 New Year is right time to make plan for healthy lifestyle
In early November, I suggested that you create a post-holiday plan so that come January, you could get started with a vengeance.
If you did this, it's time to pull it out and get started.
If you didn't, it's time to create one.
Whether or not you made a plan, you may have been considering many ideas over the past few months. If you are overweight, you know it and you know you'd like to do something about it, especially if you've been indulging over the holidays.
I strongly suggest you sit down with pen and paper and start making lists.
What are your priorities? Weight loss? Health concerns? More exercise? All of the above?
Take each item and consider how you are going to accomplish it. Be realistic.
For weight loss, some starting places are logging food, getting rid of all the leftovers, and signing up for a weight-loss plan.
If you have specific health concerns, a visit to your doctor may be a good start. Have lab work done, log your results and discuss with him where you are, where you should be and what changes you can make to get there.
Are you looking to become more active? What will your lifestyle tolerate? Decide what time of day is best for you to exercise and how much time you can dedicate. Make a workable commitment. For example, you might be a morning person and can commit to getting up half an hour early M-W-F to take a walk.
It's easy to get caught up in making unrealistic promises for the New Year. Doing this only sets you up for failure. Spend time looking at your own needs, your life's demands, and what you are able and willing to do. Then you can create a plan that will start you on the path to a long-term, healthy lifestyle.
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