Step on It

The scale.

For most women, we have a dread of stepping on the scale. 

That's why it's so important the focus is on health and not weight. 

Obsessing about weight causes eating disorders. The other end is denial of our true weight, which leads to more weight gain and an unhealthier self. 

I think an accurate scale is important. It's part of accountability. You can lie to yourself that your weight s fine if you never have to look at it. 

But BMI is important. Obesity and its complications kills more people than any single disease out there. 

So step on it. Get real. Get moving.

Then be balanced. 

I just got an Aria scale by Fitbit for Christmas. I'm so excited! I made a pact with myself to only weigh in on Monday mornings. 

Oh, I want to get on it. Daily. But that is just crazy making. There are so many things that change our weight daily, and don't give us any idea of the big picture.

So for the new year, get on that scale. Get real. Celebrate if you are where you need to be as a healthy person, and if it is a different number, start setting realistic goals. Get moving! You can do it!

You have to start with the facts!  

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Chew On This

Slow down!

Your eating speed, that is. 

It takes 20 minutes from when you eat something for your brain to register that your stomach is full.

If you're wolfing down your food, you're going to still think you're hungry. Often that leads to mindless eating. 

I'm not a binge eater, but I'm a fast eater. I'm an RN - you eat when you can at work, and some days that's very fast!

Here's where accountability comes in again. You eat the right foods, in the right portions. 

Then you stop!

It's a simple premise. If you can do this, you are on your way to a healthier, less hungry you! 

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Eating Outside The Box

Deciding to live a healthy life means eating outside the box. 

Cereal boxes. Mac and cheese boxes. Cracker boxes. Basically, almost without exception, anything that comes in a box. 

Generations ago, people grew their own food. Raised livestock. Canned their food. Had root cellars. Shared from their abundance. They were living, breathing, actual sized humans. 

Now we have a generation eating processed "food" out of boxes. Filled with ingredients we can neither name or identify. A generation guzzling chemical laden soda. Eating fast "food" in a car. Growing more overweight, obese, and killing themselves one bite at a time. 

It's amazing that when people decide to get healthy, one of the hardest things to do is drink water. Pure, unadulterated, water. 

It's time to get outside the box. 

It's time to read. 

One of the first things I had to do when I became diabetic was read labels. To say it was eye opening is a huge understatement. I shuddered as I read labels of food I used to eat thoughtlessly. I was looking for nutritional values, but as I looked deeper, I saw that eating from the box wasn't feeding me. You can fill your belly but get no nutritional value. 

Get out of the box. 

Go find a recipe book that features fresh real produce, actual living ingredients. Buy fresh local produce. Learn to cook if you haven't been a cook. If you can read and follow directions, you can do it. 

Start by getting outside of the box. 

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