The first day of the New Year, and for me, it's nearly over. Weighing in for the last time of the year yesterday, I was shocked to see that the 7 pounds that I lost had stayed lost for the past month. Looking forward into 2011, I have new goals and new strategies to making myself a better me.
It's no surprise that with the New Year brings many resolutions to lose weight. Have you ever noticed how packed gyms are in January? It's also no surprise to see how many people fade away from their efforts after about the first month or so. The reasons for this are numerous, but I would guess that high up on that list would be that people get tired of starving themselves, tired of exercising every minute of their free time, and get tired of working so hard to lose 2 pounds one week, just to have it crawl back regardless of what they're doing.
The key? Know your body, and know yourself. At this time of year, many people will try anything to lose weight. Many fad diets are put into place to lose the weight you want, but the minute you jump off that fad diet, the pounds come crawling back on. What you must understand is that you need to balance out a healthy eating lifestyle with a healthy exercise lifestyle.
Here are some things to think about as you begin to make your New Year's Resolutions concerning your health for the year to come:
~ Keep it simple! The more complex your plan, the more you have to keep track of, and the easier it is to get overwhelmed and give up.
~ Take it slow! Losing weight, getting in shape, changing your lifestyle, these things don't happen overnight! It takes time, patience, a plan, and motivation.
~ Make reasonable goals! Sure, your ultimate weight loss goal may be 50 pounds, but sometimes it is easier to look at that ultimate goal 5 pounds at a time.
~ Don't beat yourself up! Many diets restrict what you are "supposed" to eat and how often you "should" exercise and what exercises you should be doing. Changing to a healthier lifestyle will not cut out all of your favorite foods for life, and it won't be a change you can make in a snap. Switching to eating healthier things will take some time to incorporate. Finding healthier or less fatty ways to make those secret indulgences you can't live without will take practice. So on those occasional days where you "slip" and you eat that piece of cake for dessert, don't beat yourself up! An occasional piece of cake is not going to pack on the 10 pounds you just lost. Enjoy it, and carry on the next day.
~ Drink water! Water, water, water! Many people don't know that when they are feeling hungry, sometimes they are just dehydrated, and those pains from dehydration come off as pains of hunger. So if you just finished that yummy cobb salad for lunch, and you start to feel a bit hungry an hour later, drink a couple of tall glasses of water, and see if you are still tempted to have a snack. If you are, make it a healthy one, like an apple, that will improve your mental acuity for the latter part of your day.
Those are just a few things to keep in mind as you set out for a better you this year. You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to, I truly do believe that. And, when all else fails, remember this quote I found, not sure of the author, but the message is great:
"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, 'I'm Possible.'"
Good luck with your goals for 2011!
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