Reach Your Healthy Goals
Each January, women all over North America make a promise to themselves
that this year, they’ll exercise, eat right, and make their
health a priority. No matter how good our intentions, by February
most of us find ourselves falling back into old patterns and putting
away those personal promises until next year.
Usually, when we fall short of own expectations it’s simply
because we aim “too high.” Trying to incorporate too
much new activity or drastic change into our lives at one time
sets the stage for failure. The key to making a successful change
is to make your resolutions realistic.
Here are some suggestions for increasing your success factor
with the two most common resolutions:
This year, I’ll get more exercise.
If you’ve promised to put more energy into getting physically
fit but are wary of taking on a membership to a gym, you might
consider instituting an at-home regime instead. If you’re
not normally very active, it’s better to start slow. Just
30 minutes a day of stretches and mild strength training exercises
(like sit ups or push ups) will produce positive physical effects
that will help you get to the next level.
Balance and muscle strength become more essential as we get older.
If you feel ready to take on something new, take a class in Tai
Chi or beginner’s Yoga. You can learn the moves and practice
at home.
This year, I’ll pay more attention to what I eat.
Perhaps your focus is on eating better this year but you find
diets hard to stick to. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Instead
of being “on a diet” until you invariably give into
temptation and feel guilty about it, try making smaller (but important)
changes to how you eat.
Reduce the amount of “bad for you” foods you eat
a little at a time rather than cutting them out suddenly and altogether.
If you don’t feel like you’re being denied something
you love, you’re less likely to crave it. At the same time,
increase the “good for you” foods a little at a time.
If you can strike a good balance between good and bad, you’ll
be well on your way to developing a lasting healthy eating habit.
Editor’s note: be sure to consult your doctor before
making any significant changes to your diet or activity levels.
Do you have any advice for keeping your New Years Resolutions?
*Share it with us at editor@beingbeautiful.ca
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