Out of Shape

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Follow these ten tips to get back into your body, into great health and shape and get real with yourself and your life.

1. Include plenty of room temperature water in your diet every day. Quit drinking fizzy, sugary drinks, even the diet variety. Cut back on alcohol.

2. Become aware of what you do eat and how much each day by keeping a list for a week. Later re-think your diet. Eat simple basic foods. Include more fruits, vegetables, brown bread, grains, non-sugary cereals. Consider becoming vegetarian.

3. Make time every day for yourself. Even ten minutes is vital. You need to let go, sit still, relax, and do nothing. Let your thoughts come and go. Breathe deeply from the bottom of your stomach. Say firmly in your mind: "I am letting go of everything I no longer need". Mean it!

4. Rub your stomach slowly backwards and forwards, then round and round with slow circular movements of your hand. Breathe deeply. This will calm and soothe you when you are tired, anxious, or stressed, and replace the need of reaching for the ice cream and cookie jar.

5. Look at yourself in the mirror. Simply look. Do not judge. If you find yourself doing so, stop. Simply look, accept what you see and look for the beauty beyond any pain in your face and your eyes.

6. Love yourself completely without condition. Use positive affirmations each day. Be open to realizing how wonderful, amazing and special you really already are. Don't wait for tomorrow to be perfect. Love and accept yourself just as you are today and every day. Realize that you do know what you are doing at all times and that there are no mistakes.

7. Bring color into your life. Wear it. Bring it into your home or workplace. Or imagine being surrounded by color and breathe it all through your body until you are full.

8. Ask yourself at least once a day: "Where am I right now?" You may be driving to work and yet still in events in previous days or well into the future in anticipated events. Become aware of where you are and how you are more often. Make a point of also recognizing who you are being. Are you playing a role or are you simply being yourself?

9. Dream. Visualize how you want your life to be one year from now, five years, ten years. Expect the best. See the positives in all negatives for they are there waiting for you to discover. Remember, nothing is ever only as it seems.

10. Lighten up. Have fun. Stop feeling responsible. Break patterns. Be spontaneous. Explore other facets of yourself. Throw away, give away or even sell everything you no longer need.

Petrene Soames

is the author of The Essence of Self-Healing: How to bring health and happiness into your life. (FleetStreet Publications).

For information, call 281-363-9983.