Happy New Year! Time to get to work…
If you’re like most people, you spent the holiday season enjoying family and friends, indulging in traditional holiday food and drinks, and putting off your healthy eating and exercise plan until the new year. This is what the holidays are all about, right? Well now that the sugar cookie dust has settled, its time to get to work.
Rather than refer to this time of year’s goals as “new year’s resolutions”, I prefer to call it what it really is… a commitment to yourself to do what is good for you. I am going to give you a few easy to implement strategies for getting yourself back on a healthy track:
1) Commit to changing 1-2 habits: It takes approximately 60 days to change a habit. Pick something that you know derails your progress. For instance, if you find yourself snacking on something sweet at the same time of day each day, replace your typical sweet snack with something healthy (a green apple, a mozzarella cheese stick, a handful of raw almonds). Or maybe your best attempt to make it to your workout is delayed when you get home from work and decide to take a short rest before hitting the gym, which turns into vowing to make it tomorrow instead. Try packing your workout clothes and go straight to the gym from work. Small changes will yield big results!
2) Avoid fad diets like the plague!: It can be tempting to commit to one of the hundreds of “lose weight quick” diet gimicks. Whether its Paleo, Atkins, Cleansing, Fasting, Southbeach, Raw Diet, or countless others, most of them require drastic changes to your lifestyle that will likely leave you feeling deprived. Don’t set yourself up to fail… Better strategies include portion control, bulking (loading up your plate with things like fresh greens and vegetables to give you more food without more calories), food swapping (exchange a poor food choice for a healthy food choice), and indulgence in moderation. You still have to live your life, give yourself some flexibility when it comes to healthy eating!
3) Its all in your head: Losing weight, dieting, and changing your lifestyle is 100% psychological. We develop habits over a lifetime of eating, and it is not easy to change these ingrained behaviors. The first step is awareness; acknowledge your desire to change and take the necessary steps to replace an unhealthy behavior with a healthy one. The second step is to be specific; as mentioned above, choose only 1 or 2 habits at a time and commit to replacing those old habits with new ones that align with your long term goals. Plan for success! The third step is to plan for long term adherance by keeping those new habits in the forefront of your mind. Practice mindfulness in everything you do! And if you do experience setbacks, don’t beat yourself up. The emotional guilt that occurs when you “fail” at your diet or exercise goals is as detrimental to your success as the actual plan. Instead of dwelling on the momentary lack of will power, focus on why you made the choice that you did and what you can do in the future to avoid making the same mistake. Or, enjoy your moment of indulgence and move on!
4) Move your body: While it is true you are not likely to lose weight and meet your health goals by ignoring your diet and with exercise alone, the benefits are too numerous to ignore. Exercise releases endorphins, helps you effectively manage stress, burns calories, prevents muscle and bone loss, improves strength and stamina, is a proven treatment for depression, and can also be fun! If working out in the traditional sense (in a gym or on a piece of cardio equipment) isn’t for you, almost everyone can walk. In studies of centenarians (people who live to 100 years or older), one of the common denominators was walking. If you are new to exercise or walking, start slowly and plan on increasing your distance each week. Shoot for 45 to 60 minutes each day, most days of the week. Within no time you will feel more stamina, focus and vigor. Other activities that “count” as exercise include cleaning your house, gardening, yard work, taking the stairs, washing your car, walking your dog, playing with your kids, etc. Move your body as much and as often as you can!
5) Drink more water: Plain and simple, water is lubrication for our cells. Without it, our bodies do not function the way they were meant to. Water aids in digestion, healthy skin, prevents muscle fatigue, helps to control appetite, and transports nutrients to our cells. If you are exercising, you are losing fluids rapidly and those fluids need to be replaced. For taste, try adding a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, add cucumber slices, fresh ginger, orange slices, fresh mint or basil, or any other combination of fresh additions! Drink more water, aim for 80-100 ounces per day (more if you live in a dry climate or at high altitude). If this is not already a part of your new year’s health plan, it should be.
Your success in the next year with regards to your health and fitness will depend on how you approach each decision. Every choice is an opportunity to get you closer to optimum health or an anchor holding you down. Choose to live fully by treating your body the way it deserves to be treated. You will be rewarded with vitality and the ability to fully engage in life! No one said it would be easy, but I promise it will be worth it.
Thanks for reading, wishing you a healthy 2013!
Tara