It’s week two of 2010 and I’m glad you’re here.

Lets face it, being overweight is uncomfortable.  You wake up each morning feeling sluggish.  Clothes fit tighter than they used to and, that in itself, can make you feel self conscious.  You know it’s not healthy and you really want to lose that unwanted fat, yet it seems like such a battle.

It’s truly unfortunate that we can’t see what goes on inside our bodies when we eat and drink stuff that’s unhealthy.  If we could, we’d see how hard our organs have to work to process all the chemicals, hormones, unhealthy sugars and man made food stuffs found in most products that aren’t fresh and natural.

If we could, maybe then we’d make healthier choices.

Lets add to the list one more reason to start eating healthier and lose that excess body fat.

YOUR KNEES!

That’s right.  Your knees feel the extra load you’re carrying.  Added weight adds stress to the joints of your body, including your knees.

Your body was made to handle an ideal load.  Anything more than that forces the body to work harder than it’s designed for.  This adds stress to the bones, joints, connective tissue, hormones and organs.  This is the primary reason that people who are overweight often have joint pain and feel tired.

So, take a long, hard look at yourself.  If you are overweight, make a decision to change that.  It’s not helpful to pass judgment.  It only makes you feel worse.  Just choose to lose the extra weight with a healthy mindset.

The easiest, most uncomplicated way that works great is to stock your refrigerator with only healthy foods.  Organic and grass fed is always best.  Buy plenty of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and essential fats.

Just before you head off to the grocery store to stock up to start your new, healthy eating plan, get rid of all the unhealthy products you have in the kitchen AND at work.  Bag them all up and take them to a food bank or shelter.

Also, remember that you don’t want to intake extra calories by drinking them.  Juices, coffee drinks, energy drinks and sodas will kill a great eating plan.  These products are filled with unwanted calories and all the unhealthy stuff that stresses your organs. Remember that stuff you can’t see?

Next, take a few minutes and set up a fitday.com account.  This is an online journal that’ll help you track your food and calorie intake for the day.  This is one of the most helpful tools to educate you on how many calories you take in each day.  Not only that, it helps you stay accountable.

Now, go out and tell everyone you know, including your friends, family and coworkers, that you’ve made a choice to get healthy in 2010.  Ask them to respect your choice by not offering you unhealthy food and drinks.  Ask them if you can count on them to be a support system.

Social support ranks very high among the essential elements that help people succeed with a healthy eating program.

You have the rest of this life to live.  You can choose to live it uncomfortable, feeling self conscious and enduring daily joint pain, OR you can turn it around.

Start making healthier choices, one meal at a time, and start feeling alive with energy to spare and watch that knee pain begin to disappear.

I’d love to hear how you’ve turned it around by making healthier choices.  Add to the list of your own personal tips and help others out the same way the tips above have helped you.

Leave your healthy tips in the comments section below.

Until next time,

Rochelle Gravance