New Year Resolution part1: Get Your Heart Pumping

So every year we start out saying we want to live healthier lifestyles.  Which is flippin awesome.  But we live healthy lifestyles for about 8 days...if even that long, then we slip into our old habits.  Ooof course we do. It's hard to change what you've been doing for 365 days!  The first week or so is successful, you're at the gym every other day, or maybe you take your younger bro/sis and go on a walk, swim at the local YMCA, do whatever you like to do.  But then comes day 9...maybe day 9 is a weekend?  And you go out with your friends to watch a basketball game at BWW.  There goes you're healthy start to the year. Today was ruined...might as well go all out, eh?  NAY.  You can eat wings, man. You can eat wings, but (!!!) you know what you'll be doing the next morning--hitting up the gym.  Eat until you're full (not until your stomach is about to explode...) and have moderately satisfied your taste for wings.  The plan:  Burn off a good 200-300 calories before next morning's breakfast.

It's hard to keep yourself on track nutritionally if you are going out with your friends.  We can say to ourselves that we'll monitor our portions, but let's face it, the country's obese citizens (about 35% adults, 17% kiddies) aren't following this. Neither are the overweight ones.  So instead of having a game plan that's ideal but isn't applicable, let's have a game plan that's practical that will actually benefit ussss!

Going back to BWW, you just ate 15 wings. CRAP. It's ok though! You go home, don't open the fridge or cabinet, wake up the next morning and burn those 300 calories we talked about.  Motivation is key to maintaining said plan.  Whether it be because you want to lose weight, lower cholesterol or blood pressure, build muscle, or have more energy, USE THAT.  You need to keep this goal in mind.

Ideas for motivation:

1. Write on Post-it notes and post them around your kitchen, by your front door...places you'll actually read them!  Be specific
• Ex:  Post-it on the wall by your gym bag "Look down here! (arrow pointing down), pick this up everyday at 4pm after work and whip out your running shoes!!"
2. Get yourself a fitness buddy.  You motivate each other.  You encourage each other.  But the best part: if you want to bail on them one day, you'll feel guilty and stick it out.  <---very effective. =)
3. I found another blog, Zen Habits, that had 2 articles I liked.  This dude provided us with 4 ways to start exercising and 31 ways to stay motivated and keep exercising. The former:  http://zenhabits.net/4-simple-steps-to-start-the-exercise-habit/ and the latter:  http://zenhabits.net/31-ways-to-motivate-yourself-to-exercise/.  I'm sure at least a few of these will apply to you.  Zen habits. <---answer to life's problems. Lol!

Good luck with the start of the year!!! Stay strong and refer back to this blog in a few days to see whatelse is new =)  Remember!!! Consistency is most important when it comes to physical fitness.  In order for anything to happen to your body, externally or internally, it needs to go through this challenge at least 4 days a week, every week!  GOOD LUCK YOU GUYS! Go get your fitness on =)

References:
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/index.html