First of two parts
If there were a better and quicker way to be stronger and sexier, the word “discipline” would be nonexistent in the wellness vocabulary. Here’s how to achieve your goals painlessly, based on my personal experience.
Self-image
Fast-forward 20 years from now. How do you see yourself? That’s exactly what I did when, at age 22, the battle of the bulge found me at a crossroads. With 15 extra pounds on me, I needed to do some serious thinking. Did I like my reflection in the mirror? My answer was no.
It had to do with self-image. Because I reflected the reality of what I saw, forces within me rallied to push me forward, not backward. Right then and there, I pulled my favorite cocktail dress from my closet, a size 6. This served as my inspiration. My dress size had gone up to a 10.
Every day, I would look at the dress displayed in my bathroom. It served as a constant reminder of the goal at hand. A deadline was important to me; I promised myself I would shed the 18 pounds in 30 days.
If you are in the same situation today, here’s your test:
1. Face the mirror daily in your naked glory.
2. Ask yourself the question: “Am I happy with what I see in the mirror?”
3. Find an object or tool like a favorite photo of yours, or your chosen celebrity or movie star, that will serve as your reminder and/or role model.
4. Give yourself a reasonable timetable. You may write your goals on a piece of paper, which you can post in visible areas of the house—bathroom, refrigerator door, bedside, etc., or use it as your mobile phone’s wallpaper.
Look up, not down
Nobody else will do this for you except yourself. That’s what I did. Instead of complaining or pouring out my woes to my mother, sister, boyfriend, I kept it to myself. Why? Because this challenge was mine, not theirs.
At this point, I read countless books on self-empowerment and enrolled in mind-development seminars–Silva Mind Control, Science of the Mind, Transcendental Meditation, Rajah Yoga, and Jimmy Licauco’s mind empowerment workshops. I learned to polish and personalize my techniques.
TO DO:
1. Read up on the latest self-enrichment books.
2. Enroll in brain enhancing, confidence-boosting classes.
3. Adopt an affirmation as your battle cry. Mine was then, as it is now, “Forever Young.”
Take charge now
Because I had a self-imposed deadline, quick action was required. These are the urgent steps I took:
1. Enroll in a gym—Despite my hectic work schedule as the PR Director of a five-star hotel, I shuffled my lunch appointments around by spending an hour in the gym—(30 minutes aerobics, 30 minutes weight training) every day, Monday to Friday. Rushing back to the office, I still managed to entertain VIPs over a healthy lunch.
2. Eat light—By going for low-calorie foods, I made sure that I was burning all the excess fat through my gym work.
My crash-calorie menu? I went for Japanese food. Fresh green salads with seaweed, clear soup, grilled fish, fresh tofu, ¼ cup of rice, no sweet refined desserts. Fruits, I would include as appetizer, not as dessert. Always remember: eat the raw before the cooked. This ensures good digestion.
3. Supplement by loading up on one multimineral/vitamin capsule and 1,000 mg of vitamin C. That was the simplest of supplementations for me.
Today, it’s a longer list:
• 3,000 mg vitamin C (taken every four hours after meals/snacks)
• Vitamin D3 in capsule, 1,000 mg together with vitamin C after breakfast
• 1,000 mg garlic oil capsules; one 500 mg capsule after breakfast and lunch
• Vitamin B-Complex–once a day after lunch
• Chelated Zinc–one tablet after lunch
• Omega 3–one capsule twice a day after lunch and dinner
• Calcium–one capsule
• One multivitamin/mineral supplement after a meal
I alternate supplements weekly and add as I go along, including coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid, and selenium.
Sleep right
Yes, you have to be like Cinderella, to be strict about it. I make it a point to be in bed by 11 pm.
Because my career caused me to stay up late, looking at my watch was a constant habit. By 10 pm, I would be making excuses to leave.The best time to sleep is 10 pm. Each time you do this, you will find that your complexion will be extra radiant and your energy levels boosted.
Meditation
There’s nothing sophisticated or complicated about meditating. It is also not a religious exercise that will contradict your spiritual values.
In fact, it is a scientific approach to calming the mind, and consequently the body. In this highly stressful would, taking time out to neutralize the damaged caused by stress can prolong and even save your life.
TO DO:
Make time for a “time-out,” contradictory as this way seem.
First, take 15 minutes twice a day to keep still, breathe slowly, and be in a state of “no mind” can only help you. Inhale six counts, hold two, exhale six counts.
Declare one corner of your home or office as a sanctuary, and in your mind, hold a memory of a blissful place. Smile.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION:
“Love flows to me and through me.”
Love and light!
(Part 2 next week)
