Healthy Beginnings: Helping People to Stay Well
I know people may not want to hear about cleaning up their diet, but I have found that it really has helped me. I enjoy foods that I never thought I would, such as eggplant and spinach. I love spinach!
It seems like it takes a long time to lose weight because you have to change so much. You have to focus on health- instead of cheating on your diet! You are only cheating yourself!
It has been a wonderful 5 years because I feel so much better and an added effect of cleaning up my diet has been a weight loss. The weight loss also happened because I began exercising more frequently. I jog, ride a bike and teach yoga.
Bucket lists
Today, my goal is to help others to develop lifestyle changes that can lead to health and wellness in mind, body and spirit. This is my bucket list! To be the person who helps others to grow stronger and feel better. Remember that lifestyle changes may be difficult to attain. It may take some time to be where you want to be but it is worth the struggle.
When you make the changes that you need to make, you will be stronger and feel better. You will have more energy and your state of mind will be more balanced. Treat your body well, and your body will thank you! Eat nutritious foods and exercise every day of your life.
It does not have to be strenuous exercise, but you should do something active every single day of your life. Do not make excuses for not getting out there to take your daily walk. Find “like minded” people who are trying their best to stay healthy. They can help you to stay on your road to wellness.
Think of your life as a teeter-totter- you swing up and down with your weight. Make today the beginning of not only losing weight, but believing that you can also keep it off. Find friends who also struggle with their weight, and band together to build strength.
Maintaining Your Weight: Staying in the Center
Where is your center?
Birds together finding ways to their center
My center is clear, and I have a friend, Christine who would agree. She believes in this theory on maintaining your weight where your center is your bliss!
To the right are your good choices
To the right are the foods and exercises that you need to do. To the left are the sweet indulgences that you may want all the time.
And staying in the center with some tiny bits of sweetness is a good goal.
Remember there are many other things to do besides thinking about your life in the sweet lane
Exercise is a great distraction for those hungry days, and if you crave too many sweets it is probably a good idea to put more protein in your diet.
More grains such as quinoa, millet or barley can help you feel full because they are full of protein and fiber. Begin to learn how to cook grains; like the grain rice, the others cook the same way; equal parts of water and grains.
And the fiber in the grains keeps you full, so having a lot of fibrous foods is what to do to keep those hungry times away. Other powerful fibrous foods are veggies and fruits. When you are hungry between meals, have a healthy vegetable or fruit snack.
The Center Can Bring You Harmony
Make today your first day toward a healthier you. Go shopping and pick up some healthy grains. Try different ones; amaranth and even legumes such as split peas and lentils are packed with protein.
If you begin to eat healthier foods, you will begin to crave the sweets less and less; bringing you into your center where you feel balanced and healthy.
What is in your Future? Do you have some goals?
When I see all the budding on the trees I begin to think that it is time for me to make some changes too!
Everything these days seems to move toward what your goals are, and how to attain them. In college I learned an old saying about goals: Choose, Get, Keep. You first choose a realistic goal, write it down, and when you get the goal attained, you find ways to keep it; and that is the hardest part; being able to keep your hard earned goal for the rest of your life.
We have goals for career, money, health and wellness.
In order to plant the seed of losing and keeping weight at bay, you must realize that it is a fragile skill when it comes to not only taking it off but maintaining it for the rest of your life. That is the real deal!
Because of this long term goal plan, you must begin to think about your planning in a sense of a lifelong commitment, therefore, a healthy living goal or lifestyle change that is long lasting. That is why diets don’t work. And the word diet has the word “die” right in it! That says it all!
Your plan? Three simple steps
- Portion Control. This one is so very important. You need to measure everything. Only have a half cup of grains and pasta. And remember that a piece of meat is the size of a deck of cards. If you want some cheese, it is the size of a few dominos!
Portion control is the main reason that most people’s lifestyle change does not work. We think we are only eating one portion, but we just ate four.
- Daily exercise. Don’t go with the 3 days a week routine. If you exercise by doing something every single day of your life, you will not have to remember when you did it last; and find something that you like so that you keep on doing it.
- Limit Eating Out: Eat most of your meals at home so that you know exactly what you are eating and how much.
I only eat out once a week. It is special, and I always remember that they are going to give me at least 2 portions, sometimes more, so I ask for a doggy bag early, before I get to thinking about just one more bite!
How do you change the not so good habits into good ones?
How can you change yourself?
You have to start thinking about your plan of action; especially related to sticking to the program. You have to stay on the plan for at least 3 months to have any bad habits disappear to be replaced with good habits such as taking a daily walk, or loving baby carrots.