Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Years Resolutions

It's a new year and the gym is going to be very full for a while.  Those of us who have been at this trying to get healthy thing for a while recognize January as the month our local fitness centers are overrun with people who have resolved to exercise more or lose weight or get ripped in the new year.



I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions. I think the new year is kind of an arbitrary date to decide to change your life.  Maybe there's something to it.  Seeing all the numbers turn over might be a psychological blank slate.  On top of it, I'm so full of Christmas cheer (cookies, eggnog, mashed potatoes, etc.) that I'm really ready for a change.

So what the hell, why not go for it?

So here are my New Year's resolutions:
1.  Get My Eating Under Control.  I'm going to attack this one on several fronts.  I'm going to reduce my overall caloric intake while increasing my consumption of fruits and vegetables.  There are a number of veggies especially that I really don't really care for.  2012 will be the year I make my taste buds like them.  I'm also going to try to stay away from stress eating by reducing the overall level of stress in my life.

2.  Make Exercise a Priority.  It's too easy to push exercise off another day or decide you're too busy.  This year I'm going to make sure I get out and exercise on a regular basis.  I'm going to register for more 5k races and hopefully even run longer races as the year progresses.  A good friend of mine has recently become my running buddy.  She is faster than me so I'm always being pushed.  Though by the end of most runs I'm usually sending some choice words in her direction.


3.  Get Enough Sleep.  I've never been good at this one.  I need to make a point of getting 8 hours of shut-eye a night.  When I don't sleep I try to eat to stay awake.  I also idly munch when I shouldn't be.  When I'm tired, my priorities change in general, usually away from fitness.


4.  Finish What I Started.  This one I'll accomplish by doing everything else on my list.  I have a new job, a new year, and a new lease on life.  I have a chance now to form great habits this year and really push myself to be healthier and happier.  As long as I can keep this blog, and myself, running in 2012, I'll reach my goal of 196 pounds in 2012!

Resolutions, be they for the new year or just in general, will only happen if you make them happen.  The way to accomplish that is by having a plan in place.  Then you need a way to keep yourself accountable.  For me, that's this blog.  For you it might be a Weight-Watchers meeting or working out with a friend, or maybe you even want to start your own blog.

What all of these resolutions come down to is respecting myself enough to make choices that are better for me in the long-run.  What are your New-Year's resolutions?  How are you going to accomplish them?

1 comment:

  1. I think the trick to eating veggies that you "don't care for" is cooking them properly. There are lots of vegetables that, when cooked the wrong way, taste gross. I'd recommend looking up recipes for specific veggies and picking the ones with the highest ratings left by users, or getting a cookbook with detailed instructions. For example, I own "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman, and in it he describes all the major kinds of veggies and the BEST ways to prepare each one simply and so they taste amazing.

    It sounds like a lot of work but it's worth it!

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