Happy New You! (Are you Committed to Your Food and Fitness Goals?)

It's nearly the end of January 2012 and many people have already abandoned their so-called "New Year's Resolutions."  Either they've gotten busy with work and life, their willpower and motivation has faded, or let's face it -- some of us have just gotten plain lazy. We'd rather watch the latest episode of "Basketball Jumpoffs" or "Real Housewives of Buffonery" than get our ass off the couch and get our workout on. :)  Every year I make a promise to myself to eat cleaner and more consciously and exercise consistently. Initially I embarked on this journey for vanity reasons (by my own admission), but I've since realized soooo many other benefits to this healthier lifestyle including: dramatically increased energy, a higher fitness level, balanced mood, and a more positive outlook on life. In 2012 I'm continuing the journey as a lifestyle. I think the reason why a lot of people fall off the wagon is they think about it as goal for the "New Year" instead of one for the "New You." 


 I was watching TV the other day and it's so funny how 3 of the major weight loss companies are running advertisements simultaneously featuring major singing celebrities.  Pop/R&B singer Mariah Carey is promoting for Jenny Craig. Jennifer Hudson is touting Weight Watchers and Janet Jackson is the current face of NutriSystem. It's like the weight loss battle of the singing divas!! LOL. I think all of these ladies look absolutely beautiful and have remarkable before/after transformations. How much of the company's food they actually ate to achieve their new bodies is another question, but I'm sure for legal reasons they had to at least sample the food. Of course all of these programs work if you're consistent with them, but naturally the use of celebrities is a marketing and PR ploy to draw the eyeballs of more people. I saw one Facebook post by a woman that complained that Mariah was not relatable and Jenny should get rid of her as a spokeswoman. Some folks will "poo-poo" these programs because they think celebrities make better and faster progress than the "average Jane" with their access to nutritionists, personal trainers, and private chefs etc. 

I used to think this way too and now I realize it was just an excuse. As someone once told me, even a wealthy person can't hire someone do to their pushups for them. No matter what, if you want to be healthy and more fit --  burn fat and build lean muscle --  YOU have to do the work...lift the weights...do the cardio...and stay away from the junk food. No one else can do it for you! That's what it comes down to.  There are really very few shortcuts for long-lasting success. 


I do write down my yearly goals in a journal in January of every year but I review them every quarter to check-in on my progress and see where I'm falling short and where I need to improve. It's also an opportunity to pat myself on the back for any accomplishments I achieved. I found that this type of ACCOUNTABILITY helps keep me on track, focused and motivated. 


FOCUS = "Fixed On Course Until Successful." 


So sorry. Pardon me. I think I was having a Gary Busey moment.  :)  Ultimately everyone has to find what works for them, but it must be frustrating to make the same darn goals every year and not make any progress. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results right?


On that note, in 2012 I plan to blog more often (at least once a month, if not more). I'll continue to share my experiences and reviews of different fitness classes (everything from Cardio Barre to Hot Yoga to Kettlebell workouts). If you have a fitness class that you enjoy or that has helped you achieve your goals, I'd love to hear about it.  I'll also share my insights on food and nutrition from some of my domestic and worldly travels. For example, did you know that in Cuba, they use little to no pesticides, herbicides, hormones or anti-biotics in their food?  I didn't realize that until I visited last year. You won't see any McDonald's, Burger Kings or Taco Bells there and the taste and quality of the food is infinitely better and healthier as reflected in the bodies of the people. I barely saw any overweight or obese people. We have a lot to learn about the way other people do things and I'm all about knowledge-sharing and having a dialogue so we can continue to improve ourselves and live healthier lives.


Until next time...may you continue to achieve your goals and may all your dreams come true. Be happy, healthy and well!!

Success Begins With Setting Goals

I was just having a conversation with a very nice guy I met the other day. He had been down on his luck and going through a rough time since he lost a job he'd held for 10 years in the recent recession. There was a negative domino effect once this happened and his life seemed to spiral out of control.  He was pondering about how to bring positive changes to his life, turn things around, and get his life back on track.

As I was thinking about my own life I realized that anything positive I've ever achieved in life started with dreaming a dream, setting goals, and then executing on them.  Dreams are really just goals with an end date. For example, a dream might be "someday I'd really love to lose weight and get in shape." On the other hand, a goal is "in 12 weeks I want to lose 25 lbs."

As I look back at some of the great milestones in my life, many of them started simply with a desire and a little faith.  Next, I set a goal and figured out the small steps or milestones needed to reach that larger goal. I wrote down specifically what I wanted to accomplish and gave myself a deadline. Sometimes I reward myself for reaching the goal but oftentimes the accomplishment is reward enough.  :)


This approach has worked well for me in many areas of my life including: 1) securing some of the best contracts with desirable companies in my industry,  2)  gaining admission to and graduating from the Ivy League university of my choice,  3) eliminating all credit card debt , 4) buying my first home, 5) winning a sizable sum of cash on a game show, and 6)  purchasing and paying off the luxury car I've always wanted.

I've also used this method when it comes to weight loss and fitness too.  Once I determine my goals I really try to review my goals on a daily (yes, daily) basis to keep them top-of-mind and stay mentally focused. This is what I call my daily mental exercise:

Stacie's 12 week Body-For-Life Transformation Goals:

Start date: 8/2/10           End date: 10/22/10


I am building my best body for life to:

• Lose 20 lbs 
• Lower my bodyfat by 10% 
• Drop 2 dress sizes
• Lose 3-4 inches in my waistline
• Increase my strength, endurance and flexibility

When It Comes To Goal-Setting:

• WHAT do you want to change?   (Visualize your dreams; WHAT inspires you & gives you joy?)
• WHY do you want to change?  (Write down all of the reasons WHY you want to change)*
• Set SPECIFIC goals that are ambitious, but attainable and document them
• Measure your progress against your goals periodically to stay on track
• Celebrate your accomplishments!!!

*I once read about a Harvard study that showed that alumni who had written down their goals were more accomplished years later than their peers who had mentally established goals but didn't document them, and substantially more accomplished than their peers who had not established any goals at all.

Here's to continued happiness, health and abundance.