3155: Parents Influence On Eating Behavior AND How to Create a Good Exercise Program by Chalene Johnson on Positive Parenting

[00:00:00] Hey, it's Justin from Optimal Living Daily. Before we start, I want to share a super powerful practice I use called NSDR or Non-Sleep Deep Rest. In just about 10 minutes or so, this Yoga Nidra practice leaves you feeling as refreshed as after a nap without actually sleeping. Experience it for yourself on our guided podcast. Search NSDR and look for the one from Optimal Living Daily.

[00:00:26] Hello, everybody, and thank you so much for joining me here on another weekly bonus episode of ORD. I'm your host, Greg Audino, and in this week's Sunday Extra, we're going to be sharing an old episode from Optimal Health Daily. I think you're going to like this one. So without further ado, let's hear Dr. Neil's narration and commentary as we optimize your life. Parents Influence On Eating Behavior by Chalene Johnson of ChaleneJohnson.com

[00:00:56] Most parents want to influence the eating behavior or eating habits of their children in a positive way. I imagine that most probably think they do. Who wants to see their child unhealthy, right? But sadly, there are startling new statistics on childhood obesity in the United States that would suggest parents are getting it wrong. Intentions aside, this is a problem.

[00:01:19] For example, the prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. has climbed to 19%. It now affects nearly 14 million children and adolescents. Obesity in children ages 2 to 5 is nearing 14%. I'm not referring to kids who are above their weight. I'm talking obese children. Nearly 20% of children ages 6 to 11 are obese. As kids get older, they just keep getting more and more obese.

[00:01:47] Nearly 21% of children who are above their weight. Nearly 21% of children who are aged 12 to 19 are obese. Now, as awful as this is, it's also encouraging. Parents, I'm telling you, there's actually good news in this. Why? Well, we're talking about children, and that means we can do something about it. Here are five ways parents can make a change. Number one, labeling your child. When a parent says, well, we're big people, or

[00:02:17] we are blank, then insert the name of your nationality, and we eat a lot, or we've just got big thighs, or our family's just known for having big bellies. Whatever it is, it's like you're giving your child your beliefs about body image. How were you labeled as a child? What labels are you passing on to your children? Remember, all of it sends a message. Number two, stating food as being good or bad.

[00:02:46] Yes, parents, I know your next question. Well then, how do I teach my child what is healthy? Answer, by talking about what's healthy and what is less than healthy. So many of us have difficult relationships with food because of the labels, and the way things were, positioned for us at an early age by our parents. Like, oh, that's bad. No, don't eat that. If you're a kid and you eat food labeled bad, doesn't that make you bad?

[00:03:17] Number three, don't compare. Comparing your child's weight to anyone else's, their friends, siblings, a TV star, and so on, is a big no-no. They're doing that all by themselves. Trust me, it's inevitable. Never tease them. Little jokes like, oh, that's our big eater. Or, that's our chunky one. Or, she's our skinny mini. We'll live with them forever and reinforce poor self-esteem issues. Number four,

[00:03:46] don't speak negatively about yourself. Making faces and pulling at your clothing and talking about how you don't feel good about what the scale says or how you've always struggled with your weight or whatever it is you say is directly putting those words into your child's head. They're going to play them on loop for the rest of their lives. And number five, policing your children. As parents, it's super hard not to criticize your kids' behavior

[00:04:13] when you see them reaching for their fifth bowl of strawberries, for instance. Now, I'm not saying your kids shouldn't have fruit, obviously. Of course, they should. But at a certain point, you might find yourself saying, okay, do you really need that? I've personally heard from thousands and thousands of people who struggle with their weight today. And they remember some of those early comments made by well-meaning parents. I thought you were trying to lose weight. Are you sure you need that? You can't still be hungry.

[00:04:42] These comments hurt our kids. How to Create a Good Exercise Program by Chalene Johnson of chalenejohnson.com Getting you the body you deserve takes figuring out what style of fitness works best for you. Ultimately, the exercise program that provides the best results is the one you'll do consistently and intensely. For some, the best exercise program

[00:05:11] might be running and yoga, while a combination of swimming and strength training works best for others. There's little benefit to prescribing a one-size-fits-all exercise program because you get the best results when you figure out what you'll stick to. I could tell you what I think works for most people, but I genuinely believe you need to learn the most effective exercise parameters and then blend them into your own program. Exercise Principles In the study of exercise science, there are several

[00:05:40] universally held principles scientifically shown to provide optimal physical and mental health. Phew, that made me sound super smart. I get like that when I talk fitness. Let me back up and present this in understandable terms. When I set out to create an at-home exercise program, I always start with science as my foundation. Adding trendy, exciting components to an exercise program is simple, provided you let science be your guide. These components can be reduced

[00:06:09] to three basic fitness facts that your customized exercise program must include. So, consider them as you create the workout plan that gets you to the body you deserve. 1. Individual Difference Everyone is different. One size does not fit all. Individual variables that affect exercise include age, body weight, dietary history, genetics, medical conditions, injuries, and gender just to name a few.

[00:06:39] With these in mind, when I create at-home exercise programs, I spend a lot of time developing options that include instructions for beginners, differing directives for athletes, and special considerations for those with knee and back issues. Regardless of how many concerns I devote to individual variables, there's still a pretty good chance that the workouts might not be the right fit for every person who tries them. Your exercise plan must take into consideration your personal fitness objectives

[00:07:09] and your unique variables. 2. The overload principle The overload principle is a process of training that addresses how your body responds to change and incorporates exercises you must do to create improvement. When the systems of your body take on more load or greater intensity, longer duration, or anything that's tougher, more stressful, or even just different from what you've done in the past, the body says, in the event

[00:07:38] you do this again, we'll be ready. To improve your fitness, strength, or endurance, you need to challenge your body accordingly. In order for a muscle, including your heart, to strengthen, gradually push it to work harder. By working against a load greater than it is used to, via greater intensity, longer duration, or both, the muscles get challenged and rise to the occasion. If change is what you desire, your regular exercise routine

[00:08:07] must be something that is tougher, longer, or more challenging than what you are doing right now. And three, adaptation avoidance. Adaptation refers to the body's ability to predict what's coming next. Your magnificent body adjusts intuitively to meet increased or decreased physical demands. So, doing the same exercise or practicing the same skill or physical activity makes it easier to perform. To avoid experiencing adaptation,

[00:08:37] you can add elements, expand duration, increase intensity, and generally create a change of intensity or duration every 30 days. Change elements of intensity, duration, or overall challenge in your regular program to avoid exercise adaptation. Consider these three components when creating your exercise program. Using these components to your benefit may just help you get to the body you deserve faster and more efficiently.

[00:09:08] You just listened to the posts titled Parents' Influence on Eating Behavior and How to Create a Good Exercise Program both by Chalene Johnson of chalenejohnson.com and I'll be right back with my commentary. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. I want to talk more about Chalene's second post, Creating a Good Exercise Program. It may be hard to believe since I've made a career out of discussing lifestyle habits, but I wasn't always interested in eating well,

[00:09:38] let alone exercising. I played sports as a kid but only because I was forced to. I asked my parents once whether I could be an armchair athlete, meaning instead of playing sports could I just spend my time watching them on TV. Obviously, that was a hard no but after trying lots of different sports from baseball to soccer to tennis to swimming to surfing to boxing weightlifting boot camp classes and so on, I found what I liked and what I didn't like.

[00:10:08] The ones I liked, I stuck to. The ones I didn't, I got rid of them. So, while it may seem like you don't like any form of activity at all right now, I actually doubt that's true. I'm sure there is something that you enjoy. Just keep trying new things and I promise you'll find it. After all, if I could find it, you can too. Alright, that'll do it for the Monday episode. Thank you so much for being here every day. Thank you for sharing this show with someone else.

[00:10:38] I hope you have a great start to your week and I'll be right back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits.