Are you feeling tired, depressed, grumpy because of your weight or lack of energy? Have you tried diet after diet only to find that you don't really feel healthier? Just a thinner, flabbier version of yourself? You go through diet plans or pills or energy drinks or pills, spend a lot of money only to gain back the weight or to find that you cannot afford it anymore?

Been there! Done that!

I have tried everything from pills to shakes to energy diets to whatever - been doing it for several years. Thousands of dollars later, guess what? I'm back to square one again! Why? Because all of these diets and pills are not something that I can stick with for the rest of my life. (Some of them made me very ill.)

I'm not going to lecture on how diets are bad for you and starve your body and how healthy eating and exercise are good for you and how people who are overweight get more heart disease and cancer, yada, yada, yada. I will tell you that if you have the right motivation you can do it without a "diet".

What does it take to get healthier, stronger and more energy (not to mention a thinner body)?

1. Healthy eating (including supplements and plenty of water)

2. Exercise (including cardiovascular, such as walking and strength training)

Depending on your body size, height and weight and gender, you will need to eat a certain amount of calories per day to remain healthy. Anything less than you recommended amount can put your body into starvation mode. These calories should come from healthy foods (follow the Food Pyramid) and not junk food.

For proper health you should also exercise and strengthen your muscles. Yes, a little bit of weight training is essential for health. Strong muscles also burn fat and help you lose weight quicker. This along with proper eating will make for a healthy and fit body. God gave you a gift, now show him you can take care of it like he intended you to!

Here are some reasons that people give as to why they CAN'T exercise:

• No time
  
• Too tired
  
• My walkman broke, gotta wait to get another one
  
• Don't have the exercise clothing
  
• Don’t have the money to join a gym
  
• Don’t have equipment
  
• Don’t like exercise
  
• Will never stick to it
  
• Don't have someone to exercise with
  
• It won't make a difference

Guess what folks, these "reasons" are in reality "excuses". Ever heard the old saying "Where there is a will, there is a way?" What would it take to make you get up and get healthier?

Well, here are a few reasons that I came up with as to why I CAN exercise:

• I want to have more energy
  
• I want to be less grumpy
  
• I want to have better self-esteem
  
• I want to feel good physically
  
• I want to feel better about myself
  
• I want to be healthier
  
• I want to get stronger
  
• I want to live longer - for my children
  
• I want to be able to have the energy to play with my children
  
• I want to buy smaller clothes and fit into them
  
• It will make a difference in me and those around me

Think of the times that you have ever felt energetic and healthy…. Sometime in your life you must have felt that way, think hard! Okay, now were you not more happy? Were you not a more pleasant person with your family, more fun to be with? Why do you think that is? You are still the very same person now than you were then, right?

The difference is the way you feel. You can feel that way again if you really want to. Stop making excuses and "just do it". For yourself as well as for your children. Forget about how you will look… that will come later, think about how you will feel. When you feel good everything else falls into place.

I recently decided to stop with the excuses and get up and do it. Want to know why? Because of my son. After several outings with friends and family and watching my son run around and play I realized that he is growing up and I won't get a second chance to enjoy his youth. Now that he's at an age where he still wants to be with mommy - I cannot get up and play with him without getting so totally exhausted that I am depressed and embarrassed when everyone asks me "Are you okay?" while I'm huffing and puffing on the ground as my face is lobster-red. I have made the decision that whatever it takes I will do it - I will get healthy and strong and with it will come the weight loss. But my first priority is not looking good, it is feeling good… the looks will come later as a bonus. I will be a happier person and because of this my family will be happier too. I want to be around and available for my family for a very long time.

Where to get started? I found a great place at a very low cost that gives members free email advice and they will work out a food and workout schedule based on your individual needs and time availability. Global Health and Fitness is the company and Chad Tackett is the owner. He will personally help you get started. http://www.global-fitness.com From there you can look at some other health and fitness links. Even if you don't join as a member there's a lot of useful information at this site so please do go visit.

The bottom line: If you don't like your situation, change it. If you don't change it you will remain the same. It is up to you. I promise you the first week or two will be a bit challenging, but after that you will really start enjoying healthy living. And this is something that you will want to stick with for the rest of your life and will not cost you thousands of dollars like the diets, drinks and pills that I have tried and failed on. If you won't do it for your health, then do it for your children. They DESERVE a healthier, happier parent.

If you have decided to take the healthy step and need somebody to help you keep motivated, maybe we can help each other. Please write to me at angie@awesomeskin.com . Together we can reach our goals, feel better and be better parents.

About the Author: Angie Cyr is an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International. Visit her site for free samples, a contest, a website award, newsletter, message board and more. >http://www.awesomeskin.com

Take a look and learn how to head off breast cancer with some life saving tips! And be sure to go through the article archives listed in the menu to the left to read our great feature articles from the past.

The Breast Site
Breast Health Info for Women at The Breast Site Informative information of all sorts relating to breast and general health. We feature information on breast cancer, reduction and enhancement, products for breastfeeding mothers and more!

Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Click Here! Fat Burning Secrets of The World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models: Lose fat quickly and easily without supplements.