Things I have learned!!!

Not everything that has worked for me will work for everyone but here are some thing that I have learned which have paid off big time and I would like to share...

A Healthy lifestyle is composed of MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, & PHYSICAL Health - you really can't have one without the others


Mental & Emotional:
(1) To Live, I must Love -- yes loving others is awesome and gratifying but most importantly I have learned how to love myself.

(2) I do not need to tailor myself to be a good fit for anyone's approval -- I am my own person, with my own beliefs, with my own faults and I have learned that the only real approval I need is my own.

(3) I am responsible for my own reactions, actions, and doings -- it is easy to blame everyone else for what goes wrong, become victims of our life's situations but I have learned that taking responsibility for my part, acknowledging that my attitude plays a huge role in it all, and knowing that I can't control what others do or say will give me complete peace of mind.

(4) I am a strong, beautiful, intelligent, and most importantly complete person -- we tend to stroll thru life looking for what completes us and what makes us happy. Truth of the matter is that God does not do half *kitten*'d jobs, therefore we were born complete and there is nothing nor noone who can makes us happy except ourselves. Outside influences can enhance that happiness to the max but will never provide what we seek and cary inside.

Physical:

(1) I am responsible of my physical health and the only one who can make choices on how I will accomplish such is ME

(2) Eating healthy(er) and working out are only a small percentage of what will help me to gain physical health - you have to train your mind, set realistic goals, be consistant and determined and take action.

(3) Eating is essencial - if I don't fuel accordingly I can't function. 4-6 meals a day is what MY body needs.

(4) Food choices - Protein over Salad, always *big smile*; calories over sodium, always - not even a question about it

(5) Calorie intake - as close to 1200 net calories a day as possible and nothing lower than 1100

(6) Exercice:

Cardio: 30 mins 3 times a week is more than enough for me, it isn't the amount of calories I burn it is the quality of the workout what is important. Choosing a cardio activity in which full body can be engaged is way more efficient that doing 60 mins on a machine on which I am pouring out sweat and my heart feels like it is going to jump out of my chest.

Strength Training: if I can easily lift any given weight 12-15 times I am not doing it right. If I can easily lift any given weight 8-10 without strugling the last 2 reps, I am not doing it right. If I can lift any given weight 10 times on my first set, struggle on my second set to even get to 8, and have horrible form by the last two/three reps on the 3rd set then I AM DOING IT RIGHT

(7) Water - hydration, hydration, hydration is very important and has way more benefits than anything else out there, not to mention it makes my sking look awesome and takes away at least 5 yrs off my age, lol


And lastly but most important thing I have learned thru this process is... that accepting, loving, and taking care of myself and feeling emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy outweighs any number on the scale or any size of clothing I may own...