New Year, New You?

Happy New Year everyone! It's the dreaded first week of being back to normality; the hang overs have gone, the kids are back to school, our belly's are still full from all the festivities and our minds focused on one thing and one thing only... New Years Resolutuions. Yes it's that time again- time to ditch the stodge, quit the cigs and/or alcohol and embark on a wonderfully healthy lifestyle which will transform our flab to fab in no time! But will we actually stick to them? A few weeks (and excuses) later and we discover that the answer, in many cases, is er...no. "Oh well" we say "...there's always next year".

For most, this becomes a cycle year in year out, mainly because our resolutions are unrealistic in the first place. My advice? Get healthy, stay healthy! Start by making gradual changes to your lifestyle, such as doing 2 or 3 30 min work-outs per week or cutting down the amount of biscuits you eat in a day, and take it from there. Like in personal training, you could write down these goals with timescales too e.g be doing 3 good hour work-outs by March then 4 by June. Keep reviewing your goals and write new ones every couple of months or even every few weeks if you need the extra motivation. And remember, keep them realistic! If you love chips (or any other naughty food!), don't cut them out altogether. Instead, limit yourself to eating 1 portion every 1 or 2 weeks... this way you still get to enjoy them but without feeling guilty. If you work long hours then fit in exercise only when you know you can stick to it and even write planned sessions and times as appointments in your diary. Remember even 2 lots of 30 mins per week is much better than none at all! Last but not least, enjoy what you're doing. Find healthy meals or treats that actually taste good and try different activities until you find some you enjoy e.g classes, swimming, running, even walking the dog. i.e If the gym bores you... don't go!

And Wa-la.... your lifestyle is much healthier and, without even knowing it, you keep your resolutions all year long. Didn't you do well!