(Me, a LONG time ago! Wow, look at the size of that cell phone!)

[Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Propel® for the You.Propelled Program]

Before I was a Health Reporter, my first job in TV News was as a one-man-band General Assignment Reporter. I had to carry a heavy camera and tripod and shoot my own stories. I also had to shoot video of myself on camera, edit the video, and report the news of the day. I despised carrying all that gear, especially in the dead of winter… or the hottest days of summer! But I truly loved TV News and knew I wouldn’t have to keep lugging that stuff around forever. So, I learned to focus on my passion – journalism, specifically health reporting. It really helped me get through the early years of my career.

Have you ever had to learn to love your work? Here are a few tips from an article at You.Propelled that can help you find passion in your job, or other areas of your life:

1) Take a notebook with you at all times.

2) Systematically note down things that are pretty darn good about your job. Things you enjoy. Things you are grateful for. Co-workers you like.

3) Take one thing from this list that is important to you and significant to the company. Come up with a simple one month project where you will be increasing that component in your daily life. Example, if you work with a few pleasant customers, then the project could be: How to get more customers like that? Or, How to get our current customers to be like that? Or, How to get more work with those pleasant customers?

You can find more tips on How to Find Passion in Your Job over here.

(With photojournalist, Tim Pearson, after shooting a surgery story a few years ago…)

When I moved up to a bigger market and had a photographer to shoot and edit video for me, I was excited to be able to focus just on the ins and outs of my passion – health reporting. It gave me the opportunity to grow as a journalist. But I was also glad, strange as it may seem, to have done it all myself in the past. I believe it enhanced my career by making me more grateful.

What about you? How have you enhanced your life? There’s a new community waiting to hear your thoughts and inspire you to get where you want to be. And you could win some cash while you’re at it, so check it out! Chime in every day at You.Propelled on DivineCaroline for a chance to win $5,000 to pursue your dream. The more friends you bring, the better your chances of winning.

Related posts

• What motivates me to live a healthy lifestyle?
• Vitalicious Super Sampler Pack winner!
• Vitalicious Super Sampler Pack giveaway
• Trusted health journalist
• Recipe Rescue winner!

Walking or biking to work – even if you just do it part of the way – is linked with fitness. But when a new study looked at more than 2,000 middle-aged people who live in the city, it found very few Americans do either. Researchers say only about 17-percent of workers walked or biked any part of their commute. Experts note crumbling sidewalks, lack of bike paths and the distance to work all keep American commuters in their cars.

Want more News Nuggets? Follow me on Twitter!

Related posts

• Want to step up your workout? Add a pedometer to your routine
• Ride for the health of it
• News Nugget: Taking the stairs could save your life
• News Nugget: Take 100 steps a minute to rev up your walking workout
• News Nugget: Brisk walking trims belly fat

Before we get to the Letter to the Office Diet Saboteur, I wanted to let you know how excited we are here at FatFighterTV to announce our new partnership with Does This Blog Make us Look Fat? – the hilariously clever adventures of Kiki and Greta as they try to lose weight. You can’t help but love these two wacky chicks! And since FFTV is all about fun when there’s not something serious happening in the news… and DTBMULF likes to have fun with the news, it’s the perfect fit really. Look for a sampling of DTBMULF here every week. And be sure to check out their blog every day. Do it. Now on to that letter…

Letter to the Office Diet Saboteur – By Kiki

Feel free to print the letter below and circle the items that apply to your workplace!

Dear (co-worker/supervisor/boss/assistant),

I am sure you’ve noticed that I have (struggled with weight my whole life/just had a baby/am retaining water for many people/drink too many beers). Recently I have begun to (crash diet/count calories/reduce carbs/adopt a healthy lifestyle) in attempt to (lose a few pounds/fit into my old prom dress/become smoking hot/lower my risk of a massive heart attack).

I have noticed that you enjoy (baking/bringing in band candy/celebrating even those most minuscule holidays). I would appreciate if you would stop putting treats (on my desk/next to my cubicle/on my computer monitor/in my face). You certainly have every right to bring these items to work but please put them in the break room. This way I can avoid the temptation and you can continue to enjoy bringing in treats.

In addition, after I decline your food items please desist from announcing loudly to the (entire office/free world) that  (one piece won’t hurt/I am on another crazy diet/you knew I couldn’t resist).

Your actions when I decline your food indicate that you (are jealous of my success/want me to continue to ignore my health/are a jackbag).

I enjoy our working relationship and hope that it continues productively, however if you persist in sabotaging my efforts I will get a safety pin and poke the voodoo doll of you I keep in my (purse/briefcase) in its (butt/eye/big toe).  This shouldn’t surprise you as you always knew I couldn’t resist.

Warmly,

The Dieter

Go here to get a printable version of Letter to the Office Diet Saboteur

photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/timpatterson/

Related posts

• Top Ten Worst Foods of 2009
• The Shoe Diet
• News Nugget: Small diet tricks seem to work, say obesity experts
• News Nugget: Moderate-protein diet may trim body fat
• News Nugget: Calories count more than type of diet

You always hear how taking the stairs instead of the elevator can help you squeeze in a few extra minutes of exercise. Now, a new report says those steps could help you live longer.

A small Swiss study shows those who walked up and down the stairs at work for three months, without switching to the elevator, increased their levels of fitness dramatically – so much that it meant a 15 percent drop in the risk of dying prematurely from any cause. Let’s hear it for taking the stairs!

Related posts

• News Nugget: Not many Americans walk or bike to work
• Winter Workouts (indoors) giveaway #4: Pulse Yoga
• Winter Workouts (indoors) giveaway #3: Get Extremely RIPPED! 1000
• Winter Workouts (indoors) giveaway #1: ExerciseTV DVDs
• Will Obama help bring change to the obesity epidemic?

Ever wonder if those weight-loss programs through your employer really work? New research from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine finds employees who take part in the programs shed at least a modest amount of weight compared to those who don’t participate. But the study did not show whether they keep the weight off.

Related posts

• Weight Watchers winners!
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Tony (Lost 212 pounds)
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to The Biggest Loser’s Ali Vincent (Lost 112 pounds)
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Shauna Reid (Lost 175 pounds)
• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Roni (Lost 70 pounds)