This week has been very productive for the blog and for me. I've posted several times this week. I got back on the bike for 15 minutes, three times this week. I started belly dancing again. I walked quite a bit. I discovered that organizing my day on a list worked, I am averaging 80% accomplished. I am having a good week, and I also had some epiphanies.
1) I am what I look like - if I want to feel better, I should look better. I am not talking about fancy clothes or a ton of make up. I am talking about simple things, like posture, keeping my hair short (because I hate brushing my hair and now you can't tell), wearing earrings and breathing. Yes, it is amazing how much we hold our breath in a single day.
2) Eat 6 meals a day and you will not feel hungry (most of the time). I have only being doing this for two weeks, and it is true that I am concentrating on quantity first to then go to extreme quality. But I've had more fruits and veggies this week than usual. I started eating salmon again and I am drinking more water than ever (and I have always drank a lot of water).
3) Read a lot and enjoy it more. I have always loved to read. But with life getting in the way, I rarely read for entertainment. Now, I only ask to be able to read one chapter a day of a novel. And I am doing very well. Which brings me to my next point...
4) Do a little bit at a time and you will get more done. On my daily list I go by chapters, not try to finish the whole book in two days. Granted, tomorrow is a lazy day, so I will probably read more, but if you break things into really small parts, you can get more done in a weekly basis. I have heard and read all the experts talk about this, but I had never been able to break things in chunks that were comfortable for me. Now I understand how to tailor good ideas to my lifestyle. And it is really encouraging to see how much I am getting done.
5) Do what works for you. There are many good ideas out there. Like the Dalai Lama says "take what you can use and let go of the rest". I'm sure he did not say it like that but the point is, you take advice or ideas or whatever it is, you tailor it to your needs and whatever does not work, discard it. You need to find what works for you. For example, I am not big on going in public right now to exercise. I am very self conscious of looking ridiculous and being clumsy. So, I am well stocked with every possible exercise video and machine I like, and little bit at a time, I am incorporating them into my day. When I feel more relaxed, I can take a class or two. My immediate goal: to loose 20 pounds so I can sign up for spinning classes close to home. Let's see how that goes. I will keep you posted.
Keep trying.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Whatever image issue you have, is all in your head
Today I was concerned because I was going to an event and was feeling ugly and fat. Then it hit me that the people at this event did not know me when I was skinny. To them I was just another middle aged mom with a little extra weight and very little wrinkles. So why not try to make that person look the best she could look? I put on a red shirt (which makes me look very lively), got a great hat (for sun protection), wore my best jeans and my cutest shoes and was out the door.
Image is all in the head. We spend too many hours trying to look like super models we see in magazines when they don't even look like that all the time. We see a beautiful woman on the street and we want to emulate her. Why? We need to find our own beauty. Define our own strengths.
When I was young, my best feature was my legs. I am short, but my legs were beautiful. I let them go because as I got fatter, they lost their beautiful shape. As of right now, my lower legs look and feel amazing (because of all the walking and exercises that I do) but from the knee up, not so much. So what am I doing? Looking for exercises that will help reshape that area and showing off the lower legs whenever I can. It makes me feel good when people notice them, but it makes me feel even better when I take care of them and make them look fabulous.
Don't waste any more time comparing yourself to other people. If you cannot find many strengths in yourself, look for one. You might have great eyes, or a beautiful neckline, or great skin. Emphasize the one good thing you have on the outside and use all the good things that you have on the inside to get people to notice YOU.
I realize that I am talking about looks and it is a little hypocritical of the person that believes that the inside is what counts. But lately I have come to realize that it is the total package that matters. If you feel good about the image you are showing (and I am not talking about expensive outfits or shoes, but about the traits that make you unique), you will glow. That attracts people to you. Then your personality will keep them glued to you. It is that simple.
Keep trying.
Image is all in the head. We spend too many hours trying to look like super models we see in magazines when they don't even look like that all the time. We see a beautiful woman on the street and we want to emulate her. Why? We need to find our own beauty. Define our own strengths.
When I was young, my best feature was my legs. I am short, but my legs were beautiful. I let them go because as I got fatter, they lost their beautiful shape. As of right now, my lower legs look and feel amazing (because of all the walking and exercises that I do) but from the knee up, not so much. So what am I doing? Looking for exercises that will help reshape that area and showing off the lower legs whenever I can. It makes me feel good when people notice them, but it makes me feel even better when I take care of them and make them look fabulous.
Don't waste any more time comparing yourself to other people. If you cannot find many strengths in yourself, look for one. You might have great eyes, or a beautiful neckline, or great skin. Emphasize the one good thing you have on the outside and use all the good things that you have on the inside to get people to notice YOU.
I realize that I am talking about looks and it is a little hypocritical of the person that believes that the inside is what counts. But lately I have come to realize that it is the total package that matters. If you feel good about the image you are showing (and I am not talking about expensive outfits or shoes, but about the traits that make you unique), you will glow. That attracts people to you. Then your personality will keep them glued to you. It is that simple.
Keep trying.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Short term savings might lead to health crisis in the future
I read somewhere that the recent economic crisis was having a negative impact on the obesity of America. That also holds true for other countries. The simple equation is:
less money = more fat
In essence, people are cutting costs at home by purchasing the wrong foods, thinking that they can survive the economic crunch. As always, humans thinking in the short term and completely ignoring the long term effects of their actions.
I have no problem spending more money on food and making sure that it is high quality. I believe that as the years go by, people might understand more and more what I mean. Yes, it is true that if you purchase cheaper food now, you might save a couple of bucks. But five or ten years from now, you are going to spend a lot more money on medications and treatments that you could have avoided if you pick your groceries based on freshness and quality instead of cheap and plenty.
Another thing that I noticed is how people think that they are saving money by shopping in two or three different supermarkets. They are not considering the money they are spending on gas or the stress that they are causing in their lives by going for two or three shopping trips instead of one. Maybe people should consider the possibility on making different trips on different weeks. The idea of several trips is also bad for the environment, which again, will revert in more expensive things later on.
As more information is gathered about the foods we eat and the types of diseases it generates, we must focus on health now, and try cutting costs in other areas, like maybe getting a bike instead of driving a car, or walking to the shopping court close to home. Those changes will give you more money in your pocket, will help the environment and will make you healthier.
Keep trying.
less money = more fat
In essence, people are cutting costs at home by purchasing the wrong foods, thinking that they can survive the economic crunch. As always, humans thinking in the short term and completely ignoring the long term effects of their actions.
I have no problem spending more money on food and making sure that it is high quality. I believe that as the years go by, people might understand more and more what I mean. Yes, it is true that if you purchase cheaper food now, you might save a couple of bucks. But five or ten years from now, you are going to spend a lot more money on medications and treatments that you could have avoided if you pick your groceries based on freshness and quality instead of cheap and plenty.
Another thing that I noticed is how people think that they are saving money by shopping in two or three different supermarkets. They are not considering the money they are spending on gas or the stress that they are causing in their lives by going for two or three shopping trips instead of one. Maybe people should consider the possibility on making different trips on different weeks. The idea of several trips is also bad for the environment, which again, will revert in more expensive things later on.
As more information is gathered about the foods we eat and the types of diseases it generates, we must focus on health now, and try cutting costs in other areas, like maybe getting a bike instead of driving a car, or walking to the shopping court close to home. Those changes will give you more money in your pocket, will help the environment and will make you healthier.
Keep trying.
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