By Dr. Abha Varma, Adult Medicine Physician at Heart of the City Health Center Adult Medicine
Your doctor tells you to lose weight. And you already know this, but it isn’t easy. The following statements may seem obvious, but they can work for you if you commit to a few:
IF YOU DON’T BUY IT, YOU CAN’T EAT IT
Well, duh. But it’s true. If it is not available in your pantry or your fridge, you cannot drink the soda, eat the bag of chips, or indulge in a dish of ice cream.
STAY IN YOUR LANE
Avoid the interior of the grocery store where the cookies and two liters live. Stay on the perimeter or outer circle where the milk, eggs, produce and healthy meats are. There isn’t frozen pizza on the outer sections. You have to walk the distance to arrive at those salty late-night snack attack boxes, so stay on the outer lane and eat to your health.
WALKING IS FREE
Do not long for that gym membership and put off the exercise when the ground beneath you is free and available. When it’s nice out, you should have tennis shoes and socks on and enjoy that walk through the neighborhood. I tell my patients to take advantage of the sidewalks, downtown attractions and bridges along Grand River by going for a cleansing walk after our downtown visits. No excuses — walking is free!
COUNT YOUR STEPS
10,000 steps a day takes a pound of fat off each week. Check your smart phone and clock your steps. Each 2,200 steps is a mile. Don’t stop after one, keep going, take an hour. For all the hours we spend on our back sleeping (7-9 hours) and sitting (another 4-8 hours), we most definitely have an hour to spend walking for our health.
TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR BEST YOU
Find your best you and achieve that. Celebrate with a photograph of your goal or your best self in your wallet or on your desk. Know that your goals are achievable as long as you make your health a priority. Don’t long for what was, work for what still can be.
YES, YOU CAN!
Find a verse in your text of choice, or affirmations on success.com and keep the positive words flowing.
- “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” – Lao Tzu
- “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” – Florence Nightingale
- “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Say it, believe it, live it.
Reprinted with permission from Cherry Health.
