Well another year has come and gone and like masses of Canadians you probably find yourself afflicted by a viral strain of procratinitis majoris. It seems to favor the healthy, well-meaning Canadian between the ears, with symptoms that include prolonged paralysis in front of televisions and/or the consumption of large amounts of calories…
Tongue and cheek? Yes – but not really. The January 1st phenomenon is nothing new. In fact, over 80% of Canadians will resolve to improve fitness levels and lose weight in 2008. The sad thing is that 65% of these people will discard their resolutions before February 1st. So this begs the question; “why do we set ourselves up to fail?”
There’s a number of excuses people will use to justify quitting, but I would need a very, very long blog to list even half of them. Interestingly enough however, the one common denominator affecting anyone starting a fitness program is momentum. A New Year’s commitment to fitness is a big endeavor, and the first step is always the hardest, so why would anyone want to start their climb from the bottom of the hill when they could start from the top? Here is the top 10 list to get yourself atop the hill:
- Set an achievable goal.
- Choose a date to reach your goal. Remember to keep it challenging, yet attainable – i.e. lose 15 pounds by June 1st, 2008
- Set milestones and celebrate your victories. I encourage my clients to reward themselves with something special for every 5 pounds lost, example would be a hockey game or spa treatment. Just keep in mind it should be something that motivates you to keep on track.
- Take before photos. There’ll be days when you will be faced with the choice of cheesecake or exercise and you need to remind yourself why you want to choose the latter.
- Tell family and friends about your fitness goals. Let them know what you are going to attain and ask them to hold you accountable. But more importantly, make sure you hold yourself accountable.
- Plan your meals. Don’t eliminate all the foods you enjoy, just limit the intake. Try to eat more whole, unprocessed foods such as fish and vegetables. These will fill you up and satiate your appetite at the same time. And in planning your meals you ensure you are eating regularly and always burning calories. Try running your car without gas in the tank – you can only make it so far on fumes. *TIP – I recommend cutting back on sugar and caffeine intake, allowing for more consistent energy levels and improved alertness throughout the day. Another positive is that your blood sugar levels will remain more stable and you won’t feel that need to have the mid-afternoon sugary snack to get your through the rest of your workday.
- Plan your workouts. Make sure you are including these 5 areas in your exercise program: Cardiovascular training, strength training, core conditioning, stretching and balance. These areas will allow you to burn calories, increase energy levels, up your metabolism, increase bone density, assist in alleviating back and neck pain and improve brain stimulation and body awareness… bottom line, you’ll just feel better!
- Get a journal and write everything down. It doesn’t have to be fancy, a simple dollar store calendar will do. If you fail to plan, then you might as well plan to fail.
- Revisit your goals, your before photos and journal daily. As the old adage says, “out of sight, out of mind”, so you’ll want to ensure that you’re reviewing your daily, weekly and monthly goals regularly. I recommend doing it at breakfast and then right before bed. This will keep you focused on the prize ahead.
- Sleep. Studies have shown that we need minimally 6 hours a night of R.E.M. sleep for optimal performance. Your body and mind needs lots of rest so you can stay the course and hit your goals.
Ellen DeGeneres once said “Procrastination isn’t the problem, its the solution. So procrastinate now, don’t put it off.” Simply said. If you plan to NOT make 2008 your healthiest year yet, don’t put it off, just do it.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog topic: “Body Weight vs. Body Fat: What’s the deal?”
| Article Tags :: 2008 | exercise | fitness | goal setting | Health | Healthy Or Not | new year | procrastination | program | resolution | top 10 | |
Thanks Mr. Fitness! This is great and I am a big believer in activities and sports for kids… Now I just have to get my own self more active and healthy. I will look forward to next weeks edition.
Great start to this new feature, I can’t wait for next weeks article.