Posts Tagged ‘work’
Word to the wise
As someone who used to weigh over 450 pounds, I’m not sure what people are more impressed by… The fact that I managed to take off over 250 pounds of excess weight through diet and exercise (as opposed to fads, pills or surgery) or the fact that I’ve kept the excess weight off for well over a decade.
I must admit that these two facts still manage to “Wow” me as well. Not in an egotistical way, but in a humble one. After all, I know that if I were to forget about these monumental feats and let my guard down, I’d be in trouble. That’s because maintaining my health and weight loss is something I have to constantly work at. But when I share this tidbit with people, sometimes their “Wow” smile takes a sharp turn and becomes a “That’s awful” frown.
I admit that back in the day, before losing all of my excess weight, even I used to visualize losing all of my blubber and then being able to ‘Eat whatever I want, whenever I want.’ And yeah, it was kind of a slap in the face to realize that steamed green beans and broiled chicken were going to remain a part of my life forever n’ ever. This didn’t mean I couldn’t revel in the occasional cup of frozen yogurt or gluttonously dip the occasional sweet potato French fry in a puddle of ketchup. But the key word with these kinds of treats is “Occasional,” as opposed to “Everyday.” And that’s because my everyday requires work to stay lean, mean and healthy (minus the mean – just going for the cliché there – sorry).
I often liken to my staying healthy to riding a bike. I must constantly keep pedaling. And the minute I stop pedaling, I fall down, skin my knees and gain back over 250 pounds. But in today’s society, it seems like people shy away from the word “Work” – especially when realizing the word – and the effort – need to be constantly applied to things in our life that really matter.
The concept of ‘Work’ doesn’t just apply to a healthy weight, of course. One of my dearest friends is madly in love with her husband of over 11 years and has what I consider to be one of the happiest marriages I know of. And yet she’ll be the first to tell anyone that asks that being happy and in love requires a lot of ‘Work.’ Again, people balk – perhaps wondering why something like ‘Love’ should require that particular 4-letter word. And yet when you think about it, it makes all the sense in the world.
Having to work for something doesn’t mean you have to be miserable doing it. It just means you are hopefully committed to whatever it is you’re working toward or working on maintaining. Whether it’s losing weight, maintaining weight, getting healthy, nurturing a relationship, raising children or any number of other activities, ‘Work’ is often the common denominator. And why shouldn’t it be? Aren’t all good things worth working for? Of course, they are. And when we put the required amount of work into things, the outcomes usually turn out better and, just as important, feel better.
Rather than sigh and haunch our shoulders when considering what ‘Work’ will be involved in accomplishing a goal, why not embrace the effort it’s going to take and approach said work with happiness and commitment, knowing that whatever we’re setting our sites on is worth it? Suddenly, ‘Work’ isn’t such a 4-letter word and, instead, is a healthy conceit that we don’t have to groan and moan about.
It’s all about a positive attitude, right?
So even though maintaining my healthy weight (and holding off the 250+ pounds that would love nothing more than to settle back onto my body) takes daily work (365 days a year), I do the work knowing that it’s worth it. I feel better, I look better (yeah, I said it) and I am better – not so much because of the actual goals I’ve accomplished, but because of the work I’ve been willing and remain willing to put forth toward attaining and maintaining these goals. So why not try readjusting your mindset toward this particular 4-letter word? You might be surprised to find out that the concept of work is suddenly one you embrace, rather than begrudge.
Have something you’re currently working toward? I’d love to know about it. Please share below (even if the sharing does require a little work).
You can take it with you
Forget that potentially leaky plastic container when transporting your lunch salad to work (or wherever). These days it’s all about pre-making and then taking your salad with you in a handy Mason-style jar. The trick is to keep wet ingredients on the bottom, then stack dry ingredients on the top. You can check out the tasty recipe for the Salad in a Mason Jar pictured here — featuring greens, walnuts, celery, radish, and apple by clicking to EatWithinYourMeans.com.
Want even more ideas for Healthy Salad in a Mason Jar recipes? Check out 18 additional recipes from BuzzFeed Life that I discovered thanks to Pupltastic by clicking here.
Photo Source: Eat Within Your Means
Embracing a 4-letter word
I’m not sure what “Wows” people more… The fact that I managed to take off over 250 pounds of excess weight through diet and exercise (as opposed to fads, pills or gimmicks) or the fact that I’ve kept the excess weight off for well over a decade.
I must admit that these two facts still manage to “Wow” me as well. Not in an egotistical way, but in a humble one. After all, I know that if I were to forget about these monumental feats and let my guard down, I’d be in trouble. That’s because maintaining my health and weight loss is something I have to constantly work at. But when I share this tidbit with people, sometimes their “Wow” smile takes a sharp turn and becomes a “That’s awful” frown.
I admit that back in the day, before losing all of my excess weight, even I used to visualize losing all of my blubber and then being able to ‘Eat whatever I want, whenever I want.’ And yeah, it was kind of a slap in the face to realize that steamed green beans and broiled chicken were going to remain a part of my life forever n’ ever. This didn’t mean I couldn’t revel in the occasional cup of frozen yogurt or gluttonously dip the occasional sweet potato French fry in a puddle of ketchup. But the key word with these kinds of treats is “Occasional,” as opposed to “Everyday.” And that’s because my everyday requires work to stay lean, mean and healthy (minus the mean – just going for the cliché there – sorry).
I often liken to my staying healthy to riding a bike. I must constantly keep pedaling. And the minute I stop pedaling, I fall down, skin my knees and gain back over 250 pounds. But in today’s society, it seems like people shy away from the word “Work” – especially when realizing the word – and the effort – need to be constantly applied to things in our life that really matter.
The concept of ‘Work’ doesn’t just apply to a healthy weight, of course. One of my dearest friends is madly in love with her husband of over 11 years and has what I consider to be one of the happiest marriages I know of. And yet she’ll be the first to tell anyone that asks that being happy and in love requires a lot of ‘Work.’ Again, people balk – perhaps wondering why something like ‘Love’ should require that particular 4-letter word. And yet when you think about it, it makes all the sense in the world.
Having to work for something doesn’t mean you have to be miserable doing it. It just means you are hopefully committed to whatever it is you’re working toward or working on maintaining. Whether it’s losing weight, maintaining weight, getting healthy, nurturing a relationship, raising children or any number of other activities, ‘Work’ is often the common denominator. And why shouldn’t it be? Aren’t all good things worth working for? Of course, they are. And when we put the required amount of work into things, the outcomes usually turn out better and, just as important, feel better.
Rather than sigh and haunch our shoulders when considering what ‘Work’ will be involved in accomplishing a goal, why not embrace the effort it’s going to take and approach said work with happiness and commitment, knowing that whatever we’re setting our sites on is worth it? Suddenly, ‘Work’ isn’t such a 4-letter word and, instead, is a healthy conceit that we don’t have to groan and moan about.
It’s all about a positive attitude, right?
So even though maintaining my healthy weight (and holding off the 250+ pounds that would love nothing more than to settle back onto my body) takes daily work (365 days a year), I do the work knowing that it’s worth it. I feel better, I look better (yeah, I said it) and I am better – not so much because of the actual goals I’ve accomplished, but because of the work I’ve been willing and remain willing to put forth toward attaining and maintaining these goals. So why not try readjusting your mindset toward this particular 4-letter word? You might be surprised to find out that the concept of work is suddenly one you embrace, rather than begrudge.
Have something you’re currently working toward? I’d love to know about it. Please share below (even if the sharing does require a little work).
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Are your eating habits a slave to your feelings?
Have you ever thought about your relationships? The ones that mean the most to you? I’m willing to bet there’s one important relationship you may have a habit of neglecting — your relationship between your body and food.
There’s a fine line between healthy eating and gluttony that many of us teeter on and sometimes all it takes is one bad day at work or one comment from a loved one to send us running straight to the kitchen cabinets (or the drive-thru of the nearest fast food restaurant). A disastrous relationship with food can often be as damaging as being addicted to an abusive ex you can’t seem to get rid of… But what if you could stop this kind of self-destructive behavior? And what if you could stop making decisions about food and about your body that just don’t serve you or your mental wellness anymore?
All of this can come to an end once you learn how to change your habits, behaviors and become more mindful so you can change your relationship with food.
Maybe you’ve tried every diet out there and you’re sick and tired of working out all the time with little or no progress to show for your efforts. Maybe there’s something you just haven’t tried yet — and have no idea what that is or what it could mean for your health. That’s where my incredible friend Lisa Goldberg’s free Well Fed MIND Summit comes in! This exclusive online summit can help us all focus on being more aware and mindful of what our bodies need so that we can feel good and have the energy and vitality we need all day (every day).
If you’re truly ready to break up with that box of cookies for good, you can find all that you need to know in this upcoming virtual tele-summit where 21 nutritionists, doctors, authors, psychologists, coaches, therapists and other transformational experts (including yours truly) will be gathering for 11 straight days, during which time they’ll be sharing their most useful techniques, tools, trade secrets and more — allowing everyone who participates to have a healthier and more fulfilling relationship with their bodies, eating and food.
(I also happen to know that a lot of the summit experts will be giving away free gifts to those who participate… Although you didn’t hear that from me!)
Let me also tell you what this summit won’t be about… It won’t be about dieting, what you can and cannot eat – and it won’t be about spending countless hours at the gym. What it will be about sustainable, long-term changes regarding the way you think of food. You’ll learn how to be mindful of this relationship and take away lots of healthy ways to nourish your body while also nourishing your mind.
Because I’m a guest panelist for the event this year, I’m able to invite whomever I want to attend the event 100% free of charge. That means you (and whomever else you would like to invite)! Spots are limited, but you can register right away by clicking here. (Lisa told me I could share this free participation link with anyone I wanted… Hope she doesn’t mind me making it public this way! LOL!)
I hope you’ll take part in this online summit. (Again, it’s 100% free!)
Photo Source: The Fruit Doctor