Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
You worked hard like a dog for your new body. Every solid, toned inch is 100%. But those at the office, they just don’t get it. They ooze from cubicle to cubicle, pizza-stained ties and pasty, unhealthy skin, happy to slurp sticky sodas and lead a life less extraordinary while you strive for more…
And they want you to come back into the fold They want you to eat junk and spend leisure hours doing a whole lot of nothing. Don’t do that Unlike poor Michael Corleone, you don’t have to be sucked back in. We’ve come up with a few tips to keep you stay health at the office. despite the bad habits of your co-workers.
1. Head ‘em off at the pass. The thing is, if someone brings in a box of bear claws, they’re going to seem a lot more attractive if you’re hungry. So eat that balanced breakfast and have those healthy snacks on hand for the time between meals.
2. Find food that stays fresh. The frustrating thing about healthy food is that it doesn’t keep; so, unlike Oreos, which would keep in your desk well into the next eon, a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, and cottage cheese go bad quickly if not refrigerated. And if you do have a fridge at work, going there to get your healthy eats can be quite an ordeal when you have to walk past a caravan of crud sitting on the kitchen counter. So here are a few things you can keep at your desk that might last a little longer at room temperature:
Uncut fresh fruit
A handful of raw nuts (be careful with this one—less is more)
A tub of protein powder (just add water!)
A handful of whole grain cereal
That may not seem like much, but there are hundreds of variations of at least three of those.
3. Get the heck out of Dodge. It’s 10:50 AM. You’re sweating bullets. It’s “Pizza Friday” and, in about one hour, the walking dead will be shuffling to the kitchen for multiple slices of gooey cheese and sausage on Chicago-style crust. Even if you stay in your cubicle, the savory scent will find you. How will you resist?
Well, when the going gets tough, the tough scram. At 11:50 AM, grab your good walking shoes and go for a stroll, have a picnic, go shopping, whatever. Just get out. That way you’re avoiding the horror and getting a little cardio and vitamin D all in one fell swoop.
4. Hook up to a slow drip. You have the lunch and two snack times sorted out, but you never know when some supposed good Samaritan is going to swing by your office with a bowl of bite-sized Snickers, tempting you when you still have two hours until your next official eating time.
If this is a problem, parse out your snacks. The trick is, you have to plan out the size of said snack in advance. So after breakfast, set aside X amount of whatever and graze on that—but when you’re done, you’re done. That’s the key.
The exception to this is raw, green veggies. It’s really, really hard to eat too much broccoli or celery, so if that’s your snack, eat yourself sick.

5. Give in to the dark side. It’s okay to be a little naughty sometimes. It keeps you sane, it makes a diet more palatable and, well, it tastes good. The key is moderation. First off, pick the amount of cheats you have in a week. For someone trying to lose weight, one or two is a good number. For those who have already reached their goals, more are okay.
When the pizza comes, if this is going to be one of your weekly cheats, get your piece, love it, lavish it, pray to it, build a monument around it, and eat it—but then you’re done. That’s it. That was your cheat. No more. No, not another “half piece” or “cut off little bite.” Just be done. Same goes for the candy bowl. Eat your mini Almond Joy and then walk away. Birthday ? Eat a small piece of cake. If they give you too much, cut it in half and dump half on someone else’s plate, or pass it on until a smaller piece comes your way.
6. Back against the wall. Sometimes, there’s an eventlunch with a client or an office partywhere all those “goodies” are unavoidable. When this happens, much of the above advice applies. Eat beforehand, use it as a cheat, etc.
If it’s at the office, make yourself a conservative plate, picking foods you know are at least sort of reasonable. A pasta salad is probably a better call than marshmallow salad, for example. Once you’ve finished your plate, throw it in the trash and be done. Get a glass of water in your hands so they aren’t tempted to wander into the M&M’s bowl and relax.
If it’s an outing, a few simple rules help with any restaurant experience. Choose a lean meat/protein. Eat half of whatever they serve. Choose salad or fruit instead of fries. Order water instead of Coke. You should be all right.
7. It’s a matter of public record. Put your “Before” and “After” photos on your desk. When temptation calls, have a look. Remember how far you’ve come. Reaffirm that long-term happiness outweighs a temporary sugar rush.
It was hard work getting this far, so follow these few simple tips and it won’t be for naught. The only thing you’re going to get pulled into is a size 2 (or 30-inch waist) pair of jeans, you sexy beast you.
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Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
here now 5 Tips for make better work and your life balance
1. Figure Out What Really Matters to You in Life
Personal coach Laura Berman Fortgang, author of NOW WHAT? 90 Days to a New Life Direction, says getting your priorities clear is the first and most essential step toward achieving a well-balanced life. The important point here is to figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be.
“I use an exercise for figuring out what matters most,” Fortgang tells WebMD. She has her clients take a couple days off from work to contemplate the following series of questions:
1. If my life could focus on one thing and one thing only, what would that be?
2. If I could add a second thing, what would that be?
3. A third?
4. A fourth?
5. A fifth?
If you answer thoughtfully and honestly, the result will be a list of your top five priorities. Fortgang says a typical top-five list might include some of the following:
Children
Spouse
Satisfying career
Community service
Religion/spirituality
Health
Sports
Art
Hobbies, such as gardening
Adventure/travel
Ismael Al-Ramahi, a graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine, says his current priorities are his wife, his 4-month-old son, and his research. He tells WebMD the key is not only knowing your priorities, but devoting your full attention to just one priority at a time. “Split your time and your mind so that you’re thinking about work when you’re at work and you’re paying attention to the baby when you’re with him.”
2. Drop Unnecessary Activities
By making a concrete list of what really matters to you, you may discover you’re devoting too much time to activities that aren’t a priority, and you can adjust your schedule accordingly. Since having a baby, Al-Ramahi says he and his wife have become much more efficient in managing their time — cutting back on television, for example.
If at all possible, Fortgang recommends dropping any commitments and pursuits that don’t make your top-five list, because “unnecessary activities keep you away from the things that matter to you.”
3. Protect Your Private Time
You would probably think twice before skipping out on work, a parent-teacher conference, or a doctor’s appointment. Your private time deserves the same respect. “Carve out hours that contribute to yourself and your relationship,” says Stevan Hobfoll, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at Kent State University, and co-author of Work Won’t Love You Back: The Dual Career Couple’s Survival Guide. Guard this personal time fervently and don’t let work or other distractions intrude. “Stop checking email and cell phones so often,” Hobfoll advises. “Few people are so important that they need their phones on at all times.”
If work consistently interferes with your personal time, Hobfoll recommends discussing some adjustments with your boss. “There’s a mythology in the workplace that more hours means more,” he tells WebMD. Demonstrate that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours. Your job performance “should never be judged in terms of hours of input,” Hobfoll says. Protecting your private time often leads to “greater satisfaction in both work life and personal life, greater productivity, and more creativity.”
4. Accept Help to Balance Your Life
Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends — anyone who can watch the kids or run an errand while you focus on other top priorities. “Try tag-teaming,” Hobfoll suggests. “One spouse works out before dinner, one after dinner, while the other watches the kids.”
To get more alone-time with your partner, accept babysitting offers from friends and family, or try arranging a regular trade-off with another couple. “‘I’ll watch your kids this Saturday if you watch mine next Saturday.’ Tag-teaming is a great way to create extra free time,” Hobfoll says.
5. Plan Fun and Relaxation
Fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life. That’s why Brown makes time for weekly guitar lessons, a yoga class, a date night with his wife, and a guys’ night out a couple times a month. In addition, he exercises on a trampoline in his backyard most days of the week. How does he squeeze in all this playtime while running his business and sharing the responsibilities of raising a daughter? “If you believe that the most important thing is to be happy in life (not when I’m a millionaire or when I retire but right now) then you can always make time.”
Until you get into the habit of taking time for yourself, set aside space in your planner for relaxation and fun. Plan what you’re going to do and make any necessary arrangements, such as childcare, to ensure you’ll be able to keep your commitment. “Remember, you make time for what you want to make time for,” Fortgang says. If something is important to you, don’t brush it aside with a dismissive “I don’t have time for that.” You are in charge of your own schedule — it’s up to you to make time.
Tags: Accept, addition, Adventure, Al, Al-Ramahi, anyone, appointment, Art
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