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Getting healthy this
year? New Year is the time when almost all
of us start new diets, new exercise routines and so
on and yet by spring, most of us have already given
up on our new way of life. Whilst it's a good motivator
to have a date to start a new programme, we often
make the mistake of wanting too much, too soon. We
forget that it's still winter weather for most of
us - a time when we need hot food and are less able
to get outdoor exercise and whilst it's easy to stick
to fruit and salads on a lovely sunny day, the cold,
dark days of winter are different.
If you do intend to
lose weight then be realistic. Look for warming
soup or vegetable casserole recipes in your slimming
cookbooks rather than try to content yourself with
lettuce at this time of year. And don't forget that
exercise doesn't have to mean trekking out in the
rain and wind to the gym - a good exercise or dance
video can be followed in the warmth of your own home
and making an early, energetic start on the spring
cleaning is a good a workout as any.
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If
you intend to 'give up' some of your fattening treats,
you will be more successful if you cut these out one
or two at a time. Set yourself the goal of giving
up biscuits, chocolate or whatever your 'sin' is for
at least 2-3 weeks before you then add crisps or burgers
etc., to your list.
Substitution is also a better method than cold turkey.
If you give up eating pudding, then take up eating
grapes for instance - that way the habit of having
something after your meal won't be broken.
Try to substitute a healthier alternative to the things
you wish to leave out and you won't feel that you
are 'getting less'.
The biggest mistake we all make when on a new routine
is to think that if we give in and have something
forbidden then we might as well give up trying. Of
course this is nonsense. Each day is a new day and
that's how we should see it. 'I broke my diet yesterday'
is no excuse for 'I might as well break it today'
Say to yourself that a healthy way of life is an accumulation
of healthy days and as long as you have more healthy
days than not, then you are on the way to success.
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This
holds true for all our pursuits of a healthy
lifestyle - if you can't face giving up smoking
or drinking all at once then give up day by
day. Each day is a new start - 'today I am not
going to smoke' feels a lot easier than 'I will
never smoke again'. Failing to stick to your
intention does not mean you are a failure. It
just means you failed that particular day.
When a new day comes we can start afresh with
new determination. Take pleasure and pride in
the small changes that you have made - if you
usually eat a family pack of biscuits to yourself
but only ate two instead then that's an achievement
as it cutting smoking or drinking in half. All
improvements are exactly that and should be
recognised as such. Ignore the negatives and
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concentrate
on the positives and you'll keep your morale up a
lot easier.
Happy people are
usually healthy people!
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