Best tactic to make a lifestyle change?

Write down your goals. (A study at Dominican University confirmed the age old saw about written goals being more effectively achieved that those that weren’t.)

What if you leave your desk and walk somewhere else to eat, and then walk back?

There are a lot of good yoga stretches and deep breathing exercises you can do at or near your desk and do go out for a brisk 15–20 minute walk during one or two of your breaks. You need exercise sir and every day if you can muster it.

I am worried that my metabolism is messed up. I don’t sleep very well, on top of it, and haven’t for years.

Exercise can definitely help with that.

Yes, if you can make only one change, I would suggest adding some form of exercise that you can build into the day. Even if it is just a half-mile walk to a deli to get a sandwich that you bring back to your desk (and another half-mile back to work), it will clear your head and make you less sedentary. If, in addition, you can do 30 minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike in the morning or evening, it should help you sleep better as well.

The first step is you have to stop making excuses. Just start. Of course you can’t see yourself exercising in the morning, is it because you haven’t tried it or given it a serious chance. It doesn’t matter that the gym at work is packed during lunch, find a space and squeeze in. You’re not inclined to do so at night, just try it for a week to see how you feel (mentally telling yourself, you need to try it). You want to change your eating and exercise habits, then start mentally and do something one day at a time. Keep telling yourself…I need to do this.

Get a medical check up. Get expert exercise and diet advice. Start an exercise journal. If all is well then exercise a little EVERY day (not a lot once in a while), eat a diet consistent with that recommended by the NIH and get the sleep that your body needs. It will not be easy but you can do it. Good health!

JUST DO IT!!!said in the voice of a mean drill sgt. ;)
Get up earlier and force yourself to exercise in the AM.Cardio along with weights…
and eat some f’n oatmeal for breakfast! ;)
Get dietary info from the library,internet or nutritionist and follow a decent diet with no f’n junk,hear??
You don’t have to join a gym either.You can find weight sets on craig’slist or the want ads.There are so many books with good work out routines.Now go get one!
It will become habit quicker than you think and you will feel great! I have been exercising regularily for the past 17 years and have rarely missed a day because it feels that good!
So just doooooooo it!

Make little changes, such as:

- take different paths of travel to/from work in order to change your scenery.
– make a point of getting out of your cubbie at least once an hour or two, just to walk around.
– if there’s a park or picnic area nearby, take your lunch outside. During the winter, go to a public indoor area to eat. Again, to change scenery.
– take adult-class workshops on interesting subjects.
– join a club, activity, small-group of people wanting to make changes in their lives. Check out meetup.com.
– park your car several blocks away, or get off public transit a few stops before in order to increase walking.
– decorate your cubbie with motivational stuff, a plant, and a picture of a place you want to visit someday.
– take a coworker out for lunch.
– nurture yourself! Buy a new pair of comfy jammies. Take a real bubble bath. Drink tea.
– lastly, try something new to you at least once a month in order to see what’s “out there.”

There are ways to get exercise without even thinking about it. When I lived in cubeland, I would do push ups at my desk. They also doubled as stretching exercises. You adjust the tension by how fat your feet are from the desk. This is not traditionally thought of as aerobic but try it and you’ll see your heart rate go up. That’s a great start.
Another freebie exercise is to sit on one of those exercise balls. You roll your hips around on it without thinking. Good for legs, hips, kegels.
Finally – this one is a killer – Wear small arm weights (1–2 pounds) under your clothes. Keep your elbows bent to avoid damage. Every time you walk or lift your arms you are exercising more than you realize. See if you can last the whole morning with them on. Once you master that, see if you can last all day. You will be exhausted by the end of the day and will sleep well.
The best part of these exercises is that they do not interfere with your work and you’re actually getting paid while you are doing them. You can be on a conference call doing push up and looking at your PC screen and no one is the wiser.

To keep up with the program, it put a small calendar on the wall. Put a x next to the days you exercise. Try to fill in all the days. If you want to lose weight (10 pounds for example) write a 10 on Jan 1 and once per week write the number o pounds to go. Nobody has to know what the numbers mean.

Keep a bottle of water on your desk. If it’s there in front of you, you’ll drink plenty of it all day, every day. Most people don’t get enough hydration and can mistake that feeling for being tired. I also find that it makes me have to get up and go for a walk to the bathroom a few more times during the work day, which counts as a little bit of exercise :)

Just do it.

As your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist and his suggestions for some life style changes. You don’t really need to change your career choice, but you could get some good ideas by visiting a career counselor as well.