Over-indulge Yourself for Valentine's Day

When you eat, you are offering strength and pleasure to your body. 

It's sensual and practical. The truth is that when you love yourself, you can be open to loving others. Don't be afraid to feed yourself some love.

Instead of approaching Valentine's Day from the place of thinking about what you don't have, feed yourself love by making an unconditional commitment to be kind to yourself.

Obsessing about weight is a kind of fear. You experience it by measuring, hoping, anticipating or dreading your meals. All of this results in defending, contriving and forcing yourself into a defeating emotional and ultimately physical pattern.

Instead, decide to be open to seeing yourself at your healthy weight and use your senses, including common sense, to eat for health and pleasure. You can be sensual and practical.

• Give yourself a fresh perspective by realizing that every day is new. 
• Remember : You deserve the best of everything life can offer. 
• Never settle for fear.

Valentine's Day can be a time of overindulgence if you go out. Instead of overeating:

• Overindulge in complimenting your Valentine. 
• Overindulge yourself with a clear vision about keeping your body healthy so that you can do everything that feels good. 
• Forgive the past. Accept the present. Keep an open mind about tomorrow.

If you're alone,  frustrated, angry or sick, Valentine's Day can be an arrow going through your heart. Think of the arrow as a strand of warm light that is part of who you are. 

• Use Valentine's Day to love yourself and eat a meal that feels good.
• Reach out to help others on this day. Share the love by giving a smile to a sick child, an elderly acquaintance or a total stranger.
• Make a pact to indulge yourself with respect, dignity, courage and kindness. That's real love.

Follow this 30-minute rule.
No matter how busy you are, take a half-hour each day just for yourself. Go for a walk, plan healthy meals or simply relax and recharge. You're not being selfish—you need the time to focus on your own well-being. After all, if you're not healthy, how can you take care of anyone else? I did feel guilty at first, but following this rule helped me lose the weight, and it enables me and my family to live a healthy lifestyle. (Abigail Cuffey)

Indulge yourself with kindness this Valentine's Day. 

"There is a voice inside of you that whispers all day long, 'I feel this is right for me, I know this is wrong.' No teacher, preacher, parent, friend or wise man can decide what's right for you - just listen to the voice that speaks inside." (Shel Silverstein)