If you are impatient like me, you probably want to lose the excess weight yesterday. That is why the weight loss industry is booming. We want quick fixes, and despite all the evidence that quick fixes do not work, we continue to believe this time it will work for us. Folks, I have tried every quick fix in the book. Remember, gaining health is a permanent change in your style of living. Please do not expect to go back to your unhealthy habits. I did that too, guess what, I gained the weight back and then some. Here is some good news, with time you will fully embrace healthy.

GROW TO LOVE COOKING FOR YOUR HEALTH

As I have grown older, I realize that not all food is healthy. Furthermore, you never know what oils were used to prepare your food. Fried foods have gotten a bad reputation. In part because of the oils used to cook them. Secondly, because of the temperature used to cook them. Then there are the added salts and other additives that are used to make food tasty. The thing about getting healthy is to gain knowledge.

1. Understand why being healthy is IMPORTANT
2. Understand why being unhealthy impacts your QUALITY OF LIFE
3. Know where you are RIGHT NOW and ACCEPT IT
4. Know that you do not have to make big changes, you simply must make SMALL CHANGES CONSISTENTLY

I grew to enjoy cooking when I realized I can cook healthy tasty foods, without spending too much time in the kitchen. It started by figuring out the healthy foods that I enjoyed eating.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE?

Anything worthwhile in life requires some sacrifice. It may be that you have to give something up completely, or it may mean smaller portions infrequently. I have a good friend and he has given up things like muffins and cakes. I asked him how are you able to live without cake? His response was profound: “I made a lot of sacrifices to regain my health and I am not going to destroy my health for highly processed carbohydrates.” I said just a small muffin. His response: “My health is more valuable to me than a moment of instant gratification.” Our lives, and by default our bodies, reflect what we value. That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it? What you are willing to sacrifice is a testament to how much you value your health.

6 THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR HEALTH

1. Get to know your body
2. Understand the importance of water
3. Recognize that Insulin functions to store fat [every time you eat you produce Insulin]
4. Realize that a lack of sleep impacts your health
5. Know that you have control over how STRESSED you choose to be
6. Moving daily can be done in 5-minute increments