2007 = Your year to get in shape for real!

Do you still have New Year Resolution fever? Isn’t January such a great time of year? The credit card bills are coming in from your holiday shopping, the scale is tipping in the wrong direction (that number can’t be right!) and you find yourself with a list of resolutions such as ‘go to the gym’ or ‘start a diet’. Motivating, huh?

The point is, most of us will choose January as the time to focus on diet and exercise. Most of us will start another low-carb-no-carb-cabbage-soup-and-juice-fast and kill ourselves at the gym for maybe a week, or a month. And why do we stop after that? Because we have created unrealistic expectations of ourselves and our bodies! Think about how insane that strategy is – you go from an all-you-can-eat, no-time-to-exercise season right into extreme fitness boot camp. You are setting yourself up to fail! What if, this year, you really focused on your health and wellness instead of just losing that extra holiday weight?

Why not change your outlook this year? Why not look at January as the time to start fresh? First, take some time to reflect back on all the great things you experienced in 2006. Starting a new year with a feeling of accomplishment and excitement can help bring the inspiration you need to keep moving towards your goals long past January. And as you start thinking about what you want to achieve this year, try not to get too overwhelmed with the what (I want to lose 10 pounds), instead, focus on the why (I want to have more energy throughout the day and feel and look great in my little black dress at my birthday party in March).

I found myself swimming in a sea of ideas, goals and forward projections for 2007 – and it was paralyzing. Finally, I just said to myself: “just pick one thing and go do it already!” And that, my friends, was starting this blog! So don’t get overwhelmed with a ‘to-do’ list of resolutions - why not just pick one thing and go do it! Try it on a daily basis. Decide today, one thing you will do that will contribute to your fitness goals. For example: you might decide that today you will take a 45-minute walk at 4:00pm before leaving the office. It is one thing you can do today that will contribute to changes in your body tomorrow. (See my goal setting tip below for more ideas).

Finally, remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t expect your body to change overnight. Lasting results and changes happen gradually. Daily progress adds up – do something everyday that will contribute to your achievement, and soon, you’ll be reaching for a new goal.

And please, if there is a health or fitness topic you would like to know more about, feel free to contact me with your fitness questions and topic ideas. You can email me at: Jessica@inwellnesssystems.com or visit my website: inwellnesssystems.com for more information.

Best wishes to you for a happy and healthy 2007!
Jessica



GOAL SETTING TIP: Stop setting yourself up to fail with impossible New Year resolutions. Here are some of my favorites: I will get skinny this year! I want weigh what I did in college! What does that mean? How to you plan to do it? Instead, make lasting changes by skipping the typical resolution strategy and replacing it with SMART (specific, measurable, realistic, attainable and on a Timetable) goals.

A SMART goal might look like this: I will lose five pounds by March 1st 2007 by replacing my afternoon latte and scone with a coffee with skim milk and a banana and doing physical activity, five days a week, for at least 30 minutes. It is specific and, measurable (losing five pounds), realistic and attainable (healthy snacking and moderate exercise) on a timetable (in three months).