Tag Archives: small changes

Week #6: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You

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Welcome!!    I am spending the next year working my way through 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.  I am 6 weeks into my journey to become healthier and happier.   I am glad you have joined me and I hope you are seeing positive changes as well.

Life has been throwing us a few curve balls the last few weeks.  We have been dealing with health issues, car accident,  major car repairs on a different vehicle and just the over  all fact of things just not going well.  If it could go wrong it did.  Stressful situations are always when I kick my healthy habits to the curb.   I am determined to keep going and get back on track once again.  Stress will always be in our lives and I just have to find a healthier way to deal with it, instead of eating junk!

This Week’s Change: Take a Multivitamin every day.

Sometimes we eat well, sometimes we don’t.  Sometimes I remember to pack a lunch for work, sometimes I don’t.  In this busy world  sometimes eating healthy is set aside.  You have kids to get to soccer, church or football.   You have no time to make a meal, so a drive through at McDonald’s might be your answer.   I have been there and done that, but now that I menu plan, it is bit better.   Sometimes we don’t get all the vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy and function properly or we only get a percentage of them.  Our busy live can make it difficult to get 100%of our recommended intake of vitamins, etc.    Taking a daily vitamin ensures you get the daily recommended daily intake of vitamins.  While this doesn’t give you permission to eat poorly, it just ensures you get what your body needs regardless of your hectic schedule.

My Current Habit:  Currently, I do take a Multivitamin each day.   This has been part of my bedtime routine for many of months.  Blumenthal reminds us “when taking vitamins, look for those that do not exceed the upper limit (UL) or the daily recommended intakes(DRI) of vitamins or minerals, as too much of a certain nutrient can be detrimental.”

Changes I would like to make:  Blumenthal suggests if you are already taking a multivitamin to consider taking probiotics as well. Proper digestion relies on the presence of healthy bacteria. Probiotics aid in digestion and restore the  healthy balance of bacteria in your intestines.

Last Week’s Change:  Develop an Optimistic Outlook

How did you do last week??  Last week I worked on maintaining a Optimistic Outlook.  I tend to be pretty optimistic, partly I believe is due to my faith.  But my optimism sure has been tested lately.  The last few weeks, my wonderful hubby has often needed to remind me everything will work out.  I know it will….but it can be stressful.   I am cleared from my surgery to start normal activities so hopefully exercising again will help.  I think we all struggle at times with looking on the bright side.  Another thing I have been doing, is I made an index card with each weeks change on it and I read it every morning.  This is helping me to still remember to work on change #1 – stay hydrated.  These healthy changes need to build on each other, so don’t forget to review the previous 5 changes.

Last night when I was being less than optimistic and this showed up at the top of my facebook feed.  A good reminder, right when I needed it.  Funny how that happens.

optimism

What worked for you?  Were you able to get be more optimistic?

Stop by next Wednesday for the next change and to share your progress.  Now, go buy some multi vitamins!

Previous Changes:

1.   Hydrate with water.
2.   Get 7 – 8 Hours of Sleep
3.   Get Routine Activity Every Day
4.   Keep a Food Journal
5.  Develop an Optimistic Outlook
6.  Multivitamin Daily

Week #4: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You–Keep A Food Journal

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Week #4: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You–Keep A Food Journal

Welcome!!    I am spending the next year working my way through 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.   I am so grateful you have joined me!  I have neglected my health long enough, it is time to really make it my focus for the next year.   I owe it to myself and my family. 

Sorry for my little disappearing act.  Unfortunately I was out of state for  a funeral and then ended up having emergency surgery while out of state.   I am home and doing much better, so time to get back to focusing on my health once again.   Taking it easy while I recovered sure derailed my exercise goals.   I hope I will be able to get back to some exercise next week.   We will see what the surgeon say.

This Week’s Change:    Keep a food journal, and track everything you eat and drink each day. 

Blumenthal states, “Documenting what you eat throughout the day makes you more accountable for the choices you make.  The simple action of tracking your food intake is a constant reminder that you are choosing to pay attention to your health and well-being.”

My Current Habit:  Over the years, I have really struggled with tracking my food intake.  I tracked while I was a member of Weight Watchers and really struggled with it.  My problem is when I track my food intake, I get too focused on what I am eating or not eating.   I think just too much about it, which can cause me to eat more than I would normally.   I have also used MyFitnessPal.com for a while to track my food intake.  This is a great free app which has a great database of foods, which makes it very easy to track.   Currently, I don’t track my food intake, but I ensure my lunch and supper plates are divided 1/2 vegetables, 1/4  meat and 1/4 Carb (potato, Rice, Quinoa).  My breakfast is generally a smoothie and I have one snack in the afternoon  of cheese and a fruit or veggie.    I try to limit my intake of processed food, sugar and gluten.  Halloween is making it difficult to limit my sugar.  I do really love CANDY!

Other online food journals: 

MyFitnesspal.com

Fitday.com

MyFoodDiary.com

 

Changes I would like to make:  I am going to track my food intake, but not calorie wise.   I will track to ensure I have at least 1/2 a plate of veggies at lunch and supper.   My biggest problem is eating in the evening.  I am going to track my eating in the evening to ensure I eat only one evening snack.   I think if I plan my snacks like I plan my meals, I will be less likely to over eat. 

Last Week’s Change:    Get Routine Activity Every Day

How did you do last week??  Prior to my surgery,  I trying to add more activity to my day.  I was making sure that I walked up to the 3rd floor each day at work at least once daily instead of taking the elevator.  A few times I would actually walk to the 1st floor to use the restroom and walk back up to 3rd, just to get some extra steps in for the day.  Currently, I am unable to do that.  I continue to park in the farthest row of parking spots from the door.   I am considering getting a Fit Bit to track my activity. 

What worked for you?  Were you able to find ways to add activity to your day?? 

Stop by next week for the next change and to share your progress.  Together we can make small changes to truly impact our overall health this year!

 

 

Previous Changes:

1.   Hydrate with water.

2.   Get 7 – 8 Hours of Sleep

3.   Get Routine Activity Every Day

4.  Keep a Food Journal

Week #3: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You

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Welcome!!    I am spending the next year working my way through 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.   I am so grateful you have joined me!  I have neglected my health long enough, it is time to really make it my focus for the next year.   I owe it to myself and my family. 

Week #3 – I am focusing on my health and seeing small changes.  I can hardly wait to see where we are at come week 52 –  You with me???

 

This Week’s Change:  Apart from Exercise, incorporate regular and routine activity into your lifestyle. 

Blumenthal shares that, “according to the World Health Organization, a sedentary lifestyle is a major underlying case of death, disease and disability.  Approximately two million deaths every year are attributed to physical inactivity.”   Yikes….this is preventable, my friends.  Let’s get moving!

 

My Current Habit:   My lifestyle is very sedentary.   I commute 30 minutes to and from work each day.  Then I sit at a desk for 8 to 9 hours most days.   I struggle a great deal to even fit in exercise with my busy work and home schedule.  I do try to park at the far end of the parking lot at the office to increase my steps.   

Some changes I would like to make is to take the stairs instead of the elevator each day to the 3rd floor.  My work also offers a Yoga class once a week on Thursday.   They are in the middle of a session, but I plan on stopping by tomorrow to see if I can join mid session.  Some mid day moving once a week at work will be very helpful!

Join me in finding ways to add more activity to our lives!

 

Last Week’s Change:    Get  7 to 8 Hours of Sleep. 

How did you do last week??    I have been working on getting up earlier in the morning,  which has caused me to start going to bed earlier.   Most nights, I did get to 7 hours of sleep, but I still feel like I need 8 as I struggle to get up each morning.

What Worked for me:  I added a notification to my phone that alerted me to get ready for bed.    I have a problem with always wanting to do just one more thing.   This habit makes me leave work later than I should and go to bed later than I should.   The alert helped to get me thinking about wrapping up my activity and head to bed.  I did suffer from at least two nights in which I woke up at 3:00 am and found it difficult to fall back to sleep. 

 

What worked for you?  Were you able to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night?

Stop by next Wednesday for the next change and to share your progress.  Now, Let’s Get Moving!

 

Happy Moving!

Previous Changes:

1.   Hydrate with water.

2.   Get 7 – 8 Hours of Sleep

Week #2: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You

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Welcome Back –   We are spending the next year together working our way through 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.   I am so grateful you have joined me!  I have neglected my health long enough, it is time to really make it my focus for the next year.   I owe it to myself and my family.

 

 Week  #2 and I am still with you hoping to be healthier this upcoming year!  Let’s keep each other motivated. 

This Week’s Change:  Get seven to eight hours of sleep every night.  (Week #2)

 

Blumenthal shares that  “The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill  off Alaska, the Challenger space Shuttle disaster, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep deprivation played a role??”   It is so important for our health and well-being that we get enough sleep. 

My Current Habit:   I have been doing pretty well this one recently.  I tend to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night.  This wasn’t the norm previously, but I have been working on getting up earlier in the morning.   I consistently am up around 6:00, but want to work up to getting up at 5:30 so I have some free time in the AM to work on a project.  Getting up early sure motivates me to get to bed at a decent time.

 

Last Week’s Change:    Hydrate with water!   “Drink an adequate amount of water each day to maintain a healthy level of hydration”

How did you do last week??    I think I drank the recommended amount of water 3 times, so definitely need to work on that.   I drank way more than I normally do, which had me running to the bathroom more often.  Since it has been cold in our office, I have been drinking more herbal tea, but I am still counting that towards my ounces for the day.  The problem I am finding is that I am able to drink water frequently at the office, but on the weekend at home we are on the run so much, I barely drink anything.   How do you stay hydrated when you are on the run?? 

 

What Worked for me:  If I scheduled my drinks of water, I did well and if I was at the office, I did well.  If I was left to my own devices, I would not have even my first drink until about noon when I had lunch. I worked on having a cup of water as soon as I work up.  I have to keep a water bottle with me at all times, or I would not drink any water. 

 

What worked for you?  Were you already drinking adequate amount of water?

 

Stop by next Wednesday for the next change and to share your progress.  Now, GO GET SOME SLEEP!

 

Happy Resting!

 

 

Previous Changes:

1.   Drink 1/2 your weight in Water (increase water intake)

 

Week #1: 52 Weeks to a Healthier and Happier You

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I bought this book by  Brett Blumenthal 2 years ago. I have attempted to make it through all 52 weeks twice.  I never seem to make it very far.  This year will be different as I hope you will join me on this journey.  52 small changes??We can do that!!

 What I love about Brett’s approach is that by, “Easing into change helps make it seem less overwhelming and more manageable.”    I can so related to this!!  I go all crazy determined to eat healthier and lose weight….a week later??  Back on the couch reading my book!  I think this easing into things will be beneficial for me!  

 Of course there are many changes we all could make in our life, but Blumenthal selected the changes that he felt would have the largest impact on our happiness and health.

 Blumenthal describes 7 Benefits of a Happier and Healthier Lifestyle:

1. A Fuller, More Rewarding Life

2. Improved Outlook

3. Gracefully Aging

4. Self-Esteem

5. Natural Prevention

6.  Increased Control in our Life.

7.  Raised Awareness.

 Sounds great, right???   So take a moment to purchase or borrow this book, 52 Small Changes:One year to a Happier,  Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal.   You can also take the baseline assessment, there is info on the Sheer Balance website on how to access this assessment. 

 WEEK #1  – “Drink an adequate amount of water each day to maintain a healthy level of hydration”

 Blumenthal shares  a lot of great information on the importance of maintaining a healthy level of hydration.  Make sure you read the info on Week #1.   Blumenthal, answer the question on how much water you should drink  – “Drink the amount of water in ounces that is equals your weight in pounds divided by two”.

 My Current Habit:  Definitely not drinking enough.  I  gave up soda about 6 months ago.   Instead I started drinking carbonated water, but found other health problems with that choice for me.   As of today, my beverages are water, herbal tea and one cappuccino a day.   I know I do not drink half my weight in liquid.  

 Stop by next Wednesday for the next change and to share your progress.  Now, GO DRINK SOME WATER!

 Happy Drinking! (water)