Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 21, 2021, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE C2 C 2 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMARTS ● LIFE I HEALTH Make choices Future You will thank you for I RECENTLY had a frank conversa-tion with a friend who set a reso-lution to lose 60 pounds back in January. He owned up to the fact he’s actually about eight pounds heavier than he was when he set that goal. The look he had as his voice broke up a bit was that old familiar emotion we’ve all experienced: regret. I know the feeling well. Perhaps my biggest regret is that I didn’t apply myself in my teens and early 20s on the way to gaining 50 pounds. In junior high, for example, I hadn’t hit my major weight-gain phase (just pleasantly plump at that point) and was given a spot on the volleyball team because of a recent growth spurt and a lack of options. But instead of going to sleep early and focusing on proper nutrition and conditioning, I spent my time doing all the wrong things, like staying up until 2 a.m. playing Everquest. And when I didn’t get playing time, I blamed the coach. Instead of realizing it was within me to improve and earn the right to be out there, I sulked. I quit the team after a public shouting match with the coach, in fact. The worst part? It wasn’t hard to quit because quitting was my default setting whenever anything got hard back then. At the time, I didn’t have the experience or maturity to realize hard things are an opportunity to rise above and move ahead. If you take the easy route in life, you end up facing hardships. This wasn’t something I understood at the time. And the truth is, that volleyball failure was the springboard to gaining a pile of weight. Even now, 20-plus years later, I try not to think about my disappointing “effort” in junior high and high school. It wasn’t just in athletics, either. That lack of effort parlayed into friend- ships I didn’t work on developing and maintaining and now I don’t have those childhood buddies to lean on in my cur- rent stage of life. Nor did I really apply myself in academics. Circling back to my friend, the good news for him (and for you reading this as well) is there’s a simple way to make sure you never regret anything again: Consistent effort in pursuit of a goal. If you put your whole butt into it, you can’t possibly feel regret later, even if it doesn’t work out as perfectly as planned. Nowadays, if I ever have a choice of two paths, and one is substantially more work but presents a substantially greater internal and external reward, I’ve gotten in the habit of choosing the latter. Because it’s practically a law of na- ture that things that come from doing hard things reward more than things that come easy. So, no, it’s not “good things come to those who wait” but it is “good things come to those who are patiently persis- tent in pursuit of their goals.” Why it’s so easy to fall off the wagon If you’ve ever fallen off the wagon (particularly on weekends), just know it’s normal. I’m dieting right now and had a tough time with all the social events surrounding Banjo Bowl. Every day and every decision you face creates a tug-o-war between who you are right now (Present You) and who you want to be in the future (Future You). Present You is the irrational part that wants to live in the moment. YOLO. Burger and beers and late nights. Forget heart disease, that’s a problem for Future Me, not Present Me! Future You, meanwhile, is the mature, rational part of you that wants to do all the things it knows it should be doing, like eating better, going to the gym, getting enough sleep, and em- bracing good old delayed gratification. So how do you beat that punk kid Present You at its own game? Set small, achievable goals Remember, Present You is the tod- dler inside that doesn’t want to do anything other than the things that de- liver immediate pleasure. So if you set a goal that’s too overwhelming, you’re going to lose out to Present You sooner than later when it gets too difficult. Instead, you want to set small, re- alistic goals you’re confident you can achieve. This was popularized as the Goldilocks Rule by James Clear, and basically states that humans experi- ence peak motivation when working on tasks that are right on the edge of their current abilities. Not too easy, but not too hard. Just right. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, for example, break it down into five- to 10-pound chunks. Five to 10 is less daunting than 50; it’s also something you can achieve within a couple months. Then you’d consider how many workouts you can realistically commit to more weeks than not. Let’s say you haven’t exercised in a while and woke up yesterday with a ton of desire to change. So you google “celebrity workouts” and find a plan that has you training five times a week for hours at a time. Here’s the issue: If you’re going from zero to five days per week, that’s a big jump. Maybe two full-body workouts is your sweet spot to start. Trying to force yourself to stick with weight-loss habits that are too difficult is a losing proposition. Build up momentum. Focus on the small actions that will move you towards the goal Now that you have a goal in mind, focus on the things you need to do every day that will move you towards your goal. This could be: “hit my CAP (calories and protein daily goals) 80 per cent of the time (FYI, that’s 6/7 days per week!)”; “go to the gym three times per week”; “walk 20 mins every day”, etc. Those are your Process Goals neces- sary to get to your big Outcome Goal. Take it a step further and get crystal clear on the how and when to execute on each of those. “I’m going to go to the gym on Mon- day, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 a.m.” is much better. Get quick wins along the way One of the reasons Present You is so reluctant to do the things you want to do is because it doesn’t believe you can do it. So you need to prove you can by getting a quick win as soon as possible. This stuff happens with one meal and one workout at a time. Give yourself a deadline It’s very easy to become complacent. Having a deadline keeps you focused. Deadlines drive decisions. What should your deadline look like? It depends. Something that stretches you a bit, but not so much it’s impos- sible to achieve. Then you stop getting attached to the outcome and focus on the process. Reward yourself Nobody wants to work hard on a goal and not see progress. The rewards solve for that. Each time you achieve your small goal, you receive a small re- ward that validates your effort. Maybe it’s external by way of a compliment or unexpected “non-scale victory” but you should take it a step further and set additional rewards. For example, if you complete all your scheduled workouts in September, you’d book a massage at the end. The reward doesn’t have to be anything huge, but it does have to hold some value to you otherwise it won’t be motivating. I recommend not tying it to a food-based reward every time if weight loss is your goal! Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach for men and women like his former self, struggling to slay their weight-loss demons and become the healthy, fit version they deserve. Visit mitchcalvert.com to grab a free metabolism jump start or inquire about his next coaching intake. MITCH CALVERT Nearly every political ideology has used comics to their advantage and to the disadvantage of others, Rifkind says, and it’s not isolated to the left or the right: comics are a powerful politi- cal tool because they “speak powerful- ly and very quickly,” she says, working as “shorthand for larger ideologies.” In Chuckry’s case, the ideology is a pointed critique of the powerful class, which in Manitoba is currently typified by the cast of characters making up the Progressive Conservative party. He doesn’t hide his bias. There’s Finance Minister Scott Fielding, who Chuckry draws with shaving cuts all over his face. There’s MLA James Teitsma — who on several occasions has drawn ire for errors in judgment, including leaving the province on a holiday road trip during code red — drawn stepping in piles of feces. Others make appearances, but Chuckry’s bête noir has been Pallister, whom he’s depicted in vacation mode, with a long, sausage-esque Pinocchio nose, and frequently wearing a dollar- sign blindfold. Politicians have engaged with his work: NDP leader Wab Kinew stood for a picture next to several Chuckry originals at a March rally for IBEW Local 2034. MLA Eileen Clarke fol- lowed him on Twitter after Chuckry featured her in a cartoon in the wake of her resignation from Pallister’s cabi- net. Fielding, Chuckry says, has him blocked on social media. Nearly a year after beginning his daily practice, though he’s missed a few days, Chuckry’s drawn more than 260 snapshots of a Manitoban nightmare. Flipping back through them is a disorienting experience, a trip down a grimy alley of memory. So much has happened, so much anger, so much out- rage, so much — apologies — cartoon- ish behaviour, it feels impossible that it has only been 18 months. Political moments that would have once been remembered for years are often forgotten in a matter of weeks, replaced in the collective conscious- ness by the next worst thing. For Chuckry, the experiment goes on, even after his main character has left the Legislature. He continues to read the news, listen to criticisms of the government from those wiser than he, and use his visual skills to under- stand what’s happening. As long as there is politics, there will be political cartooning. Chuckry is happy to fill the void with watercolour and ink, whoever is in charge. The cartoons can be found at @chrischuckry on Twitter. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca Recognizing signs of dementia key to accessing support IT’S a little-known fact that older adults generally have higher life satisfaction than people aged 29-50. Reasons for this may include better coping skills, shifted priorities and reduced stressors. But the lustre of our “golden years” can be impacted if brain changes like dementia develop. Dementia is not a normal product of aging, but its likelihood does increase with age. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, but there are many others. Many people wonder what are the signs of dementia, and what should they do if they suspect a problem. There is not a one-size-fits- all answer to that, but there are some things you can look for. Memory loss is the most well-known sign and often the memories affected are more recent ones. We all forget things sometimes, but if memory is- sues are affecting your daily abilities, there may be something more going on. This may include problems finding the right word, or substituting words in a way that makes communication difficult. Another warning sign is having trouble doing things that you always used to do. This might include simple tasks such as getting dressed, cooking, or playing a game. There may also be a change in judgment. Some examples could include not recognizing that your driving is impaired, or negative changes in self-care. Personality and mood changes can also occur in early dementia. Someone may have mood swings, may become suspicious or fearful, or may withdraw from others. Dementia can be very different from one person to the other. There is no universal presentation, but if you think that there may be changes happening, there are some things you can do. First, talk to your doctor. Dementia is not diagnosed by any particular medical test, but ruling out other pos- sible medical causes for the changes you see is important. If they are a re- sult of something other than dementia, the cause may be treatable. Monitoring changes will also help in establishing an early diagnosis. Getting the right supports in place is also very important. There are many supports to help people to live independently in their homes as long as possible. The WRHA’s Home Care Program (wrha.mb.ca/home-care/) provides a wide variety of supports to help people live safely at home. There are Adult Day Programs, which pro- vide therapeutic recreational, mental fitness, and physical fitness programs, socialization and peer support. These programs also provide respite and sup- port to caregivers. Access to Adult Day Programs is arranged through Home Care. There are also many private home care providers available. The Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba (ASM, at alzheimer.mb.ca) provides a wide variety of programs, education and supports for people living with dementia and their care providers. Individuals can call directly to connect with the Society for support and infor- mation at 204-943-6622 (in Winnipeg). For caregivers, learning about dementia, understanding the disease, and learning about how to communi- cate, interact, and help a person living with dementia is essential. It can feel discouraging and frustrating as people change and we don’t understand what is happening to them or why they might react differently than they used to. The ASM has many resources for education. iGeriCare (igericare. healthhq.ca) is an excellent source of dementia education, and the UCLA Caregiver training videos (available at www.uclahealth.org/dementia/ caregiver-education-videos) address many common situations and are very helpful. As needs progress, some people may need to arrange for more supportive living environments. This may be an assisted living facility, supportive housing, or ultimately a personal care home. The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba website (www.ltcam.mb.ca/) provides some information about these and other sup- port services. There are so many services avail- able, it can be overwhelming. If you are struggling with figuring out where to turn, or what type of help you need, you can call the WRHA’s Geriatric Program Outreach Teams. These teams (Geriatric Program As- sessment Team and Geriatric Mental Health Team) can send a clinician to your home to do a full assessment of your needs and help to set you up with the right resources. They can be reached via the WRHA’s website at wrha.mb.ca/rehabilitation/outreach- services/. Although there is no cure for dementia, setting up supports and planning will help you to live life to its fullest and navigate the road ahead. A dementia diagnosis can be scary and uncertain, but there is a lot of life and love left to give and receive. Terri Bowser is Regional Educator Rehabilitation, Healthy Aging and Seniors Care with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. TERRI BOWSER SCOTT WEBB / PEXELS If you set a goal, such as ‘go to the gym three times per week,’ be sure to be specific about when you plan to go. CHUCKRY ● FROM C1 MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chuckry works as a colourist on many major comic-book titles. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chuckry’s depiction of the three candidates for premiership: from left, Heather Stefanson, Shannon Martin (who has since dropped out of the leadership race) and Shelly Glover. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Chuckry’s daily art practice took the form of political cartoons. C_02_Sep-21-21_FP_01.indd C2 2021-09-20 6:35 PM ;