[RL] That time of the year, again...

So, I have this (huge) problem with my weight. Always have and probably always will.

My main problem being that I have less willpower than an alcoholic in a wine stone, so I can't stop myself. The other side of this horror story between me and food is that I don't have any friend or family near me since I moved for my work, so there is no-one to glare at me while I shop or to slap my fingers when I reach for the fridge.
What I really need is someone to hold my hand, as pathetic as it sounds.

Of course, it doesn't help that I hate cooking and working out. Which means no balanced meals and I barely walk ten steps a day (get up, go to work where I sit all day, come back home, sit before my computer, go to bed).
I don't have much money and the only sport that I actually like is swimming. But the swimming pool is a bit far (there is one in construction nearer, but it won't be finished before the end of 2012/2013 T_T), so it doesn't really help. And, I hate losing two hours a day for going there, undressing, swimming, showering, getting dressed again and going back home (without even mentioning the cost of the gas and entrance ticket...).

Another thing that is horrible, apart from the fact that finding clothes that fit and look moderately good on me is a pain, is my skin. I'm twenty-five and I still have spots and a greasy skin >_<.


Anyway, all this to say, this is my winter resolution: I'm going to try and reign in my addiction to fast foods and chocolate. I'm not even going to try and lose weight, but merely to find back a more or less healthy diet. I'm also going to scour the web for home made recipes for healthy skin and such (what we call in French 'les recettes de grand-mère' which means 'grandma's recipes').

That's why I'm posting this here. I'm going to post those recipes here, so I can keep track of what worked and how.
You're welcome to give me advice and encouragements are highly valued ^^

[A HEALTHIER LIFE] Introduction

• "To live a healthy life". It's a concept very important, especially these days, where "fast food", "fast life" and "fast distractions" are the norm.

"Fast food": I don't only include McDonald's, Quick and other food industries in this term. I'll add there too: restaurants where the number of clients is more important than the food served, as those restaurants tends to serve greasy, highly caloric processed foods that are quick and easy to cook; pre-cooked meals/instant meals, cooked pork meats, and such food that I only need to open the fridge and eat.

"Fast life": I don't even have a job with important responsibilities, but I've fallen prey to the God of Stress and Haste like everybody. Even when I'm home, I spent more time glancing at the clock than appreciating a good story. I can't stand to take five minutes to prepare myself a healthy salad and using two hours of my day to go to the swimming pool is a blasphemy.

"Fast distractions": thankfully, I'm mostly free of those. What I mean with this is the quick fix most people use to unwind: smoking a cigarette, drinking alcohol, nibbling on chocolate, using drugs, ... It can be a distraction from stress and work, but also a distraction because I don't know how to sit still anymore. Ten seconds before a computer and I need something to do with our hands and mouth: chewing gum, snaking, ... At least, I still managed to avoid the most extreme options as alcohol and drugs.


• So, since I decided today to change my life style a bit, I'll be posting my progress and methods here, in hope that you'll help me and encourage me, but also that this will help other people.

I have the attention span of a gnat and a very short term motivation. This is why the options I'll talk about will be free, quick and easy steps, because I know that if I use anything to complicated, I won't follow it for more than two days.

[A HEALTHIER LIFE] 1st step: BREATHING

I won't write here an essay, but just a guideline (see the various links for more information) for you and me. The web is full of advice and examples, so feel free to use this post as a starting point for a more in depth research.

• The fact is, I'm sure you'll agree with me, that we don't breath correctly. I don't count anymore how many times I caught myself breathing shallowly, getting fast, short breaths through my mouth.

However, breathing is the most important part of our lives (also in French). Without oxygen, we die. If we don't exhale, we keep carbon dioxide in our body and die. So we should pay much more attention to our breath.

We tend to ignore our breathing for various reasons: stress, or simply haste, polluted air, clothes too tight, ...

And yet, deep breathing is important for many things: obviously, when we breath deeply, we bring more oxygen in our body. And more oxygen means: reduced toxins (so a healthier body), vital organs using more oxygen with less efforts, a better digestion (really. just try it after a meal, you'll feel the difference very quickly!), concentration easier as the brain gets more oxygen, the body automatically relaxes within a few minutes (very useful when I have trouble sleeping!), ...

When being on a diet, breathing deeply helps because it relaxes so we are less in danger of grabbing some junk food/snack and wolfing it down in five seconds.

I have found that Yoga Breathing, also know as Pranayama, is a great help to force myself to breath properly.

( The method: )

• This was my first step to a healthier life. It purifies the body but above all, it relaxes and calm.