Well, well, well, well, well, do you want to be well?

 Then here are some things that you should do…

During our lives, we only have one body, and we need to take care of it. That sounds so easy, but it really isn’t! People spend millions of dollars each year on trying to lose weight so they can look and feel better.

Good eating habits should start from birth. Fortunately, my parents brought me up to eat three meals a day including protein, fruits, and vegetables. However, sweets were the downfall in our household, and my mother was a master baker!

My parents also insisted that I eat all the food on my plate. “Children are starving in China” was a quote I heard often from my mother. I never did understand how finishing the food on my plate would help the starving children in another country though. Regardless, I always felt that I needed to finish everything on my plate, even when full.

Throughout my adult years, including pregnancies, my weight has ballooned up and down. I have probably lost enough weight equivalent to the weight of one or two adults over the course of my lifetime. So what is the answer to maintaining a healthy lifestyle? The answer is easy, but hard to do – eat and exercise in moderation.

I try to:

• Eat a breakfast fit for a queen/king – bigger breakfast
• Eat a lunch fit for a princess/prince – moderate lunch
• Eat a pauper’s supper – Light supper – I try not to eat after 6 p.m., and while it’s not easy, I sleep more soundly and feel better!
• I try to work out at Curves, walk, or do yoga several times a week
• I use the My Fitness Pal phone app to log my food and help me keep track of what I’m eating

Notice that the key word in there is “try”. I do not succeed all the time. I’ve recently lost about 25 pounds, and it’s a struggle to keep it off. My husband LOVES to eat. We vacation by restaurants. I refuse to go on fad diets, and try to eat normal, but in moderation. That means I have to discipline myself and it is VERY HARD!!

My ultimate goal is to get to my wedding weight, and right now there are only about 8-10 pounds left to get there! It helps me to have personal/attainable goals. I try to keep myself looking as good as possible, especially as I get older! My students notice everything about me; a new haircut, what I wear, etc. When I look and feel my best, it makes me feel like a better teacher.

Our super power word at school the past two weeks has been “Wellness”. We sing the song “Wellness” at the beginning of class, and take a few moments to talk about how our health affects us. These are the points we sing and talk about in our song:

• Eat your fruits and veggies
• Drink your milk
• Wash your hands
• Get some exercise
• Get lots of sleep

I feel that it is important for me, even in music class, to stress how important to take care our our bodies!

“If you’re well, you’re rich!”

-Hester Hill