Where to Begin?

Gazillions of people, all over the world, resolved to lose weight and get healthy in 2011.  Most of those people will NOT begin working the resolution until tomorrow.  My personal opinion is that the ones that already started yesterday (and today) are the ones that are a little more dedicated to their goal, but I do understand the “waiting until Monday” mentality, too.  Regardless of whether you got on the road already, or are stepping onto it in the morning, you need a plan.  Where do you begin?  How do you get started especially when it is an overwhelming task.

The very first thing I can suggest is to scroll back to yesterday’s blog entry and try to follow those 10 simple steps to health.  I say this because if we put HEALTH at the top of the priority list, the rest will follow.  By drinking less alcohol, eating more veggies, and walking more you have NO choice but to get more healthy and lose some weight.  It is really so simple if you just break it down and follow the “one day at a time,” plan….which really seems to work for ALL things.

TODAY, get yourself to a fresh market or the produce department of your local grocery store and get an assortment of fresh fruits and veggies and make them the center of your meals.  For me, roasting and grilling vegetables makes them exciting and filled with taste, versus boiling, steaming or eating frozen ones just to fulfill my vegetable food group needs.  Does that sentence make sense?  Because what I really want to say is most of my life I was forcing myself to eat what I now crave on a daily basis.   Looking at the asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant (cleaned out the produce drawer of the fridge) cooking on the grill last night, made for a gorgeous site.  With all the holiday meals and partying, my body was craving the simplicity of the beautiful, assorted gifts from mother nature.   If you aren’t feeling my words, trust me, because once your body gets used to them, you will crave them, too!

Get yourself some great salad fixin’s that you enjoy but are low in calories.  AVOID the cheeses, croutons and creamy dressings.  I make my own dressing every day–half a lemon and some olive oil.  Thanks, Carole, for the Braggs spice mix, which I now use on…everything!  Olive oil is a healthy fat and helps our digestive system, but it’s high in calories so go easy.  Make your salads and your veggies the bulk of your meals and then think small portions of lean meat or fish (if you must!).  I prefer some beans or some soy or Gardein product as my main protein (if I even add one to the meal…).  Get over thinking you must have the animal protein to be healthy.  I just don’t believe that is true.

DRINK LOTS OF WATER.  LOTS.  EVERY DAY.  START NOW.

Want to really get lean and healthy?  Read The China Study!

Add some daily exercise that makes you sweat.  Yes, daily.  Ok, maybe you skip a day here or there, but while you are getting into the spin of this healthy new lifestyle, daily helps keep you from falling off the wagon.  Mix up your workouts.  Don’t get bored and don’t get too hard on yourself.  Walk, jog, tread, swim, use and elliptical or a stationary bike…or a real bike…lift some weights or some kettle bells…do pushups, situps, crunches, roll-ups.  Try a new class-  Zumba, Pilates, yoga, good old fashioned aerobics, kickboxing…try P90x…put on some music and just dance…pick up a jump rope or a hoola hoop or…

Well, you get the idea.  Start moving.  Befriend mother nature’s bounty of fresh food.  Take deep breaths and take care of YOU with the same enthusiasm you would your loved ones.  YOU DESERVE THE BEST LIFE!!! Whether this has always been your journey, you started yesterday, today or are about to start tomorrow, this is the best life journey there is.  When you take care of yourself from the inside out, the outside will reflect all your hard work and you will shine.

While this is 30 years of my professional and personal journey talking, I know it is all true because as we say in the yoga studio–I am you!

Know that I will be here each and every day to help you (and travel with you) along this beautiful path.  Feel free to ask me any questions via the contact link on this home page, where all your questions and comments will be private.  You can leave a public comment by hitting the comment link at the top or bottom of each daily entry.  If you know someone just starting out on this journey, please send them the link to this site.  I WANT TO HELP!

Namaste.