Life Is A Gift; Don't Wait For The Tragedy

Everyday there are so many stories, TV shows, ads, and reports about obesity, and the tragedies that have caused people to become healthier and take charge of their lives. I finally decided that this needs to be the subject of my next article, so here it is. Why do we have to wait for a life changing event such as death or illness to shock us into reality, and finally take charge of our  health and wellness? I think it's great that there are more and more shows such as "The Biggest Loser", and "The Revolution", and even "Dr. Oz", not to mention all the cooking shows on the Food Network to promote the importance of losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. What I don't understand is how and why we let ourselves get to the point of no return. I know that everyone is a victim of their environment. We eat the way our parents eat which is the way their parents ate. We exercise the way we were taught in school, and/or by our parents. As adults we are exposed to so many new things, however we seem to turn a blind eye to the things we know we should do in an effort to maintain the norm as we know it. Always afraid to take that new step into the unknown. How will I ever live without my cakes, cookies, chocolate, creamy sauces, satiating fried foods, etc. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to talk to people about new foods I have tried, and had them tell me; "I can't live without this", or "I can't give that up", " It doesn't taste the same", "I'd rather not eat it if I have to substitute this for that". The very next comment is; "I can't seem to get rid of this belly, and I am exercising all the time".

 My answer is if you want your body to change, you have to be willing to make changes.   The real question is how badly do you want things to change. I have learned throughout my life that you can do anything as long as you try hard enough, and want it bad enough. We all control our own destiny. What we eat, and how much we exercise is no different than what we want to be when we grow up, or what we want to do with the rest of our lives. The information is out there for the taking, but you have to go and get it, and then do something with it. I realize that change is always the hardest thing to accomplish. I found this out being an Office  Manager/CFO in my last job. I instituted many changes in my early years at the job, but this was by far the greatest challenge. People are so resistant to change. If we never take that next step into the unknown, we never improve on anything, and everything stays at a constant whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. If it's not a good change, the best  part is you can always change back to what you know to be good. What have you really lost in the long run, and you took the bigger step in an effort to find out what else was around the corner that you otherwise would have never known about. More times than not, the results of the change will be positive, and you will feel a remarkable sense of satisfaction, and accomplishment for going in the new direction. I have always felt that there is always room for improvement. 

Getting back to my point of the article; Take charge of your life now. If you wait until something tragic happens, you could be harming yourself in ways that cannot be repaired. It is a well known fact that getting rid of the belly fat, and incorporating daily exercise in your routine, can, and will reduce medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, and many other illnesses. This is different for everyone, and there is no guarantee as to what medicines you can reduce or cut out completely, but the benefits of eating more fruits, and vegetables, healthy whole grains, beans, lean meats, chicken, and seafood are becoming clearer and clearer each day. I know myself changing the way I eat has caused me to notice how badly my body feels when eating too many sweets, fried foods, and fatty foods. I actually enjoy the taste of fresh fruits, and vegetables, and cooking my own healthy meals gives me such a sense of accomplishment when the meal is complete. I was raised to enjoy my food, and I have learned to do just that thru healthy eating with fresh ingredients. Always remember to eat what you like, and be creative with your food. Once again, change is good, so try new things to enhance your choices, never depriving yourself of anything within reason. My advice is be healthy 90% of the time, and let yourself go 10% of the time.

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

Life is Precious, Don't Take It For Granted

And The Winner Is Facebook

I recently signed up for facebook in an effort to promote my blog. Everyone has been bugging me to join and keep up with the rest of the world, but I was so opposed, thinking my life would be so exposed and it would take up so much more of my time. Well, I have been proven wrong. Yes, I said it, WRONG!! I am enjoying this new social media outlet (for me) so much that I find myself there everyday just to see the news. I see who posts everyday and the kind of things they post as well as being able to participate in the likes and dislikes of all the gooey gossip. It's actually really fun and it doesn't take up nearly as much time as I thought. I even figured out how to create my own facebook fan page for my blog which seems to be a feat in itself.

Overall I am really enjoying it and recommend it to anyone who is not participating. Everything seems to be so connected to it and I can post articles, pictures, events, etc. I am thoroughly impressed. I even found myself asking others why they were not utilizing all the features such as events when they needed to be promoted. This is by far the best way to reach as many people as possible at the same time, and in record time. I now know why businesses as well as individuals are taking advantage of this incredible medium, and it is INCREDIBLE!!

I have to say that I am really enjoying trying new things this last month or so since I have been unemployed. In addition to facebook, I'm in the middle of a magazine writing class, which is giving me great exposure to a totally different way of writing. I still haven't figured out if I really want to go in that direction, but this is a good way to do it. I am taking a ballroom dancing class at the YMCA which is really fun as well. I have always wanted to do that but never did. Tomorrow I am going for a swedish massage which I have done before but not in a very long time. I am also going to start Zumba classes and spin classes next week. I feel the need to make my workouts more diverse. The machines in the fitness room don't seem to hold my attention very long. I am still playing racquetball 2-3 times a week and trying to get golf in when the weather holds up. I also find myself watching Rachel Ray and Dr. Oz most days if I am home, for great cooking and health tips. Rachel really knows how to make everything look so easy and delicious. Dr. Oz gets so excited about everything he has on the show, so it's hard not to follow suit.

The point of this article is to inspire you to go out there and try as many new things as you can. How many times have you said to yourself, "I always wanted to take that class" or "I will never do that", or "it's just not something I'm interested in". Well, I am here to tell you that if you don't step out of your comfort zone you will never know what is out there waiting for you, and believe me, it is worth stepping out for.

Living for Change

Embracing The Next Phase

I was recently let go from my job after 10 and a half years. I have not been happy there for the last 3 years and have constantly talked about moving to Florida and changing careers.  I now have the time, and some income for a while, to pack up my house and move. It’s all very exciting and new, however, I am a creature of habit, as most of us are, and it’s also scary, stressful, and mind boggling.  I know in the long run that everything will work out, but changing my very longstanding routine is so much harder than I thought. I don’t know whether to put myself on a schedule everyday so I don’t waste time, or just go with the flow and let things happen.  The stress of these decisions, and my emotional ups and downs everyday, is getting in the way of my motivation to eat healthy and properly everyday. I am still exercising as much as I can, playing racquetball 3 times a week, and walking in between, as well as getting a few Ab workouts in per week. I am motivated to exercise as it helps relieve the stress. I haven’t had this big of a change in my life for a very long time.

So it’s time to get back on track. I have floundered around with this long enough and I need to develop a routine, but I will call it a flex routine. What this means is I will set a general plan for my day, but if things change, or stuff comes up, I will just go with the flow, and not stress out that I did not stick to the plan. I have been watching Dr. Oz everyday for health tips and info. One of his tips was to exercise in the morning before you eat breakfast, and then have a good protein rich breakfast: Cereal, milk and greek yogurt with blueberries, 3 egg omelet with veggies, turkey sausage, and wheat toast, etc. The key is to get around 30 grams of protein at breakfast.  My plan is to exercise by 9am each morning (trusty ab workout), eat that big breakfast, and start my day. I am really enjoying writing so I have decided to pursue it further and try some freelance writing. I will write in the morning, and work on cleaning out the house in the afternoon. That is my general flex routine, and I will not stress out if other things come up such as playing racquetball during the day, or having lunch with a friend, or just a change in plans. I have already started getting back to my healthy eating habits; 3 meals a day, 2 snacks, and plenty of water. I feel better just knowing that I have a plan and I have started making it happen. This is something I have always wanted; to work from home on my own time, and enjoy my life.

I am finally getting excited about this additional lifestyle change. The last couple of weeks have been eye opening for me, but like all new things, it is an adventure that I am really looking forward to, and I will be so much better for it. I used to tease my aunt that we needed to start the last phase of our lives. She thought it sounded a little morbid. What I realize is that this is the NEXT phase of my life, but definitely not the last.

Living and Loving Change