Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Start with just one step

There is a lot of fitness/nutrition/weight loss advice out there...I know, I have been providing plenty of it myself! :)

Sometimes having *SO* much information can be overwhelming and therefore paralyzing. Where to begin? Set a goal for yourself, just one for this week. Below are some examples.

This week I'm going to...

NUTRITION

  • Eat 5-6 small meals each day, eating every 3-4 hours
  • Eat 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
  • Drink at least 64 ounces of water - that's 8 - 8oz glasses
  • Keep a food log - enter or write down EVERYTHING I eat
  • Limit myself to one _______ per day (soda, sweet...if there is something not so healthy you consume a lot of, this can be a good way to start breaking the habit)
  • Not snack after dinner/at my desk (wherever you tend to fall to mindless eating)

REST/STRESS RELIEF

  • Sleep 7-8 hours every night
  • Do something relaxing/I enjoy for 15 minutes each day (take a bath, drink a cup of tea, read a magazine)
  • Plan a social event with a friend

EXERCISE

  • Be more active throughout the day by... (Examples) taking my dog for a walk every day, taking the stairs, parking farther away, getting up from my desk & walking around
  • Stretch every day
  • Do __ minutes of cardio __days this week

* A good goal for weight loss is to exercise for 45-60 minutes, 5 days a week. If you're new to exercise, start out gradually. Try 20 minutes 3 days a week, and work up from there.

Don't try to do everything all at once, pick just one goal to start. Or if you're really ambitious, pick one goal from each category: Nutrition, Rest/Stress Relief, Exercise. Sometimes we feel anxious to change, but a week goes by very fast. :) Better to do one thing well, and then add another habit next week - building on success!

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