Monday, December 27, 2010

'Twas The Day After Christmas...

Christmas and Hanuka are over.  Gifts have been shared, packages unwrapped, the excitement and anticipation have gone, and friends and family have been visited.  We've eaten cookies, chocolates, pies and cakes, and consumed more than our share of eggnog and other fun beverages. Our pants are tighter than they were a week ago.

And now what? "In The Bleak Mid-Winter..." Around here, the sun doesn't shine enough.  Moods spiral downward. Why did I eat so much of that fudge?  Did I really need to eat an extra serving of prime rib and yorkshire pudding? We avoid stepping on the scales, or if we do, we get even more depressed. Some of us feel so disgusted with ourselves that it makes our mood even worse. What's a person to do except eat more left over cookies?

This is the perfect time to focus on creating a Healthier You!
Don't wait until the New Year.  How many times did that work for you, really?
Start making a healthier you today!
  1. Clean Out the Temptations.  Grab every goodie in sight and place it on the table.  Much of it is getting stale by now. You are done with it.  You've already tasted it and enjoyed it. Make a decision:  throw it away, freeze it to eat in small portions later, give it away to the neighbors, take it to your church or synagogue to freeze for the next gathering, donate it to a shelter, or put it down the garbage disposal.  Really.  It's going to waste or waist:  your choice.
  2. Bring in the healthy stuff!  Go shopping.  Buy fresh fruits, veggies, lowfat dairy, whole grains, lean protein sources.  The plan?  to set up your home to support your healthy focus. 
  3. Placement.  Put prepared veggies, cold water and fat free yogurt at eye level when you open the fridge.  Place a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit on the counter.  All other food needs to be put behind closed doors.
  4. Plan.  Write down what you are planning to eat for dinner in the next 3 or 4 days. Plan a big dinner salad or soup rich in veggies as one of the meals. Schedule your workouts and put them in your PDA, day planner, or calendar.
  5. Grab a new water glass or bottle and set it beside the sink.  Plan to drink a glass before every meal.
  6. Write down everything you eat for 3 days.  Include every taste or bite you take.
  7. Put your running shoes by the door and hand weights by the sofa to remind yourself to be active.  
  8. Haunted by some out of control eating behaviors?  Write down everything you ate or things you did over the holidays that you are not proud of.  Pick up the paper in your right hand. Examine it carefully.  Now, crunch up the paper and throw it away.  It's over, let it go.
  9. Find a support person or team to share your successes and struggles with. Find magazines, books and website that offer good advice on health.
  10. And remember:
   "Success is not final, failure is not fatal:  it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please let me know if you liked this post, have a question, want to add a comment or two, or even if you'd just like to say, "Hi!" Taking a minute to write in can really help others out there and make this blog even more fun for everyone!