New Year's Resolutions!

It's that time of the year again, a time when 'resolutions' are made...Resolutions to turn your health around, regain your energy and vitality, and get yourself back into shape again. These resolutions sound great and mean NOTHING. You see 'resolutions' ONLY require WORDS...but RESULTS require ACTION!

Does this sound like you, have you over indulged during the holiday season and let your eating habits spiral out of control? Do you want to get back on track for 2010? And did you know that your health has the single greatest impact on every other part of your life - So is it time to take control of it - NOW!

What do you need to do to achieve your New Year's resolutions?

What is the first thing that has to happen? Decide on a specific goal with a well-formed outcome.

Make it a SMART goal - Specific/simple, measurable/meaningful, achievable, realistic/relevant and with a time frame.

1.If your goal is unrealistic then you will set yourself up for failure. Do make sure it is just for you and that you know you can achieve it within the time frame.

2.Sometimes you may need to break it down into smaller segments, for example make smaller goals each week - 1st week - increase my exercise to twice a week, 2nd week - have a healthy breakfast each day, 3rd week - eat smaller portions, etc. When you achieve these small goals it will build your confidence and self-esteem, you will realize that you are in control of what, when and how you eat. You will start taking responsibility for the fact that you are unhealthy, lacking in energy, vitality or being overweight.

3.Buy yourself a notice board and pin your goal to the board so you can see if everyday.

4.Close your eyes and visualize yourself in a picture as having achieved your GOAL, see yourself slimmer, glowing and healthy. Put sounds in your picture of people saying how good you look and how much weight you have lost. Bring up the good feelings you will have inside you when you have achieved your GOAL.

5.NOW step into the picture and know that this is you, that you have achieved your goal!

6.Draw a picture of what you will look like when you have achieved your goal, or find a picture of someone you would like to look like and pin this on the notice board.

7.Breakdown your GOAL into smaller achievable steps and pin this to the notice board, give yourself a small reward when you have achieved 4 small goals - maybe a visit to the health spa! For some relaxing aromatherapy massage.

TAKE ACTION!

You already have all the resources you need! Remember that you have all the resources you need to make those changes!

Here are a few tips to help you with those changes:

• Be specific about your goals, chunk them down if necessary & reward yourself when you have achieved them.
• Review the types of food that you eat and ask yourself 'are they healthy or unhealthy foods'. Increase the healthy types and decrease unhealthy.
• Review external triggers, which create unhealthy eating i.e. having unhealthy foods in the home, not planning your meals.
• Read labels for high levels of unhealthy fats, salt and sugars in processed foods. Buy healthier options.
• Be a good Role Model to your family, children and friends.
• Be aware of the internal triggers that create unhealthy eating i.e. emotional, thoughts, feelings, cravings, and hunger.
• There is a kind of achievement that is greater than any wealth. It is something that comes before your relationships, it comes before everything else in your life...And that is your life itself... Without it, you have nothing.