My contribution...

I am the youngest of seven siblings. My brother Mike assigned all of us a topic to write about that he thought we had some knowledge about. He wanted to give his graduating son some advice as he was about to "go out into the world". What a great gift for a father to give to a son especially when as parents we clearly "don't know everything". Here was my assigned topic-thank goodness it wasn't filing your taxes or defrosting your freezer (I'll post about that disaster later...)

Keeping Fit
By: Elizabeth Fotheringham Deane

Unless you are the lucky 2% of the population that is either “naturally fit” or loves working out everyday for 3 hours then you probably need advice on keeping fit or better yet, getting fit. Here are my tried and true methods and suggestions.

1. Set realistic goals-While setting your sites on losing 50lbs in 30 days is admirable, it is not very realistic. Try starting with something like only ordering the small value meal instead of the Biggie size, walking for 15 minutes during your lunch break, or maybe waking up before noon. The key to keeping/getting fit is starting small and once you’ve mastered your small but significant goal you can move on to your next goal. Like only fast food once a week and only after you have walked 3 times that week and woken up before noon…

2. Make small changes- Try making a few small changes in your routine. They may not seem worthwhile at first but a few small changes add up to a big difference. Remember to keep #1 in mind. Here are some examples:

· Drink water whenever possible and stop drinking soda. This is the first example because I
think it is the most important change you can make. Water is essential!!!
· Don’t eat after 8pm, Food=fuel and after 8 pm you’re usually just sitting around so you
don’t need anymore ”fuel”.
· Eat four smaller meals and 1-2 snacks a day instead of 3 square meals and several snacks.
· Start moving! Take the stairs, park in the furthest slot, go for a walk! Moving=energy.
· Eat breakfast. If you eat a good healthy breakfast in the morning you’ll be less likely to
gorge yourself at 8pm and I don’t mean an extra bowl of Captain Crunch.
· Smaller proportions!!! Americans eat waaay too much and waaay too fast. Slow down,
enjoy your food and try using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
· Don’t eliminate treats. You don’t have to completely stop eating your favorite ice cream but
instead of eating it every night (at 8pm), try eating it on Friday night after a successful
week of not eating it every day. Use your favorite treats as rewards for your successes!
· Keep healthy snacks in your car, backpack, or purse. We make most of our unhealthy
eating choices when we are in a rush, and on the go. Fast food is really convenient but soooo
bad for you. Eat a healthy snack until you can eat a proper meal at home-plus you’ll save
$$$.

3. Change things up- Even the best baseball teams (GO SOX!) need to change it up and so does your body. If you’ve been doing the same thing for more than 3 months your body gets used to it and you’ll stop seeing results. Try making some changes to your routine. Add wrist weights to your walk, try Yoga instead of the treadmill, or check out a new work out video from the library. Remember, your body needs a change up or it will get bored and then you’ll start dropping the ball.

4. Body, mind, & spirit- Take time to nourish yourself. Nourish your body with healthy food and exercise. Nourish your mind with uplifting books, music and new skills. Nourish your spirit with prayer, meditation, and nature. If we fill our body, mind, and spirit with unhealthy things like alcohol, junk food, mindless television, pornography etc., then our lives become unbalanced. It can take a lot of work to get these three things in working order but through self mastery our lives can be balanced, centered, and fulfilling.