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Here is the main body of text for Wednesday's page (the 20th of September), read on if you want some motivation to change your lifestyle...
Waist not, want not.... a Style guide to healthy living.Almost every female celebrity has been asked to define her diet, her exercise regime and her genetics so that the interview’s thirsty readers can then, presumably, scurry off and apply her way of life to their own.
My favourite answer, though rarely heard, is “eat less, move around more”.
Now, I know some will groan and say, well, we know that, now give us the secrets! The 500 euro treatments! The new secret Star diet! The amazing new fitness class!
I could continue in exclamation marks, but really, the truth is so boring. You eat everything you like in moderation, and exercise appropriately. The truth, however, doesn’t make a good headline, or excite our weary brains. Many magazines continue to lure their readers with “My amazing weight loss!” and “Celebrity weight plan!” stories. These “celebrities” careers often exist purely because of how much their weighing scales read and how succinctly they can discuss each pound of flesh.
In future, when reading the latest Big Brother or Soap Star dietary recommendation, do like MC Hammer told you, and break it down. What gems of information are they really offering? …“ I work out a bit, I eat vegetables, I don’t eat a lot of sweeties, and I work my ass off racing from TV studios to radio stations to publishers, so I can tell them all about what I ate today! Aren’t I just a pure child genius!” Aren’t they just…
Their plans are so groundbreaking, almost as revolutionary as the Atkins, where you completely eliminate starch from your diet, and amazingly lose weight. Or what about that really clever one where you don’t eat a pile of junk food and sweets every day, and then somehow, miraculously, once again, lose weight!
Yes, I sound cynical, that’s because I am. There is no such thing as a quick fix, the problem is always lifestyle. You don’t have to have a problem with your weight to have a bad lifestyle. I don’t need to lose weight, but I also don’t exercise at the moment, or eat vegetables. Yes, I’m blessed that these factors don’t find their way to my backside in a massive amount, but I do tire easily and am completely unfit. So, today I embark on my new lifestyle. Good food, gym going and fresh air, can’t you just smell the good intentions.
So this is directed to all of you, whether you want to lose or gain weight, tone up, wake up or shake it up. Here are a few, what I hope are, sensible offerings of advice. Lets make Wednesday the 20th of September “Lifestyle Day!”. Or not…
-Decide why it is that you want to lose weight, or change your lifestyle, and what you hope to achieve from it. Keep that in mind when you veer back towards your previous unhealthy habits.
-Always discuss any change of lifestyle with a doctor you are comfortable with, and, if possible, a qualified nutritionist. This is the best money you will spend, with considered professional advice and information, there is no need to stuff yourself full of celebrity soliloquy’s.
-Talk to your family, and make sure there are some guidelines in place that will help you with willpower and motivation. There is no real point on you embarking n a wonderful new lifestyle, if you are being dragged down by swill munching, sedentary spouses or offspring.
-Take it easy on yourself, many people take a long time to adapt to a new way of life, whether its dietary or exercise. You will not be able to run a marathon by week two, or always say no to the offer of a second slice of cake. Who cares, you are making an effort every day, that is what’s important, not every minute.
-Find a form of exercise you are happy with, be it gym going, walking the road or salsa class. If you can’t make time for organized activity every day, then implement daily or weekly routine changes - swap the Hoover for a sweeping brush, the lift for the stairs, the car for a bike.
…(P.S. A word of advice to my wonderful road walkers, please consider your route carefully, some roads are just not safe to walk along. When deciding, think about the width of the grass verge and traffic visibility. Also, if the route is isolated, please bring a mobile phone with you, just in case you twist your ankle or any other situation arises.)
-Apply some rules or mantras to your life, that you use when eating out, shopping, or just at the start of the day. Now, repeat after me;
“WAIST NOT, WANT NOT” - This applies to those of you who have been taught to clear their plate, no matter what. As you are an adult now, remember, you do not have to finish the food if you are already full to the point of suffocation. I know it is a “waste“, but I would prefer to waste a couple of cents worth of food, than feel uncomfortably full. Drop the guilt, it’s okay to be full.
“EAT WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY, STOP WHEN YOU’RE FULL” - This is a good relation of the above, but one you should apply every day. It is pretty straightforward. As you are unwrapping your elevenses treat, ask yourself if you are actually hungry, or are you just reacting to a routine. If you are popping in slices of toast late at night, think about it, do you actually feel hungry, or are you just bored or fidgety? Comfort eating is also a big problem, try to see food as a fuel for the body, rather than a provision of comfort. This habit can grow out of your control, so don’t be afraid to seek help and advice whenever you need it.
“WATCH FOR THE SNACK ATTACK” - Many nutritionists say that people snack when they are thirsty, not hungry. As most of us do not supply our bodies with the hydration it needs, this is usually the case. So, next time you pick up a Mars Bar, try a bottle of water first.
“EAT LESS, MOVE AROUND MORE” - you should try and qualify your calories, match your amount of exercise to the food you consume daily. So, if you go to a party and stuff your gills, then add an extra mile to your walk, or go to an extra class, instead of wallowing in guilty self pity. Just get up and get over it.
“CENTS SENSE”- Never ever scrimp on food quality. Never choose the lesser quality product because it is two euros cheaper. Think of all the money you spend on gym fees, nutritional supplements, diet plans, I guarantee it is considerably more that the accumulation of cents you have saved by feeding your body, and often your family, with cheaper, possibly unhealthy food.
I don’t necessarily mean always buying organic, although that would be wonderful, I mean the good quality meat, fresh vegetables, the interesting healthy food that you are afraid to put in your basket in case you don’t like it. Buy it, try it, if you don’t like it, you don’t buy it again. Easy. Decision made.
“EVERY DAY IS A START” - Okay, I am beginning to sound a little comme le Doctor Phil, but listen, if you go off the rails, track or path, don’t fret. Tomorrow is another day, learn to laugh at your slip ups, while recognizing them as exactly that, slip ups. So you didn’t get some exercise today, plan tomorrow‘. Yes, perhaps you will, one tired evening, inhale a Chinese, Maltesers and a KitKat. Just don’t have them for breakfast the next day as well. Never be consumed by a diet or lifestyle. Never get obsessed or overly concerned, just try and make it a very good habit.
The fact is, responsibility for our health must begin with ourselves. So, lets forget the fad diets, the celebrity endorsements, the magic potions, or the elixirs of instant slimness. It’s not about weight or food or running or worrying. It’s just making a decision to be healthier. It’s about getting the best out of life, and that means getting the best out of your body, so that you can enjoy that life to the fullest and healthiest that you can. I’m not going to stop eating chocolate, and I’m not going to ask you to do that either. All I’m saying is that we should all have a little think about our lives and bodies, what we want from them, now and in the future.
Scary information of the week.Johnny Logan is back, he of Eurovision eh…fame, is now an r&b artist, with a remix of one of his winning entries Hold Me Now. Seriously. It’s renamed Don’t Cry, and features a real live rapper, Kaye Styles. The video is causing much hilarity on you tube, with baggy trousers a go go. The battle between Westlife and Take That? Forget it, this one is better, Hasslehoff V Logan. Bring the heat boys.
www.youtube.com
