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!