Top 10 Lessons That I Have Learned Thus Far- 3 Months

I have been on my journey to a healthier lifestyle for 3 months now.  This is what I have learned so far.

1. Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat.  A lb of muscle weighs as much as a lb of fat.  They both weigh A POUND! But they do LOOK different, especially on a body.

2. This is a marathon, not a sprint.  Look, if you understand that, you are healthier than you think!  A- You know what a marathon is AND what a sprint is. B- REAL change takes time and patience. This is NOT the time to be the over-achiever. Take it moderate and deliberate!  Then, you won't feel overwhelmed, and you won't feel lazy.  You can just keep it going and keep it real.

3. Train for the "marathon." Remember that even the best runners still train for the marathon.  They practice every day.  We must educate ourselves to what a healthier lifestyle really is (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) and CONSTANTLY strive to better ourselves at it!  Be better than you were the day before....or the hour before.

4. Just Breathe. I know you think that you are really good at breathing, being as you are still alive and all, but you would be surprised what a good deep breath can do!  Oxygen brings a burst of energy, relaxes your muscles, helps to refocus your mind, and even calms temptation.  Take a lesson from the elderly people that you see with oxygen tanks rolling behind them!  The older and wiser people have spoken!  I'm seriously considering purchasing one to help me out.  Plus, it could double as a weapon.

5. So let it be written, so let it be done!  When you tell people that you are going to make a change, they actually ask you about it later.  It's best if you have good news to report back.  It really does help to let others know what your plan of action is. Whether you tell a friend or create a whole blog about it that no one reads or cares about..... it really helps.

6. Don't give up on yourself OR chocolate. When times are hard, it's amazing what ONE piece of dark chocolate can accomplish.  This is best if consumed while hiding in the closet, outside around the side of the house, or, in desperate times, even in the bathroom behind a locked door. Don't judge. But seriously though, this little bit of advice has probably saved my marriage and the lives of my children.

7. Eat REAL food. Not too much. Mostly Plants. Easy enough, right?  Well, no. It's harder than you would think.  BUT, still sound advice from Michael Pollan. Eating the right amounts of the right foods will change the way you look at health.  It's not a diet. It's not a miracle. It's just.....food. REAL food! Not pink slime food.

8. Rock the walk! Exercise is best done at a moderate to slightly intense level.  When you go full force, you hate it. When you are too easy, it takes forever with little results and, well, you hate it. Exercise so that it FEELS good.  Rome was not built in a day. Therefore, your Roman God/Goddess body will take a little time as well. Trust me, keep it up and your sculpted body, worthy of it's own statue will be here in no time. I'm three months in and just keep getting smaller and more toned! (Although I'm sure that people can't notice yet. At least I know, and that keeps me going.)

I know your're looking at the butt, but seriously, what is on her heel? Hair? Is that a hairy heel? This too, could be you...one day... but without the hairy heel.

9.  Kill the scale!  I'm sure that it has it's good uses, but there are so many ways to measure your success to a healthier lifestyle!  Plus, it's fun to beat the crap out of it.  Maybe it's a super scale, like my lying P.O.S. that won't die!   That's ok.  It still feels good to knock it around. Although weighing yourself does come in handy every month or so, this is still probably the #1 cause of depression in my house.  And, depression spirals and just makes the journey harder. No Bueno! (Not sure that I spelled that correctly.  I don't speak Spanish.)

10. SMILE!  Oh my goodness!  Life is so much better when you smile!  Smiling releases happy endorphines, builds energy (which comes in handy while working out,) lessens pain, creates trust, increases productivity, boosts your immune system, and makes you look younger! Try smiling while working out- it will change the face of exercise... literally and figuratively speaking. :-)

Keep the faith brotha!  Life is good! I am a better person today because I started this journey three months ago.  I LOOK a little different, ACT a lot different, and FEEL way different!  And, I'm fine with that. My goal is, and always has been, to FEEL healthier.  I am healthier physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally today than I was three months ago!  Here's to the next three months!