Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolution by Gayle Sanders-Hoeffner

With New Year’s approaching the good old New Year’s resolutions are around the bend. We all tell ourselves, ”I’ll get a fresh start in the New Year.” Yet the majority of us fall short on our goals. How many people have the same New Year’s resolution year after year? What is stopping us from accomplishing our goals? New Year’s resolutions typically involve change, which is a scary thought for many people. In order to succeed, devise a plan of action.
There are many popular New Year’s resolutions, however, let’s break them down a bit to show how you can successfully achieve your goals:

1. Lose weight – Hmmmmmm, well after gorging oneself after the holidays this is an easy one to make and an easy one to break. It’s a simple formula. No gimmicks, no pills, no special drinks. Eat less and move more! Believe it or not it’s 70% diet 30% exercise. So portion control is huge here. Pre-plan your meals. Do not go more than 4 hours without eating. This will send you into a ravenous state and will not let you think rationally as much as just satisfying the growling in your stomach. Weight Watchers is a fantastic program. If you are not the type to go to meetings, you can do it online. Get up off your butt. Take the stairs. Go for a walk. Go for a run. Go dancing. You do not have to lose weight first to join a gym! If you are one of the many individuals that join a gym in January, good for you but make realistic goals. Do not say “I am going to go every day”. Start off on a schedule you can stick to, say 3 times a week. After a month then consider adding another day. Expending and reducing calories should be your main focus here. Now as a Personal Trainer, when going to a gym, most gyms will offer you a free training session. Take it. You are NOT committed to buy more. This trainer will introduce you to the equipment and demonstrate how to use it. This resolution should tie into number 2 and 3.

2. Proper diet – Now eating better does not mean giving up everything we love. It’s compromise.
If you go out to eat try to follow a simple rule: cocktail OR bread OR dessert. Not all three and not the entire bread basket if that is your choice. Eat half of your meal and take half home for another meal. Take out – same rules apply. If you are at home mindless eating is not going to help you eat better even if it is healthy. Start reading labels. Try to broil, steam or bake foods instead of frying or sautéing. Pre-packed or Pre-pared foods are often loaded with sodium and or fat and or calories. All meals should be well rounded (protein, vegetables and complex carbs). Snacks are ok as long as they are less than 200 calories. Fresh is ALWAYS best. Some health insurance companies will cover Nutritionists. Check your plan.

3. Get in shape – Becoming fit does not happen overnight. It is a cumulative process that starts with a program that includes cardio, strength and flexibility. The ultimate goal should be at least 3 to 4 times a week of cardio 30-45 minutes a day to strengthen the heart and for endurance. Strength or weight training 2 to 3 times a week to get stronger, increase lean body mass and bone density. Flexibility/stretch training at least 2 times a week to loosen tight muscles. Work up to this. Going all out in the beginning can lead to injury. Two types of training can be done on the same day. Sounds like a lot but if you are a member of a gym you can take classes too. Now listen, as a Group Fitness Instructor, trust me the members are not looking at you, they are there for their own workout. Do not be intimidated. A cardio sculpting class will combine strength and cardio. Yoga and Pilates is great for decompressing the mind and body and increasing flexibility and core training. Combining Plyometrics in between your weight lifting sets (i.e. Jumping rope, jumping jacks, elliptical for 1-2 minutes between sets will help you get the cardio in to your workout). Form is huge when getting fit so if you have no clue what or how to do it definitely invest in a Personal Trainer in your gym or home for at least a few sessions. You can always invite a friend to join you to cut the cost. If you are not a member of a gym, some gyms will let you come and pay for just classes. This is an investment in you. If you are an avid exerciser and not seeing the results you want see number 2.

4. Reducing stress – This is a big one. Exercise absolutely ties in with this one. But you have to do it to reap the rewards. Another way to reduce stress is to prioritize. What has to be done today and what can wait? Reaching out for help is never a bad idea if you feel overwhelmed. A good support system will always assist you in finding balance. Also, finding some down time or me time is absolutely necessary to center you and RELAX. Remember food is not a stress reliever. If it is for you see number 1 and number 2.
Listen we are all human. We have our good days and bad days. If you get off track try to get right back on so you can concentrate on a different resolution next year.
So let’s get a fresh start by making reasonable goals for ourselves. Set up a time frame in which to achieve these goals and give yourself a check in daily to monitor your progress. Make sure your giving your goal 100% commitment and not doing it half way. Stay focused. Diligence and persistence – there is no substitute.
Good Luck!

Please consult with a physician before starting any exercise program.

Yours in health,
Gayle Sanders-Hoeffner, Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Certified Pilates Instructor

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This guest blogger is my cousin Gayle. She’s been a personal trainer for years and is really good at what she does! She is expecting a little girl within the next few days and I thought this would be a perfect time for her to guest blog about a topic that is important to all of us! Hope you found the information as useful as I did…. Hilary