Health and the Writer by Camy Tang

Whether you’re a writer who also works a full-time job or are a busy stay-at-home-mom, it’s hard to stay healthy. I researched and figured out a bunch of tips and tricks to help me stay in shape without carving out of my precious writing time. I also found some tips to help me have just general better health. Pick and choose which of these will work for you.

Make a small change

Often it’s best to make small changes in your diet and exercise rather than a whole lot at once. Try taking up just one of the following little changes this week:

* Get a notepad and record what you eat. Don’t attempt to change your eating habits, just write it down. Seeing it in black and white can help you to make small changes in your eating that have long-lasting effects.

* Go with the more natural stuff. Rather than the fake fat or artificial sweeteners, try for natural low-calorie stuff like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, etc. Artificial sweeteners can actually stimulate you to eat more, however don’t go hog-wild over refined sugars, either. Try natural sugars in fruit.

* Put a few low-calorie snacks around your house or office. Tuck them in every room so you have something on hand. Also try to pre-portion it so you don’t gorge yourself—snack bags of popcorn, fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, whole-grain crackers, etc.

* Get rid of one of your weekly television shows. If that’s too hard, then set the recorder for one night and do something else that one night a week instead of watching TV—do creative projects, or family night, or puzzles and games, or reading.

* Take a low-calorie frozen meal for lunch one day a week.

* Cut one soda a week.

Camy Tang is a novelist also fighting the battle of the bulge. Find out more about her and her books at http://www.camytang.com/, or enjoy the read on her blog at http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/.