5 Simple Steps to Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

By Carlos Alberto Rivas, MS, CSCS

It's that time of the year again when you set your new years resolution(s). You are going to lose that extra weight that is weighing on you physically and emotionally. You've read the latest fad diet, it is January, the holidays are over and you are ready to go.

Deep down inside though, there is always self-doubt. You start thinking about your demons and memories of past weight loss failures. All of a sudden you start to fear failure and you don't even get started on your resolution. Negative self-talk gets a hold of your emotions and you begin to eat your favorite comfort food. Sound familiar? If it does, don't feel alone, over 70 percent of the population is going through the same process.

Some of us try to diet, stay on it until we hit a plateau and quit trying completely. Some of us exercise for two-four weeks but find it difficult to find the energy to sustain the new exercise regiment, so we quit working out within the first weeks. Once again don't feel alone — over 70 percent of those who start an exercise program drop out within the first two months.

The following are a few key areas in your life that you can change today and sustain for a lifetime.

1. Reduce your stress : Stress reduction can sometimes be solved by a few simple steps. Write down the source of stress on a piece of paper and then write down your solution. In other words, be a problem solver. If however you find yourself worrying about things you do not have control over, stop worrying about it.
2. Do planned activity daily : Walk, bike, swim, weight train, play basketball, tennis, etc. on a daily basis to get your blood flowing. We all need to move on a daily basis in order to feel better about ourselves. If you have problems sleeping, it may well be that you are not exercising daily like you should.
3. Get quality sleep : A recent survey found that those people who were the least active, had the toughest time falling asleep and had less quality sleep than those who exercised. This may be due to the fact that exercise actually makes you tired enough to fall sleep. One of the problems is that many of us spend too much time resting all day. To test this theory just take an inventory of your daily activity; see how much time you are spending sitting down as opposed to moving.
4. Drink water : Too many of us don't drink enough water; we should all be striving for 64 ounces of water per day. Stop drinking soft drinks and instead substitute water. You'll be amazed what this simple strategy does for you on a daily basis. Just think about what happens to your flowers or plants when you don't water them.
5. Become a positive person : Yes you too can become more positive; A simple approach is to start taking note of the positive things that happen to you on a daily basis. Keep track of at least three positive things that happen to you on a daily basis.

Carlos Alberto Rivas, MS, CSCS is the fitness/ personal training director of the Baptist East/MilestoneWellness Center. Carlos has a master's degree in exercise physiology and has over 10,000 hours of personal training experience. Carlos is also a member of the Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine's Editorial Advisory Board. He can be reached by phone at 502-896-3900 ext. 142.