Dr. Mom Online

Ahhhh… I just LOVE New Year’s Day! It’s full of such hope and possibility and a great sense of opportunity. It all feels different today!

 

I leave behind anything that didn’t serve me well from last year (any bad attitudes, bad habits, guilt… stuff!), and wipe my slate clean. Sure, sure… human nature hints that these things might be revisited in 2009, but for NOW, my slate is clean and fresh! It’s time to fill up with the good stuff in life!

 

One of my favorite New Year’s Day traditions is to sit quietly by myself (while kids are asleep works best!) and write in my journal… it’s almost always my lengthiest journal entry of the year. I love to write about all my hopes, wishes and dreams for the New Year. Each year, I’ve already been thinking about these for many days or weeks, so it flows quite easily. Today, I wrote ten pages worth! (Big plans for 2009!)

 

Just that one step alone is so fulfilling and exciting! It’s such a wonderful experience to envision the ideal year.

 

I don’t stop there, though.

 

The next step I take is to form goals and action plans based upon these dreams and wishes. I ‘chunk down’ my dreams and intentions into major categories, like, “Physical Body and Health”, “Spiritual and Mental Health”, “Family & Marriage”, “Business”, “Writing and Speaking”, “Homeschooling”, “Recreation and Vacation”, “Home”, and so on. I write an overall description of the vision I have for each of these areas in my life this year.

 

Then, I get even more specific by setting measurable goals with a timeline attached. Depending on my goal and timeline, I can lay out an efficient action plan immediately to set me in the direction of reaching my goals and achieving my dreams. I prefer to set quarterly goals – a mentor of mine once said that the most effective time frame for goals is somewhere between 6-12 weeks. anything longer than that probably should be chunked down to shorter goals to keep us motivated. Whatever works for you is what works!!

 

I call this whole process “Life by Design”. Next to my Creator, who better to chime in on the direction I’d like my life to take?!

 

So, for example, one of my first quarter goals is based on launching my www.HealthyMomClub.com membership site and have it “productive” by February 28th. I have various checkpoints set to make sure I’m on track, and weekly action plans to ensure my timeline is met. Each week in January involves writing a certain number of articles, interviewing a certain number of experts and recording a certain number of video messages and lessons to fill my site. Launch date is February 1st. Then, I have specific production goals for February 28th and March 31st.

 

Get the idea?

 

Weight loss and fitness are extremely common areas to set goals in at this time of year. Set a realistic goal – whether it’s a size of clothing you want to fit into, or measurements, or percentage of fat loss, or weight that you plan to shed. Set a realistic timeline. Then, make absolutely certain that you have a solid action plan that will ensure your successs.

 

Saying, “I want to lose 25 pounds this quarter” won’t get you very far if you’re not specific with how you’ll accmplish that (and maintain it). As a Wellness doctor, I encourage you to address your ideal body weight and body fat percentage issues with HEALTHY lifestyle changes, as opposed to diets, pills, surgery, etc. I know we each have our own weight issues and stories… but HEALTHY lifestyle changes are always, always, always the ideal first steps to take.

 

In the case of weight loss, fat loss, toning up, building lean muscle, dropping sizes, etc., the SIX “biggies” that I feel should be included in your action plan for success are:

 

1) high intensity, highly variable resistance training

2) burst-like, high intensity, highly variable cardio exercise

3) real foods, in their whole form, as clean and pure as possible… while simultaneously decreasing/eliminating toxic intake (especially the ‘foods’ that sabotage your efforts, like: pop, junk food, fast food, sweeteners, and excessive alcohol and caffeine)

4) an overall cleansing and detoxification program

5) sufficient rest and relaxation

6) rituals for nourishing your spirit and effectively handling stress

 

Yes, being chronically over-tired and stressed will directly sabotage your efforts to shed pounds and toxic fat. they trigger the physiological stress response and result in a cascade of “stress hormones” to be released into our bodies. You see the end results of chronic fatigue and stress as excess fat in your midsection. (No- drugs are NOT the solution to this problem!)

 

Doing the “wrong” type of exercise will also sabotage your efforts. Now, don’t get me wrong… I think ANY movement is better than NO movement. But, not all exercise is highly effective for building lean muscle to burn fat and calories. That’s why including resistance training and burst-like activity is so important to weight loss and fat loss. They are the most effective ways to build lean muscle which, in turn, increases your Resting Metabolic Rate and helps your burn off your unwanted pounds of fat.

 

I also highly recommend that you find some type of physical activity that you truly enjoy… maybe it’s a sport or something you do with a friend. I’m planning on taking tennis lessons in the 2nd quarter of the year. Great exercise, lots of bursting, something new, something to let off some steam, something I can do for many, many years… sounds like fun to me!

 

Experts suggest that we attach a reward to a goal achieved and a penalty to a goal missed. Also, tell someone else what your goal is… tell someone who will support your efforts. A ‘coach’ of mine recommends promising the reward to a friend at the start of your goal timeline in case you don’t meet your goal (the reward would go to your friend). Wow, talk about a little bit of extra motivation to meet your goal! Of course, all these additional elements of goal-setting are based upon the premise that we are all motivated by the thought of achieving something pleasurable or avoiding something painful. Or both.

 

Anyhow, today marks a new begining… a fresh start. If you’re already on the right track, great! Maybe it’s time to take it up a notch, or challenge yourself with something new. Being stagnant is no fun!

 

If you’ve been off track, then today is your day! Take a deep breath in and start dreaming. Begin to intentionally design your life for the next year. What do you want? What do you hope for? What makes you feel good? Happy? Healthy? Secure? Abundant? What steps can you take to move toward that vision?

 

Really, that’s all it takes – just ONE step. Lay out ONE action step that you can begin moving forward with RIGHT AWAY! It might be saying a prayer each day. It might be starting a running program. Whatever! Just envision what you want, ask for help and blessings from Above, create your action plan, TAKE ACTION, have faith! Once you’ve accomplished that one step, or that one goal, set another one. Keep moving and improving. Imagine where and who you could be one year from now!

 

Whether you meet your goals or not is ultimately secondary, by the way! WHO you are BEING on this journey is the ultimate prize! Enjoy every step… see the blessings surrounding you each day… BE a blessing to others… nurture yourself… be a gracious, thankful person. Smile.

 

May 2009 be your most fulfilling, rewarding, loving, joyful, peaceful, healthy year ever! May God bless your journey.

Tags: Exercise, fat loss, fitness, goals, New Year's resolutions, Nutrition, weight loss