New Beginnings

I don't know about you, but spring seems like a time of new beginnings. Blossoms are beginning to show on trees, the birds are becoming more visible as they prepare for building nests, green is showing in more places, and many people feel the need for spring cleaning. In some ways, spring is more of a starting point than New Year's. There's a clean energy to it that you don't find on January 1 as you lie in bed contemplating the next year. Maybe you're one of those people who fell off the exercise new year's resolution wagon a week after making that resolution. Buddha said, "No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again."

Thinking about losing weight in terms of "diet" and "exercise" may sound intimidating and unpleasant. No wonder you gave up on that resolution! Use this new season to start fresh. It doesn't have to be a huge step, but many tiny ones in the right direction will set you on the path you've been trying to find. Here are some ideas to get you started:

We live in an instant-gratification society where if we don't see immediate results we get frustrated and think that it doesn't work. Sadly, our health and living a healthy lifestyle is one thing that is not instant. It does take a lifetime of work. Even the word "lifestyle" should be a clue -- it's not about just losing a little bit of weight -- it's about getting to a healthy weight and maintaining that weight. So in our digital world of instant knowledge and tweets, if you want to change your lifestyle, the formula is the same it's always been -- eating right and being active.

Eating right (NOT dieting!!!!) can be as simple as making a few simple changes to what you eat.

* Eat more fruit. Add it to your cereal, your salads or even your dinners.
* Sneak in more veggies. Add them wherever you can--a tomato on your sandwich, peppers on your pizza, or extra veggies in your pasta sauce. Keep pre-cut or canned/frozen veggies ready for quick snacks.
* Switch your salad dressing. If you eat full-fat dressing, switch to something lighter and you'll automatically eat less calories.
* Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy. Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in your diet.
* Make some substitutes. Look through your cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods you eat every day. Write down the nutritional content and, the next time you're at the store, find lower-calorie substitutes for just those 3 items.
* Drink more water. Chances are, you're dehydrating yourself and you don't even know it! Having enough water on a daily basis can help you lose weight by assisting in the fat break-down cycle, help reduce headaches, makes you smarter (your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrate), regulates your body temperature which will help you exercise more efficiently, relieves fatigue, helps reduce cancer risk, and may even make you happier because your body is getting what it needs!
* You can use the new Food Guide Pyramid to determine how many calories you need and what food groups you should focus on.
* Log your food intake. That Food Guide Pyramid website will also help you in logging your food and caloric intake for the day. Sometimes we're just now aware of how much we're actually eating until we write it down and make ourselves be aware of it.
* Stop eating fast food! 'Nuff said.

Get moving! If you're not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

* Turn off the TV. Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with your family. Play games, take a walk...almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch.
* Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work.
* Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor...these kinds of activities may not be 'vigorous' exercise, but they can keep you moving while getting your house in order.
* Pace while you talk. When you're on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing. This is a great way to stay moving while doing something you enjoy.
* Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day. If you find that the bulk of your time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more--getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.

My first step to adopting a life-long healthy lifestyle was to start running. I was fairly overweight, so that wasn't an easy thing for me to do, at least not after the first time. But I felt better each time I did it -- I was not only accomplishing a goal for myself of trying to get back to the athletic, younger version of myself, but that activity made me want to eat healthier also. It was definitely a circle, but not a vicious one. Being more active made me want to eat better, and eating better made me better able to be more active.

Remember -- it's about a healthy lifestyle, not a temporary fix. When it comes to your health, the good variety should never be temporary!

Now, what are you doing at your computer? Go take a walk and eat an apple!