Usually, by this time of year, a freeze has finished off the summer flowers; the trees are past their prime standing naked in my yard and you don’t leave home without a jacket. But not this year! There’s still a gorgeous array of colors, not only from the trees, but from the ever-blooming flowers. I still have red roses adding a nice accent to the autumn colors.
Because of our extended fall season, the days on the calendar have silently slipped by unnoticed. That is until a friend of mine declared that she was going to lose 20 lbs. by Christmas. That’s right~ Christmas!
And if Christmas is just on the horizon, we’re looking Thanksgiving right in the face. Which brings me full circle back to the “losing 20 lbs. by Christmas” comment.
How well I remember that mindset. I went through the scenario so many times that my adoring husband used to tease me about my being “Skinny by Sunday”. Even though my goals of a slim and trim body never came to fruition, I kept right on doing the same crazy things over and over again. After all, I just had to lose weight so I could:
v unabashedly wear a swimsuit by summer
v actually fit into a pair of shorts without humiliation
v wear a pair of “skinny” jeans again
v lose two dress sizes for “the” wedding event of the year
v be thin enough to graze my way through the holidays without reservation or guilt
Sadly, I spent many frosty months hiding under a bulky winter coat dreading the day I’d have to shed the thing and conceal the “real” me to the world. Diet fads came and went. Exercise programs bombed out. Holidays added extra pounds. You know the drill…
What’s even worse, I was exhausted and felt rotten most of the time. My joints ached and my face often looked like I’d been on a ten day drunk from the junk I ate the day before. I wasn’t old enough to feel like this and it wasn’t getting any better. Some days I didn’t have the energy to even shower and get ready for work. And that was just the beginning of my day! All those years of eating poorly and consuming enough sugar to kill me was taking its toll. Did you know that being overweight or obese causes inflammation in your body that leads to a wide variety of chronic diseases? Neither did I, until I was faced with potentially serious health issues.
The good news is you don’t have to live like that; never again. It will mean making a choice to drastically change your lifestyle for good and forever; a choice to live each and every day as healthy and active as possible. No more unrealistic and unattainable goals. No more ridiculously hard workout regimens. And, of utmost importantance, no more failures!
Step #1 ~ Exercise
Pick an exercise you enjoy, but don’t overdo. Gradually push yourself to the next level, while increasing your strength and stamina. If you really feel like you need to experience extreme workout regimens, spend a couple hours watching Biggest Loser.
I found that setting realistic goals and then broadcasting them to all of my friends and family kept me accountable. When I vowed to work out every day for a year, everyone heard about it. This probably was a stretch, but I was desperate (and fat) by this point. I wasn’t about to give up and have to admit failure, so I managed to survive 364 days of half hour workouts. Much to my dismay, I missed one day because I was just too sick to climb on the treadmill. I continued on to accomplish a year and a half straight of daily work outs. The best part of all was that this process created a habit of regular exercise and a desire to stay with it that I have maintained to this day.
I found that setting realistic goals and then broadcasting them to all of my friends and family kept me accountable. When I vowed to work out every day for a year, everyone heard about it. This probably was a stretch, but I was desperate (and fat) by this point. I wasn’t about to give up and have to admit failure, so I managed to survive 364 days of half hour workouts. Much to my dismay, I missed one day because I was just too sick to climb on the treadmill. I continued on to accomplish a year and a half straight of daily work outs. The best part of all was that this process created a habit of regular exercise and a desire to stay with it that I have maintained to this day.
Step #2 ~ Diet
Eat healthy and eat at home; eliminating fast food from your menu. Clear your house of processed foods that are lacking in nutrition and packed with calories. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables; organic if possible. You know your “trigger” foods – stay away from them like the plague. Eat in the dining area and leave when you’re done, so you’re not tempted to keep nibbling.
It’s all about portions, portions, portions. Count calories, log your food intake online, do Weight Watchers, but most importantly, do something!
Step #3 ~ Take Care of Yourself
Find ways to reduce your stress levels, as a round with high stress can lead to all sorts of bingeing episodes. You know how you hate yourself after going on one of those! My favorite reward was always brownies, but I could never stop at just one...
Reward yourself for your successes, but NOT with food. Trust me, that never works, and it can send you on a downward spiral to places you really don’t’ want to go.
Click here for a blog post that I wrote describing some helpful stress reduction techniques. Stress not only leads to overeating, it's the precursor to life-threatening chronic inflammation.
Life is too short not to live it to the fullest. Make the decision to live a healthy, active life enjoying every moment of your journey to Finding a More Healthy, Vibrant & Beautiful You!
Click here for a blog post that I wrote describing some helpful stress reduction techniques. Stress not only leads to overeating, it's the precursor to life-threatening chronic inflammation.
Life is too short not to live it to the fullest. Make the decision to live a healthy, active life enjoying every moment of your journey to Finding a More Healthy, Vibrant & Beautiful You!
Skinny jeans? Priceless J
May God bless your journey,
Susan
May God bless your journey,
Susan
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