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Article: It's Never Too Late
By: Roslyn Franken

Now that we’re FINALLY in the midst of summer, we may feel like we can no longer say, “It’s time to shape up for summer”. After all, we were ‘supposed’ to have started our ‘eat smart and shape up for summer’ routine at least some time back in the Spring, right? However, like many others, you may have put off trying to shed your unwanted pounds too long, and now figure that you’ve already missed the boat this Summer so you’ll try again next year, or perhaps in the Fall.

I know this attitude well because it’s exactly the way I used to think when I struggled with my own food and weight issues. What I learned is that this is the exact attitude that will keep you stuck and unhappy because just think about what happened the last time you put it off instead of trying to take it off?  That’s right. More than likely, you didn’t reach and maintain your health, weight and lifestyle goals and are now secretly beating up on yourself with that sense of failure you’ve come to know all too well. And so, you’ll give up for the Summer and for some, perhaps continue to avoid being seen in shorts, a bathing suit or the cute spaghetti strap tops for fear of being judged by others. As a result, you find yourself hiding your body shape and feeling ashamed of your outward appearance. 

Shame is a terribly negative emotion that can cause negative stress as it sends your self-esteem into a downward spiral. It can lead to the exact kind of stress which only enables you to continue holding onto the excess fat that you’re so wanting to get rid of. When stressed, you have an increase in stress hormones racing through your system and what do these lovely hormones do? They convince your body to pack on the weight and KEEP it there, if you don’t make any changes. Therefore, your stress and anxiety producing emotions are actually keeping you stuck in a body and state of health that is totally counterproductive to your long-term goals and thus weighing down your life on all levels – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 

The GOOD NEWS, and believe me, there is lots of good news, because rather than beat up on yourself for not getting started earlier on your ‘eat smart and get in shape’ plan for summer, why not lighten up about it? I encourage you to take a deep breath, forget about what you ‘should have’, ‘could have’, ‘would have, if only…’ and just make the decision to start right now, TODAY! 

It is never too late to take charge of your health, weight and quality of life. The only thing that is standing in your way is YOU. As you read this, I ask that you consider just for a moment how much better you would start feeling about yourself if you just took one small step in the right direction. I’m not asking you to make any drastic changes, but just decide that if you’re truly unhappy with yourself, then just making the decision to DO something about it and then following through on that decision with ACTION, will start leading you to the solutions that are right for you.

Therefore, if you’re about to head out to yet another summer barbecue and you know that there will be temptations galore in food and alcohol, make a commitment to make at least one or two healthier choices that you will be proud of.

Be kind to your body and be kind to yourself this summer. Don’t forget to get out there and have fun!

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Roslyn Franken is the author of The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living, a powerful self-directed guide for achieving your long term health, lifestyle and weight management goals.

To purchase The A List book and for more information on Roslyn Franken’s personalized counseling and professional speaking services, please visit www.roslynfranken.com. Take your complimentary online Readiness Assessment and be sure to sign up for your FREE Healthy Hints newsletter.

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