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There are more than enough magazines and books written and videos and CDs made about how to stay fit. The thing is, fitness is not solely a physical issue. It involves a person's emotional, mental and spiritual well being which are manifested through personal appearance, choices, actions and reactions. Physical fitness is only part of the whole picture.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

As they say, attitude is everything. Having a positive and upbeat attitude gives one a head start in accomplishing that which one has put one's heart on. It serves as a compass which points us to the direction we want to go in our quest for fitness.

Savoring little victories in your daily routines and not giving up on your fitness plans should reinforce that positive outlook. Being able to eat even one healthy meal a day should boost your confidence in your ability to develop healthier eating habits eventually. If you were tempted to scarf down a 1000 calorie muffin and a tall glass of chocolate shake, don't beat yourself up. Just have a salad on the next meal. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, so positive patience should keep you on the fitness track.

CONTROL THE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE

Stress can push a lot of people into psychological overeating or not eating enough. Eating too much can cause obesity, diabetes or hypertension while under eating can cause vitamin deficiencies and eating disorders. It is therefore important to be able to identify those sources of stress that affect us greatly to be able to minimize their impact in our lives.

Keeping a healthy sense of humor can help ease life's daily irritations and enables us to keep things in perspective as we navigate the frenzied pace of everyday living.

KEEP A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD

Food is the cheapest form of entertainment. Being such, it would be a good idea not to deprive ourselves of food. We have to eat when we are hungry and not to starve ourselves if we want to loose weight. Deprivation somehow compels our bodies to compensate so we end up gobbling up a whole fried chicken when we intended to have just a couple of thighs and a chicken wing.

A diet high in fiber and proteins, but moderate in carbohydrates coupled with a low fat diet is essential to staying fit. Including the foods we love in our meals should help us stay on track.

I love anything chocolate - muffins, candy bars, chocolate drinks, cake and chocolate containing pastries. Recently, I got crazy with the triple chocolate muffin from Dunkin' Donuts. I made sure

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