Times of Change: Top 10 Lifestyle Changes for Success.

There is something calming about listening to the rain at 5 am. It has been pouring very heavy all night. I am so thankful for this opportunity to finally get healthy. It is the one thing in my life I felt I could never do. I am experienced enough to know there will come a time when I will feel overconfident. I will feel like I will never gain the weight back again and I got this! The reality is my health will always have to be my number one priority. I can and will go back to old habits if I am not careful. I am confident this will be the last time I will ever weigh this amount, but realistic enough to know I can not expect perfection. I will have bad days and will remind myself that it is easier to fix 1 or 2 days of cheats then to wrap my head around fixing 80 pounds of cheats. I place to much emphasis on what others think of me and what their opinions are about my diet. People are looking at me because they are learning and if I am confident in myself they will be too. We will be learning together. Some guidelines I have set for myself in the future for my health.

1. Exercise 1 hour a day- 5 days a week. Make it part of my daily life activities.
2. Breads, pastas, and cereals are gateway foods for me. I loveeeee them, but they make me want to eat all day. I will eat them sparingly and on occasions when nothing else is available only.
3. Sugar free products: I will utilize real sugars unless Stevia is available. I will use splenda or aspertame rarely, if at all.
4. Soda's are no longer in my life at all!
5. Smoking: Theoretically I do not wish to be considered a smoker; however, on occasion I may wish to smoke. I will use my ECig with zero nicotine if needed at other times.
6. Corn and Rice: I am going to stay on the low glycemic side if possible. These make my blood sugars rise and alternatives such a brown rice or whole wheat will be used instead.
7. Vitamins: it is a way of living for me now just like drinking water. My long term health depends on me keeping to a healthy regiment. I take vitamins or later I will have to take RX medication and have health problems.
8. Water: it is very easy for me to become dehydrated. It will be no less then 64 oz a day.
9. Fast food and eating out: This is one of the main reasons I am sitting in this body today. I have to take the time for me and my family to prepare nutritious meals. Unless it is an event or I am out of town, I am no longer eating out on my own. I will take the time to prepare meals throughout the day.
10. Protein: Protein will always be the first thing I eat and be a staple at every meal. It is essential to my new lifestyle change to remain healthy in the future.