Life hits you fast and hard!

BOOM!

Did you miss it? Before you know it you are middle aged and wondering what in the world did you to yourself. Habits are these things we do without even knowing. We eat this, we do that and then with out a warning, BOOM the habits add up and bang, your over weight and out of shape.

What I am saying to all that read this, is as you might or might not know that good habit plus education can have a profound meaning in our lives. I grew up in a lower middle class family and the all American way of life of eating. Pot roast and mashed potatoes Sundays. Taco Tuesdays, Spaghetti Wednesdays and so on. Pies and deserts were after each meal and crazy to think I had seconds on all of these dishes. I got taught early on that these foods were o.k. and that milk flowed from the never ending magical cow.

I started this health journey just a few months ago and spent the last 40 years on cruise control blindly. In these few months I have learned what I like, what I can handle and what I don't like as far as foods and habits go. I don't want to take the time to list them all right now, but I have found the almost magic recipe for being healthy, and moving forward with the correct habits.

Basically, it is this... you ready? NO FAST FOODS. Stay away from Wendys, Mcdonalds, Arby's and etc. Eat out at restaurants sparingly and on special occasions and when you do, stay away for FRIED foods, TONS of rolls, and LARGE glasses of Soda.

Then it is followed up with exercise daily, eat more vegetables, and fewer carbs and a good portion of fruits.

Lastly this secret recipe calls for being prepared, prepped and ready to take on the day. Leave your debit cards at home, have snacks at the helm. Boiled eggs, Avocados, chicken strips, carrot or veggies stacks and then some almond milk for a nice refreshed drink. This will help you curb your temptations and then you are ready for the day. IT takes TIME, a whole lot of TIME and energy. I believe that in our rush and rush world we live in and all the things that make it easy can cause issues. When we don't prepare and then when you are in a crunch the fast food solutions, the vending machines and the frozen meals become the problem.

Did you know that a salad at a fast food for example with chicken with all the fixen's is around the same amount of calories as a combo meal at any of these places. Don't believe me just do the research. Just avoid them at all cost.

Let me tell you that this past couple of weeks has been very hard on me emotional, mentally and otherwise as I took on two jobs and a multiple of projects. I did not prepare - mornings were a disaster and then at my other job the potlucks, and parties were endless. Leaving me eating pizzas, burgers, and all the quick "bad" foods. I thought I would eat at Chik-filet and be good, nope. It was nasty, and greasy and just not a healthy solution. It tasted horrible.

As we begin to take on a better lifestyle and eat things that are better for us, our bodies like it, they reward us with the ability to not be sick to the stomach, bogged down with depression and headaches. You will notice that the good habits will give back your life, the bad habits only take away from your life. I have learned the hard way, and now getting back to this lifestyle requires me to form and keep these better habits to live a healthier and more productive life. It is not easy, but it can be done!

I will leave you with a quote from a dear old friend of mine he gave me some years ago from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People book by Franklin Covey. (Page 93)

"As we make and keep commitments, even small commitments, we begin to establish an inner integrity that give us the awareness of self-control and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives. By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater than our moods."