Ms Bliss Fit

The simple things

Every now and then you have to take a minute to stop and enjoy the little things in life. I gave myself permission today to take a break. I train very hard everyday but today I listened to my body and rested. Our bodies have their own way of letting us know when to chill out. Rest is just as important as exercise. If we don’t listen, our bodies will shut down before they let us die. I was honestly tired and decided to sleep in as long as I could today. Of course my cat woke me up like he always does when he is hungry or wants to go outside. I got up and fed him and then went back to sleep. It felt soooo good! Tomorrow I will be right back on it even harder and stronger!

Today is a rainy day. Rainy days are always perfect for sleeping in and curling up with a good book. I already slept in so I plan to get into a new book I am reading later on and boy I can’t wait! I went to the grocery store and while I was there I started evaluating the past couple of weeks. I noticed that I have been eating too many processed foods…protein bars, crackers (although they were organic, healthy crackers) etc…I decided to fill my cart with nothing but fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole grain bread. I always keep track of what I eat and have been doing good at staying in my calorie range and carb, fat and protein percentages, but I refuse to fall into the typical “diet’ pattern of eating “diet” processed foods.

On this rainy day, I am making the decision to go back to the basic, simple way of eating for at least this coming week. No artificial sweeteners in my tea, no pre-workout protein bars, or energy drinks, no fancy chewing gum or candy (look at your chewing gum labels that are sugar-free, if they say Aspartame is one of the ingredients, throw them away! A good alternative is Trident cinnamon sugar-free gum because it is flavored with Xylitol…a natural non-harmful sweetener. Trident does make other gum that has Aspartame so make sure you are chewing the cinnamon flavor). I will call this my “fast” from the chemically altered food. My goal for this coming week is to eat all REAL food. My body could use the detox. If you find yourself slipping into the chemically processed trap, take a step back and re-evaluate your eating habits. Your body will appreciate it!

On a side note, while I was in the grocery store, I saw the cover of Ebony magazine, the music edition, and I did not recognize the person on the front. It was Jill Scott and she looks lovely! I always thought she was a pretty woman but she is even more lovely now that she has slimmed down. Kudos to her for taking care of her health!! Another great example for black women out there. You see more and more people are realizing how extra weight contributes to disease and it is NOT okay to be overweight! You go girl!

Let me add one more thing. Just because you are skinny does not mean you are healthy. Ever heard of the term, “skinny fat?” Plenty of skinny people have health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. You have to eat right to be healthy. A skinny person can have a higher percentage of fat on their bodies which makes them unhealthy. A person that is larger can be healthy if they have more lean muscle. I just wanted to point that out for those of you who think I only focus on weight and looks. It’s not about that. It’s about health!