New Year, Same Old Challenges

First of all I would like to wish a happy and productive 2009 to everybody. Why is it that so many of us feel that we go through life just spinning our wheels never getting anywhere? Maybe because we are! Every year around this time we make resolutions only to fail at them by the middle of March and our desire to live a healther lifestyle is usually our first victim. (That exercise bike makes an expensive clothes rack doesn't it?) It seems that the simplest goals in our lives are the ones that have the most positive benefits and the hardest to keep.

In order to have some success at reaching these goals we have to keep some things in mind. Everybody has challenges. Defeating these challenges takes an on going effort year after year. The trouble is that we get complacent and we let are guard down. Another is that we turn to are past self-defeating patterns of behavior in times of anguish or stress. We decide at that particular moment that it is just not worth the effort and we give up. Still another reason is that we get excited and take on too much at one time and feel overwhelmed. Here are some suggestions on how to live a healthier 2009.

Start off small. Change behavior a couple of steps at a time. When you feel comfortable picking up new habits start on a few more. Remember that achieving your goals is not a sprint, it is more like a marathon! First start with your diet. I would recommend the following. to start. Always eat a high protein breakfast. This will raise your metabolism and give you long term energy. Eat mini meals every 3-4 hours using salad plates to keep portion sizes under control. Stay away from finger foods because they are too easy to over eat and limit your intake of fast food or don't eat it at all. Drink plenty of purified water 3-4 quarts a day is sufficient. I know that these things can be hard to do sometimes. Just do the best that you can.

Second, Get more exercise. Start with simple things like parking your car at the far end of the lot. How about using the stairs. rather then the elevator. Another good thing to do is to not use your car at all a short distance from your house. Resistance training is a great way to fire up your metabolism. 2-3 times a week is good and no more then about 30-45 Minutes at a time. Keep it short and keep it intense.

You might be saying to yourself these ideas are not new. You are right. they are not but most likely you are not doing them anyway. I believe the most important thing to keep in mind is that people should not look at these habits as being special. You must internalize them into your lifestyle. In order to be sucessful you must work at these habits as a life long goal. You are trying to correct habits that are ingrained in you and that is not achievable overnight.

I hope that I have given you something to think about. Good luck and may you be sucessful.

Don (reddog63)