Decisions Determine Destiny

"Decisions determine destiny". That is a quote I heard in conference and it applies to so many things in our lives. Your destiny IS your decision. Your weight and fitness level is YOUR choice. No one can gain or lose weight for you. Although there can be people in your life that can encourage or discourage you, in the end it is your decision. Now is the time to decide how bad you want this weight lose and how much effort you are willing to put into it to getting there. So lets set ourselves up for success. The good decisions we make ahead of time can really help out when it comes to staying on track.
First lets work on food decisions. Eating right can be a stress if you wait until it is time to eat to decide what you are going to eat. One of the biggest things that can help in this area is making a meal plan. This could take a few min or even a hour at first but it can make all the difference when you are desperately searching for something to eat at 3:oo in the afternoon and all you can find is cookies. So write down what you will eat for breakfast, am snack, lunch, pm snack, and dinner. It can be for 2 to 3 days or 1 to 2 weeks. Count the calories in advance, then go buy what you will need. Having the healthy food on hand is HUGE! Then there is no questions, no thinking and less chance to make a wrong decision. You can have the eggs boiled, chicken defrosted, veggies on hand or a healthy packed lunch with just a little planning. You will find that you don't have to reinvent the plan every time. You will know what the calorie count is on your staple meals and snacks and can plug in the those meal choices easily. That is also handy when something comes up that you need to adjust for.
The next step is to plan out your workouts. If you are working on a training plan print it out and keep it handy. If you do not have a training plan write out your own. Then, with plan in hand, don't forget strength traingin, write on your calender what you are going to do each day for the next few weeks. Make a specific time and plan it into your schedule. For instance you might write down that you are going to jog on Monday and lift weights on Tuesday. Decide what time you will do that and keep that time open for your workout. You must make time and fallow through to be successful.
Now, life does happen and there will be things come up that you will have to be flexible for, but just move things around a bit and keep right on going. Changes don't mean you have failed or that you have to give up. Adjust and move forward!
So plan your meals and workouts!!! Decide your destiny! You can do this!

Quote

Everything you do is based on the choices you make.  It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame.  You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period.

 

 

 

 

Choose to eat healthy and get your exercise in everyday.  YOU CAN DO THIS!

Dealing with stress

Well I have had alot of stress in my life and sometimes I tend to eat my way through it. It never fixes it but sometimes I sure eat like it was going to. AND eating doesn't do a dang bit of good. Have you ever been sitting at the table with your head down shoveling in the food like a mindless robot only to add guilt to the stress the next day for the way you ate? Lack of sleep sure doesn't  help in those situations ether!

You may not have stress this week but it will come and it is better to have a plan than to turn to food for distraction or comfort. First of all you should not eat when you are stressed!! Wait until you are calm and focused on eating rather than using the mindless shoveling technique. I know I have eaten unhealthy, high calorie, junk food that didn't even taste good because I was not putting the effort to deal with stress properly.
Working out is a great way to relieve stress. Not only does it help you get your mind off the negative it also triggers your body to release "feel good" endorphins. So go for a walk, a jog or a bike ride. Jump on the trampoline, play catch with your kids or just throw the Frisbee. Call a friend to talk or just soak in the tube. What ever it is stay out of the kitchen until you can think about what you are putting in your mouth and make good decisions.
Have a plan and post it on the frig or pantry if you need to. It might say :Count to 10, Go for a walk, Make good food choices.
Decide now to deal with stress in a healthy way and do it for life!

If you do fall off the wagon..... get up, dust your self off, and get right back on. You will be surprised at how forgiving your body can be if you get right back on track.

This is an article you can read for more info: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/eating-for-better-health/manage-stress-and-emotional-eating.aspx

Some of the main points are:

"Ultimately, your best arsenal against stress should come from a different source. Using strategies such as exercise to burn off stress, calling a close friend or family member to talk out difficulties, or taking a warm bath to help relax are all healthy ways to manage stress without relying on food."

"There's a definite physiological connection between food and stress that encourages you to overeat.
When you know that stress is causing you to crave food, take steps to redirect your attention:
Take a walk.
Grab your water bottle.
Keep a stash of healthy snacks.

Stress can also distract you from what you're eating, which leads to gorging on foods that you don’t even enjoy. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid mindless emotional eating and overeating:Focus on your food.
Savor the flavors.
Don’t eat on the run.
Time yourself.
Don’t skip meals."