Beyond the New Year's Weight Loss Resolution

"I'm in it to win it"
-Geno Auriemma, head coach, UCONN Huskies Women's Basketball team

With the coming New Year, a typical New Year's resolution is to lose weight, go on a diet.  My blog entry today is to give some motivational pointers to go beyond the resolution.  We must push and inspire ourselves to make that commitment, then go beyond it.

It sure would be nice to have a motivating coach, one who pushes us harder and further to be the best we can possibly be in order to keep us on track, stay inspired and committed to our diet and healthy lifestyle.  For most of us; however, sticking to that healthy lifestyle is a personal thing that only we can do for ourselves.  We need to be our own coach! 

Here are some inspirational points to consider for your New Year diet resolutions:

- Find that thing inside you that drives you to succeed.  What is the real reason to commit?

-Become your own mentor who completely cares about and believes in you.

-Have high expectations of yourself, your goals and ambition.

-Stay focused on your weight loss plans and get it done.

-Be your own leader, no one else is going to do it for you.

-When your resolution is not going easy, reach deeper inside yourself and make it happen.

-Expect greatness from yourself and maintain a level of excellence to do well with your plan.

-Continue to plan things out and stay organized with your healthy goals.  Pave your path.

-Always move forward and keep your plans rolling. 

I believe when we put emotions behind our weight loss and health goals, we develop a mindset that cannot be beat.  This winning combination inspires us to continue to step up to the challenge and take the prize of a better life!

With regard to my weight loss, I'm proud to say I'm a loser; yet, I am in it to win it.  Are you in?

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Act, Dream, Plan, Believe.........

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - Anatole France

The other day, I was very impressed with an old friend who decided to start the diet plan I follow last week!  Wow, to start a diet right before the holidays is very commendable.  She decided to take action on her weight loss goals.  No wavering, excuses, nor reasons not to start now!  She said she absolutely believed she could do it.


That made me think about my own weight loss thinking and how I tend to live my life in two ways. On one hand, I'm a very practical person.  I organize and plan my weight loss goals out.  On the other hand, I'm also what I'd call visionary.  I like to dream about and deeply believe in attaining those goals.  I have come to recognize, when I combine both those facets of my life, I'm more successful with my weight loss.


To act, is to take the first step.  The best way to do this is to find and commit to a weight loss plan that suits you.  It is important to learn everything about and understand the plan, seek out support and assistance and then go for it.  Just do it.  Continue to commit.


To dream, is to actually "see" yourself meeting your weight loss goals.  See yourself more healthy.  Dream about wearing clothes that fit properly and enhance your appearance.  See yourself getting around better and feeling like you have more energy.  As you become more confident about your dreams coming true, they DO become more of a reality!


To plan, is to be organized.  Attaining weight loss requires planning and organization for the best and most optimal results.  It is necessary to organize your food choices, food shopping, food preparation, and you must always have the right or proper, healthy food on hand no matter what circumstance.  Have your plan set in your mind for sticking to your diet whether you are going out, traveling, attending parties, family gatherings or celebrating holidays.  It is imperative you organize time in your life to exercise.  Also, plan some time for utilizing support groups or supportive people either in person or online.

To believe, is to really believe in yourself.  Know you can do this; you can stick to plan and lose weight, become healthy.  I deeply believed I could "do this thing" (my personal mantra) and no one could dissuade me, not even myself.  I had that much conviction and belief in my weight loss journey.  


I encourage you all to continue to act upon, dream, plan and believe in your own weight loss goals.  Always continue to inspire yourself!  Always, have the confidence to stay on track and most of all, truly believe you can do it!

Every So Often "Shake" Up your Exercise Routine

So, I'll admit it, I'm not any expert on exercise routines.  To be honest, I exercise not because I really, really want to go to the gym, but I do exercise regularly because I have to do that for my health.  I do; however, want to know more about exercise so when I'm in the gym, I'm getting the most out of my time spent there.  I talk to the professional trainers there and my spouse is a former Bodybuilding Champion, so  I feel I get good, practical advice from helpful people.   My blog entry today is to share that with you and tell you about my latest crazy time at the gym. 

Here are some exercise tips for getting the most out of your time spent working out.

-Whether you go to a gym, workout at home or take a walk or run, do that at least 5 times a week for 30 mins.

-If you have been doing the same workout over and over again for the past several months, your body will start to get used to it and the workout benefit will not be as great.

-If you are a beginner, change up your workout routine about every 6 weeks.  This resets your body, because, as I said above,  if you are doing the same thing all the time, you will not see as much change as you would like to see for your efforts.

-If you are more advanced, change up your workout every 4 weeks.

-Find new ways to make your exercise routine FUN!!!  And some suggestions are:
     1.  Partner up with a workout buddy.
     2.  Go out and play sports like tennis, golf, cycling.  Make this activity a social thing.
     3.  Find a hobby that requires physical exercise.  I am an extreme winter water metal detectorist
           and I'm getting excellent exercise while finding cool treasures!
     4.  Use your TV to workout to DVDs, dance to music on your Ipod or dance CDs.
     5.  Get exercise and relax at the same time by taking a walk or run in nature, ie, in the woods, at a
           park or at the beach.    
     6.  Go to a group fitness class with a good instructor who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

The last point I make, go to a fitness class, is where my funny story comes into "play"  I decided to "Shake" up my exercise routine and I had been hearing people talk about how much they liked their Zumba classes.  Now, Zumba is a dance fitness program created to combine Latin and international music with dance in an effort to make exercise fun.  At my gym there are Zumba classes as part of the membership.  Last night, I got up the courage and took my first class.  Let me tell you, it was fun, I loved the music, but I felt like I was Lucy in the I love Lucy Show.  You know, when she would try to sneak into Ricky's show routine and totally mess up the act!!!  Yes, that was me!! 

Nevertheless, I tried something new, found that I liked it, could laugh at myself and literally did "Shake" up my exercise regime!  So, everyone get out there, do something new and get a jump start on exercise, even before the New Year.

During this Holiday Season: Plan to Stay on Plan

The Holidays are now upon us.   It is a time to celebrate with family, friends and food. I know a number of people who have been working on losing weight this past year or have even started a new diet just before the holidays.  If you have been working on your weight loss plan, you may want to plan to stay on plan and not sabotage your weight loss goals during the holiday season!  By making a commitment to yourself and your health, you can enjoy the holiday season and celebrations without abandoning your weight loss goals.  I know I plan to stay on plan, so here are some points to consider while celebrating the holidays and sticking to your healthy lifestyle: 

-Don't think diet, rather think about eating healthier and your choice of weight loss plan is simply your lifestyle.

-Tell your friends and family you are working at a weight loss goal.  Help them better understand your choice of foods and the reasons why you are eating healthier.

-Eat before going to a holiday celebration or party.  Most likely, you will be less likely to be hungry and fill up on snack foods, sweets and drinks.


-Reduce or avoid alcohol .  Instead, drink plenty of water or sparkling water with lemon or lime.


-Prepare or bring low-fat, healthier dishes to gatherings or parties.


-Avoid skipping eating before the big holiday meal. You don't want to be starving and then make the choice to eat sweets and other unhealthy foods.

- Relax and enjoy the joy of the holidays. If you do cave, and have desserts, for example, just get right back on track, right back on plan.

-Do keep up your exercise regime.  It will help you maintain your weight loss, give you more energy and help you to deal better with any holiday stress. Exercise will keep your focus to stay on plan with your weight loss goals.

During this holiday and gift-giving season, give yourself the greatest gift of all, the gift of health and well-being and make it your joy to stay on plan.