I think now’s a good time to remind everyone of a basic truth. Stress does not help you lose weight get healthier. And one sure way to stress yourself out is too worry too much about what you eat, or don’t eat, or don’t do (as in exercise.)
It’s good to be aware of what you eat, and of being active. It’s great to make an effort to improve your quality of life. It’s not good to make it your whole world. It’s not great, mentally or physically, to become to consumed with what you’re consuming.
Always remember the goal is to feel better. Don’t make yourself feel like crap if you mess up, overeat, don’t make it to the gym, or fail to meet one of your goals. Just remember that tomorrow is a new day, a new start, and you can do this right.
To help us stay on the right track, I want to share some basic tips to help improve your health.
Keep a Positive Mental Outlook ~ Think of one thing you are thankful for every day. The sun shining, your kids, your job, your car, the invention that is chocolate. Sing a song, smile at a stranger. Feeling good will help you stay on track.
Move More ~ Put some music on when you clean your house and dance with the vaccuum, take the stairs, do sit-ups during the commercials of your favorite TV show. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but you have to move more. Once you start, you’ll find your doing it more and more without even trying.
Quit Smoking ~ I don’t think I need to expand on this one, especially if you have children. Do you want them to grow up and smoke?
Reduce Stress ~ Easier said than done for sure. But find something that works for you, and stick with it. My personal favorite? Punching the heavy bag, going to the driving range or the batting cage. What can I say? I like to hit things. Sometimes just losing myself in a good book or a good movie is what I need, but find something that helps you decompress, and do it when you feel yourself getting snappish or pissy.
Floss Your Teeth ~ Not only does flossing improve your health, but it makes your smile (and your breath) better. 
Indulge once in a while ~ The key is once in a while. But don’t ever completely deny yourself that cheesecake, or bag of chips. Just don’t always give in to the urge for them either.
Anyone else have a tip to add? Put it in the comments and be entered for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate. I’ll announce the winner on here on Monday.
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Hey Sasha,
Here is one tip I found to be helpful 🙂
GET MOVING!
We’re not talking chugging your way through a one hour aerobics class right away, here. Simply get outside and take a brisk walk for 10 minute every other day. That’s all you have to do right now.
Remember, any activity is better than no activity. When you feel more comfortable, add 10 minute increments and/or walk more often.
Btw Sasha when you get the chance please stop by my blog at http://readingissomuchfun.blogspot.com/
I just want to say what you will see there is not because of your post recently it’s something I was waiting to do. I was waiting for Thursday to come by so I can do it. You will see what I mean when you come by heeeheee. Also because I truly love your covers and your books of course 🙂
Hugssss
LindaH
Great post and very true.
I’ve kept a gratitude journal for fifteen years and it’s given me lot of strength in the bad times. Your outlook is your biggest help or hindrance in life, no matter what you’re trying to achieve.
oprah said, it better to eat one small bite of something you are chaving, than it hitting in the middle of night, and you wind up eatingthe whole cake
im a night eater,, so i make lots of sugarfree jello, and make sure i grab that to eat during the night
the whole bowl is only like 20 calories
and yougurt, boy you have to watch the calories on yougurt, i only found ONE brand that is only 50 calories per cup.
they really can get you if you aint watching, i just had starting eating yougurt , assuming it was nothing calories, and geez some had 200 calories,,,,, the same for salad dressing, i found one actaully only one, i found was the dollar general brand, that is only 40 calories per spoon
hope this helps some1
These are great tips – the only ones I can think to add are to drink lots of water and to get plenty of rest. We need to stay hydrated in the winter just as much as during those hot summer months – indoor heating, cold winds and (I hate to say this out loud) age, are all very hard on our skin) and since our bodies are mostly water, we need to replenish what’s being taken out. The decisions I make about food quality and how much of it I’m putting in my mouth are much more intelligent if I’m rested and on top of my game!!
You all have such good tips. So I’m going to reiterate them before adding my own.
–Drink lots of water. Remember the old ‘drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day’? That’s not the max, that’s the minimum. Our body loses a lot of water every day and we need to replace it, especially if we’re exercising.
–Sleep. Studies show that you should go to sleep on a normal day (as in, not when you’re drop dead exhausted) and wake when you wake, not to an alarm. If you’ve slept 9 hours, that’s how much you need. If you’ve slept 7, that’s how much you need. And if you’re the person who wakes several times a night, that’s not normal. It’s time to find out why you’re waking in the night. It could be as simple as a bladder issue (drinking too much before bed), or you could have sleep apnea, a condition where you stop breathing at night, requiring some medical intervention.
–move! That means, taking the mall stairs instead of escalator and parking further away from the front door instead of driving around for 10 minutes trying to find the closest spot.
–de-stress. I enjoy reading or writing, yes. But I also have this great DVD called Stress Relief Yoga. It’s a 20 minute stretching-yoga show by Gaiam. Suzanne Deason is the instructor and when I’m done with those 20 min, I’m ready for sleep! Some reviewers think she goes through the poses too fast. I found her pace just right. It’s not just physical, it’s preparing your mind as well.
–take one meal or one day to cheat each week. I learned when I was doing Body For Life, that you’ll have more success if you stay with your diet and exercise plan for 6 days and give yourself one day to relax and to eat whatever you want. But only ONE day. That way, you can easily plan for days like happy hour, birthday parties, etc. and not feel like you’ve failed yourself.
–get in the raw! Yup! LOL I’ve started eating mostly uncooked foods. Fibers, vitamins and minerals are often lost when we cook our fruits and veggies. So, I’ve begun eating most of my foods raw. Of course, meat/ fish is still cooked, but I’ve opted to make sure my daily nutrition/diet is 2/3 raw.
Happy Slimming! https://www.sashawhite.net/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/leisures-and-sports-064.gif
One that I find helps me is not saying the word, DIET! (lol) If I don’t feel like I’m dieting, I do so much better and the people around me stop focusing on me more than usual.
Ro, I don’t like saying that either. In fact, when I talk to my patients, I ask what they are doing when they make their food choices. Diet is such an ugly word.
D.
Great stuff. I agree that the word Diet has turned negative, wich sucks, because in reality Diet doe not mean lose weight. It just means your diet is what you eat. Know what I mean?
:inlove: I so agree with the physical activity ladies, especially if it’s only for 10 minutes a day. That’s why I take the dogs for a walk, now and then outside. I know if I don’t keep myself hydrated, I feel like my tissues are drying up. I also take mental health days from work, when I do nothing but the things I want to do. If you do one of these every month or so, it really helps with the sanity!
Laughter always lightens my mood and helps the daily stress level. I try to tune into some comedy on tv every night, even for just a couple of minutes. I rented an older movie, Noises Off, over the weekend, and giggled the whole way thru. It was my best night’s sleep all week.
Another good reason to get outside and walk (or garden or whatever) is Vitamin D (from the Sun and why SAD can be such a big problem)
If you live in places where there is no sun in the winter, consider a Vit D suplement–and yes they can test your D levels. I’m lactose intolerant so milk doesn’t do it for me. 😀
I’ve always said you don’t really need to lose weight, but since you insist, I have to tell you that based on the recent picture you sent with your new haircut, I CAN notice a difference. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Ro