For the life of me I cannot remember what my New Year’s resolutions for 2010 were. I suspect that I didn’t set any because at that time in my life I wasn’t doing much of anything.
It kind of looked like this. It was a dark time.
Despite not making any New Year’s resolutions, 2010 was a big year of change for me, health-wise and otherwise. People love to try to get healthy at the beginning of a new year. Yesterday one of my gym instructors told us that January always has the highest enrollment and attendance numbers of the year and that it also has the highest occurrence of gym-related injuries, which is interesting and totally unsurprising.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making resolutions to lose weight and to get in shape for the new year, but you have to consider how much goes into losing weight and getting in shape. You need a plan. A real solid plan that addresses your different issues and your goals. You need goals! Small manageable doable goals. If you just say “I’m going to lose weight and get in shape” without having a plan, you might go the way of all the other people who forget about their gym memberships and diet vows in February and go back to their regularly scheduled programming.
Regularly scheduled programming.
While making a real commitment to watching what you eat and to exercising is absolutely necessary for losing weight and getting in shape, there are other things you can do that will make the weight loss/getting into shape process so much easier and more rewarding. If you’re looking for some suggestions of things to try in the new year to improve your health and ease into a new body and a new life, I’d say consider these:
1. Get more sleep.
I’ll tell ya, as a lifelong insomniac, I never knew how good it felt to get 8 hours of sleep a night. I always read about the health benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, particularly the weight-loss benefits, but I just can’t get to sleep at a decent hour on my own. I got a prescription for Lunesta and it’s been insanely beneficial for me. If you can get to sleep on your own, by all means, do it and be sure to get your 8 hours a night. If you have sleeping issues like me, talk to your doctor about your options. Ambien did NOT work for me–it put me to sleep, but it made me lose control of my motor skills in my waking hours and made me do some crazy shit. That said, I know other people who love it. Melatonin is a natural option that works for some. There are other natural remedies and there are over-the-counter options like Tylonel PM. Personally, I love Lunesta and it has changed my life. My friend Alex loves a handle of Sailor Jerry. Whatever works, you know? Get those 8 hours every night. You’ll feel a big difference.
2. Start a strength training program.
I talk about strength training a lot. I really strongly believe that a good strength training program is the key to changing your body for the better. Cardio is great–I love it. I go spinning 2-3 times a week, I hop on that elliptical when I need to, and I’ve even been getting jogs in here and there. Cardio keeps my heart healthy and it helps burn some serious calories. That said, nothing has changed my body like strength training. When I first started working out it was all cardio and I got a little bit of strength from yoga. I couldn’t understand why I got stuck on a plateau and couldn’t lose more weight. I was spinning four or five times a week! I was all WTF about it. I did a lot of reading and research and my greatest fears were confirmed: weight training was crucial. As it turned out, I had nothing to fear. I started going to the Les Mills Body Pump class at my gym, loved it, and I was transformed. It only took a few weeks for me to start seeing significant changes and I was totally sold. Not only will incorporating a strength training routine totally change your body for the better, it will give you a lot more strength to power you through your cardio workouts AND lean muscle is a lot more svelte than flab.
Do it!
3. Write down what you eat.
If you’re really serious about losing some weight, I strongly urge you to try writing down everything you eat, at least for three weeks. Quite often, people don’t realize how much they’re consuming with those little extra bites–you know, the stuff you eat and drink between meals. The samples at the grocery store. The extra fries from your friend’s plate. The soda or candy bar you toss back in the afternoon for an energy boost. All that stuff adds up, and writing down what you eat can really help you be aware of that stuff and change your habits. On the other end of the spectrum, a lot of people don’t realize how little they’re eating throughout the day. Some people don’t eat anything all day long, then kind of go nuts at dinner and after dinner. That’s not good. Writing down what you eat all day can help you figure out if you’re eating too much or too little and it can help you focus in on other dietary black holes–for example, are you eating vegetables every day? Fruit? How many servings? Keeping a food diary can help you identify what you’re doing right and what you need to change to meet your goals. It’s one of my favorite weight loss tools.
4. Cut out the artificial sweeteners.
Seriously, they’re gross.
5. Get a therapist.
The single greatest thing I did in 2010 was get over my stigmatized opinions about seeing a therapist and I got myself one. I really needed someone completely unbiased and confidential to talk to about some stuff that was going on with me, I found a great therapist, and I just started pouring it all out. I’m now of the opinion that if everyone in the world saw a therapist the world would be a better place. Seriously, an entire hour to have someone listen to you talk about yourself and your problems, whatever they are, with no judgment? You can’t beat that. People tend to have really strong opinions about therapy and what it has to offer and whether or not it’s a crock of shit, but I’m into it. You won’t benefit from it until you’re ready to give it an honest try and you need the right therapist to really reap the benefits, but I’m telling you, when you find the right person and let him or her help you, you’ll see big great changes in everything. If you have insurance that will cover a few visits, at least give it a whirl. It really can’t hurt.
6. Finally, pick a few fun resolutions too. One year I resolved to see more movies and to take better care of my nails (which meant getting regular manicures). It can’t be all work and no play.
So, those are my recommendations for 2011. Those are the best things I did for my health in 2010, without making any resolutions, and they’ve all worked out really well for me. Go nuts.
Jaclyn
