kindness |

Gee Whiz February Health Challenge you caught me on a day where this is a total loaded prompt for me. Sigh. Perspective.

Well, I guess in terms of perspective, mine has changed extensively in the last 7 months (!). Things I used to see in a certain light are now not even in the light, let alone my thought process. I think honestly, the thing I’ve changed my perspective the greatest in regards to is PMA: Positive Mental Attitude.

People can get a little preachy with the battle cry of PMA, but for the most part I love the idea. Of course everyone has a bad day here or there we are humans living in a challenging world. For example in my life recently: I’m heavily affected by blood sugar and in fact had a ‘bad’ day on Thursday when I didn’t properly feed my body/mind resulting in a quiet and somber afternoon/evening (I literally had to ‘put myself to bed’ early just to get back into balance). However, that didn’t stop me from spewing my irritation about ‘boxed lunches’ and literally a rant occurred about how bread/rice are conspiracy food fillers….. I know, I know – carry a snack always.

But I digress, PMA is just a way of seeing the world. Instead of ‘woe is me,’ ‘the world is out to get me,’ ‘nothing ever goes right for me,’ PMA challenges us to see not only the positives, but identify the underlying ‘problems.’ I’ve been a huge advocate of DO since I changed my life, and PMA is an extension/inclusion/result/cause/action of that. Lots of the roadblocks we face are put there by us. It’s simple to sit back and judge others and their problems/problem cycles, but ultimately, we all have areas in our lives that need PMA. I feel like I’ve only really brushed the very shallow surface of this, but perhaps it got you thinking about the positivity we can bring to everything we do. It’s easy to get into a cycle of shame and disappointment, but literally that is the worst way to go about finding a solution to a problem. Not only will you feel your life becoming a huge drag, but you yourself will become a drag too. Friends and family are always there to support you, but even if the spiral of shame is too encompassing, your drag may start to alienate you further. PMA is necessary to get through the challenges with a lesson learned, not just simply to get through one rough patch to immediately/simultaneously encounter another hardship. Life is difficult – there is a whole wide world of hard out there, but PMA can truly change your life. Focus on the good, enrich the positive parts of your life and the negative, energy wasting, drag parts will subside and be solved. PMA is important for us. It’s hard and no one wants to sound like a cheerleader, but you have to in order to have the life you love and want. At the end of the day, the only person that matters is yourself. With PMA and cheerleading for your own success, the people and things that lift you up will surround you entirely.

Nothing Hill Vimeo from EasyRider Records on Vimeo.

“you are the weakest link between you and your dreams”

xxx
GFK

K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.

An acronym and phrase to live by. I know with health it can get pretty complicated very quickly. It starts out you’re looking for a multi-vitamin and the next thing you know you have whey protein powder shakes and a $50/month gym subscription. But health doesn’t have to be so ‘involved.’ Seriously, the little things add up to make HUGE results, whether good or bad. We have all heard those little helpful tips in the magazines and on TV telling us to ‘skip the elevator and take the stairs’ – well stuff like that does matter.

Before I lost this weight I struggled with trying to instantly change everything about my eating/exercise/regime and every time I was unsuccessful. You have to keep it simple. It’s the only way you’ll stick to the changes or habits you want to see. Here’s the few K.I.S.S. guidelines I follow.

1. Eat simple. Remember plan over-easy eggs? They are awesome! As meals, salad toppers (yolk as dressing?!), snacks. Not to mention plain yogurts are natural probiotics, cabbage is awesome cooked/raw, and a crockpot of chicken breasts will feed you for a week.
2. Back away from the 7/11. Anyone that knows me knows I’m a sucker for 7/11 and it’s candy/beverage combos. Not only is the cost not good, but all those sugars and chemicals. I’ll just stick with another apple.
3. Calories in vs. Calories out. I think George Lopez described it best as what goes in has to be smaller than what comes out. I’ve always remembered that and it’s a credo to live by.

But the most important in my opinion is ….. Be Kind to Yourself. No matter what your health goals, if you are not kind and loving to yourself, it will be pointless. Stress/anxiety/low self-esteem will ruin any health goal you set for yourself. Be kind in the way you fuel, exercise, and love your self both mentally and physically.

I deserve a frozen yogurt for this post. See I’m being kind to myself…. Just kidding, but it is national frozen yogurt day!

XXX
GFK