Fwd: Making Your Resolutions Work All Year Long (very long, print it?)

December 1, 2003

>

> Subject: Fwd: Making Your Resolutions Work All Year Long (very long,

> print it?)

>

>> By Paige Waehner

>>

>> The new year is a time to start all over and finally start a weight

>> loss program or a healthy diet. But, that enthusiasm for exercise

>> tends to fade come February when you realize that losing weight is a

>> lifetime goal and not something you can accomplish in a few weeks.

>> If you really want to be successful at losing weight, you'll have to

>> do three important things.

>>

>> 1. ADJUST YOUR ATTITUDE

>>

>> If you have the wrong attitude about fitness, you're already setting

>> yourself up for failure. Most people look at exercise as:

>> * Punishment for bad eating

>> * An obligation

>> * Painful

>> * Time consuming

>> * Impossible to sustain over a long period of time

>> * Boring

>>

>> If any of these sound familiar, how long do you think you'll stick

>> with your program? Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or

>> obligatory. Before you throw yourself into weight loss, suss out

>> your attitudes about exercise and figure out whether these attitudes

>> are true or just lies you've been telling yourself for years. Then,

>> try a different perspective and look at exercise as:

>>

>> * A break from a stressful workday

>> * A way to boost energy and mood

>> * The only time you'll have to yourself all day

>> * A chance to get totally physical and let your mind rest

>> * A chance to reward your body working so hard for you all day

>> * A way to improve your quality of life immediately

>>

>> And here are some more key points about exercise that you must

>> understand:

>>

>> Willpower will not work. Willpower is for short-term success. Long-

>> term success requires planning, discipline and finding ways to

>> motivate yourself every day.

>> Motivation will not magically happen. What motivates you will change

>> from day to day. You have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak

>> them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways

>> to motivate yourself over the course of your life.

>> You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy. Even the most

>> committed of exercisers don't always want to do it. Know that you

>> will always have to work at it.

>> Diets don't work. Stop wasting your time following someone else's

>> plan for you. Make your own plan based on realistic changes--if you

>> can't follow your chosen diet for the rest of your life, you're

>> wasting precious time.

>>

>> 2. ADJUST YOUR LIFESTYLE

>> The facts about being overweight:

>>

>> * You can't be overweight if your lifestyle doesn't support it.

>> * You can't be overweight if you haven't allowed yourself to eat too

>> much.

>> * You can't be overweight if you've made a daily schedule that

>> doesn't allow time for exercise.

>>

>> Never forget that losing weight and maintaining that weight loss is a

>> lifetime prospect. You will never stop working to maintain your

>> fitness and weight. EVER. So, before you start that same old diet

>> or exercise program, ask yourself this question: Can I sustain this

>> diet FOREVER? Is this exercise program something I can do every day?

>>

>> Once you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you'll

>> need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal.

>>

>> Figure out your bad habits. Keep a food/activity journal for an

>> entire week. Do it without judgment or shame--you're simply trying

>> to figure out what you're doing every day that may be hurting your

>> weight loss goals.

>> Replace those bad habits, one at a time, with different habits.

>> Experts know that you can't break bad habits without forming new

>> ones. If you take away your daily Egg McMuffin and don't replace it

>> with something else you'll drift right back into the old Mc's

>> habit.

>>

>> This may sound simplistic, and it is...giving up something yummy for

>> something healthy ain't easy. You have to change your environment to

>> make it impossible to have or even want that McMuffin. For example,

>> if you want to change from Egg McMuffins to something healthy:

>>

>> * Decide what you'll eat instead of fast food. Stock up on breakfast

>> foods you really like, keep meal replacement bars in the car or try

>> healthy fruit shakes or smoothies.

>> * Eat before you get in the car so you won't be starving and,

>> therefore, tempted to hit the drive thru

>> * Change your driving route to work so you don't even pass by

>> Mc's

>> * Don't carry cash in the car (even if you DO have the urge to

>> indulge, you won't be able to), write down your weight loss goal and

>> tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so, when

>> you're reaching for your wallet, you're immediately reminded your

>> goals.

>>

>> 3. MAKE A PLAN

>>

>> You've figured out how to change your bad eating habits by replacing

>> them with good ones and you've learned to create an environment that

>> doesn't allow those bad habits to exist. Now, you need to make a

>> plan for what you really want.

>>

>> Set Your Goals.

>> Write down specific goals you have (not just 'I want to lose

>> weight'). List everything, for example:

>>

>> * How much weight you want to lose. Make sure the amount of weight

>> you want to lose is reasonable for your height and frame

>> * A target date to reach your goals. Make sure you've given yourself

>> a reasonable time to reach that goal - (a safe bet would be to lose a

>> pound a week)

>> * Why you want to lose this weight (i.e., my doctor is making me)

>> * What you think will happen if you reach your goal

>> * How you'll maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal

>> (remember, it's a lifetime thing--even when you reach your goal, you

>> can't quit!)

>>

>> Set Up Your Program.

>> To set up a good routine, you'll need to know the basics of a

>> complete program. You're program will involve cardio, strength

>> training and stretching. The resources below provide in-depth

>> information about these different components and how to combine them

>> for a complete workout:

>>

>> " Exercise 101 "

>> http://exercise.about.com/library/weekly/aa011601a.htm

>> " Strength Training 101 "

>> http://exercise.about.com/laibrary/weekly/aa11501a.htm

>> " Exercise for Beginners "

>> http://exercise.about.com/library/weekly/library/blxforbeginners.htm

>> " Workout Center "

>> http://exercise.about.com/library/wekly/library/blworkoutcenter.htm

>>

>> Ensure Your Success.

>> Success involves using every resource you have to keep you going. Do

>> whatever it takes to be consistent including:

>>

>> * Enlist all family members to get involved. If everyone eats

>> healthy, you won't have to fight to avoid that bag of chips your

>> spouse munches on every night

>> * Hire a personal trainer

>> * Get a friend to exercise with you

>> * Take time every week to schedule your exercise routines

>> * Keep a workout bag packed so you don't have to scramble for your

>> gear

>> * Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress

>> * Reward yourself often with massages, new clothes or a vacation

>> * Change your program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus

>>

>> Re-visit your goals every six months and gauge your progress. If

>> you're not reaching your goals, maybe you should change them to

>> something more accessible.

>>

>> The important thing to remember is that losing weight requires that

>> you change your lifestyle. You have to change the way you think

>> about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and

>> how you prioritize your tasks and you have to think about your health

>> in the long-term. It's easy to lose a few pounds, but it's hard to

>> keep them off for good. Being prepared for what's ahead is your

>> first step in the right direction.

>>

January 2, 2004

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