes
• DQ ice cream cone on Friday on way home from work
• Dunkin Donut coffee
• Friday night out with husband
• Eating dinner at the table
• Browsing at Barnes and Noble
• Drive to work with sunroof open
• Hot summer dayssun roof open/windows open/
  air-conditioning on
• Salsa dance lessons

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• French language lessons
• Traveling
• Craft painting
• Singing in the car to favorite CDs
• Reading at end of day (even if only 5 min)
• Girls Nights Out
• Hugs
• Calling an old friend
• Eating breakfast on patio
• Volunteer for a causeRelay for Life/Sleepout for
  Homeless

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FINAL THOUGHTS

• You are worthy of the same attention and time you
  give to others
• The choices you make create the life you live
• Life is shortbuy the shoes!
• Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery,
  today is a gift and thats why they call it the
  Present