7 Small Steps to a Healthy You
By Sally Hammond

You look in the mirror one day and everything is wrong. Your hair, your teeth, your skin, your shape. Especially your shape.

So you write a long list, and you make a pact with yourself that tomorrow you'll start a new whiz-bang weight-loss and life-changing plan. According to your calculations, you will be trim, taut and irresistible in three months.

Three weeks down the road, things are worse. What went wrong? Basically, you fell victim to the "END" (Everything Now Dilemma).

With END you have so much on your mind at once that you get confused, you forget a thing or two, you get rattled and then you give up. When you take one thing at a time, your chances for success get much better. Here's a seven-step plan that will help you to take it day by day.

This is as simple as the days of the week because that's how it works: seven days, seven steps. Each day you add one thing, so that by the end of the week you are juggling seven balls without dropping one. Here's how:

Monday
Back to work or school. Resolve that all you will do differently today will be to make sure to eat two or more pieces of fresh fruit. Any time, any way.

Tuesday
Today you will set some goals. Plan where you would like to be by the end of the month, then the end of the year—both in your private and personal lives. Write these goals in your diary or stick them where you'll see them.

Wednesday
Water day. Eat that fruit, keep your goals in mind and drink six or more glasses of water. Add variety with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Or sip on herbal tea if you prefer.

Thursday
Add in some exercise. Go for a (20- to 30-minute) walk. Walk in the park, around your neighborhood or head for the mall and do some fast-paced window shopping...but don't forget the fruit, the water and to review your goals.

Friday
Fruit, walk, water, goals ... it's getting easier. So this is the day you give your diet a spring cleaning. Eliminate foods that are not helping you stay trim and healthy. You know what they are.

Saturday
Pay day. Well done! You're still drinking plenty of water, including fresh fruit in your diet, exercising, eating well and generally staying on track with your life. Spoil yourself with a special treat. Go on, you deserve it. Have some frozen yogurt for dessert, take in that new movie, or plan a weekend away.

Sunday
Traditionally a day of rest. And you can rest, too, since relaxation is key to maintaining control over your new healthy regimen. Take time to lie in a hammock and gaze at the clouds. Put on a facial mask, take a long, luxurious bubble bath, read a book or play with your pet.

Now that wasn't so hard, was it? By the end of just one week you are happier, brighter, healthier and ready to keep going—because you know it takes just three weeks to create a habit..................
Except you will have created SEVEN by then :cheer2:

http://www.123glitter.com/anniversary/2.gif

MICHELLE~ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. YOU ARE REALLY DOING SO WELL!! :encore: HOPE THE HUBBY FEELS BETTER. GOOD FOR YOUR TRAINER! HE SOUNDS GREAT!! YOU DESERVE TO BE REMINDED OF HOW WELL YOU'RE DOING!!

ANNIE~ I AM GLAD IT'S SPASMS BUT THEY CAN'T BE FUN EITHER!! GET WELL SOON :hug: BY THE TIME I CUT OUT ALL THE BAD FOODS, I SHOULD BE 100 LBS!!! :dance:

HAPPY~ STAY CALM :yoga:

ELLEN~ SPAGHETTI!! :hun: WHEN IS DINNER? I'M LEAVING NOW!!! :scooter: HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER TOO! :hug:

Annie - I'm so glad that the doctor appt went well! :) I hope the spasms subside and you feel better soon. Thanks for the anniversary wishes!

Mel - Thanks for the anniversary wishes! Thanks also for the 7 Small Steps. My trainer is really great. He's very supportive and motivating. And at the Y that I go to, they provide their trainers (they call them "coaches") for free!

di
It really does work for me. I eat all the darn time. The only problem I have found with this way of eating is that I HAVE to make sure I take something with me when I go shopping. Generally I am out 4 to 6 hours food shopping and such. If I go more than a couple of hours without eating I start to feel yucky and after 3 hours I start to get a headache. Make sure you take something with you if you aren't going to be home. Even the reduced fat townhouse crackers work to keep things going until you can get home to eat. I am dedicated lol I get my exercise anyway I can hahaha.

Annie
Glad to hear the doc had good news for you.

Michelle
Happy Anniversary

Happy
I am going to have enough there to start a volley ball team by summer lol.

Melody
I am defiantly the tortoise and not the rabbit lol. I will get there but it is going to take time.

Happy Poisson d’avril day! (In the French-speaking world people stick little paper fish cutouts on other people’s backs on April 1. No idea why, but here's a fishy angel for all the worldlies…)

Stopping by to say hello.

Mel-Like the 7 steps.

Morning all

Thank you Carla for the blessing of the angel fish. To get a meaning for the day, I went to my source of inspiration (Google) and found the following:

Poisson d'Avril
01 April
Why do you have a fish on your back?
April Fools Day celebrations in France demonstrate the uniquely absurdist French sense of humour. It's customary to give your friends little chocolate fish. The classic April Fools Day prank is to stick a paper fish on someone's back. The unfortunate victim is then taunted with the phrase "Poisson d'Avril", or "April Fish".
Where did the celebration come from?
In late March the Romans honored the resurrection of Attis, son of the Great Mother Cybele, with the Hilaria celebration. This involved rejoicing and the donning of disguises. Hilaria means joyful celebration, and it is a word that has passed down to the English in the word hilarious, so these cheerful springtime celebrations have been with us for some time.
Where did the practical jokes originate?
A modern theory goes like this: In 1582 France became the first country to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar established by the Council of Trent (1563). The New Year was moved from the end of March to January the 1st. Those who were unaware or disregarded the change and continued to celebrate the New Year between March 25th (Lady Day in England), and April the 1st, became the butt of various jokes.
But what about the fish???
This may have origins in the abundance of fish found in French rivers during early April after the young fish had just hatched. Much like March hares have a reputation for being mad, these Poisson d'Avril had a reputation for stupidity, being easy to fool with a hook and lure, so it was illegal to fish them. It may have become customary to fool people in celebration of the abundance of foolish fish.
So now you are all suitably educated.

Off to do some shopping shortly. I'm almost out of vegies and fruit so have sort of made a menu for the week and will shop for that. DS2 needs some snacks and things so better oblige there as well.
Need to get a new bathmat as well. I did buy one the other day but the DS2 stepped all over it with his dirty feet and now it needs a wash. So I figure if I have two or three of them then I can swap them about and keep the tootsies warm after my shower.

Annie - hope you feel better soon.

Happy - don't get back on the merry-go-round and move so fast. What gets done, gets done. You sounded much better yesterday. It's not my painting of the Shad. I got it off the internet and it just looks so much like the shadster who used to do strange things like curl up on chairs or stretch out on beds - and the guilty look on his face when discovered was hilarious. Wish I could paint like that but unfortunately all my painting is done from ladders and scaffolding, and no my second name is not Michaelangelo and my ceiling looks nothing like the Cistine Chapel.

Michelle - Happy Anniversary.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...niversary3.jpg

Also :congrat: on the weight loss. Anytime you want to have a look at what 20.5lb of fat looks like, go to the supermarket and pile up the amount in pounds of butter. You'd be surprised at how good you feel about it. Mind you all the shoppers will probably look sideways at you but most people are good if you tell them what you are doing and look happy about it. Rennie should try it too.
Painting pictures is not my talent either. That wasn't done by me. I can't take the credit. Wish I could.

Well I better get on with it. The man from BHPB just rung to say the project is going ahead in Jakarta and he still has me on top of the list. He will be back to me in a day or so. Wish me luck. This job will not only swell the bank balance, it will swell the frequent flyers points (watch out you lot, I might be back) and give me more status in this company which means more work. I'm off to shop.

Here's a little Greek recipe that may be Mel-friendly. It's usually used as a sauce or a dip for meatballs or any grilled meats or vegetables.

Tzatziki (cucumber dip)
1 med cuke, peeled and chopped (English cukes work better)
1/2 pint plain yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped dill or mint
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp vinegar

Combine all ingredients; chill at least an hour to blend flavours.

When I've made this, I find it tastes best with the heavier Greek yoghurt. Also, for a thicker tzatziki, it's a good idea to drain the yoghurt overnight, and also to drain the chopped cuke. I don't think the vinegar or garlic is absolutely essential, and I've never put dill in it.

Tomorrow: Keftethakia. But for now, it's time to turn on the idiot box and head off to Australia with the Biggest Loser.

Yay I made it back here!!! Not doing too bad on this end...should have tried to exercise, but these nights have caught me off guard. Will continue regaining my routine in the morning and head off straight away.

Michelle~I always use something familliar to gauge how much I have lost...at my peak I had lost the same as one of my children! I know what 1 pound of lard looks like, and so I am happy when I lose one!

Annie~Glad you are doing well...take care and mind what your body tells you!

Mel~ loved your 7 steps...esp the day of rest! I did make spaghetti, but have very few leftovers...one of my small changes. BEen married for 7 years and I still cook like I am at home with three brothers and two sisters!!!! Have to moderate some things!!! otherwise DH and I both eat too much!

Rennie~I am trying to adopt that outlook! Need to make what I am eating healthy, and then eat every few hours...still pluggin' along like the little engine that could!!!

Carla~right back at you!!! Hope you didn't have any fish stuck to your back today! Oh, I think the mint would be so much better than the dill!!! the recipe sounds delish!!!

Ceejay~ :wave:

Shad~thanks for the education! enjoy those fruits and veggi's I am so looking forward to summer to get some fresh veggi's! So hard to find any cheap at this time of year...mostly frozen for now. :(

:wave: and :hug: to everyone else!!!

have to get my boo-tay in bed!!! stayed up way to late posting! Have a happy Wednesday all!

upswife
You know it took that little engine time to get where it wanted to go but it got there lol.

Greetings all. As the Galactic Hitchiker said, Thanks for all the fish... Especially since they were colorful and PAPER and non-caloric. Thanks Shad for the sociology lesson. I am defiitely in Hilarium. (Not to be confused with Hillary-ium.)

Today was a pretty good day. Slept a few more hours than I have been doing of late, saw a couple of clients, didn't pig out. (need to get a plan... but for now, portion control and content are all I can handle)... painted at home for a couple of hours then went to life drawing class. The MODEL doesn't have a bulbous belly. I went in and out of thougts where I compared her shape to mind and where I just tried to get hers transferred to my paper. The latter feels better all around.

Annie-- The MD had good-enough news? Is your inner twist a common complication? I've thought about LB surgery, but with the chemo after effects, Couldn't make myself think it was "worth it." Of course now that standing in front is NOT an option, it might be "worth it."

Carla-- are you REALLY in a place where there's bouganvilla? I loved it at the beach in S. California. Texas has Wisteria (which can take over EVERYTHING) and pear trees and trumpet vine. Not bad, but not bouganvilla, either. Do you make your own greek food? We have some specialty grocery stores here, but I don't know of any Greek "havens." Too bad. The Tahini/cucumber sauce sounded great. Hmm.

CeeJay: Howdy! Hope things are drying out appropriately.

Diyana: Thanks for the uplift and good cheer. The body of a Goddess Indeed. And the mental image of the 160 lbs that would be good for me to dump is quite inspiring... But even the idea of a 20# dumbbell (or those weight lifter's "plates" makes me realize why it's longer than I'd like to lose 5 pounds. Good for you grabbing the BS by the horns (either kind!)

Happy: You are one busy chick. Thanks for your support.

MadCat: Another Leonard Cohen fan! Loved him when I was 16, love him at 56+ Amazing. A national treasure. Oh, and I'm much more of a thinker than a doer, too.

Mel: Thanks for the END acronym. I definitely live in an EVERYTHING NOW DILEMMA! How mature is THAT? Like a 2 year old or so, don't you think? Well, some 2 year olds aren't ALL bad... just need a little extra loving... And here's extra for you as YOU face your deprivations. I read some interesting stuff about herbal teas and the like... I'm willing to try them in moderation. Heck, I'd be happy for a good placebo effect. Don't worry about the elevator that "doesn't go all the way up" neither of us are jumping of any cliffs, OK?

Shad... I like the idea of a series of self-portraits. And all those marinades and rubs!! Have I said recently how much I appreciate your steadfast presence here. It's a good thing we don't ALL go bonkers at once.

UPSwife-- I was glad for the company when we were both having bad days. Company's a good thing. I'm not that great at reaching out... but thanks for letting me know that you were in the same bind I was. My grocery store has RASPBERRIES! and strawberries. They aren't cheap, and they're probably imported as a minor crop from some Colombian drug cartel farm or something. But boy, do I like those. (As much as unmentionable previous treats).

TTFN.

with spring comes sciatica.
see you all tomorrow

Morning everyone

Good morning ladies --

A quick check in for me as I overslept and am running late. My legs and butt are a bit sore from working out last night. But hopefully they'll feel better before I hit the gym tonight. Today, I'm leaving work early to meet with a diabetes dietician to get an idea of a proper food plan for me. If what I'm currently eating needs to change, I hope it's only small changes as I'm feeling so good doing what I'm doing.

Shad - Thanks for explaining April Fish Day, and thanks for the anniversary wishes. DH has been sick, so we are postponing our anniversary celebration until this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion about piling up pounds of butter to get an idea what 20 pounds looks like! I'll bet I would get some weird looks from other shoppers. :lol: A job in Jakarta! Wow! How exciting! How long would the job be for? Would you be home on the weekends? Okay, I'll stop pestering you with all the questions. Sorry...it just sounds very exciting! Racking up the $$ and the frequent flyer miles!

Carla - I managed to get through all of April Fools day without any pesky fish stuck to my back. How about you? Thanks for the Tzatziki recipe!

Ellen - That's a great point about using something familiar to gauge weight loss. My dogs weigh just over 20lbs. It is great when we lose a pound of "our" lard! :lol:

Ceejay - :wave:

Painter - Portion control and content are two huge steps toward a healthy eating lifestyle! Good for you! Hang in there, Painter. It's hard to love and accept our bodies in their current state, but I think it's important. And beauty should not be measured by measurements or numbers on a scale, but rather by our inner glow and I know it radiates from you! I can tell you've got a beautiful, creative, loving soul that radiates throughout your body - therefore, your body has to be beautiful too. Your body is nurturing and strong - it certainly has been strong enough to get through rough times. Like you, I've considered LB surgery. For me, it's not a road I'm ready to go down right now. Quite frankly, I'm afraid of the risks and complications (though I recognize my fears may be unfounded). For me, I view WL surgery as an option that works well for many, many people and something I may or may not need to consider in the future. BTW, my grocery store has strawberries, expensive strawberries probably from the same cartel, but still strawberries. And WW lets you have more than 1 cup for 1 pt.!! So my 2nd breakfast (around 10 am) consists of 1/2 cup of FF cottage cheese and 1.25 cups of sliced strawberries! Yummm!

Mel - Sciatica? What made it flare up? I've heard that's so painful. The part of my back that I injured 2+ years ago was my SI (sacroilliac) joint between the hips and pelvis, and it feels like I sprained my butt and if I don't rest it runs down my leg -- similar to sciatica - but I've heard sciatica is worse! Hang in there, dear Mel, I hope you feel better soon.

Happy - Where are you this morning? Work must have you very busy! I hope you are doing well.

:wave: to anyone I have missed!

Here's to a Wonderful Wednesday for all of us!

Big hugs, :grouphug:

Have to run so just a quick :wave: from me. Have to get moving and get the kitchen floor washed this afternoon.