Health & Fitness
Looking to Get in Shape in 2012? Here are 7 Tips to Help You
My best strategies for ensuring you keep any New Year's Resolution to lose weight.
"Weight Loss in the New Year: — How many times have we seen or heard this headline in our lifetime? Probably much more than we care to remember.
It's almost too much pressure ... all this New Year's resolution stuff. Stop smoking, lose weight, get organized ... 2012 is your year! I'm stressed out just typing the words.
I'll admit I'm guilty of giving in to the feeling that with the beginning of a new year I feel a sudden renewed commitment to accomplish the unimaginable. Or I could just get Ty from Extreme Home Makeover to "move that bus" and voila messy desk situation solved? No? OK, well then here's a few tips to help keep your renewed sense of commitment to your weight loss goals throughout the entire year.
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Make a Promise - It’s hard to cancel a commitment you’ve made to lots of people. Join an athletic event to raise money, so if you default on training, you’re not just letting yourself down but also the charity and everyone who sponsored you.
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Carry the Weight You Lose - Keep yourself from sliding into “just this once” eating mode when your weight loss plateaus. Use dumbbells that correspond to the number of pounds you’ve already lost. Walk around the house with those in your hands for a while. Feel good?
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Get a Cheer Squad - Surround yourself with people who’ll encourage you. Your parents were right ... you are who you hang around with, so ditch the downers and you might just ditch a few pounds too.
Be a Cheapskate - We bet you never miss getting those highlights touched up. Why? Because you’ll get charged if you're a no-show. Buy a package of personal training sessions, yoga or dance classes and schedule all your appointments now. Who would throw away workouts that are already paid for?
Look in the Mirror - A study in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that staring at your body in the mirror and stifling the usual criticisms can improve body image, which can keep you committed to healthy eating. Avoid using any negatively charged words. For example, instead of saying to yourself, “I have a huge behind,” say, “My waist looks small thanks to my curves.”
Become a Regular - Join a group exercise class and make friends with other regulars. Seeing your workout buddies will inspire you to attend even when you'd rather stay at home. The guilt factor can help here too. After all, in a place where everybody knows your name, they’ll also know when you’ve missed a workout. Busted!
Pump Up the Jams - A recent study found that women are more likely to stick to an exercise program if they crank up their favorite tunes while working out. Hope you got a Ipod for Christmas.
