The New Year celebrations have come and gone. Millions upon millions of people have aspired to make those resolutions and stick with them, come hell or high water. Among all those resolutions, losing weight is a major frontrunner. So, how many people vowed to eat right and lose weight? And how many have already smacked their foreheads and shook their heads in disappointment? We've all been there, believe me. But do you know why we fail? Because we set ourselves up to do so. Great Expectations is not just a book, my friends. One thing I've learned is to set realistic goals, obtainable goals. One can plan to shoot for the moon, and that's admirable, but maybe try shooting for the star right in front of the moon first, especially if you've never made a trip that far before.
The Grand Illusion....
One year I made the resolution to run a marathon. "I'm going to do this," I proudly proclaimed to my husband. I was excited, and the excitement of that endeavor clouded my reality. For one thing, I wasn't a runner, well, not long-distance anyway which meant learning how to run a distance over a mile. I was (and still am) a stay-at-home mom to a preschooler and a toddler, which meant I was their babysitter, so I'd have to take them along on my runs. (That was almost a combined weight of 55 lbs. that I would be pushing, and I wasn't used to that, let alone running by myself.) The factors kept piling up against me and finally the voice of reason, aka my husband, said, "Honey, that is a really great goal to have, but maybe it's not a right now goal. Maybe once both kids are in school and you could train by yourself. That would be a better time to try that." He had a point. A very good point. I was so disappointed and my hopes crashed down around me. But I stopped wallowing in self-pity and made another resolution: I would practice Yoga and Pilates more that year; I would work it into my workout schedule. I was always interested in it, so why not try it more? At the end of that year, I was trying more advanced moves than I ever thought I would when I started, I had more flexibility and was stronger! I felt proud and accomplished. It was a practical goal. Instead of stating, "I'm going to be a Pilates instructor," and not knowing the first thing about either being an instructor or the moves themselves, I made the goal of just trying it more and learning the practice.
All The Small Things...This year, I've elected to incorporate more strength training into my workouts and also to try some new routines, such as Booty Barre and CrossFit. It's baby steps to emerge me from my comfort zone. As far as diet goes, I am striving to cut down (not cut out yet) nighttime snacking. That is one of my weaknesses, so instead of deciding, "No more snacks at night, nada, zip, zero," and setting myself up for failure (because who am I kidding), I've cut down my snack, which is usually popcorn, to two nights a week (as opposed to five/six), then it'll be one, and hopefully will result in zero. It's realistic. I know I can do that and I won't cheat. I will be accountable.
Just Keep Swimming...
Each year the promise of a clean slate, a fresh start, has us all resolving to these grand plans and then a month into them, we slip because it's just too overwhelming and we can't keep up. Big dreams are great, don't get me wrong, but for those of you out there who are like me, you have to tackle that big dream one piece at a time. I'm an "instant gratification" kind of person. I want results and I want them now. But I'm grasping onto the concept that slow and steady wins the race. I mean, Rome wasn't built in a day. So why not conquer one structure at a time until that beautiful masterpiece is complete?
Here's to a Happy, Healthy, and Successful New Year!
