It's that time of year again. The time when everyone begins to feel a little guilty for indulging in endless holiday meals, cocktails, Christmas cookies, and other holiday treats! Most people make the infamous New Years Resolution to quit mindless eating and start hitting the gym. We promise to stop smoking, start saving, practice patience, think positive, spend time with loved ones, volunteer, and the list goes on and on. We tell people that this is the year we're going to lose weight, or at least start using the shoes that Brooke Burke promised would give us a better butt!
So, why is it that most people end up back on the couch, watching the Biggest Loser and eating take-out by mid February? It seems as though many people are continuously searching for the best way to lead a healthy lifestyle, only to continuously not succeed. In these attempts to get healthy, I believe that we either become overwhelmed or under whelmed, thus resulting in giving up the whole idea. We’re overwhelmed and bombarded with never-ending amounts of information on how to get fit and stay healthy. We’re under whelmed by our workout routine consisting of beating up the same treadmill, bike, or elliptical day in and day out. As if that's not enough, this frustrating experience usually ends in negative self-talk or false promises to try again tomorrow, or next week. Phew....what a drag!
Let's break this cycle, and consider a different resolution this year. Make a resolution to not buy into the latest health and fitness trends, but rather, buy into keeping it simple. Forget the no meat, no dairy, no carbs, no sugar no alcohol, no white food, no to anything that tastes good, diet. Don't waste your money buying a magazine that will tell you how to live a healthier lifestyle because there's a way to "blast 500 calories while sitting on your couch", "drop 10 lbs in a week" or "Get that bikini body overnight". This year I want to invite anyone that is reading this to consider an "everything in moderation" approach to 2011. Let's call it the year of BALANCE!
Commit to forgiving yourself when you skip spin class, and instead choose to consume too many calories at a delicious dinner with good friends. Remember that tomorrow is a new day. Remember that you're loved whether you ran 10 miles, or packed on 10 lbs. We've heard it all before, and maybe the Yogis have had the right idea all along; mind, body and spirit are all one. Let's see what happens this year when we make it a goal to first nurture our mind, body, and spirit. So, here’s to a renewed outlook on what it means to get and stay healthy in 2011! Happy New Year to all!!
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