New Year - New You -- What it takes to make your weight loss resolution a weight loss reality.It’s very likely now as the New Year has arrived that you have jotted down some highly optimistic resolutions for 2008, or at least thought of ways in which you would like to improve the current “you”. It happens every year, the count down 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!! … and BANG! We expect to be new and improved, with a smoking physique, more motivation, higher potential, and a determined unwavering focus. It’s 7am and the alarm clock goes off. You roll out of bed with glitter still stuck in your tresses. With a slight Champagne hangover you start your day and it hits you… you don’t feel so improved, motivated or different at all. You grab for your morning danish and the zest of your ambitions begin to fade even before your coffee is brewed. The gift of the New Year can bring about so much potential in us all, as long as we understand that the power of this potential lies in our hands and not the simple fact that the New Year now ends with an 8 rather than a 7. Because it is, in a sense, the beginning of a new chapter of your life, let this “new beginning” propel you towards your goals by taking action every day. The passionate concept needs to manifest into a proactive game plan in order for you to reach your resolutions. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. If weight loss is one of your resolutions this year, don’t expect the pounds to start melting off if you continue with your usual day to day routine. Revamp last year’s ways by eliminating the actions, things, or thought process that kept you from succeeding. Then begin to supplement your life with fresh habits that will direct you towards your goal. Your first thought in the morning of “another day…” becomes “another day of opportunity to improve myself”. Instead of grabbing for your usual morning danish and coffee, fix some eggs on whole grain toast with a cup of green tea. The daily elevator ride to the 5th floor of your office building becomes an opportunity for a small cardio bout to pump in the endorphins. These small lifestyle adjustments will help you stay with your game plan of losing the weight. When a big goal is on your plate, breaking it up into small bite size pieces that are easy to swallow is the way to go. Set specific weekly goals like losing a couple pounds, avoiding fast food, drinking more water, etc. In the 21st century we have become people of instant gratification and when the satisfaction isn’t quick to meet us, our motivation tends to fade. By allowing for smaller successes along the way you are feeding the fire and keeping it strong until the main weight loss goal is accomplished. To pump up the effect of this strategy, reward yourself for the hard work with something other than food. That Christmas presents you wanted but never got, girls/guys night out, or “you time” away from the craziness of life. Whatever it may be, pamper yourself because you deserved it. A positive reinforcement is the strongest reinforcement of actions and will drive you further towards success. The New Year is here and so will be the New You as long as you take the power into your own hands. Dream it, plan it, and make it happen. In Health and Pure Joy, Lauren Showers
