Living Well: Introduction and Portions

I'm not sure if it's the season or the realization of the importance of health, but people all around me are taking more time to take care of themselves these days. and although I may not be working out every day like I feel like I should, I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. sure I want to lose the pudgy gut I have, but I mainly just want to get a head start on my health. I see people all around with health problems due to their weight. I don't like the doctor and I don't like being sick, so if I can avoid having issues in the future, I'm a happy camper.

let's face it: our society is an unhealthy, overweight society. (I'm not saying everyone of course.) our society thrives on its ability to make things easier, more convenient, tastier, which in turn, becomes less healthy for us. we feel like we have no choice but to go through the drive thru for that Breakfast Jack when we're late and on the go. and we feel like we don't have time to exercise regularly. that's simply not true. there's things we can incorporate into our lives to keep us healthy and not disturb our busy world. we need to realize that it's ok to take a few extra moments for our health. because a few extra moments now could give you a few extra years later. (deep I know.)

so I'm starting a "Living Well" series. I am by NO means a health expert. I'm very guilty of fast/junk food addictions. but I am a real person trying to be healthy and I want to share my tips and observations along the way. these are merely ideas/suggestions. you may or may not see the same results.

my department held a 3-month long Weight Loss Challenge to try to encourage our coworkers to get in shape. Chris ended up winning the challenge (and a whopping $384!!) along with the satisfaction of losing a total of 30.7 pounds! he lost 12 pounds in the first week!! Even though Chris blew everyone else out of the park, the rest of my coworkers are excited to try the challenge again (not during the summer and without Chris). Rex (my new boss) even suggested they work out together at the gym. it's nice to see people motivating each other to get into a healthy shape. the timing was bad for this go around with the monsoons requiring more work and stress, so I'm looking forward to the next go around.

my dad has also joined a weight loss challenge at his work. this one is only for a month, but my dad already lost 15 pounds in the first week! his challenge is still ongoing but I'm ecstatic to see my dad taking a step to be healthier.

so what are their big secrets? how in the world did they lose so many pounds in the first week alone? I'm assuming you're curious. well, the main change I saw that they both incorporated into their lives was smaller portions. that's it. instead of piling food so high on your plate and getting seconds (and even thirds) they just controlled their portions. they stopped eating when they were full. I'm not saying to skip meals. eat every meal like you normally would, just eat less. don't get to the point where you feel stuffed and uncomfortable. if you can lose over 10 pounds in a week just by eating smaller portions*, imagine what you can lose when you combine that with exercise!



*of course I cannot guarantee that you will see the same results.