Jessica's tips for the New Year

Today is January 1st, and about a zillion people all over the world have decided "Today is THE day!" I'd make fun, but I've been known to do this myself. If you are one of those zillion people, good for you! Making the decision is the first step.

Unfortunately, it's not the hardest one. Keeping it up is the tough part. Everyone goes crazy right in the beginning of the year and then inevitably after the first month or two most people give up. Hey, I've been there. I'm going to share my best tips with you, and hopefully they will help you succeed. Most of these you've probably heard many times before. There's a reason for that: they work. I've never been a big fan of fad diets personally, they're all either unhealthy or just variations of a balanced diet repackaged to look new. It all really just boils down to diet and exercise. So without further ado, my tips for you:

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.

- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

How To Prepare Mentally:

First and most important, but often overlooked. Your state of mind can make or break anything you do, least of all a New Year's resolution. If you go in thinking "this is too hard," or "this will never work," etc., guess what? It will be. Here's how you can beat that negative thinking:

• Make a commitment. But wait! Keep it realistic people! Saying you want to lose 20 lbs in a month isn't going to work. In general, a specific weight loss goal (at least as your main focus) isn't a good idea. That's a lot of pressure to put on yourself. You should pick something with a date to keep you motivated (i.e., run a 5k in March, finish Tough Mudder in May, etc). Just make sure once that date is over, put something else in place, or else you'll have nothing else to work for. In the beginning of last year I got myself down to 123 pounds for vacation, but then when vacation was over I gained it all back because I didn't give myself something else to work for.
• Get yourself a support group. I would be nowhere with this without my friends. They are always supporting me and holding me accountable. Find some people to work out with, tell people what you are trying to do and ask them for their support, or join up with someone with the same goals and motivate each other.
• Stop making excuses. Harsh words, but often true. I hear them all the time. Give yourself a mental smack every time you hear yourself say the words "I can't." Replace with "I can."

Exercising

Everyone knows that exercising is good for you, even if they don't do it. There's so many benefits that I don't feel like typing here (then I'd have to cite something, I'm not in college anymore okay?) but the list is endless. Personally, I feel so much better when I exercise regularly. I have more energy, I sleep better, and my mood is across the board more positive. Gotta love those endorphins. You don't have to run out and get a gym membership to start exercising (who wants to deal with all the post-new year's crowds anyway).

• Walk! If you haven't exercised regularly and are nervous about getting that gym membership or start running, throw on some kicks and start walking. You can walk around your neighborhood, you can walk in place in your home, or you can get a day pass at the gym and treadmill it. I do recommend a pedometer - they have been shown to keep you more aware of your activity and it's a good way to keep track of your activity. A good one will set you back $30, which is way cheaper than buying a treadmill. Personally I have a Fitbit and I love it.
• Start out slow. If you're coming right off the couch, aim for one day a week of activity. Then as you feel more comfortable start increasing the number of days. In the end you should get up to 30 minutes of exercise a day five days a week. Try doing different things too to keep it fresh (ice skating, biking, even gardening counts).
• Work out at home. If you've been reading my blog you know that I love home workout videos. I can get a good workout on my own time and in the place I feel the most comfortable. If you spend the money on a good program you're going to be more likely to follow through, but if you're not ready yet check your local library for some videos or ask your friends if they have one you can borrow (but if you are interested in buying, please check out Coach Ali's link in the upper right hand corner of this page).
• Stretch! Whatever type of exercising you are doing make sure you are stretching, particularly at the end of your workout when your muscles are warmed up. This will help prevent injury and increase your flexibility (not to mention it feels great).

Dieting (or as I call it, eating better)

Ahh the dreaded word. When most people think diet, I bet they're all thinking things like rabbit food, no fun, hunger, and so on. It does not have to be that way. I would never be able to think of food as fuel, food should always be delicious and put a smile on my face. But here's the rub: you can exercise all you want but if you want to lose weight, you're going to need to eat better. Exercise gives us an extra calorie buffer but if you're eating 2,500 calories a day and only burning 100 from exercising, you aren't going to see results.

• DRINK WATER. In caps here because this is non-negotiable. You should be drinking 64 ounces, or 8 glasses of water a day. This seems to be the toughest for people and I don't understand it. Your body needs it to survive. You think it tastes boring? Tough. Don't add all that crap flavors in it. Makes you pee all the time? Tough (but think of all those extra steps you walk every time you go to the bathroom). Now for my best tip: just start chugging water, room temperature. I did this in college after years of soda drinking. Every time I went in my kitchen, I downed a glass. Every time I walked by a water fountain, I slurped as much as I could. I drank nothing else. After a week not only had I lost five pounds, but I didn't even want soda anymore. I have never dropped that habit. .
• Cut out the soda. Yes, even diet soda. It's all bad for you. Drink water instead!
• Stop eating when you feel full. This one is a tough one. My trick is to eat very slowly and pay attention to my food (read: do not eat while watching TV). I also read a tip today to set a timer for twenty minutes and try to eat that whole time, slowly. I haven't tried it but it sounds interesting.
• Try a calorie counter. This doesn't work for everyone, but I love it. It's much easier with a smart phone, but you really just need Internet access. I love myfitnesspal since I find it to be the most comprehensive, but there's many others out there.
• Load up on the veggies. Fill your plate up first with vegetables, then go to meats and starches. I've really been digging salads lately with a balsamic dressing. I also really like the Green Giant steamers, they're cheap and delicious. Frozen veggies are as good if not better than fresh, since they are frozen at their pick. If you eat fresh, stick with what is in season. If it's not in season it'll probably taste like crap, and that kind of defeats the purpose of eating in my opinion.
• Baby steps and make substitutions. Try introducing new things into your diet little by little. One week, add whole grain bread. Next week, switch to low fat or skim milk. Trying to do everything right from the start is going to burn you out.
• Everything in moderation. Ali tells me this one all of the time. I will never, ever stop loving peanut butter and chocolate and I never want to. But eating it every night is bad news. One night for dessert every week or two? That's better. Don't finish it? Even better. This rule applies to mostly everything, like alcohol, sugar, carbs and fats. The only things it doesn't? Water and vegetables. Go to town with those.
• If you fall of the wagon, just get right back on it. We've all been there: that birthday party with delicious cake, a rough night at the bar when pizza and french fries just sounds sooo good. Don't beat yourself up, it happens. Stop yourself when you realize you're doing it, and the next time just keep in mind all that hard work you've been doing and it'll help keep you under control better.

Overall, my two final tips are these: make sure to reward yourself and don't give up. Kicked butt the past few weeks on your workouts? Go buy some new gym clothes (and you'll want to!). Get yourself a pedicure or a massage. Try not to make it food based (there are sharks in those waters), but it's ok to treat yourself with food once in a while too. If things get to hard for you, don't feel bad about taking it down a notch. If it seems to hard, you're probably pushing yourself. Give yourself some time and slowly build it up.

I'll end with a quote from one of my favorite TV shows, Scrubs: Nothing in this world worth having comes easy. But that's what makes success so great: all of the hard work we put into it. Good luck everyone!