Column: A Good Time to Renew Vows for a healthy life

Getting out my spring Sunday best once again hits me over the head with what this cold hard winter has done to my body.

Nothing from last spring fits!! So on this day of resurrection I must once again find all the strength I can muster and renew my pledge to take firm steps toward my Journey into Slim.

Having determined the When and the Whys, now I must proceed to the How in this journey. How am I going to stick to these goals I have established so I may live a healthier happier life?

The How is simple. Take care of myself and my needs first. This is not being selfish or self-centered for we must be at our best in order to provide our best to our family, friends and occupation. When we are at our best, we are capable of greatness.

Therefore, let us start loving ourselves, which means doing the right thing, eating right, sleeping right, taking control of our lives and taking time to pray (not in panic). Taking control of our lives is three fold,

Body=food intake and exercise,

Mind=thoughts you entertain,

Soul=affirmation, prayer, reading

Affirmations is the way to go for me. In the past I have been successful in conquering those statements drilled into head from childhood. .. “Clean your plate as there are hungry children in China” (well not so much today as they have our jobs). “Eat, you will feel better.”

To quiet that noise I used affirmations to change my mental perception.

Affirmations are set in the future not the present. It is a positive statement that states the results you want to achieve. The only way it works is if you believe in your statement. "I am a size 4" is not a true affirmation for me. I don’t believe it as in my mind I was born wearing a 12 toddler.

I’m more prone to believe, "I look real good in my clothes." That one works for me as I can see it in my mind. There is plenty of data on the negative side effects of using wrong Affirmations. These leave the person feeling worse. So try to make your affirmations realistic and positive in the future (and the future is the next second).

In determining your affirmation, it is imperative that you believe it. A prime example for me is "I only serve myself enough food to fuel my body."

I learned about Affirmations at Overeatera Anonymous, and like all 12-step programs, the main lesson to learn is to let go and believe. Also take it one day at a time.

Today being Easter Sunday, one of my food affirmations is. "I am happy that I passed on that chocolate bunny." May not seem like much (and the ham is shivering because I did not mention it) but I will stay away from chocolate bunnies for the next 24 hours. And no, I will not honor this affirmation on Sunday then dash to Wal-Mart on Monday to purchase bunnies and peeps at 50 percent off.

Remember it is a journey, not a marathon, and every step counts no matter how small. Together we can Journey into Slim on this most blessed day.

Martha T. Soto-Galicia, the president of The Lebanon Voice, is a longtime dieter and a motivational speaker. She lilves in Lebanon.