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Smaller Steps Can Get You On Steady Fitness Track

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 21, 2009

Moderation: An essential word when you're trying to optimize wellness.

Keep that word in mind, and goals will last a lot longer, say Dallas-based health and exercise experts Regina Coreil and Ginger Schirmer.

"When you give them a whole list, it's overwhelming and very defeating," Schirmer says. "But give them something very easy to do. They become their own modifier and change their own lifestyle."

How? Use the word itself to spur you on:

M - Make realistic promises. If a client says he wants to lose 100 pounds, Coreil asks, "What do you want to do in the next 90 days?"

"Give us two to three days of your time, 30 minutes to an hour each time, and gently move into it," she says.

O - Opt for fiber. Schirmer, a dietitian, says fiber fills you up as well as - well, you know. Start with five extra grams per day per week, which you can do with half a bowl of Kashi or All-Bran cereal. Gradually add more.

D - Ditch a soda a day. Says Ginger: "If you do that and change nothing else, you'll lose 15 pounds a year." Try a small piece of fruit instead of drinking juice.

E - Eat well; perfectly isn't necessary. "If I make recommendations on what they hate, it won't work," Coreil says. "If they say a hamburger, I'll say make sure it's grilled, that you use a whole-wheat bun and don't put all the greasy stuff on. Have a baked potato, a small one, instead of french fries."

R - Remember to only do it if you're doing it for yourself. That's how you will stick with it.

A - Add the good stuff a little at a time. Start with a 10-minute walk around the block or on the treadmill.

T - Take the time. You didn't get out of shape overnight; you won't get into shape overnight.

I - Incentives help. It's OK, Coreil says, to say you had a good diet week so, "I'll reward myself with cheesecake." The catch: eat one small piece slowly.

O - Overcome the odds. Only about 20 percent of the population has been in shape, Coreil says. Success stories aren't the norm. But you can do it, bit by bit.

N - Nice and slow, livable and attainable. That's Schirmer's mantra.

The Dallas Morning News

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