Less is More

Yeah....there was that Good Day and then it was followed by a succession of days that literally sucked the life out of me. At least no hospitals or ER's were involved. That being said, my weekend was full of unspeakable stomach issues (yeah I know....TMI) and a lot of soul searching.

Since before the bottom fell out of my life (several months ago) and has had me holding on by a knotted thread and dangling, it was my goal to make 2014 the year I gave back and paid it forward. Sadly....it has turned more into the year where I whined, cried and begged. Through it all though, I have glimpses of who I would like to be and how I can help others. I like that so much better than the whole whining, crying slobbery mess that my life seems to be right now.

At any rate...I avoided posting on facebook or social media (other than my blog) most of the weekend. Instead I just stalked and read. Creepy? Yeah, but I learned a lot. One post that I saw pop up by different people so often in my news feed had to do with warm weather, spring and people not being ready to (body wise) even think of buying or wearing swimsuits. It really got me to thinking. For decades we have been a body obsessed world and of late, we are becoming a health obsessed world. People are putting down the beef, pork, salt, dairy, bread and processed foods and opting for everything from fish and chicken to fresh and raw foods. I guess people suddenly realized that unlike other things in life, our health is not disposable. 

In the last few decades, heart disease, cancer and auto immune diseases are on a dramatic rise and many doctors, scientists and nutritionists are blaming our diets. Too much fast food, chemically enhanced and processed foods and an abundance of fried and fatty foods seem to be expanding our waistlines and killing our immune systems. Still with all this knowledge and the risk factors involved, it is hard to pass up the golden arches, Wendy's and a plethora of other fast food delicacies. Also, if you are on a fixed income or limited budget, it is a widely known fact that the healthy fresh fruits and veggies as well as the leaner cuts of meat are often times the more expensive items in the store. It is no wonder people reach for the 30% ground beef and Hamburger Helper instead of the fresh salmon and fresh veggies.

Another factor that plays into our enlarged waistlines and declining over all health is the sedentary lifestyle that a majority of us lead anymore. With our lives wrapped around technology, we spend more time sitting and watching tv, playing video games, surfing the internet, social networking and texting than we do moving around and exercising. Bottom line is that we are slowly committing suicide and teaching our children to do the same.

With all of these thoughts running through my head, I decided to quit whining and find a fix....for me and maybe others too. That is when I came up with Less is More. LiM is a facebook page dedicated to those of us who want to take that first step into lifestyle changes that will motivate both ourselves and others into hopefully more steps until finally we start reaching our goals of health and weight loss.

LiM is a closed group (meaning those outside the group cannot see the posts). You have to request to join. There will be weekly and monthly challenges to get you moving, trying new things and ultimately for you to challenge yourself. We will share diets (yes I said the word), healthy eating options, yummy recipes and doable exercises. Most of all there will be a support system that cheers on your successes and helps you to keep your eye on the prize on those not so successful days. It doesn't matter if you have 5 lbs to lose or 200 lbs. It doesn't matter if you are looking for an exercise starting point or just looking to find a way to shake up an old routine. This group is for anyone who wants to be healthy, feel good and maybe even make some friends along the way. And....if you can end up fitting into that swim suit this summer.....then all the better for you. 

So there you have it. LiM is my gift to you and my way of paying it forward. I will be writing and posting LiM related blogs from time to time and sharing them and I ask that you too feel free to share pertinent information you research, read or find out by trial and error. We are actually starting off with two challenges that I hope give everyone a chance to get their toes wet in this world of lifestyle change. The first is the Pinterest Challenge in which I challenge all of you to dust off your boards and pins and actually put some of them to work. Choose either a healthy recipe, smoothie/juice, or exercise which you have pinned but never tried before and then.....try it! Afterward, report back and let us know what you think. Was it hard, easy, good, horrible or doable? Once you try one I know it will motivate you to try another and another and we want to hear about them all. This challenge started today and will end on Monday April 7th.

The next challenge will begin tomorrow (April 1st) and run through (April 30th). This is the Change and Add One Thing Challenge. In this challenge you are asked to change one thing in your diet whether that means no soda, no bread, no processed food or whatever for one month. You are also asked to add one exercise. It is something you have to do 3-5 days per week and it can be walking, taking the stairs, parking a long distance from a store or even joining a gym......and actually going. On day one you are asked to weigh yourself and measure yourself if you like. Then do it again on the last day and see if the numbers change. Also keep track of how you are feeling, energy levels, skin and how your clothes are fitting. There may not be huge changes but I guarantee they will be noticeable and you will be that much closer to a happier, healthier you!

Okay....so there you have it. Now go tell your fb friends and come join us at Less is More. What do you have to lose other than weight, health issues and a whole lot of bad habits?! See you there!