What is it going to take?

A few days ago we asked you to consider your actions and the consequences of those actions. Basically what that means is - everything you do, say, believe and think - impacts on everything else you want to do, say, believe and think.

It's not rocket science and I do apologise for stating the absolutely, poke in the eye - obvious to you. But someone has to and I guess that's me.

You can't say you want to lose weight, and then continue to eat junk food and do no exercise. Nor can you exercise enough every day to burn off the vast quantities of calories you consume every day - count them you'd be staggered at what you can eat in a single day. Now eating a chocolate bar may not be considered excessive, but it would probably take a bit more than that 30 minute stroll recommended by the health profession to burn it off. It's simple maths at the end of the day. Calories in vs. energy expended = gain weight, lose weight, stay the same. Of course as you and I know, fat weighs a lot less than muscle, but takes up more space. So you may look thinner but weigh the same - so don't just rely on the scales, use other measurements as another and perhaps better guide to how you are doing.

Now, that's just weight and exercise. One thing I can add to that is this. Check your expenditure. Do you have a column in your budget that says what you are spending your money on? Hint you should - because too much in the Entertainment and Food column usually means there is little going in the savings column. Am I saying you shouldn't eat what you want? No, but if you're always complaining there isn't enough money at the end of the month to pay the bills let alone save any money - then I would suggest one of two things. Get a better paid job and / or cut back on the entertainment and eating out, you'd be amazed at how much you can save. Put the eating out money to one side - and see your savings grow as you reduce your waist line (probably) and with that the reduced risk of all sorts of major health problems.

Not looking after yourself in one area and I can almost guarantee you will have "neglected" other areas of your life also. Because everything impacts on everything else. But you can't just take my word for it, only you can decide whether you are happy with things as they are, or whether you are willing to have a good look at your whole life and decide if there are one or two changes need to make. How you make those changes is up to you also. I can make all the suggestions on earth, but only you can decide if you are willing to do anything with those suggestions. And sometimes it can and does take a poke in the eye before you do.

What do I mean by that?

Well - take health and diet for instance. You know you should eat more fruit and fibre for health reasons, but it's not until you have a heart attack does it finally sink in that perhaps your current diet is not as good as it should be.

Or take money - if you are constantly spending to your credit limit every month - what happens if your car breaks down and there's nothing left to fix it? Maybe after walking to and from work for a while will be the poke in the eye you need to start figuring out what you need to do with your lack of a savings plan.

We are in the final throes of 2008 - which is quite a scary thought. Believe me when I say - January 1st is not the best day to start changing your life and the way you think about living your life. Today is the only guaranteed day you have, so what are you waiting for?

With many thoughts

Elle