There’s a Nailsmag.com forum with a popular thread titled “Overweight Nail Techs.” In it, a poster posed the question, “Is there a connection between doing nails and obesity?” It got me thinking. Nail techs (like magazine editors) have a sit-down job and don’t get exercise as a natural part of your daily work. Staying active has to be a conscious effort (you can only burn so many calories getting up and down to go to the bathroom or the supply closet). Also, when you consider that the demographic of nail techs is women in their mid- to late-30s, an age when our metabolism starts to slow a bit, you realize that the profession does play a role in weight issues. We can’t hold our jobs totally responsible for our weight issues, but they do play a role. I’ve seen from personal experience the effect of a sedentary job.

Last fall I realized I had put on a lot of weight. I wasn’t eating healthy, I wasn’t exercising, and I was constantly in a bad mood. My own weight was — ahem — really weighing on my overall outlook. So I decided to do something about it. I joined Weight Watchers and started doing yoga more regularly. I had tried to lose weight in the past, but this time I dedicated myself with a new level of energy to making it work: I’ve been cooking more healthy foods at home, staying away from the drive-through windows, and leaving the office at a decent hour so I can exercise.

At first, dieting and exercising was like having another full-time job. I had to concentrate to stay focused on my goals. Like most of you, I spend my days (sometimes really long days) sitting. And I rarely take an actual lunch break, opting instead to eat at my desk while I work. But gradually, I didn’t have to work so hard. It became easier, and, in time, I started to feel good, and then I started to feel great. I’ve lost 30 pounds over the last six months and let me tell you, it has made a world of difference.

When you feel better physically, you feel better mentally. And when you feel more positive, your entire outlook changes. People notice the changes (not just the physical changes, but the mental ones as well). I would never have guessed how much weight loss would improve my productivity, but I find that I actually get more done. Is it time for you to step up and evaluate your current situation? Has the weight crept up while you were busy building your business? Have you made time for exercise? Do you take lunch breaks and eat healthy, well-balanced meals? It’s up to you, and you alone, to manage your time, for your health’s sake. Yes, our job pays our bills and helps put food on the table, but really, isn’t it all more satisfying when we are content with who we are? Take the time for yourself. Force yourself, if you have to. I’m proof that it’s worth the effort.

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