Friday Five - April 8th

I have been spending the last two months working on my health. For those of you who don't know me, I am overweight. I know that I have needed to lose weight several years, and I have worked on it on and off. I have dealt with several health issues over this time: broken ankle, twisted ankle, bad wrist, bad hip, and a ton of stress. There are a lot of things I could have done, but I haven't. And that brings us to this week's Friday Five. Five things to consider on health.

1. It is never too late to start. Some people consider they are too far gone to start, but it is worth while. Even just a simple change can make a difference. Sometimes you need to start with the doctor, which came really earlier in my plan. With my health I needed to know what to do in order to stay healthy while I worked out.

2. Small changes make a difference. I started with drinking water. Just get in 64 ounces a day (about two liters). So start anywhere. I also got a fit bit from my work, so I am working with increasing my steps and movement during the day.

3. Set goals that are realistic. One advantage to working on my weight for awhile is I know what is realistically for me. For me my goal is one pound a week. This goal is less than 1% of my body weight and my doctor approves. If you are extremely overweight, please get talk with a professional.

4. Consistency. Most people did not gain this weight overnight, and you aren't going to lose weight overnight. Everyone will have times you don't follow through. The key though is being consistent. When you fall down, get back up. It is hard. It is definitely hard to get back up each time you fall down. But you need to keep trying. As long as you are consistent, it will start to make a difference.

5. Your health involves many aspects, and to make a difference on something like weight loss, you need to look at several areas. I am working on hydration, movement, and nutrition. I also need to be sure I also keep a good sleep schedule, and watch my stress levels (mental health is an important part of keeping healthy). Following up on regular checkups is also important: medical, dental, vision, and hearing. It is a lot to do, especially all at together, which is why I go back to suggestion #1, start small.

Good health can make such a difference in our lives, but it is something a lot of people take for granted. It is never too late to start.