Everyone, it seemed, had at least one or two new goals and several half-down resolutions from years past that promised to "be done in 2012."
"This Time," several trumped, "it will be different."
"This time," most boasted, "I will loose weight."
Pragmatic by nature, I'm also a bit jaded; to the point that I have stopped caring about the litany of possibilities a new year has if written on a piece of paper.
It actually annoys me to hear a list of dreams without a realistic path or plan of action. Nothing, including a weightloss routine, I believe, can be done without research, a plan of action and a support system.
Jumping into a weightloss plan requires action steps that can keep you on track and accountable.
Have you done any of this?
If you haven't, it's probably best that you do these things before you set yourself up for failure: whether it be a gym membership that is never used, a healthy menu that is never cooked, or a girth that never shrinks.
It's important to "know yourself."
I, for one, get bored quiet easily; and, I tend to change-up my fitness routiness a couple of times a year. Or mix it up with a few things at the same time: Hiking and weight training; pilates and power walking, you get the picture.
But instead of starting a new fitness routine in the beginning of the year, I use the entire month of January to plan and make sure to start the year with a strong foundation. While I am doing something else to keep myself active.
The first half of this year, I am focusing on a home work-out, power walking and am currently researching Pilates studios - for what I hope to be, a full body workout and the key to loosing the 15 lbs I gained in the later half of 2011.
How do I do it?
Step 1: Research
Before I sign up for the latest gym "special," I do my homework.
Not only do I tour local gyms, and studios, I also speak to their trainers, review class schedule and even speak to a few members before I sign on the dotted line. I also look into my personal finances, before I speak to sales managers to make sure I'm not biting more than I could chew.
You will be surprised to know that a more expensive gym can be less expensive in the long-run because of the amenaties that can both save me time and money.
If you are looking into home-based work-outs, like I am this time around, read reviews on Facebook and various other online consumer reports and blogs.
Something to also think about, is do you have the space to work-out in your home, and do you have the proper ventilation and privacy needed to really maximize your workout.
Step 2: Plan
When I signed up as a gym member, I took note of all the amenties that were available to me for a limited time to make sure I took advantage of them or transfered them to a friend.
I also scheduled and prioritized all my workouts in my iCal and kept my fiance (now husband) and staff abreast of the times I would be booked - even if after hours.
But the most important step in planning, is to not over plan. Which is hard - because as women, we have it in our DNA to bite more than we can chew.
The reality is, I do it for work, I did it for the gym, and I do it in my personal life.
But it's not realistic to think that you can, or will be able to, stick to your routine 100%. And for that, you need a little cushion or lee-way, if you want to call it that.
I know this by personal experience: with a broken foot and a Lupus scare that derailed more than half of 2011, going to the gym was medically impossible.
It was hard because for the first time ever I enjoyed going to the gym.
It took some time, but I finally have the medical clearance to get back into the swing of things - albeit, at a slower pace than the intense workouts I was accustomed to.
Step 3: Support System
When I started going back to the gym I was excited and committed. My thyroid was on check and all of my medications seemed to be working well.
My neighbors, which happen to be some of my closest friends, were my biggest cheerleaders along with my husband. My family, unfortunately, not so much (with the exception of a few people).
Besides the Latino-snarle that I was privvy too when I would mention - excitedly- that my trainer had complimented a lunge, or I moved up a knotch with my dumb bells, I was also subjected to eye rolls and snickers.
In my family's eyes, they couldn't believe that I could stick to a gym schedule.
Although with lots of hard work and medication that kept my Thyroid working, I was able to drop to a size 14 from my original 22 in one year. But I never saw myself that way.
Even with my weight gain of 15 lbs and my bigger size 16, I have yet to see myself as a smaller version of the size 22 I used to be.
If you are on a journey to be a healtheir you, you probably also see yourself as a fattie - and you will probably never fully embrace your smaller size.
That's why it's important to have a good support system: Not only will they keep you real, they will inspire you, and love you as you go up -and down- in your journey to being a happier, and healthier you.
Don't forget - a healthy lifestyle is not a destination, it's a journey - and we are in this together.
