Hello Fresh Faces! It’s a New Year and many of us are taking steps to achieve our health goals. After just one week, I notice how hard it is for people to stick with their resolutions. You have all year to reach your 2012 goals, so slow down and plan what necessary action steps you will take to reach them.
Staying on track to meet your goals is challenging, and every day can be a battle. Fresh & Co. and I have teamed up to help you have a “fresh” focus on the New Year and the healthier, New YOU! Focus on what you CAN do this year, rather than what you cannot do. Educate yourself with the information I have blogged about with fitness & nutrition tips, stay motivated by continuously reminding yourself of your progress, and hold yourself accountable by signing up for a small group training program, group exercise class, a personal training session, or a nutrition consultation. We are going to face setbacks and obstacles this year, but prove that you are strong enough to overcome the challenges to reaching your nutrition and fitness goals.
Here are some of my tips for sticking with your 2012 nutrition and fitness goals:
1. Create a PLAN OF ACTION. For example, do not just say you want to lose 20 lbs by December. Figure out what you must do on a shorter basis to achieve this goal. Personally, I set goals for myself on a weekly basis and what must be done to accomplish them. I have my clients, class participants, friends and co-workers do the same.
2. BE REAL! Don’t say you’re going to the gym every day this week and you are not having any candy or processed food ever again – live a little! If you were only going to the gym once a week in 2011, start by going two, maybe three, times per week now. Each week or month, build up your usage or intensity a little bit more. You could also burnout or injure yourself if you do not take these gradual steps. The same goes for eating healthier. Record what you eat, seek professional guidance, and determine what you need to do to reach your fit goals. If you eat a bag of chips every day at lunch, cut back by having the bag three or four times per week, and slowly decrease that number each week or month. Replace it with fruit or a healthier meal that includes hummus or whole wheat crackers if you want that crunchy taste.
3. PREPARE yourself for what you are about to endure. Every day, or at least the beginning of the New YOU, will be a challenge. There are going to be times of high stress when you feel that eating healthy food or exercising is just not an option. Some days, you may not make it to your gym class or be able to go grocery shopping – but there are always options. Pick a day where you prepare all of your meals and snacks for the week. This makes decision making much easier! Always keep a snack handy in your bag, desk, or car. If you wait too long to eat between meals, you may get low-blood sugar, feel fatigued, and then overeat at your next meal. Have a trainer write out some “at-home” exercises for you to do or purchase a DVD so you can do something in the convenience of your own home. It’s better to be prepared than sorry!
4. BE PROUD of every step you are making to become the STRONGER, FITTER, and HEALTHER YOU!
