Skip to main content
New Year, New Body… Really?!?
Jan 01

New Year, New Body… Really?!?

So, I’ve been thinking about this whole New Year, New Body thing that almost everyone goes through around the new year… The promises of “After the holidays, I’m going to work out more, eat better, drink more water, get more sleep, blah blah blah, yaddah yaddah yaddah.”

People think that the holidays are a month and half or a two month process, but if you think about it, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are all 1 day.  It doesn’t mean you have to eat from Thanksgiving all the way through New Year, and then on New Year’s day you turn over a brand new leaf and stop eating again.  Binge eating or binge exercising during the holidays, personally, I think is absolutely insane.

In my own life experience, before I became a fitness instructor, I can honestly say that I was never one to extreme diet after the New Year, much less work out.  But even now, I do not find myself making commitments to myself or promises to myself that I know I am not going to keep or even commit to.  I believe that you have to be realistic about who you are and what you are really willing to do.  No pain no gain, and you don’t know until you try —  yes, I absolutely believe in those, but there’s a bigger issue at hand.

What are you willing to change?

  • It’s all about consistency, in fitness and in life.  I have watched people over and over again binge exercise before, during, and after the holidays so that they can eat, drink, and be merry.  “I’m going to do extra workouts, or do this and that so that I can eat more,” I have heard this over and over again.  But, what if, instead of binge exercising, they worked out more consistently? And when they ate, they ate regularly and in moderation on a more consistent basis? Or drank water regularly, say the recommended 8 glasses of water per day?  Imagine that?  People’s lives, heck, all our lives would be so different if we did just these simple things.
  • Rome was not built in a day, and your body didn’t gain weight in a day either. It will take effort, consistency, and time for you to change your habits and your body.  I have found that fitness isn’t a fad, it is a lifestyle.  It is not easy, but the results are worth it — better health, is worth it.  In order to effect change, you must do something that will make you uncomfortable, take you out of your comfort zone.  Maybe, have water with lemon at your meals versus a soda; start eating breakfast even though you don’t feel like it; having more vegetables on your plate and just a little bit of meat or bread/starches; or sleeping 6-8 hours per night versus the 4 or 5 hours (Yes, when you don’t get enough rest or sleep, it is harder for you to lose weight.  Rest is very necessary.)

Why not try something different?

  • Write your goals and affirmations. For example, if I ask you do you want to see yourself?  You answer with your goal weight in an affirmation,  “I am 115 lbs.”  If you weigh 130 lbs. now, give yourself a timeline and create a plan as follows:

Today’s Weight – 130 lbs

In 30 Days: Goal Weight 125 lbs.

In 60 Days: Goal Weight 120 lbs.

In 90 Days: Goal Weight 115 lbs.

  • Pick 1 habit you would like to change. For example if you would like to stop drinking soda, create another affirmation about the benefits of the new habit. Affirmation:  I drink water.  It is good for my body.
  • Challenge yourself, see how long you can go. Start with 3 days, then 5 days, then 10 days.  After 10 days reward yourself, not with a soda, but with something nice, like a massage or a facial.  Something that rewards you for being good to your body.
  • Write what you eat… If you bite it, write it. This helps keep you more accountable, and this also shows you how you were feeling or what was going on with you when you were eating what you were eating.  If you are an emotional eater, this may help.  Being conscious and being aware of how you’re feeling or what’s triggering you when you want to reach for something to eat is absolutely something to pay attention to.  You can eat your feelings, but, do you really want to do that?  Food is a great drug because it is easily and legally available to you.

At the end of the day, it is more than okay to give yourself love. Taking care of yourself by being consistent with your workouts (even if it’s just walking for a half an hour a day), by being aware of what you’re putting in your mouth, by giving yourself rest and time to recover, by allowing yourself to have fun, this is all good.  Giving these things to yourself will allow you to be able to give more love to others.

Until next time, see you ladies on the dancefloor!

Laine

Related Posts

Let’s talk about SEX

*This post contains adult content. Please read with your own discretion.  Since it’s getting closer to...

DON’T Walk Away the Pounds

With summer right around the corner, and bathing suit season with it, a lot of...

What’s Up With Waist Training?

Summer is right around the corner and I fully admit that I'm not different from...