Take care of yourself
Taking good care of yourself can help you to lose weight, both directly and indirectly.
Have you noticed that when you’re tired you eat more? How about when you’re stressed or not feeling well? You probably eat more and exercise less, right? Here are a few steps you can take to keep yourself feeling well all the time, which can help you avoid bingeing and keep you on track with your exercise.
- Get plenty of sleep. When I’m overly tired, I tend to compensate by snacking.
- Stay hydrated. Often we can mistake being thirsty for being hungry.
- Take mini-breaks during the day. Get up from your desk, walk down the hall, step outside your office. I’ll take a short 5-10 minute walk, and I feel much better when I return to my desk.
- Take mental breaks too. Your mind needs to rest as much as your body does. Shut your door and spend a couple minutes relaxing. Chat with a colleague. Read the news online. I like to shut my door and put a little music on. I’ll stand up and stretch, make myself a cup of tea, etc.
- Don’t let yourself get too hungry. You’ll just feel rotten and then eat something you’d rather not. Keep something healthy handy for snacks. I keep a piece or two of fruit in my office for when I get the munchies.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. This is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being. Find ways to sneak them in to your diet if you’re not crazy about them in general.
- Avoid junk food. The high salt and high fat content will often make you feel worse. These high-calorie foods also don’t fill you up long, so you end up eating again soon.
- Avoid over-eating in general. Feeling stuffed can make you feel even more tired and exhausted. You know what you feel like after a huge meal; it’s not fun, is it?
- Get a little exercise. Even a fifteen minute walk can make you feel rejuvenated.
- Deal with your stress. Stress is a trigger for overeating, but it can also lead to more serious ailments. For me, it’s a huge trigger for overeating, so it’s something I have to deal with.
- Do something for yourself every day. Our lives are busy, and it seems that there’s never enough time to do what you need to, let alone what you want to. That needs to change. Taking time to do things for yourself is as important as eating right and exercising. It took me a long time to realize that, but I try to practice what I preach.
- Delegate! Ask for help with household tasks. There’s no law saying you have to do it all alone.
- Re-evaluate what’s necessary. Look for ways to take shortcuts and save time and energy. For example, you may be able to avoid most laundry by folding your clothes as soon as the dryer stops. Run several errands at once to save time overall. Shop once a week to keep from having to make several trips.
While you are probably trying to lose weight, your bigger goal is likely to be getting healthier. Work on doing some of these small things, and you’ll find that as you feel better, you’ll find yourself reaching for the “wrong” foods and overeating less and less often.
It’s difficult, but over time you can change your habits and improve your health. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can happen. When I think about what my habits were like a year ago as compared to now… well, things have changed quite a bit!
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3 Responses to “Take care of yourself”
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Excellant tips! I find getting enough sleep is often the toughest thing to do.
Health and Happiness
Sometimes my husband and I drive to work together and we end up parking down by his office which is a few building away. I find myself getting really cranky when I have to head that way but after the walk, I actually feel refreshed and happy that I did it.
No matter how many times I do it though, and admit it was nice, I still get cranky when I have to do it.
Changing habits is always a tough thing to do, but your suggestions are within everyone’s reach.