And the Jeans….

Are too tight? Fit just the same?  Are a little loose? Which one do you fit under?  Now that the Holiday season has come and gone, and a new decade is upon us, it’s time to look at our accomplishments from the past year, and what we look to achieve over the next 395 days of 2011.  Whether you make a New Year’s Resolution, or short- and long-term goals, we all get the urge, at this time of year, to think about how we want to be a better “ME”.

The number one resolution made each year is to “get more fit”.  The question you have to ask yourself is “how does this relate to me? And what do I need to do to accomplish this?”  Little steps always lead to a bigger overall picture, and that’s what you need to keep in mind in fulfilling your goal.  Start small:

–       Do you consume 3 cans of pop, ice tea, or sugary juice each day?  Make a small switch to 1 can a day while adding more water to your diet as well.

–       Do you find you don’t eat many vegetables throughout the day?  Choose your favourite vegetable(s) and make a conscious effort to eat a serving or two of this vegetables each day.  A great option is to buy a bag of frozen vegetables, and add them to whatever dish you may be making for your dinner entree.  If you usually have pasta at dinner, make a smaller portion of the pasta, while adding in bulk with vegetables.

–       Are you finding it difficult to add “gym time” to your daily list of things to do?  Choose one day at the beginning of the week that you are going to designate to activity.  Start from here, with 30-45 minutes, and slowly, over 3-4 weeks, add another day to your weekly schedule. 

–       Do you consume a lot of your daily calories late in the day?  Start incorporating a healthy breakfast to start your day off, and include healthy snacks throughout your day, so that you’re eating every 3-4 hours.  At dinner time, fill your plate with a smaller portion, put your fork down in between bites, and chew your food.  Aim to not eat anything after 7:30 PM.

–       If you already frequent the gym on a daily basis, and want to tighten or tone up some areas in your body a little more, speak with a fitness professional for ideas and new techniques (personal trainer), look to switch up your current gym routine/rest days, or grab a buddy who can help push and encourage you to give a little more!

We sometimes want to make changes to our lifestyle for US; to lead a healthier, fitter and ultimately longer life, and be more active and available to carry out leisure activities.  Nutrition should always be at the forefront when it comes to achieving a healthy body.  Physical activity is very important to include on a daily basis, but it is more important to choose those activities that suit your individual needs.  Incorporating a walk around the block each day, and some core work may be just the right fix for one person, while spending 2 hours at the gym every other day may be what another individual needs, to release the stress from their daily happenings, and release feel-good endorphins and give us more energy. 

Altering our existing lifestyle for the better—and for the long-term—needs to happen slowly in order for us to keep up with the positive changes.  There are no quick fixes, or at least, not in the ideal world.  Acknowledge what you currently do in your daily life.  Write out all of your responsibilities, and make the effort to do something positive for YOU!