Keeping It Together

Sometimes, drama erupts when you least expect it. It can be anything, your mom is guilting you about something that doesn't make any sense, a coworker or acquaintance has it out for you, you lose your job, you got your period, you got dumped, you are broke - whatever. The most important thing to remember in this situation is to remain calm, ride the wave, let your emotions come out privately, to a close friend, relative or your therapist and carry on with life as normal as possible. Remember, this too shall pass, and problems are really just opportunities for solutions that lead you to bigger and better things.

When bad things happen, you may be tempted to self indulge and not work out. I highly recommend continuing your workout routine, because this is a great way to channel frustration, relieve stress, feel good about yourself and can lead to some creative problem solving. The best way to lose weight, is to not fluctuate too much in the first place. If you are having a tough time and need motivation, just tell yourself you will only work out for 20 minutes. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to fully warm up, so more than likely, after 20 minutes you will feel good enough to continue your session.

Keep your diet clean as clean as possible, even when you are stressed. Indulging really isn't going to make you feel better in the end. But if you do feel the need to treat yourself, I recommend a healthy alternative, like a fruit smoothie. Or a piece of chocolate, with no added sugar. My favorite is a ricemilk bar by enjoy life. Only 170 calories, and can be found at your local health food store. Or, Go Raw, real live chocolate at just 32 calories for a 1 inch square. Another fairly healthy treat is a raw pie, made from soaked almonds and natural sugars, found at Whole Foods or your local natural food store. It is calorie dense, at around 300 calories, but made from healthy components, like nuts, honey and fruit, and it's so rich, since it is nut based, you may not even need to eat the whole piece.

However, if there is something you are truly craving, go ahead and eat it, in a portion appropriate size, taking care to pay attention to your body and emotions as you eat it, and make sure to stop when you are full. There are some great books on intuitive eating, the healthiest way to approach your eating habits, called, Overcoming Overeating, and another called Break Free From Compulsive Eating, by Geenen Roth. On a similar note, Geneen has another book called Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything, which is a really great book on being in your body and living in the moment.

Anyone else have real life suggestions on dealing with the ups and downs of life?