SparkPeople Community Director and Fitness Coach
Jen Mueller left her first career in corporate finance to earn a master's degree in health education. She is a busy mom of four and holds a number of fitness certifications (including ACE's Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist and Behavior Change Specialist). She is passionate about helping people reach their health and fitness goals. In her spare time, Jen loves running, kickboxing and spending time with her family. Jen enjoys blogging about raising healthy children and how small behavior changes can impact health and quality of life.
Read More of 's Blogs:
.jpg)
Think Twice Before Judging Others
I'm sure we all know what it's like to feel judged by someone else. Maybe it's because of the way you look, or the way you act, or something you've said. No matter what the reason, it probably didn't feel very good. I've always been sensitive. I remember my mom writing in my baby book that at age two "she has her feelings hurt easily." It's hard for me to feel criticized or misunderstood, and I tend to take things very personally.
Posted 8/18/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 132 comments 67,853 views
Does Chewing Gum Curb Your Appetite?
Over the years, I've had an "on and off" addiction to chewing gum. It seems like I go through phases, where I go through packs of gum like a smoker goes through packs of cigarettes. Then other times I kind of lose interest and stop buying it completely. My reason is more that I just like having something to keep me occupied. But a new study says chewing gum could actually help curb your appetite. Do you agree?
Posted 8/16/2011 6:00:00 PM By: : 121 comments 48,268 views
Why is Making Time for Ourselves So Difficult?
I consider myself to be a generally busy person. I balance family and a (part-time) career, and feel like I'm always on the go. For the most part, I like it that way. I like staying busy, and having good organizational skills makes it easier for me to get a lot done every day. But the one thing I've never been very good at, especially since having kids, is making time for myself. Exercise is a priority in my life, so I try to make room for that daily. I feel guilty if it takes time away from my kids, so usually I'll sacrifice sleep in the mornings so that I can squeeze in a quick workout. My diet is generally healthy, but I'm always more willing to spend time making a healthy lunch for my kids than I am to spend time making something for myself.
Posted 8/11/2011 12:00:00 PM By: : 43 comments 17,712 views
Mommyrexia: Growing Trend or Trendy Term?
Currently pregnant with my third child, I know what it's like to struggle with all of the changes a pregnant woman's body goes through. It can be hard to see your belly expanding in ways you never though possible, and dealing with other "fun" side effects like varicose veins, stretch marks and swelling. Although it's not easy, the end product (a beautiful baby) is worth it. Some pregnant women have a harder time with the weight gain than others, which has lead to a new trend called "mommyrexia." Is this really a widespread problem, or just media hype?
Posted 8/9/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 75 comments 153,294 views
How Well Do You Adapt to Change?
I've always been a creature of habit. I remember when I was young, I was reluctant to learn how to drive. I had a very hard time moving out of my parents house on my own. Any time there have been big changes in my life, it's usually taken quite a bit of adjustment. I've always been slightly envious of those people who are able to just "go with the flow" and take change as it comes. I've never been able to do that easily.
Posted 8/4/2011 6:00:00 PM By: : 61 comments 27,181 views
.jpg)
New Program Broadens Access to Healthy Foods
An estimated 23.5 million Americans (including 6.5 million children) live in areas where it is difficult to find healthy, affordable foods. Commonly referred to as "food deserts", residents might have to drive 10 miles or more to find stores with items they can afford. Even then, these stores might not carry important items like fruits and vegetables. Now a new program between major retailers and the Partnership for a Healthier America (started by Michelle Obama) aims to give these areas better access to foods that are a key part of a healthy diet.
Posted 8/2/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 37 comments 17,679 views
Easy Access Doesn't Always Equal Better Food Choices
Does having easy access to supermarkets affect people's food choices? You'd think that if you have good access to things like fruits and vegetables, you're less likely to go for fast-food or other convenience items that have a long shelf life. But a new study says that income and proximity to fast food restaurants actually matter more than proximity to supermarkets in the battle against obesity.
Posted 7/26/2011 6:00:00 PM By: : 30 comments 18,250 views
No Workout Buddy? Virtual Partners Motivate Just as Well
I lived in Memphis for a few years and had a great running partner when I was there. Some days we'd meet at 4:30 a.m. to squeeze in a speed workout before starting the rest of the day. Would I have gotten up that early to run in the dark on my own? Probably not. Since we both moved away, I haven't found another partner who can easily meet when I'm free and wants to train for the same distances. I do most of my runs solo these days, which can be tough for motivation.
Working out with a buddy can make the experience more enjoyable, and also push you to work harder than you would have alone. But what happens when you don't have someone to do it with you? Are you doomed to fall off of the exercise bandwagon? Not necessarily. A new study reveals that working out with a virtual partner can help increase motivation.
Posted 7/21/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 21 comments 38,882 views
Overweight Children More Likely to be Bullied
When I was young, I had some run-ins at school with bullies. It was very hard at the time, and I remember going home every afternoon for a while, crying to my mom about it. Lucky for me, it didn't last long, and I didn't grow up at a time where kids could be bullied in so many different ways- at school, on Facebook or through other social media outlets.
Bullying is such a serious issue these days that many kids feel the need to fit in so that they don't stand out from the rest. For some, it's important to look like all of their friends (not too heavy, not too thin), get grades like their friends (not too high, not too low) and have the same extracurricular interests. I can't imagine being under that kind of pressure. A recent study shows that children who are overweight are not only more likely to have health issues later in life, but are also more likely to be bullied.
Posted 7/19/2011 6:00:00 PM By: : 47 comments 22,248 views
What Really Works to Keep the Weight Off
If you've ever lost weight and then worked on maintaining that loss, you know that it's not as simple as one might think. Figuring out the balance between how much to eat and how much to exercise can be tricky. But there's often more to it than that. A new study of maintainers has found that the strategies they used to lose the weight are not quite the same as the ones they use to maintain it long-term.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, "analyzed survey responses from 926 people who were overweight (whose BMI was over 25) and had tried with varying degrees of success to lose weight and keep it off. The responses detailed whether they used 36 specific weight-control practices either in losing weight or keeping it off. They defined successful weight loss as losing 10 percent of body weight, and weight maintenance as keeping that 10 percent off for one year.
Maintaining weight loss is typically more challenging than taking the weight of initially. On average, most people regain the weight within 3 to 5 years, and eventually the weight loss cycle begins again. According to the study, it's not the balance of calories in versus calories out that is the biggest hurdle for maintainers. Researchers found two techniques that were particularly effective for keeping the weight off:
1. Remind yourself why you need to control your weight (whether it's simply for better health, to keep up with your young children, to accomplish a fitness-related goal, etc.)
2. Reward yourself for sticking to your diet and exercise plan. Just because you are no longer reaching weight loss milestones does not mean that you don't deserve recognition for the accomplishment of continuing to work hard and maintain your weight.
Posted 7/14/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 43 comments 22,976 views
Late-Talkers Not Always Cause for Concern
My mom always likes to tell people how I was talking in complete sentences at 18 months old. So when my children reached that age and weren't saying much at all, she kept asking "Why aren't they talking?" I didn't feel pressure for my kids to talk early, and told her that I knew they comprehended most of what I said. So if they didn't talk until they were ready, I was fine with it. I talk to my children a lot (on their level, not using baby-talk) and read to them daily. I felt like I was doing what I needed to do to help them develop good communication skills, and sometime after turning 2, the words starting coming (and haven't stopped since!)
Any time I see infomercials for products that claim to help babies learn to talk, I have to chuckle. I think baby sign language is great (and have used it with both of my kids), but I didn't feel like pushing my kids to talk earlier than most was going to make them more successful later in life. I respect parents who feel differently, but that's just my opinion. A new research study has found that late-talkers are at no greater risk for behavioral and emotional problems than toddlers who talk much earlier.
Posted 7/12/2011 6:00:00 PM By: : 36 comments 24,904 views
Will Photo Editing Eventually be a Thing of the Past?
I've never been a big fan of fashion magazines for a number of reasons. First, I've never considered myself to be a "fashionista". If you saw me on the street, my standard outfit is usually sweatpants and a t-shirt. Second, I always end up irritated at the pictures of skinny models in the advertisements and articles. These images are unrealistic to 99.9% of the people looking at them, yet so many (especially young girls) strive to look this way and beat themselves up when they fall short. Some of these models truly look like the pictures portray, but most have the benefit of photo-editing software (commonly referred to as "Photoshopping") to smooth out every line and give a look of perfection. Now the American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted a policy discouraging this practice.
Posted 7/7/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 50 comments 16,653 views
When Your Body Speaks, Do You Listen?
I've always been someone who pushes myself, whether during a workout, setting goals or finishing a daily to-do list. Sometimes that's a good quality to have because I'm able to accomplish a lot of things (like running marathons or balancing work with the demands of raising young children.) Sometimes, it's not such a great quality to possess, because I tend to ignore the signs from my body that it's time to slow down. I've been doing a lot of ignoring lately, and I'm starting to realize that it could do more harm than good.
Posted 7/5/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 35 comments 18,916 views
You're Never Too Young for High Blood Pressure
When I was young, I remember my grandmother religiously taking her blood pressure medication. I always thought that high blood pressure was mostly a problem for the elderly, but that's no longer the case. According to statistics from the American Heart Association, about 74.5 million people in the United States ages 20 and older have high blood pressure. You'd think that the number of younger people with the condition is relatively small. But according to a recent survey, the number could be much higher than previously thought.
Posted 6/30/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 29 comments 40,403 views
.jpg)
My Foray into Vegetable Gardening
I've been saying for years that I want to start my own garden. I love this time of year when farmer's markets open, and each week, and vendors have new things to try. I always go and think "I'm sure it couldn't be that hard to grow my own tomatoes. I need to do that next year." I have co-workers who have encouraged me to try it for a long time. But I think I was intimidated, worrying that I'd put a bunch of time and effort into something that all of the animals in my backyard would end up eating instead of me. Or what if the things I tried to grow just didn't work at all?
Posted 6/28/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 105 comments 23,939 views
‹ Back Read More Entries ›
