“Change
will not come if we wait for some other person, or we wait for some other time.
We
are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
We
are the change that we seek.” – President Barack Obama
Today is only the fifth day of the year but for some, it
might seem like a long time since commencing New Year’s resolutions; so long
that some people might have caved in already.
Are you one of those people committed to change or did you reverse back
to the same old song and dance?
Change is not something that you simply add to your life
to get the desired results. Change is also part of the results that will make
you have to change other things within your life. Here are a few things to
consider.
Changing
Your Attitude
If you are used to hanging with friends at a
bar/restaurant, then you are probably used to alcohol binge drinking and
eating. But just because your friends are drinking does not mean you have to.
They will understand your new lifestyle and if they are true friends will
support it. Instead of getting that 420 calorie overly mixed drink, get
cranberry mixed with pineapple juice. It still quenches your thirst. It just
won’t get you drunk. Choose healthier food options like a salad or a turkey burger
and hold the fries. Do you really
believe that you cannot be satisfied with a protein based meal without having
the extra stuff? Make sure you do not forget who made the resolution. Stay strong and don’t give in just because you
want to be cool. You fashion an even cooler attitude when you stay true to yourself
and decide against being somebody else’s clone.
Change
your Eating Habits
There is a difference between having an entire Chinese
food order of chicken wings and fried rice and sharing it amongst your
peers. But there is also a difference
between oven baking your own chicken wings and preparing your own rice. Less
fat and more care into the ingredients being added!
Here is my advice. More water. Let’s eliminate soda. Let’s
also give up the sugary drinks. Instead opt for 100% juices or blend your own
drinks. Cook more and order out less. When shopping for groceries, choose items
that have less than 30% of calories from fat. Let’s trade in the white bread
for whole wheat or gluten free and opt for brown rice instead of white rice.
After meals, drink hot tea or coffee to increase metabolism. Switch up from eating meat on a daily basis to
fish, seafood or other protein based food items like soy, tofu, beans or nuts.
Snack less. And one more thing! Pay attention to portion sizes. If a box of
cereal says one serving is ¼ cup, pull out your measuring cup and measure ¼ cup
to prevent overindulging. Change is change; even if it is small change.
Change
Your Routine
It is as simple as incorporating little changes to our
daily lives. Take the steps instead of the elevator. If your gym is remotely close, walk to the
gym instead of driving or taking public transportation. If you are sitting home
relaxing while listening to music, put on some high energy music instead and
start dancing the inches off. Take two
16.8oz unopened bottles of water and use them as weights to do bicep curls
while watching your favorite can’t miss TV shows like Scandal. Instead of
accessing YouTube to simply watch Beyonce’s latest videos, get up and dance along
with her. I bet you will have fun trying
some of the moves she does in her song Crazy
in Love. Let’s get things started in truth as we are already on our fifth
day.
Changing
Clothes
It is inevitable! You eat right, you exercise and you
drop weight and inches. Nothing wrong
with letting the clothes you already own get a little big. Purchasing new
clothes while in between sizes can become expensive because you will constantly
be changing your size if you stick to the plan. Use a belt. Don’t just change
them because you dropped one size. Keep them until you have no choice but to
get something new. Shop the Clearance rack as opposed to getting the most expensive
name brand items. Look for sales and do not be opposed to clipping coupons. Now what do you do with all those old clothes
that no longer fit? Here are some
options; list them on an on-line auction or have a garage sale to get some of
the money back you spent on them or donate them to your local church. I am sure
they will find someone who will be so blessed by your changes.
Considering
Change
Change is even sparked by just considering the idea of it.
How can we not change when change is the only thing constant in life? We must take into account how change can
truly benefit our lives as opposed to life forcing us to consider other options.
It is one thing to choose to eat healthy on your own. But when a doctor tells
you that you must, the experience is not the same. By that I mean, in choosing
to do something, we do it with passion. When being forced to do something, we
do it and often struggle because it was never our own will in the first place. Also,
if you are going to change for anybody, change for yourself. Not for the
opposite sex and not for your peers and definitely not for praise. Do it
because that is what you really want for yourself. A self-motivating reason is actually
the only way you will stay true to your goal because in all actuality, this new
fitness journey you are on is not just a resolution; remember! It is a new lifestyle.
Here are some websites that you might consider accessing to help you along your journey
Come back soon for more alphabets of fitness.
