We have talked about the numerous benefits of limiting our online time when not at work. It improves our sleep, eating, exercising and even socializing patterns.

Digital detoxing helps you focus on the present moment, your environment and your life. Rather than texting or commenting on Facebook, enjoying real-time conversation and quality time with family and friends is more liberating and better for your well-being.

You may discover that quality time might mean “media-free” time. Consuming your valuable time on social media brings about monotonous and shallow thinking, weakened concentration, reduced creativity and heightened stress (New York Times). Using that time efficiently and productively will make you feel versatile and proud. By cutting out 30 minutes of screen time a day, you can: start painting, learn an instrument or even a new language, tend your garden, read a novel, organize cabinets you have been procrastinating about for weeks, and so on. Seeing what you can accomplish will provide you with more energy and enthusiasm, where digital consumption will basically tire you.

We have discussed the importance of sleep on the mind and body and of finding balance and wellness in our lives. Our dietitian also explained why sleep is so important on weight management. You have learned to become more cognizant of certain nuances that ensure regularity of sleep. The research suggests that even small amounts of sleep deprivation take a significant toll on our health, our mood, our cognitive capacity and our productivity.

1. DO NOT OVER ANALYZE: Life does not necessarily require over-thinking. It is a journey and an unfolding adventure. If you live in the future or by your perfect ideals, you are missing out on the life you are living now. Do not miss out on the stupendous journey. Take it with grace and the grace will lead you to the right direction.

2. DO NOT BE AGGRESSIVE. ACCEPT LIFE: Constantly pushing for change and modification can be tiring. There are things we cannot change so accept the way they are. Sometimes we cannot control, but rather trust that whatever happens will eventually take us to where we are meant to arrive.

3. PAUSE: Over working and over stimulation with media, Facebook and other online activities are taking you away from seizing the moment and enjoying the world around you. Leave the rush aside and enjoy the nature, calm, content environment. It is meditative and peaceful.

4. DO NOT COMPETE WITH OTHERS: Embrace your differences and your unique story. Learn from others but do not compare yourself. Jealousy does not need to be your enemy. Whatever you envy in others is what you desire. So use that feeling positively to guide your actions positively. Replace jealousy with appreciation and learning opportunity.

5. CREATE RITUALS: Healthy, positive, calming rituals at home would bring peace to your life and help you bond with your loved ones easier. Enjoy morning walks, afternoon teas, evening story telling, etc.

6. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH FRIENDS: True friends are the gift of life. They are your biggest support in hard times and best companion in good times. They bring laughter and joy to your life. Everybody needs that fuel to feed their soul.

Get over the embarrassment!

The truth is, working out is not always pretty. Some of the exercises I teach my clients look, well, awkward. If you want that perfectly round bottom, then you’ll have to get over the fact that glute bridges and kettle bell swings look a bit silly. Bottom line is: Most of your fellow gym goers are too worried about how silly they look to even notice you.

Mix it up

We all know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When your workout consists of you coming to the gym, running strait to the treadmill and hopping on day after day, your body comes to expect it, and you begin to hit a plateau.

You are putting in the time…MAKE IT COUNT!

There are so many ways to mix it up…free weights, body weight, intervals, partner training, high intensity, low intensity…and the list goes on.

Find a partner or support system

If you know you are not the best self-motivator, this is super important. Most people worry more about letting others down than disappointing themselves. Your support system can be a spouse, friend, social media outlet, personal trainer or workout buddy. This will help on those days when you are just too tired to get to the gym after a long day at work, or feel the need to shove an extra piece of pizza in your mouth at a lunch meeting. Get your family onboard with your diet or get your kids to take a walk with you. Call your workout buddy and challenge them to a race on the row machine

Second time’s a charm with this one. Count the total number of servings from fruits and veggies each day. One idea: Follow the “plate model” approach. At each meal, fill the equivalent of half your plate with quality veggies and/or fruit. This way you can more easily rack up the recommended seven to nine servings per day. Experiment with new ways of enjoying these nutrition stars, i.e., a salad of mixed greens, strawberry slices, balsamic vinaigrette and a sprinkling each of a light cheese and pistachio nuts. Or, grill up platters of seasonal veggies using a few spritzes of olive oil, salt and pepper. Yum.

There is no argument that our use of electronic gizmos helps us to be more efficient at work and speeds our exchange of information; however, recent research indicates significant negative health effects of excessive time spent on our computers, smart phone and I-pads.  For this reason we are challenging you this week to see what it is like to go back to the ‘old days’ of entertaining ourselves in our free time with activities (off of our duffs) and actual face-to-face social interaction.  Here are some links to help motivate you during this challenge:

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/tv-screen-time-earlier-death/story?id=12585853

http://www.championsforhealth.org/5-tips-for-reducing-screen-time-for-adults.php

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19870199

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120716090329.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/us/new-digital-divide-seen-in-wasting-time-online.html?_r=3&hp&


 

As a former competitive athlete, a certified weight management specialist, a certified personal trainer and a mother of three, I do not have an unrealistically positive approach to weight loss. I never promise miracles, and I do not sugar coat anything. The road to health and fitness is a hard one. It takes a lot of work and self-discipline. I still have yet to meet a woman who does not like to look slim, yet, I have met only a few women who have the necessary willpower to work for what they want so desperately. Weight loss requires you to change your whole lifestyle; everything from the top down has to change before you even hit the treadmill – the way you eat, drink, sleep and how you work out. It is 24/7 pain and agony, but it does pay off and makes you feel priceless in the end. I dare you to try my recommendations.

Stop Dieting. It Doesn't Work.

As hard as it sounds, you have to change your family’s overall eating and shopping habits. Your lifestyle needs to be modified to stay lean. Your philosophy should be eating to live, eating less, eating healthy – all the time, every time, no exceptions, no excuses. Adopting a diet for short periods of time will give you temporary results. You should be thinking of long-term and permanent solutions. I do not recommend too much fruit since there is too much sugar. I recommend vegetables and more vegetables. I do not make daily schedules for my diet. I make them weekly. If, for one reason or another I have to eat pizza that day, the following three days are full of vegetables and liquids.

Don't Burn Yourself Out with Too Much Exercise.