How will I know?

We are now eleven days into the new year.  For most of us, we're also 11 days into our resolutions which means we only have 3 more days of misery.  If you're anything like the majority of Americans, you've given it your best shot.  You joined a gym, vowing to go before or after work 3x a week.  You tried a new class.  You've been starving for the past 11 days and quite frankly you're getting sick and tired of 'trying'.

The masses are trying to sell more sugar in the form of Valentine's Day candy.  I mean....the Christmas crap isn't even off all the shelves yet.  The 75% off candy is next to 'A New Year, A New You' self-help book!! And for cryin' out loud, it's just too hard to stick to your resolution.

Something in the universe is working against you and you're slowly slipping into your old patterns and seriously questioning your resolution.  What's a few more pounds?  Isn't life too short to not enjoy?  Don't you miss the taste of crap?  It's time to get off the treadmill.  You have no desire to stand on your head in that God forsaken Yoga class with those weirdos and weight lifting is just for meat heads.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
It's only the rest of your life!

Do you want to enjoy it?  Or just find yourself on the merry-go-round of mediocrity?  Giving into your taste buds?  Who's stronger?  Big wonderful YOU or little stinking them?  Do you know it's possible to re-train your buds?  Just because it's green does not mean you'll gag.  Just because it's not doused in sugar does not mean it won't be yummy.

Here's the giant elephant in the room...if you want the NEW and IMPROVED YOU there are no resolutions.  When the clock ticks away to a new year, there is no vow to make yourself miserable.  Instead, it's all about just getting back to YOU.  Figuring out what works for you to be savvy and healthy.

I have found it's not about counting calories or hopping on the scale.  By living a healthy savvy life, pounds drop and diets are a thing of the past.  I love my yoga classes.  I look forward to my weight training sessions and I can now safely run a 5K without stressing out.   It's not a goal.  It's not a resolution.  It's my life!

You'll find, as with any addict, people who enable and discourage you.  'Just eat it, who cares?' or 'Why be miserable?'.  My answer to these enabling statements: Because it's my life!  The choices I make today will have a lasting effect on the rest of my days.  I don't want to be at the doctors for high blood pressure and type II diabetes.  I don't want migraines or other common aliments.  I want to be the best I can be and I want to feel good!  I want to be able to fit into my normal size pants and not creep up into 'fat pants'.  I want all the good stuff and I know it's worth it.  Who wants to feel miserable/depressed/fatigued/moody.  Bad food, over processed food can cause all of the aforementioned lousy side effects.

It's also important to figure out what type of exercise doesn't feel like exercise.  By this I mean, if you do not enjoy running, for example, don't rely on that form of exercise to burn the calories.  If the treadmill makes you cringe, no biggie!  Try a bicycle!  Try a stair master (for buns of steel!).  If you're afraid of bulking up from weight lifting, trust me unless you're going hard core the likelihood of looking like the 'Incredible Hulk' are slim to none.

Stop letting YOU get in the way of YOU!  Imagine an angel on one side and a devil on the other.  The angel will push and motivate you, the devil will tell you 'it's too hard, stop'.  Which do you listen to?  Don't misunderstand something as being painful with something that requires training your muscles.  If you have not done yoga before, some of the poses will freak you out (they did me!).  But by building muscles, the poses become easier.  If there's pain involved, stop.  That's not the devil, that's common sense.

Get in touch with your body.  You are the expert.  Challenge yourself, but don't hurt yourself.  If you fall off your wagon, there is no shame in getting back on it.  If you're in an exercise class and you can't do something, don't worry.  We weren't born knowing how to do it all.  Learn.  Be patient.  Be committed.  The results will make you smile.  Take yourself from goals to a way of living.  The benefits will blow your mind.

Namaste.