The new year is always a good time for a change.
The new year is always a good time to make changes. Most people focus on health changes in the new year, including me. Last night I went to the gym and it was very crowded due to all the people who start the new year with a desire to get in shape. As I worked out, I watched other people and thought about my own desire to lose those holiday pounds/inches that I put on. I thought about things that I needed to do to get back into my healthy routine. I want to share some of my goals/tips this month that I will be doing to get back in shape. My main goal is to be healthy and have a fit body. It is not about the weight, as I haven't got a clue on what I weigh, but rather tone the muscles and get them stronger. I look at my body like a car if I take good care of it runs well and stays out of the shop(doctors).
1. Start today
After Christmas, I kept putting off exercise and eating right. I made excuses like once the cookies are gone I will start or it is too cold outside. Making excuses was doing me no good and I need to start somewhere.
2. Shop smarter at the grocery store
I always try to eat before I go shopping. When I am hungry, I tend to buy junk that is not good for me. I need to write up a list and stick to it. The unhealthy food cannot be eaten if it is not in the house. I need to use a
grocery pickup service more often as then I can choose healthy food and pick it up, thus avoiding a trip into the store. My goal is to buy more leafy green veggies this month like kale and spinach. I find that cooking them and then storing them in the fridge, gets me eating them more often.
3. Leave your money at home when visiting the gym
This is a tip that I want to share in general after I listened to conversations in the locker room at the gym. It is amazing how many people were talking about going out to eat after working out. McDonald's was smart to be near a gym that I visit. It got me to thinking about how I eat too much after going to the gym. While I don't grab food from a restaurant, I do reach for my weakness snack, cheese and crackers instead of fruit and nuts. So while I don't have to leave my money at home when I go to the gym, I should pack a healthy snack in my bag.
4. Just move
On cold dreary days, I have a hard time getting out the door to workout so I usually push myself to go a walk. A fast walk is doing my body so much better than sitting on the couch. I need to move more during the day. The cold weather makes me want to sit more. My goal is to just go to the gym 3 days a week and get on a machine. I find that once I start listening to my music, I get moving to the music and get that workout in.
5. Wear jeans more often
I have been wearing leggings a lot this winter as they are so comfy. The problem is I did not realize that I put on a couple of pounds until I put on my jeans and realized that they stayed up without a belt. I don't weigh myself so my clothes are my indicator of when I have gained weight.
6. Run more
I have been visiting the gym instead of running outside and want to get back to running. Working out in the gym has been giving a good workout and using the weights have been helping tone my arms but I find that running gives me a more intensive faster workout. So my goal is to run three times a week and go to the gym twice a week. I have been liking the gym for working my muscles but the cardio is too boring for me. So on the days that I run, I might stop at the gym on the way home to do some weights. I am lucky that the gym is 1/2 mile from my house.
7. Snack less and drink more water
I tend to snack a lot since I work from home. I need to force myself to drink a glass of water everytime I eat a snack. I do eat healthy snacks but the colder weather keeps me from drinking enough water. So I need to starting drinking more water. Maybe if I close the pantry door, I might snack less.
8. Strengthen my muscles more
I need to focus on my muscles, specifically in my arms and my stomach. Since I received a free gym membership last July through my husband's work, I started doing some weight exercises with kettlebells to start toning my arms. I have never used the weight lifting machines until the other night when I decided to try them. I am going to use the weight machines 2-3 times a week to see how it can tone my arms and stomach.
I love using this for my stomach exercises, so much more fun than situps!
9. Small changes are best
I find that small changes are always best. When I make too many changes at one I get overwhelmed and then I tend to fail.
10.
Keep trying
When I fail, I start over again. I am not perfect nor do I want to be, so when I eat too much one day or just don't feel like working out, I am ok with that. I realize that tomorrow is a new day to start over. I also realize that these are goals to strive for and not written in stone. So what may work today might not work tomorrow. My advice is just to try. Changes will not happen without you starting.
Do you have any New Year Goals? I would love to hear about them!
Take SurveysBuild your profile & we'll
Earn RewardsComplete surveys and
Get PaidRedeem virtual points for
