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TUNE IN to Self-Care By Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., and author of the terrific book Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW! Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., has over 15 years as a counselor/psychotherapist. She specializes in teaching people how to reduce depression, building a healthy lifestyle, and improving their family and personal relationships. She also has over 21 years as a full-figured fitness instructor for people for all sizes and abilities. She was teaching no-impact aerobics ten years before the fitness industry even had a name for it! She is a Certified Effectiveness Training Instructor and is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). This New Year, choose to tune in to self-care and remembering that you deserve to be on the list of those who deserve your care. I would like you to imagine some time in your life when you were in charge of taking care of a child. You may have had full time responsibility, or you may have been tending this little one for the day. Would you let the little one in your care:
 You
would make sure that the little one ate well and drank enough water, got
the rest they needed, ran around and played enough so they wouldn't be
fidgety, and enjoyed a stimulating environment (including play time with
friends).What if you were just in charge of watching a little dog for the week? Yes, even the dog would get the food he needed, plenty of water, and regular exercise in the yard or walking. The dog would be given things to play with so it wouldn't get bored and get into trouble. You would give the dog attention and affection. Now, think about the way you treat yourself. Do you treat yourself as well as you would a little one who is in your care? You may find it valuable to picture a little one inside of you. This little one has the same color hair as you have. His/her little face has big round eyes the same color as yours. This little one is probably even cute and chubby like a cherub (You know the kind. You just feel like hugging them and squeezing their fat little thighs. I digress. I like cherubs.) Well, now that you have pictured this little one inside of you, when you make choices on how to take care of yourself, how to talk to yourself, and what to think about yourself, consider the little one inside. Take care of the little one inside of you and give him/her all the things necessary to thrive and feel well. Eat healthy foods because they make you feel better. Enjoy entertainment foods occasionally, but primarily rely on the life you are building for yourself to really entertain you. Give yourself the water your body needs, even if this adds extra moving around to your day with trips to the bathroom. Enjoy your friends. Whether you engage people face to face, on the phone, or in a chat room, find people with whom you feel accepted and connected. And finally, get out and play! Move your body in some way that you enjoy. If you don't know what that is, take action to discover what it might be. These are the basic needs of all creatures big and small. These are your basic needs. Life may have taught you to ignore your own needs. It may be helpful to remember the little one inside of YOU and take care of yourself as well as you would take care of a little one in your care. You deserve it. Take Care, Kelly Bliss You can visit Kelly on her website. And if you are in the Philadelphia area, and want to get hold of Kelly, give her a call at 877-KellyBliss. Mention how you liked her article here at GrandStyle.com. 
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Don't Be S.A.D. By Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., and author of the terrific book Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW! Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., has over 15 years as a counselor/psychotherapist. She specializes in teaching people how to reduce depression, building a healthy lifestyle, and improving their family and personal relationships. She also has over 21 years as a full-figured fitness instructor for people for all sizes and abilities. She was teaching no-impact aerobics ten years before the fitness industry even had a name for it! She is a Certified Effectiveness Training Instructor and is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). As seasons change, there is a shift in our “biological internal clocks” or circadian rhythm, due partly to these changes in sunlight patterns. This can cause our biological clocks to be out of “step” with our daily schedules. The most difficult months for SAD sufferers are January and February, and younger persons and women are at higher risk. Symptoms Include:
Treatments
Full Spectrum Lighting has made a difference for so many of my Lifestyle Coaching clients. Balance Between DOING, ENJOYING, and RESTING I want to share a concept with you. My clients and I developed this concept during Lifestyle Coaching sessions... (I will call this client Sara)
REALLY productive, or REALLY restful, or REALLY enjoyable? When your rest is really rejuvinating When you accomplish this balance, then you will be rejuvenated by the rhythm of doing, resting, and enjoying! --------------------------------------- Have You Eaten Enough Today? After years and years of being told that you are overweight because you eat too much, did you ever think somebody would tell you to eat more? Well, it is happening today. I am telling you that to build your healthy eating style, you may need to eat more. During this process, we will focus on what you should eat, instead of what you should not eat.There is NO RESTRICTED eating in this process. You are encouraged to eat foods that are good for your health, (you won't hear me telling you to avoid or restrict any particular foods.) You are encouraged to be more aware of when you are satisfied, not to limit portions. It takes just a moment to eat something healthy. When you focus on selecting and eating all the wonderful tasty foods that are good for you, your time and energy will be spent eating healthy foods and enjoying every bite. This healthy eating is a task that can take up all the energy you used to put into restricting and limiting your eating. Many people "get the munchies" in the evening. If you are one of those
people, ask yourself: Have I eaten enough today? Did I eat enough fruit
and veggies?
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 Click here for info or to order  Click here for info on Kelly's videos 
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Procrastination By Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., and author of the terrific book Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW! Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., has over 15 years as a counselor/psychotherapist. She specializes in teaching people how to reduce depression, building a healthy lifestyle, and improving their family and personal relationships. She also has over 21 years as a full-figured fitness instructor for people for all sizes and abilities. She was teaching no-impact aerobics ten years before the fitness industry even had a name for it! She is a Certified Effectiveness Training Instructor and is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). (An excerpt from her book, Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW!) As I was writing this book, I kept putting off writing this section. I am not kidding. I am not making this up. I would scroll down the manuscript, see this section in red (which meant it was not finished yet), and then I would scroll right past. I did this at least fifty times! Then I said to myself, "this must be an opportunity for me to further explore the nature of, and possible solutions for, procrastination!" (Did you notice how I did not beat myself up, how I saw this as an opportunity to learn? I really do practice the skills I teach.) Procrastination is a complicated topic. There are entire books dedicated to this one subject. I include this topic because procrastination is often one of the problems that gets in the way of healthy living and self-care. I want to give you an idea to help reduce procrastination. "Just Start"
There
is a real problem with "Just Do It". Where will you ever find the time when you will be able to do the entire task? Even if you find the time, where will you get the energy for it all? I have a better phrase for you to tell yourself: "Just Start!" There is a big difference between getting yourself to DO a task and getting yourself to START a task. It only takes a moment to start. You only need a little energy to start. It is not intimidating to "Just Start". It is just a little thing.
There is one important condition when you commit to "Just Start": After you "Just Start",
I know. This sounds backward. However, if you always force yourself to keep going, then starting is the same as doing the entire task. You will find that you end up with the same resistance you had to forcing yourself to do the entire task. And that would be reasonable. If you always finish the task once you start, then "Just Start" would have turned into "Just Do It". It seems odd to say giving yourself permission to stop doing the task will help end procrastination. But it is true. Take the pressure off. Once in a while let yourself stop after the warm-up, sometimes go home after only a few blocks, or only clean one small area and be done. When
you can choose to do the entire task When you "Just Start", you just ended procrastination! Take Care, Kelly Bliss You can visit Kelly on her website. And if you are in the Philadelphia area, and want to get hold of Kelly, give her a call at 877-KellyBliss. Mention how you liked her article here at GrandStyle.com.
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Click here for info or to order Click here for info on Kelly's videos
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Support Your Body By Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., and author of the terrific book Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW! Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., has over 15 years as a counselor/psychotherapist. She specializes in teaching people how to reduce depression, building a healthy lifestyle, and improving their family and personal relationships. She also has over 21 years as a full-figured fitness instructor for people for all sizes and abilities. She was teaching no-impact aerobics ten years before the fitness industry even had a name for it! She is a Certified Effectiveness Training Instructor and is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). (An excerpt from her book, Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW!) Let's start with how you dress yourself. If you are plus-size you probably have flesh that jiggles. (At the right time, and in the right place, I hope you learn to appreciate and enjoy your jiggling self. There is nothing wrong with flesh that moves! Actually, it can be quite delightful. Jiggling flesh can be like a wave of life, laughter, moving, and being, that stirs through your whole body.) However, when you walk, jiggling can cause discomfort or chaffing. 
When it comes to softness that needs support, you must wear a supportive sports bra, even for non-impact activities. The MOST supportive bra I ever tried is the Enell Bra, sold at Junonia And what about our bellies? We need support there too. Your bike shorts or leggings will help, but wearing a leotard can add extra support to both belly and breasts. When you add a leotard to your supportive tights or leggings, you get double support for your belly. Over your support layer of choice, you can wear any T-shirt, sweatshirt, or pants you want. You can choose baggy or fitted. There are no rules except your comfort. You can cover-up or uncover. It is up to you. Take Care, Kelly Bliss You can visit Kelly on her website. And if you are in the Philadelphia area, and want to get hold of Kelly, give her a call at 877-KellyBliss. Mention how you liked her article here at GrandStyle.com.
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Click here for info or to order Click here for info on Kelly's videos
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Get Real: Walking Is Not Simple By Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., and author of the terrific book Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW!
We often hear experts say;
"Walking requires no special facilities and no special equipment." This is
an oversimplification. That's a problem. If you think a task is simple,
and it is really complicated, then you are not likely to succeed. You will
probably blame yourself. So let's get real about walking as a workout. When you realistically look at the obstacles, you
have the best chance of overcoming them. If your schedule requires that you walk in the middle or at the end or your day, you will need to give yourself specific structure to avoid skipping workouts. The reason you need structure if you are going to walk during your day is that 'stuff happens'. It is too easy to say that you will walk later. Pretty soon later is the end of the day and you have missed your workout. Plan to walk at a specific time. Many people find that walking during the first half of the lunch hour works well. Some people walk after work or later in the day. I had a client who walked out the door of his workplace and just kept walking. Every evening he just kept walking, for a half-hour to an hour, until he found himself back at his workplace parking lot. Then he got in his car and drove home. He said that he arrived home relaxed, decompressed from work, and ready to appreciate his family (and his dinner). He has been walking for years now. With the money he saves by not joining a gym, he and his wife go on a tropical vacation every winter. For your well being, I recommend working out on most days. Of course, there are many ways to workout. If walking is your primary choice for exercise, you can start out walking twice a week. That is enough to feel a difference in your fitness but not overwhelm your schedule. Once you have started working out a few times a week, you are ready to start asking yourself an important question: Did I workout yesterday? If not, then you WILL workout TODAY. If you did workout yesterday, you can choose whether or not you want to workout today. By asking yourself this question, and working out today if you did not workout yesterday, you will not drop the ball and accidentally miss several day's exercise. Gradually, as you get your life adjusted, you can increase your walking from a few days a week to most days of the week. If you are mixing walking with other exercises, you can gradually increase until you are doing some exercise on most days. This is not paranoia. This is a reasonable response to an unreasonable prejudice. The only way I know around prejudice is to fight it. First, I will comment on fighting the prejudice found in the culture. (Next, I will comment on getting the prejudice out of your own head.) One way to fight negative attitudes toward large people is to do what you want and not let those attitudes stop you. I have seen many clients do just that. They went out and walked, regardless of what others may have been thinking. Soon the prejudiced thoughts of others were irrelevant and did not matter to the walker who was enjoying moving through time and space. Often, the large walker was joined by other people who wanted to walk but might have previously been uncomfortable. I have a high school track at the end of my block. In the spring, I see the track filled with lean running athletes for a while. Then, as soon as a few average and large people start walking around the track, there seems to be a consistent increase in plus-size walkers. You could be the beginning of a trend at your location. What about the bad feelings in your own head that are triggered when you walk? If you have internalized some of our cultures fat prejudice, you can start to get rid of it. If you notice yourself thinking negative things about your fat body, disagree with those negative thoughts. Disagree in full sentences in full paragraphs. Your mind cannot think two thoughts at the same moment. While you are disagreeing with the prejudice that you learned, you are getting some distance from the hurtful thought. See the section in my book called "Flipping the Coin: Finding Positive". Sometimes, when walking is more difficult than it used to be, there is a tendency to criticize yourself. If you notice yourself thinking body critical thoughts, you can change your mind. You can, with effort, focus your mind on “appreciating” your present effort. You can appreciate what your body CAN do, instead of criticizing for what you can not do. For guys try a fitted nylon spandex undershirt for support under your T-shirt or sweats. When you tuck your spandex undershirt into your bike shorts or pants you will get double support for your belly. For women, wearing a leotard can add extra support to both belly and breasts. When you add a leotard to your supportive tights or leggings, you get double support for your belly. Over your support layer of choice, you can wear any T-shirt, sweatshirt, or pants you want. You can choose baggy or fitted. There are no rules except your comfort. You can cover-up or uncover. It is up to you. Your feet are the foundation for your whole body when you stand or walk. You need good shoes. Occasionally, I work with a client who is very large and who has stopped wearing shoes because it is too difficult to find shoes that fit. Especially if you are large or very large, you need the support of shoes that fit your feet when you walk. If you stop wearing shoes, you will probably soon stop walking. Especially if you find it difficult to wear shoes, you need good shoes to keep your mobility. Even if you never leave the house, you need good shoes. If you cannot walk, you can get creative and move your body in ways that do work for you. Some possibilities include: ALL bodies function better and heal faster when we move. So get moving and take care of your body today... it is the only body you will ever have! Take Care, Kelly Bliss You can visit Kelly on her website. And if you are in the Philadelphia area, and want to get hold of Kelly, give her a call at 877-KellyBliss. Mention how you liked her article here at GrandStyle.com.
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A Process, Not A Program By Kelly Bliss, M.Ed., and author of the terrific book Don't Weight: Eat Healthy And Get Moving NOW!
So, you want to eat healthy and get moving. You need
to know what to do to accomplish this goal. There must be some
program that will work for you. You have tried a hundred different
food plans, diets, or nutritional programs. You have joined the
gym or spa, paid your annual membership, then dropped out within
a few weeks. |
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Don't
worry, there is hope. The hope is inside of you. Learning to really
listen to yourself and pay attention to what you need is the key.
Yes, you can get good ideas from various programs. However, it
is up to you to keep the ideas that are helpful and leave the
ones that don't work for you. This is your own individual process,
not a program.