Posts Tagged ‘water’
Live a little
One of the reasons I love this quote by Oscar Wilde is that it reminds us to be present and live in the moment. Too often those of us with a dieter’s mentality “punish” ourselves by thinking we don’t deserve to live life to its fullest potential even before we reach our goal weight. And yes, living life out loud (AKA being happy, doing what you want to do and even eating what you want to eat) can actually bring us closer to our goal weight than denial can.
And yes, you read “eating what you want to eat” correctly. The trick is to not eat too much of it. And before you poo-poo this idea, why not try it out at least once or twice? Sometime this weekend, you can walk into your favorite ice cream shoppe and order one single scoop of your favorite flavor. Do it with a friend or two. Then eat it slowly, one scrumptious bite at a time. You can even lick the cup it comes in (I won’t tell). Then, don’t have ice cream for the rest of the weekend. See what you did there? You ate something decadent without hurting your psyche, without harming your body and without deterring your overall goals of reaching a lighter, healthier weight. You can have what you’re craving as long as you have it in smaller portion sizes.
Similarly, you can try online dating, you can take a class that might lead to a new career, you can audition for community theatre or even buy a new favorite outfit. So what if the outfit comes in a size that will require you to donate or sell it in the near future? This moment is all we (you!) have. So why not live it to its full potential?
You are perfect now. You are beautiful now. You are amazing and your life is full of possibilities now. This doesn’t have to mean you don’t eat healthfully, exercise often, drink plenty of water and get enough rest to help your body reach your goal weight. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t live life in the interim either.
So read the quote above as often as you need to. Download the meme and save it as your “lock screen wallpaper” on your phone. Remind yourself as often as you need to that you don’t deserve to be punished and don’t have to put off anything you’re dreaming of just because you’re carrying around a few extra pounds.
Live. Laugh. Love. And enjoy that single scoop of ice cream (or whatever) every now and then. You deserve it.
Photo Source: Pinterest
Sweet dreams (no, really!)
Longtime readers know that I’m always reminding people wanting to lose excess weight that getting enough sleep is one of the four tenants to lasting health (along with healthy eating, exercise and drinking enough water). But for many of us, getting a good night’s sleep is something that’s easier said (and/or dreamed about) than done. What seems like a 24-hour work cycle keeps us all on our toes night and day. And many of us end up robbing much-needed rest time in order to be able to accomplish everything we “need” to get done. But make no mistake, sleep is essential.
WebMD has this Sleep Checklist, shared above, that might prove beneficial to those of us wanting to improve our sleep habits (and time). Although I must point out that my loyal sidekick, Latte, does not agree with the third tip from the bottom. But as with any check- or idea-list, we can pick and choose the suggestions that resonate with us and ignore the rest. Even so, there are some good ideas here for catching more Zzzzs and improving our overall health. You can read more about WebMD’s Better Sleep Checklist by clicking here.
And to all? A good night!
Photo Source: WedMD
Simple choices
Don’t take this image the wrong way. Muffin tops are beautiful. Heck, muffins themselves are beautiful. Every body is beautiful – exactly as it is right in this moment. You can be sure of that (and anyone who tells you different is full of crap).
But that being said, there are many of us who want to make healthy changes that can help us to not only feel better, but to also put on our clothes without having to hold our breath or offer up a prayer for strength (literally) when zipping up.
This can require making choices a little differently than we have in the past. Like choosing water over cake for example. Not always. But often. Changes like this remind us that cake is a treat (as opposed to an everyday requirement). We can’t say the same for water, which is absolutely necessary for our survival and for our transformation.
So without shaming yourself (which is never productive), ask yourself what you really want next time you’re tempted by something sweet (that might add a few too many calories or artificial ingredients to your daily intake). Maybe a glass of water and vigorous walk is what your body, mind and soul are really craving. If so, give your body that. And if you absolutely must have the cake (and I’ll admit there are times that’s true), then have a reasonable slice – and then have a glass of water and go for a vigorous walk. (See what I did there?)
It’s all about balance, moderation and your overall goals. And you, my amazing, beautiful friend, are worth it!
Still drinking soda?
Fun fact: When I weighed over 450 pounds, I was drinking 6-12 cans of diet soda a day. Today, I weigh around 175 pounds (and have for well over a decade) and I don’t drink any soda — ever. Still think soda can’t harm you? Check out these statistics on soft drinks and disease from the Harvard School of Public Health (click here), which includes findings such as “People who consume sugary drinks regularly—1 to 2 cans a day or more—have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely have such drinks.” Giving up soda and replacing it with water is one simple thing you can do to have a lasting effect on your physical (and even mental) wellness — even without drastically changing your eating or exercise habits. What are you waiting for?
Shortsighted shortcuts
The other day while trolling my facebook newsfeed (when I admittedly should have been doing a million other things), I noticed a couple of my facebook friends had “liked” a site proclaiming “Fast And Effective Diet – Lose 10 Pounds in 7 Days.” Although I knew I’d be doing so for amusement (as opposed to doing so to gain any valuable insights), I clicked on the link. And boy, was I appalled at what I came across.
This supposed “10 pounds in 7 days” solution seemed to offer anything but (anything but a solution that is). The prescribed breakfast consisted of a glass of cold water with lemon juice, followed by two apples or two oranges (or one grapefruit). How they came up with this count is not explained. Breakfast could also include one handful of nuts. Next came lunch, which consists of cooked chicken or veal (no measurements or cooking instructions given) — along with one “pot” of “sour milk yogurt.” (Huh?) An afternoon snack is a fresh seasonal salad with olive oil and “very little” salt, followed by a prescribed dinner of “two hard boiled eggs plus cucumber salad or green salad with olive oil and a little salt”…followed by a warning that after 6:00 p.m., nothing was to be consumed other than a liter of green tea.
Come again?!
I am truly baffled that in this day and age, with all the knowledge we are getting about what constitutes a healthy diet (as opposed to a crash diet or one that’s not nutritionally sound) that people would actually think this is something healthy to incorporate into their lives. Then again, it’s on a site that calls itself “Healthy Food Team” (then it must be true! not!) and promises the reader he or she will lose 10 pounds in 7 days.
In the words of actor Geena Davis’s character in the remake of The Fly, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
As someone who has taken off over 250 pounds of excess weight and kept it off for over a decade, I can assure you that there are no shortcuts, no quick fixes and no magic wands when it comes to healthy and lasting weight loss. And any “diet” that prescribes any salt, much less a liter of green tea before bed and no measurements of the prescribed “chicken of veal” should potentially be avoided.
As explained in the bonus section of my brand new book, Weightless: My Life As A Fat Man And How I Escaped, the tenants of losing weight are easy. And they do not necessarily include “one pot of sour milk yogurt” (whatever that is). Instead, why not eat less, move (exercise) more, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep? Yeah. It really can be that simple. And you can even enjoy an occasional cookie while doing so. It’s all about making healthy choices for the long term. And while you might not “lose 10 pounds in 7 days,” you just might do something else instead: keep the excess weight off once and for all.
Photo Source: Weight Loss Advisor
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