Milk does the body good
1. Lose the car. We turn into lazy couch potatoes at the convenience of a car. It makes life more difficult but also a lot more rewarding. You start relying on your body to get you places rather than the gas pedal. (Don't say it's too far away too, China's too far away. You need to get to Colorado, use a car, but there's other ways around a city.)
2. Don't eat fast food. None. It's not real food, even if it's a salad they do something to it that'll clog the arteries. If you are hungry at work, for instance, don't run to a fast food joint. Snack on something healthy and drink a lot of water. You'll be all revved up for dinner when you get home (but don't stuff yourself, and never eat past 7 p.m.!). Lunch is not an essential meal of the day, but it's a good idea to snack a little in between.
3. Cut down on the red meat. Have it on rare occasion only. It tends to be harder to the stomach and not process very well. Plus, you feel all sleepy and sluggish afterwards.
4. Don't buy something because it says “no fat” or has the word “fruit” in it. 99% of the time, no fat means super cholestorel or sugar or sodium… instead, look at the ingredients. If you can't read them, not healthy. Try to keep the hard to pronounce words to one or two, and make sure they are the last listed. You can do it…
5. It's okay to be lazy and watch a movie. I love movies. Especially after a long day. But don't just sit there. Do some leg or arm stretches that don't interrupt the viewing but don't let your idle hands want to grab something from the fridge.
6. No soda. It makes one gassy-burpy, eats at your teeth, and can be unpleasant in the tummy. I will once in a blue moon have a soda, but only because I have had too much tea (also not very good, lots of caffeine, but better than coffee).
7. Be happy! This isn't always easy, I know, but stress will kill the metabolism to the core. Don't take everything like it is the end of the world, or at least be serious about it, and no yelling! Be coooool… things happen, deal with it. And learn from it.
8. The more you eat, the more you exercise. Pretty simple. If you know you're reaching for something and your body isn't screaming “hunger!”, either put it back and find something else for your hands to do, or else make up for it in running up and down some stairs or singing and dancing with your music cranked. 😉
9. In tandem to 8, DO crank the music, dance to your heart's content in the privacy of your house, sing off key, and have fun doing it. Nothing like jumping on the bed, playing tug of war with a dog, or just running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off to act goofy and aloof. (This is key for number 7)
10. Just don't buy it. Don't pick up the ice cream or the chips from the store. If you want it that bad, make your own. Heh, the more work we have to do, the less likely we are to do it anyway and the more it becomes a treat. So, save the money, don't let the grubby fingers loose on their own, and mentally slap your hand the next time you reach for the soda or bag of M&Ms. You could be saving the money for a trip to the Bahamas instead. 😉
I won't continue, I could come up with lots of suggestions. I find my life is easier when I don't have to watch my language (no swearing at all means I don't have to keep my mouth in check with little'uns around)=less stress. I don't drink alcohol, which actually is a depressant and the body doesn't handle well (check for a beer belly). If the sun is shining, go sit outside instead of inside; there's magic in the air that'll make you thinner… hee hee O:-) (it relieves stress).
These work for me, they might work for you. I don't claim them right or the best philosophies. I am felicitously pertinacious towards these because I made a promise to myself a long time ago. My family has a lot of health problems that I refuse to take medications for, arguing that they won't become problems if I do everything I can to slow them down. I haven't done the best job at it, I've slipped a few times, but I have now cut candy out of my diet, and slowly taking away the sweets. Do remember, a sudden change is hard to do; start doing one thing at a time and build from there, and before you know it you will have changed. For the better I hope. 🙂 And do remember we are all awesome in our own ways, regardless of an extra five pounds.