What I have learnt in 40 years...

On April 19th 2016 I turned 40. What?? Shocking, as you probably all thought I was no more then 30 *wink*I feel like turning 40 was a big deal and has caused me to reflect on where I was 20 years ago and just how far I have come! I can safely say that I have put myself and my health through the ringer but have learned so much. Today I am going to share three of my personal life lessons that I learned in these last 40 years that have been crucial to my health and well being.

Lesson 1 : Know when to give up

About 5 years ago I realized my body was simply not going to lose any more weight or change much more then it already had. I spent the previous 20 years striving for this perfect physique….the wash board stomach, ripped arms and a butt you could bounce a quarter off. Well if I tried today to bounce that quarter it would surely get lost in one of the many dimples on my ass.

When I finally felt that I had found my personal weight loss code and my body got to a certain weight, I knew it was time to accept my body as is. Sure I could workout more, work out harder, possibly cut the calories. But I realized I wasn’t willing to continue doing that for however long into the unforeseeable future. The tummy flap was here to stay, the floppy boobs that can so nicely hold a pencil under them without falling out, the dimpled butt and cellulite thighs were not going any where… so I embraced them. I was tired of the constant internal dialog, beating myself up and judging myself, I wanted to finally accept the way I looked. I felt good and I looked good in clothes and dammit that was good enough!
Have realistic goals If you have never been stick thin and able to eat whatever you want, you never will be.
Work on acceptance Unless you're willing to make the changes that are necessary, (which will be different for everyone) to achieve or maintain goals then begin towork on acceptance rather then fighting yourself every minute of the day. The stress and the constant cut downs are sometimes more detrimental to your health than losing weight or whatever it is you strive for.

Lesson 2: Face your addictions

Since a very young age I was heavy drinker and drug user, and like all addictions I had my reasons. But basically I was needing to numb the loneliness and sadness that was constantly brewing on the inside. When I hit my 30’s I realized I didn’t like who I was and what I was doing to my body. I knew if I was to ever get healthy,in all areas of my life , I needed to face this. I needed to become authentically me and stop the drinking and drug use forever! This was not easy but I can safely say that it truly transformed my health once I began facing my addictions.

Addiction can come in many forms including food, drinking, drugs, surfing the internet, exercise and much more. You can do every diet in the world but if you haven’t dealt with your addictions you may have a very hard time being successful.The state of our bodies is directly related to the state and health of our mind and our souls. Get help dealing with your addictions Face the demons and you will rise up and meet your authentic self and being who you really are can transform the way you look and feel!

Lesson 3: Eat really good ice cream

SAY WHAT?! Yes.... eat ice cream or whatever it is you truly enjoy eating. I am never one to believe that we should do anything 100% as it only sets us up for failure. I eat really well and nourish my body, I concentrate on all the good foods I eat not all the ones that don’t agree with me. I eat these great foods 80% of the time so that when the cravings hit I can go indulge in some good ice-cream and enjoy every last bit of it and so should you!
Don't demonize food The more you do, the more you will crave the "bad stuff". Concentrate on the great foods you can eat and don’t forget to still enjoy the fine pleasures in life like ice cream!

Happy Birthday to ME! Enjoying my 40th birthday getaway with eating Haagen Dazs Ice-cream in my house coat!