More about You!

As the weather gets warmer clothing covers less of what we want to tone up and slim down.  It is more difficult to hide the neglected areas when bathing suits are required or when jogging shorts are worn out.  I am not talking only about shaving the winter growth off of the calves and trimming back the bikini lines;  I am talking about trimming the fat off the winter feast!  Many of you started months ago as the New Year's Resolution decided your fitness fate, but for the rest of you, now is the time to take it off!

How?  If you are stuck in a rut and in an uncomfortable weight, don't continue repeating all of the same, ineffective strategies.  Do not purchase pills that promise a smaller something-or-other.  Do not fast and binge and banish food groups.  Do not participate in a diet that limits you to weeks of cabbage soup.  And, whatever you do, do not adhere to the fallacy that 'nothing works!'  Fad diets and pills may temporarily tease your satisfaction, but as the pounds pile back on after the diet is over your discouragement should lead you to a more wholesome truth:  In order to change, you must change...  that means more than changing your diet.

So what can you do?  Several posts back I talked about stress, sleep and satisfaction.  These three areas significantly affect your health (and your waste line).  Stress releases hormones that interfere and influence hunger, cravings and blood sugar levels.  The human body runs on sugar, stress makes sure there is an abundance of it swimming through your veins.  That can become extremely addictive.  Reducing or eliminating stress can dramatically change what it is your body is craving and how it is processing those foods.  Give yourself permission to let go of stress.  Adopt a mantra, find time to pray, dedicate time to meditation, have more sex (responsibly, of course): find a replacement for stress that doesn't sabotage your health.

Get seven or eight hours of sleep.  When our phones are dead we charge them 100% before use.  We make sure we cook chicken long enough so it doesn't cause an illness.  When the dishwasher is running we wait until it is finished before putting away the dishes.  We don't eat half baked bread, we don't wear half dry clothes, we don't use ice until it's frozen-  why would you use your body and mind before it's had a chance to recharge, rejuvenate, and heal?  Relieving yourself of stress can help you sleep, getting more sleep can help regulate your systems, regulating your systems promotes and creates balanced health.

After you decide what you can change and after you get a good night's sleep, wake up to a breakfast of real, naturally occurring food.  Eggs!  Grapefruit!  Spinach!  Take a vitamin!  Drink a liter of water!  Don't stress over all of the things you can't do and embrace all of the things you can do!  You are in control of everything that goes in to your body and in control of all of the situations you put your body in.  But, just incase you need the reminder, remember to wash your hands~

Anna~