Articles
Happy New Year
Sunday 30th December 2007
Now that Christmas is over, the mince pies are all eaten, chocolates are all finished (well nearly) our thought now turn to New Year. New start, no chocs , no crisps or booze, fitness regime starts next Monday, a few weeks time and we'll all be oh so healthy and fit................wait a minute, chances are by next again Monday all of that will be forgotten, well it is cold and miserable here in January got to have some pleasure in life huh?
Trouble is even with the best of intentions it is very difficult to make too many changes all at once and then stick to them. Try to do things gradually, we generally eat and drink much more than usual over the festive season so even returning to your normal lifestyle is a start. Unfortunately as we get older our metabolism slows down so it becomes a bit harder to lose any excess weight, however dont panic just yet all is not lost.
- Try to make small changes one at a time e.g. cutting down on unhealthy snacks, dont deprive yourself completely that is the fastest route to failure unless you are very strong willed.
- Introduce small chunks of exercise into your life ( if you are not used to exercising ) If you are used to exercising try to return to your normal routine as soon as possible then try to vary it a bit or try pushing yourself ( a bit longer, one more session per week for example) But above all I feel it is important to find something you enjoy doing you are much more likely to stick to it then. Even buying an i-pod or similar to play your favourite music can make a difference.
- Then have a wee look at your diet, keep a food diary for a week, be honest and see exactly what you do eat in black and white, too much junk? not enough fruit and veg? not enough carbs to fuel your workout? too much fat? Sometimes just writing it all down lets you see if you need to make any changes.
- Water... are you getting enough? 8-10 glasses are recommended each day even for non exercisers. Sometimes you can confuse thirst with hunger, if you were properly hydrated you may not feel you need to eat as much.
In an ideal world of course we would all eat and drink sensibly , exercise every day.......yeah you have heard it all before, that is why you should implement one small change to make you healthier TOMORROW. When you can stick to that easily try another , when you can do that try another.
Here's to a happier , healthier New Year all round
LM :)