Stay Positive!

It's been a week already? Wow! I do apologize that I didn't meet my weekly entry by Wednesday but I do promise at least one post a week. As to what day it shall be I'm not sure, though I was trying to be consistent I was extremely exhausted this week and honestly, not motivated. So that's what we're going to be talking a bit about at first today is motivation. I'd like to know what motivates everyone. I know for me it can be increasingly difficult because I work at a call center involving not only mind boggling issues and customers but also sitting, lots of sitting with the convenience of fast food and junk food out of vending machines. I almost crave pop or chocolate or even sometimes the urge to go and get a nice chocolate pudding from the fridge at the cafeteria. However I keep telling myself that all this hard work has to be going somewhere and even though I found out I gained a pound instead of losing one, which by the way can be a real downer and make one feel a little depressed and even for myself want to just say to hell with it!, I still say I can do this.

I think that we also need a support group. As Dr. Oz suggested in one of his weekly tips this past week, having the buddy system and a supportive friend, working out with a friend or going for a walk with a pet or even telling your family that this is what you're doing so that they can help you stay positive and stay on track is a good way to go about things. Now let's talk about how to be supportive because there are some that just don't know how. For all those people trying to lose weight, I'm sure that we all in our mind some how, somewhere think... we're fat, ugly etc. and that we can't do it. Some of us even go through depression or anxiety (which I will talk about shortly), and some have been abused or told that we are this way (even if we actually in fact aren't which again I'll talk about shortly as well.). I personally have encountered people who though they are trying to be supportive or positive, comment on your weight and it all turns out that though unintended end up offending and women seem to be the worst for it; though guys, if you ever comment to a woman that she is in anyway looking like she's gained weight, you might want to think twice. Weight and weight loss is a very touchy subject and there are ways of being supportive by not offending. I know that when I lose a pound and tell someone I'd like to hear, that's great! I know you can do it!, or things such as you look awesome! Keep it up. Even support by going to the gym or working out together, having similar weight loss or fitness goals can help. Quitting smoking can be a goal too that could be common for example, and supporting one another when you fall off the wagon and pick each other up by saying or doing things like, you know what I'll cut down to 1 a day or drink less coffee so that I don't want that or replace it with something else positive and having others encourage and keep you in that positive thinking and environment like not smoking in front of you or not offering or not having coffee which is a common stimulant together is a good way of being supportive. Having a family which helps you shop positive and healthy and keep healthy snacks in the house or cooking together rather than eating out can also help in these type of goals.

Mental health is something that one really needs to be aware of as well. It's not just staying positive. There are illnesses that are not seen by the naked eye that some believe do not exist such as depression and anxiety, obsession, or fibromialgia to name a few that can really put a stop or pause or make it impossible to meet those goals that you wish you could meet. Emotional disorders can lead to things such as eating disorders as well. I know some that over eat and some that under eat. Both ways are not good for you and some even become obsessed with calories and weight and that they have to meet this goal that is completely unrealistic. Touching on this subject relates back to my first entries of media and how it influences us because there are males and females that feel this way and are encouraged to be so skinny they are a skeleton or even so muscular that it's again unrealistic. It's one thing to be a bit buff guys.. but being overly so or having to really work out to maintain that is ridiculous and unappealing to most of the common population and is not normal. This goes for women too, both ways. Mental health can also deter you from meeting your goals and that's where your support group comes in as well. Not to mention, your overall mental health and well being should come first. If you're stressed you're more likely to want to go for all the junk and convenience food available or not eat at all or at proper times.

Jobs can be one of the worst causes of this. I know that with my job it is very stressful and it's not a positive or rewarding environment either.  When you have an unrewarding job that you are overall dissatisfied with you don't see things very positively. Keeping a hobby, taking a vacation or even just a spa day off or when you get home trying to relax with something fun is a good way to keep this stress level along with exercise and eating uplifting flavorful foods. I definitely take time to myself when I walk home, this isn't just cheap for me but also allows me to clear my thoughts for the morning and evening with a bit of music and get out some of the frustration before bed or to start a new day.

All in all the summary of this post is that we need to be motivated, in order to do so we need a support group or mechanism in place and motivation is encouraged by our mental state of mind. So keep your mind healthy first, by doing so and keeping your body healthy even in general you can meet some basic goals that at first seem tough but you can do it! Until next week ;) signing off!

Week 3, Entry 4

This is week number 4!! :) So last week we talked about self goals. Did everyone make a goal? Were you able to stick to it or meet it? Or did you have a bit of trouble, like I did? I'd like to hear your stories and comments.

My goals were to not eat so much fast food, not to drink pop and to do some more exercising and try something new. I managed to keep to the majority of my goals however, some trouble on the way such as withdrawal symptoms from the pop, caffeine would do that my dad says so maybe I'll replace that with tea? I prefer herbal tea though, and I think part of it is the sugar as well since as soon as I had carbs or sugar of any kind I ended up kick-starting back up with energy.  I have managed to start back into my Zumba games again (even for a short time) and Excerbeat, for those who have Wii. Both are really good but the Excerbeat I really enjoy even more so than the Wii Fit as it is not only encouraging but it has aerobics, karate, boxercising, dance, stretching and yoga. I won't be doing much other than a bit of that at night and some walking to and from work because this week, it's supposed to get HOT!

As for food content, I also found this website or app called Lose-It!  http://www.loseit.com/ is the site and it's a great start on keeping track of just what you eat and when and how much you're losing and your progress. Dr. Oz suggests keeping a food journal and keeping track of exercise however it's usually difficult to write down in an actual book. For those that have android phones or I think even Iphone, you can get this application on your phone as well as online and enter in daily. I've tried it for 2 days now and see a difference. Yesterday for example, being my Friday, I ate way too many calories (that is assuming one is actually counting lol!). I don't actually count but it does show you just how much bad stuff one can eat in one day such as fried foods, pop, sweets, etc. It even allows you to enter in if you ate out at places like McDonald's, Starbucks etc. which shows you their content per what food you ate. This also allows you to set a reasonable goal, for myself losing  a set amount of pounds or even half a pound per week to meet my goal of losing 30lbs by hopefully November while doing so safely and not depriving myself of food. Just monitoring what you eat and eating better things like fruit or veggies and then perhaps pasta or whole grains etc. will assist.  This app is my "something new" for this week.

Speaking of food, here is an interesting article I found on msn of some common food myths. http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/seven-diet-myths-making-fat-160000320.html but then again I might add that I'm wary of these "myths" only because things change so much..one day we'll be saying salt is good for you the next it's bad for you for example. Everyone has different opinions, some are backed up by proper studies and documentation while others are exactly that, a wive's tale.

There you have it everyone... that is this weeks entry. I'd like everyone who reads, if you have any suggestions, comments or stories to share about what has worked or hasn't worked for you to feel free to share!

Goals

Hello everyone!!
So last week I spoke about how media effects our view of ourselves and how some of our celebrity role models can help us be a bit more motivated etc. I did also ask that everyone try to choose at least one thing about themselves that they liked to stay positive and encourage themselves. For me, my answer is my legs and hips. I'm proud to say that I manage to walk to and from work every day, a total of about 80 minutes, which has managed to tone my legs. I've always walked and I think walking is one of the easiest and greatest exercises you could do even if it's just a walk to the corner store to get some milk or to walk around the block or to a friend's house down the street. Whichever it is it's great! However your body can get used to things.

There are a few things this week I'd like to touch on. The first being that I'd like to share my experience of going to a gym-like setting to do a.. wait for it.. a bellydance class! I and my awesome step-mom (who was a great sport for coming along!), decided that we'd go and try it out. A friend of mine has her own business, http://barefootdancecompany.com/. And I highly recommend her as a teacher, she was great. The only problem is right now, the cost, however I am truly considering saving up. In the meantime I'll be doing some of what she taught as well as trying out some of my videos again now that I know more about the proper posture. She mentioned a tip as well, drink lots of water the day and night before a work out and class and you'll find you don't sweat nearly as much as you would if you drank only during the workout session as your body wants to expel more of the water. Always good to stay on top of drinking water daily anyway and lots of it especially during the summer. In point, if you're looking for something new and fun ladies, try dancing. And guys if you're reading this.. nothing wrong with trying out latin dancing with a partner or even a zumba class if that sort of thing is for you. Experiment and have fun! So I'd like everyone this week to try at least one thing that is new to you, whether it be a new food, a new exercise or even just trying to get rid of something such as pop out of your diet and see if you can keep it up for a week.

This leads to my next subject, self goals. Here is a link that I discovered while reading the sharecare newsletter:  http://www.sharecare.com/question/biggest-mistake-when-trying-to-lose-weight#cmpid=scnl000 . These are all so true! We need to look into proper goals and try to make them happen and reward ourselves with good healthy rewards. I this week for example got myself a new pair of comfy pjs and a new sports bra to work out in for doing that bellydance class and succeeded in lasting the entire hour without falling over! :)  I've also made a goal to cut pop from my diet as no type of soda is really good. Now once in a while if I have a rum and coke with a friend on an outing or get together, or a dinner out, which is now rare is on occasion, ok. But even then my goal now is to have water or fruit juice where possible. Also try replacing the bad chips and cookies with healthy snacks like apples, carrots or other veggies or fruit or nuts. I'm also going to try cutting out going out to dinner with my parents, as this has become a common thing and not only can become expensive even for one person but also too isn't that healthy eating fast food or deep fried things or even having more oil in certain things. So making food yourself can actually be much healthier and cheaper in the long run and cooking together allows for family bonds as well and encourages eachother. So another goal for this week, not only try something new but set a healthy one such as those examples.

Nextly, I'd like to talk about a few controversial items. I won't be all the time but there are a few things that concern me and this week alone I've found 2 reports and heard of one other. I can't find the link to this one again however, the banning of pop or "soda" in one state in the US, I believe, is a good thing or at least perhaps not banning but reducing the intake of such items to a limited amount per serving. Smaller can portions etc. would reduce the "obesity crisis" I'd like to call it in North America. What do you think of this? Does the government have the right? Or should we be allowed to choose? I often think of the movie Wall-E when I see our future, if you haven't watched it, do so!!! It's not just about a cute robot but about our future and the way we're heading we just might get like that! No exercise, sitting in floating chairs where we're nothing more than balls of flub that can't even walk or do things ourselves drinking a liquid diet!! Can you imagine only having liquid? O_O!!!!

Now another report I came across was just appalling and this is not just for those in Canada though it addresses a country , that I otherwise proudly live in, that is believed to be a country that has a decent standard of living. And yet we find a higher rate of obesity in Northern Canada due to higher prices on ... you guessed it, HEALTHY food! Why are prices cheaper on junk food and why are these items easier to get than healthy foods?  Please read the report here. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/northerners-blast-high-prices-basic-foods-including-20-192120869.html. Something must be done and I say that we should all fight for the prices to be equal like here in the south. Can you really imagine paying for bottles of water (not that I don't support the direct from the tap or filtered water however for convenience in some cases bottled can be useful) at $104.00 for a pack of 24 vs the same amount here for only $3.00? Even on sale here it's not quite even $2!! And we think that $2 for water or $5 for milk here is expensive? It's $18 or more for milk, or even just a simple juice box that here wold be perhaps .30c maybe a dollar is there near $4!! How is this right when also living conditions up there are not the greatest either?

This leads to the last report that I was told about by my manager at work but have yet to see, about how they did a UN study of some sort where a Swedish researcher did a survey and found Canada, yes our beautiful country, to be one of  if not THE worst for poverty and child hunger in the developed world. Yes not obesity, but starving. We have too many families not able to support even a healthy diet let alone give food to their children. This is not including those that just simply don't take care of their children ok, because I know that again this is controversial that some might say, well it's all those people on welfare and doing drugs etc. that are the cause. But is it really? I've been on welfare, and even on my own on welfare and going to a food bank, the food banks weren't even able to provide me a proper healthy meal out of the stuff I was given and even then they are very low stocked. Or they simply don't care and give things to you that you're allergic to. Even something such as peanut butter, do you know that some brands use icing sugar and have more sugar content than actual peanuts!?

That last comment I'm sure will lead into about food allergies but let's leave it at that and touch on that another day as there is lots to talk about concerning that too. Point: we have a lot of work in our country and we have to start somewhere so let's start with ourselves and family, make the right choices and read labels, support our community and support our local farmers where possible. Going to the farmer's market, while I lived in my hometown, was one of the things I LOVED about Saturdays because I could get fresh fruit and veggies and meat, all local and all decent pricing. Even a bottle of milk that I could refill was awesome! We should have that in every community possible!!!

Well folks that's all for now but lots to think about this week! :) I would also love to hear feedback so feel free to comment! Have a great and healthy week! Remember lots of water, and if out in the sun, protect yourself!! :)

The Influence of Media and Role Models

So I was thinking, media has a great impact on us and our health. We read the news, one day salt is good, next it isn't for example. How are we supposed to keep up? And we watch and listen and have a lot of role models to choose from in media. Today I'm writing about just a few of the role models that have influenced me in regards to health and certain stances on health and well being.

People such as Dr. Oz, Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnel, Tyra Banks and Lady Gaga have spoken about a number of things. I love watching Dr. Oz because he brings out cheap but also healthy tips and I highly recommend that people subscribe to the share care newsletter at least. Tips such as shopping around the edge of the store to get all your healthy items then going to the middle and not shopping while hungry will help you to lose weight and not buy those unnecessary items for your kitchen. He's also had celebs such as Trya and Rosie on the show where Trya, though a model and, and though in that industry I think it needs to be changed for a number of reasons, has stated a great suggestion, something her mother used to tell her was that you should look in the mirror with nothing on and pick one thing that you like about yourself. And you know what it does help to stay more positive because the rest you can work on or the rest you learn to be happy with yourself.  People like Rosie O'Donnel have continued to struggle with not just weight but society's backlash at people who are different. Dr. Oz did an interview with her as well that I watched, very inspiring and found that it is true, those who are abused in some way will find some kind of comfort zone and in some cases you go thin, other cases you hide yourself in weight. This relates to another topic I will bring out later on about mental health issues as well as how bullying affects us.  But one thing she noted is that we should not be ashamed of ourselves though it is very difficult to overcome.

Moving on to Oprah and Lady Gaga, I will be bringing them up in another topic later on as well related to bullying and Lady Gaga's anti-bullying cause, however one of the things health wise about both of them is that they were both insulted or had peer pressure due to their weight or being different looking and neither one of them, through all of their trials, have they faltered and gave in. They've challenged the norm of the expectations of Hollywood. Health wise peer pressure and all these expectations are something that, upstairs, affects how we treat ourselves and our bodies. I highly recommend everyone to read the book "No Fat Chicks" by Terry Poulton, should you be able to find it. I wish I had another copy but it brought all of these things to light in this book and I read it when I was in grade 10. I was just a young teen struggling not per se with weight issues at the time but other health and self esteem issues. I was thinking to myself that I might become fat or ugly in some way or that in fact I was which in turn has grown to cause me admittedly to think negatively about myself at times with not just peer pressure but other influences such as media. This book speaks about eating disorders, how we treat our bodies and bringing to light via media spotlight, this health issue of weight loss. It has become an epidemic, we have so many eating disorders and though right now in North America we seem to concentrate on obesity, we think that "thin is in" and it's ok in some way or another to be a stick figure and eat nothing or use fad , quick diets to get us to be what our supermodels or celebs look like. How is this ok to be as thin as say ,Victoria Beckam? How is it ok to expect mom to become super thin overnight after having a child?  These things are just not possible on all people. I actually feel sorry for those in the spotlight as role models because they have all these expectations, not just women but men also though the expectations seem to be higher for women.

In the end the point of this post is that we are and should take pride in who WE are, how we are and try to make healthier  expectations , speak up and make an effort for our future generations. Be role models ourselves. Challenge yourself and be what you're supposed to be and what we all are, beautiful. I challenge everyone today to do what Tyra suggested and find even one thing, just one... even if it's in personality not just physically, that you like and enjoy about yourself. :) 

Welcome

Hello Everyone! So if you're read the description this blog is all about a healthier outlook on life. This is to also keep track of some personal goals for the writers here and to encourage everyone through our successes and failures and just have fun while doing so. I know that we all have our tough days and that we all have a hard time and we can get discouraged but the goal here is to create a blog and community to work together to be healthier in mind, body, and spirit. So if your goal is just to get up and be more positive then go for it... or if it's to lose weight one step at a time... awesome! Whatever the goal we know that we can work together to reach it! I also have to say in this day in age where fast food, a bombardment of media outlets of negative messages are predominant we have to work together to not make ourselves now be healthier but create a new and positive and healthier future for our next generations. So I welcome you all to join in and read and comment. Share your stories, tips and ideas and what works for you, though it may not work for one person, may still work for another. :) Happy Healthy Living!!