Attitude Alert!

Day 3.  You're the boss of you.

ALERT ALERT:  Studies show that our collective interest in any new approach to a healthy lifestyle peaks on day three, leaving day 4 on top of the “tried it, didn’t work” heap.  (You’re thinking of all those Monday “diets” that you went ON, only to go OFF by Thursday, Friday at the latest, right?)  This won’t be the first time I ask you to take a look at your WILL POWER.  That’s a blast from the politically incorrect past, but somehow, I think we have become such affirmers that literally anything is ok, and nobody dares to point out any small quirks for fear of damaging our delicate egos.   But this boils down to YOU deciding what is right for YOU.  Remember these 5 words:  You’re the boss of you.  You’re in charge!

Drinking water.  Check.

Eating breakfast.  Check.

Next up, and I may lose some of you here but I ain’t skeered, is another habit to form, rather than break.  Let’s hold fast to that momentum from days 1 and 2 and use it to your best advantage.  I’m talking about movement.  I’m making no promises, but I don’t think I’ll use the word “exercise” too much, because it wasn’t so long ago that I would curl my lip and growl like DevilDog when I let my conscience bring up the exercise piece.  Who has the time?  Who has the money to join a gym or work with a trainer?  Most importantly, who has the cute outfits and the latest shoes? 

Get a load of this:  Any movement is better than no movement at all.   5 minutes here, 10 minutes there adds up.

Would you like to know the science of it?  Raise your hand if you’ve ever said these words.  “I was born with a slow metabolism.”  Well guess what?  Not so.  Simply put, metabolism is the rate at which you burn energy, which you are doing right now, sitting at your computer reading this and breathing.   Anytime you press the pedal on your idling car, you burn more gas, right? So it is with moving your body.  

Once I understood that I didn’t have to commit to a big chunk out of my already busy day, I accepted that it was up to me to create ways to get me moving that I wouldn’t resent.  For example, in the Kroger parking lot, my sweet Joe will drive around and wait for someone to unload their buggies to get that close, prime spot.  I pick the farthest spot I can find.  I work on the 16^th floor, and one day got irritated by the smoke breakers.  I decided if they could take 15 minutes away to smoke, then I could take 15 minutes to move.  So, I started climbing the stairs.  Believe me, I started out slowly, but I knew I was on to something when my calves were so sore in the mornings that  I nearly fell out of bed!  I now climb 21 floors, both ways!  (And still miss Alex!)  Another trick.  Pick up a pair of cheapy, 5# hand weights and carry them around with your arms bent and swinging. O-U-C-H.   For you lucky people with a hot tub, get in the center of it and walk against the blowers.  Bowl.  Wii.   Get your love to take you out and DANCE!!!!  Just get UP.  MOVE. 

I’ll make you a bet.  I’ll bet that if you incorporate more movement into your daily lives, there will come a day when you haven’t or couldn’t be active.  I’ll bet you your attitude will be a little sucky but you won’t know why.  I’ll bet you figure out one of your options to get past the funk is to move.  I think you’ll act on that positive, healthy decision.  And finally, I’ll bet you AFTERWARD, you feel like a million bucks.  Is that a big enough payoff?