By:  Joe Alexander

Have you been able to stick to the New Year’s resolution you made at the beginning of the year? If the answer is no, then I hope that this article may be of some help.  

So, New Year’s resolution, or should it be New Year’s revolution? Let’s look at the definition of both.  A resolution is the process of resolving something, firmness of mind or purpose.  A revolution is a dramatic change in ideas or practice. 

I have been a professional trainer in the fitness industry for over 25 years, and at the end of each year most people write down a New Year’s resolution to begin an exercise program that will help them lose unwanted pounds. In the beginning they are determined to succeed. They go to their fitness club on a regular basis and they pick up the latest diet book on how to lose weight “the right way”.

Then something happens.

They start attending the club less frequently and then their new diet gets old fast. Soon they convince themselves that they weren’t really making much progress anyway and stop going to the gym altogether, but continue paying for a membership that they no longer use. I’m sure that this may sound familiar, maybe you know someone that has gone through this New Year’s resolution scenario or maybe that someone is you. I believe that it is time for a New Year’s revolution!

It’s time to make a dramatic change in your life and alter those unhealthy practices. Healthy living starts with how you perceive health on a subconscious as well as a conscious level. I’ll give you one example. Whenever we lose something our first reaction is to try and find it. The majority of people that I have talked to over the years stated that they were very successful losing weight. But they also informed me that they gained the weight back within a few months. They lost it and found it. If they would have changed their way of thinking they may have been able to keep those unwanted pounds off.

In other words GET RID OF THE WEIGHT.

Things we get rid of we don’t want to see, deal with or look for again. When it’s gone, it’s gone for good. Now you may think that this way of thinking really doesn’t make that much of a difference but I believe that it’s a great start if you are serious about making a lifestyle change. You need to make exercise an important part of your life. With all of the advancements we’ve made in technology, exercise has become a necessity.

Many jobs today are sedentary. As we have moved away from manufacturing and agriculture jobs, we have decreased the amount of daily exercise we get and have increased the amount of food we consume. Try to avoid unhealthy foods. I believe that food is good. However, many people make bad choices in what they eat. In other words, eat responsibly.  Welcome to the Revolution. 

Be well, be healthy and be fit!

Joe