Fall weather Seasonal Affective Disorder and Holiday Treats + 360 Video

Greetings Friends,




We find ourselves at the end of September once again. The daylight is almost exactly equal to night hours. It should be getting colder although we just had 3 90 degree days in Minnesota which breaks all sorts of records. School is in swing for children along with all of the PTA PTO, lessons and practices for parents. Everything seems to combine and make it hard to lose weight. But if you do it right this can be one of most beautiful and comfortable times of year to exercise.

The light is fading so what do you do?
Many doctors suggest bright lights in the morning and a broad spectrum light box for 20-30 minutes a day. The Mayo clinic suggest that 80 percent or more of people living in a northern climate experience some degree of SAD marked by a general decline in energy and active hours.  You don't need to let this get you down just take some steps to deal with it.

 Going outside is the biggest way to get sunlight. Even on a cloudy or winter day the sun is many many times brighter than lights inside your home or work and your mind will know the difference. When it gets really dark out try to take a short walk during your lunch or coffee break when it is light outside. You should also consider drinking more water and supplementing with natural vitamins.


I love this season for getting out and going for a run or walk. Its cool and you can dress in layers to stay warm starting and work into a nice sweat in the cooler comfortable weather. This time of year I switch from road biking to mountain biking to take advantage of the colors and eventually change to fat biking in the snow. If you are local to the Twin Cities I would love to have you join me on a ride. Aside from outdoors many health clubs start to ramp up with youth and adult evening programs. I know I put most of my muscle on over the winter. I usually hit the gym 3-5 days a week and concentrate on free weights and muscle building activities along with low impact cardio. Two great ways to also deal with SAD.



I love the Danish way of dealing with the winter months. They take a month or more off work and stay at home. Hygge - get cozy at home, bundle up with lots of candles and a fire, sip some tea and get close with loved ones. I know I am stocked up with candles, wood and my favorite Harney and Sons tea!

How ever you do it enjoy the season!

I  am working to lose some weight and making sure I think long term but its one bite at a time. At 35 I find I can no longer exercise off the weight I put on from eating more than I should. I have also been finding that I like the sweets that my kids bring home more than I used to. Maybe I am just exerting less willpower. The trick it so be kind to yourself and love your body. You may not be in the shape that you want to be in or that the crossfit ads you see on facebook show but your body is the only one you have. Negativity never helped anyone, but is has hurt a lot of people. Work on one day at a time, eat as well as you can and move your body. See friends, get outside and laugh a lot.

Until we meet again,

Blessing and be well!

-Gabe

Fall is here time for Weight to Fall off =)

I have been waiting to post something until I felt like I was losing weight. I am currently at 275. A bit up from what I was at this time last year. I was feeling down until I read a blog from the trucker in Fat, Sick and Nearly dead. He talked about re gaining the weight that he had lost and about his struggle to hide his gain and exclude himself from life. 

It is darn hard to be an overweight person. Many lean people may say that we do it to ourselves and I don't disagree but there is much more to it than being lazy and choosing to eat more than we should.

I know what my triggers are, if I am stressed or sad or tired or stressed I will eat more and I will eat things I should not be eating. The way I eat reminds me of talks with my Grandma Betty she would always tell me about how she was given sweet things when she was sad. This was continued by my late Grandpa Gerald who always gave  grandma chocolates for every holiday and if she was mad or sad about anything. 

Grandma has since lost all of the weight because of her Parkinson's but the idea is still there. We as parents should not do to our children what was done to us. Bad food should not be used as a reward or a crutch when we are emotionally low. 

As we approach the holidays I need to watch out for sugar. If I have one thing I can't control well it is my desert or candy eating when there is a lot around. With kids this gets even worse than for single people. We get as much as 50-60 pounds of candy on Halloween alone.

So this fall I have started watching my intake, working out more and biking to work.

I will be going in for varicose vein surgery soon. It has been causing me pain for some time and even though I have to pay for it out of pocked and I am very nervous I am moving forward. My Dr said it should make working out less pain full and my legs will be less tired.

I also started using my SAD light for the fall. If you don't have one  or have never tried one I recommend it. My light helps me feel more energized and positive when we lose our sun in Minnesota winters.

The most important of all things to do this fall is exercise. Make a plan and stick to it all winter.  Exercise is the best way to lose weight, feel energized, shed stress and overall improve your life.

I put a challenge out there to myself. If I get below 260 ( which I will do) I am buying myself a Framed Minnesota 2.0 bike (fat tire) to try winter bike commuting.

I have started to lose weight again and I have a long way to go but I am positive. I wish you the best in your goals and I hope to see you soon.

Keep up the great work towards a better you!

-Gabe