Friday, January 5, 2007

Thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions

I hope everyone had a good holiday. And once again it’s time for the New Years resolutions. If yours included words like diet and exercise then you’ll fit right in with most folks who want to do the good thing. Studies show, however, that sticking with it is not an easy task. By the end of January half, with a tinge of guilt, will have given up. Shedding a little weight seems to be the big motivation for most. Health clubs love our lack of resolve - sign up for a membership and a month later…

But this year it could be different. Health pros will tell you that diet and exercise have a much larger impact on life than trying to fit into a pair of jeans. They also recommend that you do a health assessment before staring a diet or exercise program. Seeing your doctor would be the best place to start, but even before that it would be good to do a self exam. Trouble sleeping, heartburn, back pain, headaches, low energy level and anything else that has become unpleasant baggage should be on the list.

The healthy approach to living should have a game plan that will reduce calories as well as take care of any other issues on your list, especially any that involve pain. Taking OTC medication long-term is definitely not a good thing. A good way to make this work is to keep a diary. You can do this with the idea that perhaps it could benefit others to know how you solved these problems. Not only does it help you to track your progress, it works as motivation. And one of the big keys to success is the feel good part.

There has to be rewards for a project like this to work, both short and long term. And not just tape measure and bathroom scales. Diabetics that I know keep a running tab of everything they put in their mouth. It’s no big deal, just an everyday occurrence. Well it is a big deal - for them it’s very important to stay on track. My point is that, for them, it’s an everyday thing, like breathing. But they reward themselves for a job well done. The reward can be whatever, even a piece of chocolate cake or a beer. And bigger rewards at the end of the month or on the anniversary of a successful year help success to continue.

No comments: