Start Date

I bet you’ve already decided on your resolution for next year.  Lose weight?  Eat healthier?  Quit smoking?  Save money?  Maybe all of the above?

So what’s your plan for the next week?  Party, indulge, eat and drink like it’s your last meal and lay around while you still can? 

We love to have a “start date”.  That day when we start something new, re-start doing what we should, or get back on the wagon.  A start date somewhere in the future gives us hope.  We look toward it with anticipation of the changes it brings, and just know that when the day comes we will face it with all the motivation and determination of Secretariat at Belmont.

Planning for start dates are fun but rarely successful.  According to research conducted by author Stephen Shapiro, only 8% of people are always successful in keeping their resolutions.  

How many times have you started your new diet, bought a new running suit, or thrown that last pack of Marlboro Lights in the trash.   

The problem I’ve had with start dates is the simple fact that the longer I wait to “start (insert resolution here)” the less I really want to do (that thing).  

I’ve found that the minute I realize I need to do something, whether it’s sending a note to a sick friend, calling my mother, or checking on my suspiciously quiet children, the time to act is NOW.  As soon as I let the moment pass, my friend is better, my mom’s out to lunch, and my children have torn apart the couch (really!).  

The same holds true with life goals and aspirations.  

Statistically, people who set resolutions are more likely to make positive changes in their life in general.  My advice to you is this..... don’t wait for January 1.  If you want to lose weight, if you want to invest more time in exercise, start eating well, quit smoking, you name it- if you are ready to make a big change in your life, start today.

Big changes require small steps, taken consistently.  This week, as you prepare to celebrate, think of just one small step you can take to follow your dreams.  

If improving your health through good nutrition and exercise are part of those goals you can find some inspiration in my list of Top 5 Survival Tips for the Holidays.

This day, make a list of 5 things you can do this week to reach your goals.  Make every day your start day, an you’ll have no trouble meeting your resolutions!

Eat Well     www.sickofspaghetti.com   Spend Less

Weight Loss Begins with S-L-E-E-P

Another study has confirmed that sleep is a weight loss aid.   I know what you're thinking. It's hard enough to find the time to make special meals and get to the gym, now I'm expected to work in naps?   

No. 

We SHOULDN'T be making special meals.  We SHOULDN'T be going to the gym, and we SHOULDN'T have to take naps.

Our bodies are designed to work intuitively with our environment, and our environment provides everything that is essential for our bodies to thrive (physically and emotionally).  Naturally, we are meant to feed on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat.  We have the musculature to run, jump, climb and swim.  And we have an internal clock that winds up and slows down in communion with the sun.  We need no special routine if we follow our natural instincts.

Its the unnatural rhythms of  contemporary life that get in our way, and bring us to our current condition.  And the sad truth is, we look at our lives today as "normal".

The study referenced above refers specifically to the timing of sleep- and suggests that people who go to bed earlier (before midnight), sleep longer, make better food choices,  and weigh less.

What, I ask you, is the take home message here?  Is it that we should all start visiting nap pods during our lunch hour, stop by the gym to run like a rat on a wheel, and then go home to our Nutri System frozen meal? 

As we embrace the modern conveniences that continue to evolve in our own brave new world, I would encourage all of you to remember one important thing.  We cannot manipulate nature.

The take home message here is this- give your body what it needs, and it will give you what you want from it.

Nutrition:  We cannot burn calories when we don't have the necessary fuel.  The fuel comes from whole foods, fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products that provide all the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your metabolism needs to work effectively.  Processed foods, sugars, excess salt, preservatives and chemicals slow down metabolism and interfere with nutrient absorption.

Physical Activity:  Just move on a daily basis.  Find activities to use your muscles regularly.  Many of us find we need a gym or fitness class to help in this department.  But don't let that be your crutch.  Add physical recreational activities to your free time as well.


Rest:  Sleeping gives our physical and emotional bodies a restart.  All of the damage we do to ourselves during the day is repaired, and we should wake fresh and ready to go.  Try to follow your bodies natural sleep cycle, and get in bed before 11pm.

Weight loss is much more complicated than eat, play, rest.  But if we start by getting back to the basics, we give our bodies a leg up on the process.