Chef Marie

 ARTICLES

A Realistic Approach

To  A Healthy Goal For The New Year

The New Year is here and so are usually new goals. How many of us start working on goals and eventually forget about them or give them up within a few weeks. There is a very good reason for that. Most of the time goals are unrealistic therefore un-attainable. Expecting to reach many goals altogether is also a huge mistake. Best is to concentrate on one goal first and once accomplished move onto a second one and so on. So what goals are we talking about?

Some people want to lose weight, get in shape, improve their appearance, learn to cook, start to exercise, drink less soda, etc. Whatever the one thing you really want to do is, it has to really matter to you. No one is going to do it for you, ONLY ARE THE ONE WHO WILL!

You need to be mentally and physically ready, but also committed a hundred percent in order to succeed. You must acknowledge that the goal might not be easy and that you won’t give up no matter what. Of course that goal has to be reasonable and attainable. Do not forget to take into consideration your age. If you are in your fifties, it is not reasonable to want to achieve what a twenty years old can do or looks like. Too often people make unrealistic goals and that is why people give them up or never achieve them. You also have to be ready for the ups and down and have strategy in place to overcome those times. And yes, it is normal to have relapses, but as long as you get “back on the horse” right away, you will succeed. No athlete becomes a champion overnight! Your personal conviction is also what will make a difference. If you convince yourself that you can accomplish that goal, chances are you will. Many people will tell you that year resolutions are a joke, no one ever accomplish their goals. That is not true, so don’t listen to them. Visibly they miserably felt on theirs! Remember you are the one in control and you are the one who is determined to make it happen no matter what.

Since many people asked my opinion last year on why they fell reaching their healthy goals, I will discuss a bit the subject. Though it is really a personal affair, there is really no solution that fits all. But there is one thing for sure that anyone can gain from, which is to start to look at your exercise and your eating habits. To get healthy there is no way around. You need to exercise and eat healthy. The other thing I always recommend to my client is to get a physical. That sounds like a great idea, doesn't it! Here is one goal that should be easy and that everyone should do every year. I highly recommend you to do so, particularly if you do not feel well, need to lose weight, know you are not really living a healthy lifestyle, have a family history of serious medical problems, or simply before starting an exercise program. Let's talk now about exercising.

First when starting an exercise program, too many people over-estimate their capabilities and the shape they are in. They also do not realize that the body needs time to recover from hard work, not just physically but mentally too. They often over-exercise bringing pain, stress, and also injuries. The result, many people give up on their exercise program and get very frustrated about the whole thing. If you want to avoid this situation, consider this. I encourage my clients, who haven’t exercise for years, to start walking and start stretching. Why, because it is easy, does not involve any financial investment other than a good walking pair of shoes and is easy on the body. Then once your body starts to be in a little better shape, you can consider working harder and possibly pick up on a sport you used to like or you want to learn. Some may want to join a fitness center. Whatever it is make sure it is something you enjoy. It has to be fun in order to be able to keep up with it for months.

Back to walking, start by walking a few minutes a day, if this is all you can take. Keep building 10, 20, 30 minutes at a time until you build up to 45 minutes or 1 hour. If 1 hour is not possible in your schedule, break it into two half hour in a day. Do this 3 to 5 times a week, best being 5 times a week. Just do it and you will be surprised how great you feel afterwards. Don’t worry if you start walking slowly, you will pick up pace before you know it, once your body is ready for it. And by the way, if you walk outdoors, do not forget to take your cell phone (for emergency), put sunscreen, take sun glasses, and have a bottle of water with you. Let someone know where you are going, if possible.

So you are feeling pretty good and getting in better shape. You are now ready to pick up a sport you enjoy or join a fitness center. Make sure you get the right trainer/coach to help you out. Build good foundations and build them slowly. If you do weight, start with light weight and a few repetitions. Then increase the repetitions and once they become easier increase the weight and so on. If you do that you will succeed and avoid many injuries I have too often seen.

A word regarding fitness trainer or coach. A good fitness trainer/coach is someone with whom you get along, who understands you, listens to you, is able to put together the right program/training for you, is able to read your body signals, knows how to push the right button to get you just beyond your limit, knows when to push you or not, and that places a priority on avoiding physical and mental injuries or burn out. If that person pushes you way too far creating stress and serious body pains or soreness that last more than 2-3 days, don’t delay and look for a new trainer/coach. Keep in mind that a little soreness after a good exercise session is normal, severe pain is not. If you feel like avoiding your session or find excuses to re-schedule many times, something is either wrong with you, your trainer, your program, or simply you are not enjoying what you are doing. Evaluate and then take action. If your trainer/coach is not able to see it, ignores it, nor willing to look into the problem with you, that is another reason to let that person go. He or she does not care about you and sees only his or her personal interest in your relationship.

Now about eating healthy. First, I often tell my clients to write a journal of everything they eat and drink for a few days. Then I ask them to look at it carefully. They are often surprised to see the amount of junk food, candies, and sodas/juices they take in. Then I ask them if they feel they could cut down on one thing without feeling deprived. Most of the time people can do that and found out after a few days that it is not so difficult. That is all it takes to start to get on a healthier road. So what is it going to be for you?

Let me give you an example of a client who wanted to lose weight. He drank 3 sodas a day and wanted to start to change that, but could not imagine living without sodas. I suggested to him to buy the half size Coca Cola can instead of the regular size he was buying. I told him he still could get 3 cans a day and that made him real happy! I also asked him if he could drink a glass of water right after he drank the soda can. He gladly accepted. Later on, he told me that he was surprised that a half can could actually satisfy his thirst! The result, he cut the amount of soda in half, he drank some water he never used to do, and he lost one size pants in a few days. Just this simple goal made him realize that he could change his habits, lose weight without feeling deprived, and felt very happy about what he accomplished. Eventually he switch his Coca Cola for sparkling water with a little freshly squeezed citrus juice. Much healthier for him and he continued to lose more weight. He continued on by looking closer to his food in-take. He viewed food and drinks in a different way and had fun doing it. This was the beginning of a brand new healthy lifestyle for him.

These are good examples of what I  call reasonable attainable goals!

If you are interested in learning more on how to establish healthy lifestyle, check my programs.