NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

First and foremost, let me say Welcome to 2014 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  OK, enough of the formalities, let’s just jump right in!!

And so it begins…the start of a new year.  What exactly does that mean, though?  Yes, I know what the calendar says, but in some ways, I wonder what the big hubbub is all about, especially in regards to New Year’s Resolutions.  Why is it only on January 1^st that most people decide to make resolutions for the specific year ahead?   Shouldn’t this be an ongoing process, but without the tag of “resolution” on it?  Isn’t this how we keep from being stagnant and grow as individuals, by striving to make ourselves and our lives better each and every day?  At least I know that’s how I live and view my life.  Granted, I tend not to call them resolutions, but instead I consider them goals, and for good reason.  I don’t need to do this on January 1^st, as in all actuality I do it all the time.  As an example, instead of saying “I’m going to go on a diet starting January 1^st and lose x-amount of weight this year,” why not set a goal of eating healthier, real foods every day?  That will in turn create a lifelong habit instead of a short-term goal that has an end point once you lose the weight you set out to.  I can attest to this personally in regards to a “New Year’s Resolution” I made at the beginning of 2009, which also happens to be a VERY common resolution year-after-year among many females regardless of age.  I made the 2009 New Year’s Resolution to weigh a certain amount and fit into a “little black dress” I’d been saving all those years (18 years at that point to be exact) by my 40^th birthday (which I turned in the early part of 2010…gave myself enough time to lose the weight as I had 65 pounds to lose by then).  Outcome was, I DID successfully accomplish this particular New Year’s resolution and weighed what I set out to for my 40^th birthday, and I DID fit into that "little black dress" without struggling at all.  However, because I lost the weight in a relatively unhealthy way, I ended up regaining 20 of those pounds right back on even before 2010 was over.  Only when I started eating healthy towards the end of 2011 and learning about nutrient-dense food was I able to lose the weight I gained back, but I’ve also kept that weight off plus a bit more AND I lost more overall body fat and inches without even trying, all without ever feeling hungry or deprived, which many of us end up feeling when we follow an unhealthy and/or fad “diet.”  Plus, without even having it as a part of my initial "resolution,” I significantly improved my overall physical health, emotional well being, and I was able to go off of all but one medication related to my Multiple Sclerosis symptoms.  Goes to show what you can accomplish when you don’t limit yourself to a single resolution, but set out on an overall goal. 

So, by reading this, take a look back to January 1^st.  Did you make New Year’s resolutions?  Is there maybe a way you can broaden their scope and make them more of everyday goals to better yourself as an individual, your day-to-day life, and your overall future instead of just being pigeon-holed into one set outcome?  This doesn't have to be about weight loss, this can be about ANYTHING you want to grow/change in your life.  You’ve got nothing to lose and there is no feeling of having “failed” if you did end up “breaking” your original New Year’s resolutions.  Think about it.  

Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,

Kristyn