Out with the Old, In with the New….YOU!

Not even 6 steps into my favourite book store (and it will still remain my favourite book store) and I am reminded that we must be nearing the end of a year and getting ourselves ready for 2014.  2014! How did that happen?  Well, it did, and just in the span of a year I can recall hearing about 50+ new superfoods, 10 different workout regimes and oh the diets!

So, instead of waiting for January 1^st to set in, I thought I’d tap into those mindsets NOW! Today! December 31^st!  Not to rain on your parade, but to remind you that all you have to do when you [eventually] wake up on January 1^st is tell yourself, “I can do one healthy positive thing today” and start there.  No extremes people! It is not necessary! As I say every year, if you set unrealistic goals, they will just be that much more difficult to achieve — instead of leaving you empowered and strong to take on anything, it will make you feel inferior and unsatisfied — one of the reasons why we see most people giving up by February 1^st.

So what did I see in my favourite bookstore?  “Gluten Free”, “Detox your way”, “The Last 10 pounds”, “3-2-1 Method”, “Coconut Oil”, and so on and so on.  Amongst Quinoa, the Paleo Diet, Chicken and Grapefruit or “eat all your sugar at night”, I feel as if between our outrageous food system and the many people bringing nutrition information to the masses has gone beyond an extreme.  The question I always seem to ask is, “are we seeing improvements in health?”

Don’t get me wrong, I did read a few books this year that came out on the latest fads, and read many articles (both evidence-based and simply in the newspaper), and some research holds quite the merit.  However, that is the important thing for the general public to ensure they do…..the research!  Does a diet, superfood or new fitness regime seem “too good to be true”?  If it does, it probably is!  When it comes down to it, for the majority of the population: calories in<calories out = weight loss!

So, if weight loss is your goal, how are you going to reach it?  Are you going to make sensible food choices, or small changes to your current eating patterns?  Have you ever logged your food down?  Be accountable to yourself.  Write every single piece of food and beverage down for a few days.  Then analyze it.  Are there chips at lunch and a chocolate bar in mid afternoon? (big no-no). What’s your count of fruit throughout the day?  (fruit loops and fruit roll-ups don’t count).  Did your vegetables consist of a small salad at dinner? (not enough!). Do you eat pasta 6 nights a week? (this will tax on your waistline).  What are you drinking? Is there any water? Mainly coffee? (we need to talk).  2-3 sugar-filled macchiato’s throughout the day? (filling up on the wrong calories).  First thing to do before you start embarking on any weight loss or health improvement process is to be honest with yourself! And just like I said in 2013, ask yourself WHY?  Why do you want to be healthy? What do you want to live for?  Energy? Your children or grandchildren? Improved physique?  Whatever your reason is, you must recognize it first.  That will make the journey that much more worth it.  The bumps in the road, the curve balls, temptations, and most importantly picking yourself up when you may fall down! We all do it! We’re human!

I know it seems like I’m asking a lot of questions, but the one mistake most people make right off the bat every new year is that they just fall into the fads! Just like the fad diets.  I often hear, “I want to lose 15 pounds.”  “That’s great! How are you going to do it?” I ask.  “Just start going to the gym 6 times a week”!  Ok! That will get you going, and help in the beginning, but does that fit your lifestyle for the long run?  You need to be truthful in your life, for the stage you are at at this very moment to truly identify what are goals you can reach and what will be attainable.  That is of course whether you want the small changes you are willing to make to be lifelong!  When it’s your health, why not!  It’s the most important thing you have.

Most of us see the big picture!  Though it is important to visualize the end result, and more importantly YOU attaining that end result, we want it fast.  For the habits and behaviours to be instilled for the long run, and really stick with us to better ourselves and our health, we must be patient with the process, and celebrate the successes, as little as they may be, along the way.

I also recommend for you to do this:  look at 2013.  Each month.  Each moment you shared with others.  Each success you had.  Each failure you may have had.  What did you accomplish?  I’m sure there were some tough times.  We all go through them in life, but look at you! You made it through!  So what did you, or will you take from those tougher times?  Lesson learned?  Instead of focusing on the negative and failure, focus on what the process/event/experience taught you.  It will make getting through to the next part more manageable.

Finally, some of you will read this, think about the questions that have been posed, or exercises I’ve asked you to do and think through it in your head but not write the answers or past experiences down.  Take some time to write things down.  Honestly, if you want to that is!  If you don’t have time now, put a reminder in your phone or a sticky note on your fridge and find some time over the next 2 days to sit down with yourself and commit to remembering and reflecting on 2013, but more importantly why 2014 will be better and what small positive things you can incorporate or do each day to make yourself happier and healthier.  I mean in the end it is for YOU right? YOUR self-improvement! YOUR future! YOUR life!

Happy New Year Everyone 🙂