New Year goals best kept small

     By Kim Springer
     View columnist
      With the arrival of the new year, you cannot avoid hearing about resolutions in conjunction with fitness and weight loss.
      The diet advertisements are always on television to let you know that when you are ready to lose weight, they are there for you. The gyms are also throwing out the welcome mat but they are taking the gamble that like most members, you will only last a few months before you quit.
      There are many ways, however, that you can survive this onslaught of gimmicks and quick fixes to finally keep your New Year's resolution.
      Of course the best plan of action is to make a list of both short-term and long-term goals.
      A short-term goal might be: I will drink 10 glasses of water a day or I will walk the dog two times a week. Sure those sound easy to achieve but it is amazing how even the smallest goal can fail. By starting with "baby steps" you are more likely to achieve success which improves both your self-esteem and health.
      As far as long-term goals are concerned, try not to make your total focus on weight loss. Picking a number you want to weigh is not the best strategy as it more often than not sets up an unrealistic goal.
      Focus more on: increasing exercise, leaving food on your plate, eating one healthy fruit and vegetable a day and getting a good nights sleep. If you are still doing all of these things by the end of the year, your health will improve and you will lose weight.
      What most people do not realize about goal setting is that goals should be evaluated and updated regularly.
      If you start with a small goal, or one you have found to be unrealistic, change your goal to reflect your current motivation.
      Say your goal was to exercise twice a week, an increase from zero times a week. Now, after three months you find you are regularly going to the gym two to three times a week, change your goal.
      A great goal for anyone concerned with fitness is to try one new activity a month. Try golf, tennis, roller hockey or coed softball, just do something new. If you do not like the sport keeping looking for one that suits you.
      With the new year comes the dreaded word, "diet." Unfortunately, diets only focus on the short-term process of weight loss.
      Once you go on a diet, you eventually will go off. The weight-loss industry is a billion dollar business that thrives on return customers who need to lose the same weight they lost and gained last year.
      Skip the diet. Start now by planning how you will change your eating habits. It may sound simple but if you only ate when you were hungry and stopped when you were full you would be your perfect weight.
      By adding exercise into the equation, we are allowed to indulge once in awhile without paying the price by gaining weight.
      I cannot emphasize enough how important exercise is for general health, well-being, and weight control.
      Most people do not have jobs that are physically demanding and if you do, your body quickly adapts to the extra energy required to function.
      For example, someone starting work as a waitress might find they lose a couple pounds due to the increase in activity. However, over time, the body adapts to this activity and needs more exercise, outside the job, to be challenged. Basically, we have to move our bodies regularly throughout the day to keep it functioning properly.
      Make the best of this upcoming year and make changes that will really last.
      Examine your goals and determine if they are realistic. If you make the same pledge each year, it is probably time to choose a new goal.
      Look at your past failures as learning experiences and examine what went wrong. Plan your new goal accordingly and you will have the best chance at achieving success.
     
     Kim Springer and her husband, Mike, are certified by ACE, NASM and ACSM as personal trainers. They can be reached at 233-9442, by fax at 233-9446 or by e-mail at springtrain@netscape.net.