What are your resolutions? Personally, I am aiming to grow…in so many ways; as a mother, wife, trainer, business owner…the list goes on! My hopes are for 2014 to bring new experiences and new goals met.
Weight loss is typically a big one for many and the one most chosen. So, this post is going to focus mainly on just that! Whether you’re continuing a fitness lifestyle or looking to crush some new goals, no better time than a new year to start!
My biggest advice for meeting any fitness goal, is to start by setting them! That is the first step, sit back and decide, what do you really want to do. Make it mean more than, I want to lose 10 pounds. Do you want to feel excellent in your own skin, have more energy, improve your self esteem? Are you willing to do what it takes to get there? Make those decisions and aim for realistic simple goals with milestones along the way.
Then, realize that changes do not happen overnight and results do not require 6 days a week exercise and a perfect diet to happen. Take it slow, start with 1-3 days a week and work your way up to 4-5. Through the course of your journey, if you only workout one day one week and 5 the next, no problem! Just commit to never give up. Have bad days, good days and keep going the next day.
When it comes to nutrition, start by making better choices, not perfect choices. Habits do not change overnight. If you’re a chip eater, sub them for pretzels or popcorn. If you drink soda, slowly cut down to 1 a day and eventually none. When you’re out to eat, try your best to choose the best option on the menu. If you’re in a situation where nothing is healthy in sight, watch your portions. It is all about balance and creating habits. Never beat yourself up for enjoying yourself, if you love pizza, eat it! Try to keep your indulgences down to a few a week and in turn most of your meals will be healthy and you will be on the right track!
The next question is what exercise to do? With so many options out there and schools of thought, my answer is find balance. Find activities you love and keep your workouts fresh. As long as your fitness routine includes a nice balance and mixture of cardio, resistance training and flexibility training you’re on the right track! Avoid doing the same activity day in and day out, your body will adjust to that and will eventually stop noting improvements from it. The rule is, keep it fun, keep it fresh and do it often!
When you take the stress out of living a healthy lifestyle and accepting a goal that is realistic for you, you will find how simple and rewarding it all becomes.
So, who’s with me? Cheers to a new year, make it a great one!
