My first step in tackling this week’s bettering yourself challenge was to buy a digital scale. When I stepped onto it. Whoaah! I need to lose another twenty pounds in addition to the twenty I thought I had to lose. But, what surprised me is I lost a half a pound a day, so four pounds this week! I will continue to record my weight and eat healthy foods for the next 48 weeks to reach (or hopefully exceed) my goal of losing twenty pounds.
A bonus for me, is my husband joined me in trying to lose weight, and it’s great to have his support. My dog Rocko also hopped on the bandwagon to help me lose weight by taking me on extended walks to get more exercise.
Studies have shown that if you can change your behavior for three weeks, you increase your chances of making a permanent change in your behavior. I ate more lean protein and fruits and vegetables. Blueberries had more anti-oxidants than over 100 foods tested, so I ate ½ cup of blueberries every morning at breakfast, and I substituted pineapple and cantaloupe for desserts.
According to the Healthalicious website, oysters are an antedote to aging skin as they are high in zinc, which repairs damaged skin. Avacados and olive oil inject good oils into your skin, and watermelon and cucumbers hydrate the skin. With the exception of oysters, I enjoyed all of these foods this week, and my skin felt softer.
Celebrity anti-aging tips:
One celebrity secret is to apply lip balm at night before bed to keep your lips moist. I tried this trick and it works. Norah Ephron said: “wear scarves” as the first skin to show age is on the neck. I love scarves, and wore them every day this week.
Michelle Pfeifer, 54, says: “Reduce stress, communicate with the people around you, and get a good sleep and exercise (keep moving). Try and keep your life happy and it will show in your smile, which makes you look younger if you smile.” I followed her advice and got to bed earlier, and it had the added benefit of lightening the dark circles under my eyes, which made me smile.
Make Peace with The Aging Process:
And lastly, Louise Hay, a lady who is 84 years young, has some sage wisdom: “I acknowledge the down side to aging…but you have to make peace with the aging process: “There’s no use making myself miserable about things I cannot change. We’re all going to age. I’ve just made a decision to take care of myself and love myself no matter what”. Well Said!
/>photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwilmore/6358224757/”>gwilmore</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>