As the New Year's Resolutions are in full swing, how are you doing with yours? Are you still excited to make changes in your life and better yourself? If not, let's refresh your goals. I can't even begin to fathom the numerous resolutions that are made every year, but let's touch on a few.
1. Weight loss - This always seems to be the number resolution. How are doing on hitting your goals? What are your goals? Are they realistic goals? Obviously, losing a 100 lbs. is not achievable overnight. Are your goals set with realistic time frames? If your goal is to lose 100 lbs., it's easiest to break this down into smaller goals to give you milestones to reach and feel that exhilaration of achieving a goal. So, break that down, 100 lbs lost is achievable with just losing 10 lbs per month. Now, keep in mind that if you are exercising, your weight will shift. Muscle weighs much more that fat. So, achieving weight loss is multifold. Just losing weight requires understanding that losing 10 lbs. of fat, may result in only losing 5-6 lbs. because your muscle increase will alternate the actual weight.
2. Eating healthier - Another top resolution. Eating healthier should not include calorie counting. This is such a deceptive practice. Eating raw, unprocessed foods, is the first and biggest step to eating healthier(and losing weight.). Raw fruits, vegetables, unbleached foods, reducing food colorings, soda, and junk food. While it does take more time, preparing fresh foods and not eating out, will help tremendously!
3. Exercising - This one is a bit vague. We exercise some, every time we walk anywhere or basically do anything. The goal for most is to start getting into better shape. I recommend starting slowly, especially if you are not accustomed to regular exertion. Start with just 5-10 minutes a day. Avoid unnecessary injuries, and stretch before and after exercising. Whether you are using yoga, or high impact exercising; stretching muscles before and after will not only ward of injuries but will lesson the stiffness afterwards.
4. Quit Smoking - This one is one I still have not overcome. Although it's not a resolution for me, it is a goal...I will reach eventually. As with every resolution or goal, getting discouraged when you can't master it on your set time does not help. To begin something so important, I have found a few options, I will be trying myself. First, is always cold turkey. I don't know about other smokers, but that did not work for me. Second, is the one I will be trying. Begin by minimizing your nicotine intake. This can be accomplished in many ways, but the recommended way was this: If you currently smoke 20 cigarettes a day(a pack), The first 2 weeks, you reduce your number so many. For me, I decided eliminating 3 cigarettes a day was a doable goal. By decreasing your nicotine intake slowly, the idea is your body will not go through the withdraws and mood swings of the cold-turkey way. Every 2-3 weeks, you decrease your intake by the number you choose. If, by chance you hit a hang up or a rough time, just start over. Do not allow yourself to feel deprived, or like you have failed on your goal. Just start over. Life happens, right? Don't let your goals slip to the way side, if you hit a bump. Keep trying!
5. Live healthier - This one involves almost all of the above. Even though we live in constant contact with harmful chemicals, air, and medications; there is hope. Using the exercise tips above, the eating healthier tips, and even understanding that weight loss is a good goal but muscle weighs more than fat, so understand that actual weight is deceptive.
I am personally, a goal setter. I love to be able to achieve my goals, but I tend to get overzealous with mine. That is great for accomplishment, but tough on the mentality if you fail to hit a goal. Life happens, and as the year progresses, we loose that drive. I believe this is natural. So setting goals, small significant steps forward, makes the most sense to me.
Just remember the story of the tortoise and the hair. It's not about racing, it's about the steady forward progression. Each little step is a victory. Celebrate, reward yourself with a healthy reward, and jump into your next goal.
You can achieve your resolutions/goals! I know you can! Slow and steady wins the race. Get out there, get started, restart if you must, and make 2016 the year you kick butt!
Salli
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