link love

Spreading more link love … No. 2,138

Okay, I haven’t had THAT many posts titled “Spreading more link love.” However, WordPress tells me this is No. 4 — and that tells me I need to start thinking outside the box when it comes to “link love” posts.

— Kidney function’s on my mind. After reading a letter to Dear Abby on the subject of high blood pressure affecting the kidneys, I saw this story from Fit Sugar about making quality sleep a priority. Turns out skimping on sleep can cause a whole host of problems, including … wait for it … high blood pressure. Since my BP tends to be on the high side anyway and my mom’s kidneys went kaput, I probably ought not scoff at the idea of getting 7 to 8 hours of good sleep.

— Some of my favorite bloggers are on Fitbie’s list of Weight Loss Bloggers You Should Follow. Even if I don’t subscribe to all the blogs, I’ve at least heard of most of them. It’s a great list … the kind of list I’d like to see myself on someday. Uh, yeah — about 10 years from now, when I’ve lost 70 more pounds and built up a huge following.

— Huh. Maybe Copyblogger‘s tips on creating compelling content will help me make someone’s list of bloggers to watch.

Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

— As long as I’m sharing great info, Tina at Trading Up Downtown put up an interesting list of what products go on sale when. For example, January’s a good time to buy sheets and towels (white sales); April is a hotbed of sales on digital cameras and sneakers. Check the link for all the details. Fascinating!

— Since I seem to be experiencing one, I just reread this post from Tina Reale about breaking through plateaus. Tina’s website, Best Body Fitness, is full of inspiring posts. Go check it out, if you haven’t already.

More link love comin’ at you

Welcome to the “New Year, New You” edition of link love. Today’s links focus on self-improvement — and tie into my goal of making 2012 my best year yet.

— Over at the Attune blog earlier this month, MizFit posted some powerful words about real change. If you haven’t read them yet, do it. Now. This post gives me hope that someday my lifestyle changes will be second nature to me.

— Maggie from Say Yes to Salad posted a Friday Five that’s right up my alley — and probably a lot of yours, too. Five ways to de-stress right now. They seem quick, easy and effective. Can’t wait to put them into practice.

—Toward the beginning of January, when everyone was still in the throes of their New Year’s resolutions, Fit Bottomed Girls put out a list of five ways to lose weight without losing your mind. They might have been more helpful had I shared them a couple of weeks ago. Then again, any day is a good day to begin something like No. 3: Start a daily self-acceptance ritual.

— Along those same lines, Tina from Best Body Fitness (formerly of Faith Fitness Fun) just shared a fantastic list of 30 little things you can do right now — today — to improve your health/fitness. She has a new blog now, but her posts are as great as ever.

Still more links to love

I may not be sharing the link love posts as often as I used to … but I haven’t been blogging like I used to, either. Bear with me as I get back into both habits. (It’s kind of depressing to see daily blog hits in the single digits.)

— Over at Roni’s Weigh, Roni posted a great weekend quote about getting active.

“An hour of basketball feels like 15 minutes.  An hour on a treadmill feels like a weekend in traffic school.”  ~ David Walters

So what’s  my basketball? Good question. I wish I  could say walking, but this time of year I hate to be outside. I used to have a blast in Zumba, but had to give up my gym membership. Maybe I should rejoin, because that’s the only exercise I can think of that doesn’t feel like exercise.

— Proof that I need to give up the day job and concentrate on writing: Authors rank on Forbes’ list of 10 happiest jobs. On the flip side are the 10 most hated jobs. Glad I don’t work as one of those. Now, no matter how annoyed I am by my work, I can always think, “It could be worse. At least I’m not in _____.”

— From PriorFatGirl Jen, some tough love. I so need it right now. My favorite line was the one at the end:

This is your life. Love it or change it.

— Along those same lines, over at Trading Up Downtown, Tina had a guest blog post about how to stay fit over the holidays. Mostly a refresher, but still great things to keep in mind.

— And Prior Fat Girl Elle has had some stellar posts about sucking it up and making the healthier choice, even in this season of indulgences. She has a great attitude that I hope is contagious. most recently outlined in this post.

You heard me: I could learn a thing or two from someone about half my age. Somewhere along the way, I’ve lost my passion for healthy living … for making the healthy but harder choice. Too many “just one won’t hurt” and “go ahead, give in”s have crept in. Elle’s posts often remind me that the end goal is more important than the occasional indulgence.