Calm and Relaxed

This past Friday I got a call from Manda and we went to dinner. Kelly and the boys came along. After dinner we tried to think of something we could all do, but we really couldn't think of anything. Kelly left with the boys to see Speed Racer and Manda and I went and got our toenails done. I chose a bright Lego blue. I have had them compared to Lego blocks or to blue M&Ms. While we were there we came across a few things. 1. every chick that worked there was either pregnant or just had a baby. The lady doing Manda's toes had a 5 day old baby, that was still in the hospital, and she was back at work!!! What happened to maternity leave? 2. Then on the flat screen they had was a wrestling show with a wrestling couple getting married, I know VERY romantic, what every girl dreams of when she thinks about her wedding day. 3. I questioned going in the first place because I felt my legs were prickly and didn't want the guy to see my prickly legs, but Manda said they were fine. As we were sitting their contemplating the marriage taking place on tv a guy came in and started getting a pedicure. Manda said, dude, I think the guy doing yours is happy with your prickly legs than if he had to massage that dudes hairy legs. 4. Lastly when we walked in we picked our polish and then some magazines. I happened to pick an Allure magazine. I really never read the magazines I just flip threw them. But on the cover they had a very catchy title. I have sense gone and found it on MSN. com. It is titled Forget fad diets. Get the facts on weight loss . I know there's not a trick or one thing that can change your weight the next day, like fad diets say you can. I know it takes hard work and dedication. I have realized I'm not going to find a quick fix and they are not going to discover anything like that. I keep reading the same stuff over and over again. Eat healthy, exercise, portion control, don't drink soda, you know take care of yourself. I then came across 2 questions that really hit me upside the head.
1. Besides body weight, does anything else affect leptin?
Sleep deprivation can lower leptin levels and increase levels of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone that's produced in the stomach. That's one reason it's very hard to maintain a diet when you're sleep-deprived.
Hummmm, this should be something easy to do, and especially since I am not in school right now I can make this a habit so when school does start its something that is already programed in my body.
2. What about stress?
We're just starting to realize how much emotions affect weight. Stress prompts the body to release cortisol, which makes cells more resistant to insulin. You get excess insulin in the blood, which causes more calories to be stored as fat, especially in your abdomen, and that's associated with heart disease and diabetes.
Ok, I'm 24, not married, no children, a really lax job, yes I do have bills, I have a small
calling, visiting teaching supervisor. Right now my life should not be stressful. Yes, I do like to make everyone happy and I don't think about how it will affect me, I get this from my parents' examples and sacrifices. But I have noticed that it takes a lot for me to relax. I enjoy stress. If you go back and look at what it says about stress, what I have bolded above, why am I doing this to myself? This is something I can control. Diabetes runs in my family, being from the south doesn't help. I eat carrots like crazy so I can help my eyesight stay great. I wonder why am I selective about how I take care of myself? So a new challenge for myself, is not to lose weight, but to get rid of unnecessary stress and save it for when I do have a family, or when I've got 10 papers due on Friday or when everything needs to be finished on a certain day, or even saving it for the Christmas shopping season. I've always been told to put my shoulders down. I think there are so many knots in my upper back from stress, that they only seem to go down after I have had a massage, this is not good, I don't want to be known as 'no-neck Abby.'I've already got great nicknames that rhyme with 'Abby.' So if you know of anything that would help and OCD Perfectionist relax you comments are welcomed.