Tips For Becoming a Healthier Person

I am the last person to come to on the idea of fitness! I don't exercise, I don't diet, and don't need to. I eat what I want, drink what I want, and smoke like a chimney. So, why am I writing this? Because I think the whole industry is crazy. Yep, I said it!!! The idea that working out for hours a day, not eating anything that wasn't organically grown by virgin monks in the mountains, and obsessing about the latest diet craze, or news on TV telling you that broccoli is now bad for you and causes cancer is the real source of the problem.  I live by a philosophy of everything in moderation.  Don't live on fast food for three meals a day, but don't deny yourself the things you enjoy.

I am not here to tell you that I sit on the computer all day, and once my eyes start to bleed from staring at the screen, I retreat to my bed for a few hours of rest. I am just saying that I don't have a gym membership. I own exercise equipment, but that I haven't used it, or even seen it in over a year. I don't go running. I own a series of workout DVD's, but I bought them not as exercise, but to learn a few things. Never mind on that one...we will leave that alone.

However, I am not inactive. Not by my standards, anyway. I do a lot. I play at the park with my daughter, chasing her around the playground. I clean everyday, and trust me, that can be a workout all by itself. And, not to stray into the more adult area, I get plenty of exercise from my boyfriend.

I would rather get my exercise spending time with my family and friends doing something fun. I went to the bar one day and played beach volleyball with my sister. It sometimes makes me giggle to see people take an elevator at work, take that same elevator to leave work, and head to a gym where they hop on a stair climber for an hour. I don't have the time to spend hours at the gym, and I can't see spending the money to do things I can do at home. I run up and down the stairs at my house all the time. Why would I want to pay someone money to let me run up and down an imaginary set of stairs? If I want to run, I will take my daughter to the park. If I want to ride a bike, I will take my bike out of the garage and go for a bike ride with a friend.

As for weight training...I have no need for that. I don't want to be the future Ms. Universe. I get all the weight training I need. I lug load after load of laundry up and down the stairs. (There are those stairs again!) I lift my daughter up and carry her around, although she is getting a little big for that. I babysit my nieces from time to time, and trust me, my one-year old niece weighs a lot! I carry groceries into the house several times a week. I lug boxes of Halloween and Christmas decorations up and down from the attic every year.

I get plenty of exercise just living my life. I don't need to spend time and money on things that are only going to take me away from the things I love to do, and have to do. I feel that a lot of people obsess about the issue of fitness. If someone wants to do yoga, fine. I am not saying don't join a gym, don't buy that treadmill you have been thinking about. All I am saying is think about areas in your life where you already get exercise, or where you could add exercise that is really fun. When I was married, I had free access to the gym on base. The only thing that was fun about it was that I went with my best friend. I would much rather have been in my house doing the very same things.

I tried diets. After my kids were born, I was obsessed with losing that baby weight. I stopped eating carbs, I cut out fat, I tried everything. I never stuck to a diet, because I hate the idea of not being able to eat things I like. Diets don't work. Doctors will tell you the same thing.

I like food! Plain and simple! Am I a food addict? Not even remotely. I just love food. I like to try new foods, and I am pretty sure that a few of my favorite foods are 'bad for me'. I drink coffee. I happen to like coffee. Is coffee bad for me? That depends on which new show you happened to catch that night. Some studies say it's bad, others say it is good for you. This seems to be the case with a lot of things. Eggs are good, eggs are bad. Carbs are good, carbs are bad. Science can never seem to make up it's mind on anything.

The way I look at it, everything is fine in moderation. I don't over-analyze it. I eat what I want, but I never eat too much of one thing. Let's go back to when we were kids. Remember those days? Before Atkins, The South Beach diet, and before obesity was as high as it is today. People ate what they wanted. People did not count every calorie they ate, or add up 'points' for each bite of food they ate, and obesity wasn't the issue it is today.

Remember that food pyramid they taught you in school? Look at it!! It is the best thing you can follow if you are looking to eat healthy. Eat a balanced diet, and eat what makes you happy. Don't eat an entire package of Oreos in one sitting, but don't throw every cookie in your house in the trash, either. You have a sweet craving, eat a couple cookies, and maybe some fruit. You get to satisfy that craving for sweets without eating an entire carton of ice cream.

Part of being healthy is being happy. Stress can lead to weight gain, raises our blood pressure, and causes ulcers. Stressing over your weight and fitness only adds to it. If you love to bike ride, get a bike, and find a bike path rather than sit on a stationary bike in a gym.

Do things that are fun. Relax and enjoy your life. Don't obsess about every little detail, and find ways to relieve stress. Diet and exercise do not have to consume your life. Like the old song says, "don't worry, be happy!"