Read 107 times since Thursday, March 04, 2010
I'm going to share a little secret with you now that I've never really told anyone before. When I was a kid, I was obese. No, not just a little plump or "big boned"... I mean like 50 pounds overweight. As a result (or maybe as a contributing factor), I used to always be stressed out all of the time and had a really low self esteem.
What turned it all around for me wasn't any one thing but instead more of a change of my outlook on food and life in general. Without diving into my personal psyche, I'd like to share with you a short list of 10 things that really helped me turn it all around and finally adopt a healthy lifestyle.
1. Lose Weight - I know, sounds obvious, right? Not so fast, ok?
I mean you should decide to lose weight by going on a safe weight loss plan. Just by losing that excess weight, you'll feel better and healthier.
You'll not only look good but you'll feel great. That turned into my Mantra and it really helped me through the tough times... 'I look good and I feel great.'
The main thing I suggest is to set your goals so that you lose weight, surely, safely and you will like what you see in the mirror. That's what really counts. Oh, and pretty cool when folks start complimenting you, too.
You'll soon be able to wear clothes you might have hidden in your closet hoping that someday you'd be able to wear them. You might even find you have a brand new wardrobe.
2. Exercise on a regular basis - You don't have to go on some radical workout program (check with your doctor before you start ANY workout program).
If you're able, do more exercise to burn those excess calories. Walking is extremely good but start slow. Or you can put on a CD and dance some music, if that's more your style. I suggest that you not put on fast music that you can't keep up with (at first).
You don't want to die from exhaustion, you just want to drop those extra unwanted pounds, right?.
Exercising will help you lose weight, increase your energy, and you'll get that "feel good" feeling as your endorphins kick in and come into play. Remember, endorphins are your friends. ;-)
3. Eat a sensible, well balanced diet - Eat a well balanced diet. Or if you do not eat exactly like you should, consider using some supplements to be sure that you're getting the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need. Few people eat a really well balanced diet but that's where it all begins.
4. Look after your heart and it will look after you - Your heart is the one thing that keeps you alive. Look after it and it will look after you. If your heart is giving you problems and doesn't want to keep up the way you want it to (High Blood Pressure, poor circulation, etc), you may need to take Omega 3, 6 and 9. Capsules are available from your local grocery or Health Food Store.
5. Increase your energy by speeding up your metabolism - Some folks simply have a slower metabolism than others. What I found really helpful was to eat a lot of salads ( especially in the beginning of my diet phase). Now I enjoy salad every day whereas I used to have to be held down and practically force fed any type of vegetables.
6. Be kind to yourself, make time for you - We all have so much stress in our lives these days. If it's not the economy, politics or personal relationships then it's a dozen other things. It's really important that you take some time out as often as possible to give yourself a "tune up".
This can be as simple as reflecting each day on your goals and progress or you can consider trying yoga or meditation to take the 'edge' off of a hectic day.
7. Be positive - tour thoughts are what make you what you are. Keep a positive mental attitude. Try not to let negative thoughts take over your mind. When this happens, think of something positive instead.
Keep telling yourself you feel wonderful, even if you don't necessarily feel that way. If you tell your subconscious mind something enough times, it will believe it to be the truth and you'll begin noticing changes really quickly.
When I began this approach after reading the classic book Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude I began seeing changes happen within a week.
8. Enjoy Family Life, join in games and go out as a family - It's tough at times to stay on top of all the activities we have in our day to day lives but when it's all said and done... family is really the most important thing we have.
You'll likely never regret strengthening family ties instead of working 12-14 hours per day to meet some deadline at the office. Sure, things come up but try to make time to spend with your family... for your benefit as well as theirs!
9. Improve your knowledge, you are never too old to learn - An active mind is a young mind, for sure. We all can basically learn any topic that we'd like but the problem is that so many of us don't know what we want to learn. Strive to keep that same curiosity that you had as a kid and you'll soon realize that your world has changed for the better.
And finally... we've reached the 10th way that I've found to make a huge difference in my health and life.
10. Drink more water - Most folks simply don't drink enough water. Growing up, I always heard the rule of thumb that we should drink one ounce of water per pound of our body weight (200 lbs + 200 oz of water per day). Unfortunately, it took me a looong time to acknowledge that as fact.
When I started drinking more water, I practically began feeling better instantly. Not only does water flush your system of all the daily toxins but it also helps maintain your organs as well as keeping your skin and hair healthy.
So there you have it. That's my top ten easy ways that you can get started on the right track towards making a shift for the better in your health, both physically and mentally. For free health and fitness tips that will lower stress, increase energy and help improve healthy lifestyle decisions - Go here now: http://www.YourFirstDeal.com
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