New Year-New You
Same Old, Same Old

irst, congratulations to Donna and The Bluffton Breeze on the start of their THIRD YEAR! Taking on a new challenge and then having the drive and determination to see it through is an inspiration for us all. It is also a reminder -- the satisfaction in trying is more rewarding than the acceptance of defeat without even an attempt. You have no idea what you can accomplish until you try.

Is your resolution (even the secret one you keep only to yourself) the same old, same old as the past few years? You will eat better, exercise more, lose weight, spend more time with the family, make more money, start a new hobby, stop smoking, etc.

In December there was an article on how to make SMART goals. The one most important aspect to achieving a goal is taking the right path. You may want to drive to Denver, and if you head in a generally western direction, you might actually hit it. If you want to make sure you get there, you use a map, and occasionally you consult that map to make sure you haven’t wandered off the proper path.

Since the number one New Year’s goal I work with every year is weight loss (and weight management), let’s create your map. First, your map will take you 52 months – it is, after all, a new YEAR’s resolution, and even if you lose the weight in 8 weeks, you do want to keep it off, don’t you?

Next, you cannot make a goal that is more than 10% of your current body weight. So if you weigh 180 and want to weigh 125, your first goal is NO MORE THAN 18 pounds! A 10% body weight max weight loss goal is attainable both physically and psychologically – as long as you actually have the weight to lose. To those waifs who are seeking pencil-thinness, I suggest you speak with a psychologist. To those of us who actually need to lose 10 to 20 pounds, read on.

Because body weight fluctuates, and environmental things like weather, and internal things like fluid retention and medication, can effect your weight, you have to map points that are important:
Your goal is 1.5 pounds weight loss per week. To weigh yourself (and write it down!) once a week – at the same time each week (or as close as possible.) To accomplish this, your daily goal is to reduce caloric intake by about 400 calories – a candy bar, a couple of 16-ounce sodas, some bread and butter – not a lot to give up.

And you must add 20 to 30 minutes of exercise – a brisk walk, bike ride, or lift light weights (almost non-stop). Don’t do a set of 10 reps and then take a three-minute break!

Here Comes The Hard Part -
*THE DAILY JOURNAL!

On your refrigerator, place a monthly calendar.
At the top write: I WANT TO LOSE _____ POUNDS THIS MONTH!
No more than 6 to 7.5.

At the end of every day note (1) what thing you ate less of, and (2) what exercises you did that day to reach 20 to 30 minutes.

On your weigh-in day, circle your new weight with a quick comment -- YES! Or Tomorrow morning I start doing it right!

That’s it. A simple, easy map to follow. You are the starting point, your goal is the destination, and you have to take in a little less and move a little more each day to make progress. And you have to make written notes that show you are actually using your map.

Once you reach your goal, set another one, or just keep putting up your monthly calendar is a reminder to stick with your daily routine.

2005 -- Be Strong, Be Fit, Be Alive.

Stopping Smoking Means A Healthier Heart

ccording to the American Heart Association, a smoker’s risk of heart attack is more than twice that of a non-smoker. Smokers who do have a heart attack are more likely to die and die suddenly (within an hour). Cigarette smoking also acts with other risk factors to greatly increase the risk for heart disease. Each puff of nicotine from a cigarette temporarily increases a person’s heart rate, increasing blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor in all forms of heart disease.

The only way for smokers to significantly reduce these heart disease risk factors is to stop smoking. Many smokers choose the New Year as a target date for this important, but challenging, life change. Dr. Jack Frost of Frost Family Medicine recommends these four tactics to help you improve your odds to quit:

• Get ready – set a quit date and stick to it;
• Get support and encouragement – tell your family, friends, co-workers and health care provider that you are quitting;
• Get medication and use it correctly – talk with your health care provider about which medication (nicotine gum, nicotine patch, prescription medications, etc.) will work best for you; and
• Be prepared for relapses or difficult situations – eat a healthy diet and stay active, avoid alcohol and be careful around other smokers.

“It is important to learn new skills and behaviors to reduce stress, distract yourself from urges to smoke, and make changes in your routine so you won’t be tempted to smoke,” said Dr. Frost. Dr. Jack Frost is a Family Medicine physician who recently opened a practice in the Bluffton area.

If you are interested in smoking cessation or need to locate a new family physician, please contact Frost Family Medicine,
29 Plantation Park, Suite 204,
(843) 815-5211.

The Breeze monthly medical update is provided by Coastal Carolina Medical Center.