Don’t start a Resolution this New Year – Set a Goal!!

It seems to me, most New Year’s resolutions are forgotten by February.  Most people bite off more than they can chew on New Year’s Eve and start a drastic change of life all in a short period of time.

This year – SET A GOAL!  But, try not to change too much in your life too quickly. Many people, in their annual search for health make broad resolutions that require several different life style changes. Quitting smoking, starting an exercise program, and dieting all in the same week can be extremely challenging.

Tackling any ONE of the above vices is challenging enough. If you have any of the above vices or others, you may want to try one step at a time rather than trying "cold turkey - and all at once!" Here is a plan that will get you started on the right track.

Goal Setting – This year I have several people who have set a goal of doing some form of race later in the year.  Using the first 6-9 months to train for the event will get you in shape for the event AND help you lose weight.  A triathlon, 5k, 10k walk or run, a ½ marathon, marathon, etc.  My wife is determined to run the Race for the Cure this year.  http://www.nationalraceforthecure.org This is a great cause for cancer research. Many of the people who run the race either have cancer OR have beaten cancer in recent years.  My wife, who is perfectly healthy, but needs some form of cardio exercise, figures if cancer sufferers and survivors can run the race, she can too.

If you need help to find a goal, email me at stew@stewsmith.com.  Many men seem to like to ace one of the many physical fitness tests for the military or FBI.   You can find information of all these tests at the StewSmith.com eBook Fitness Store.  It is a fun goal to be fit enough to be in the Armed Forces, Special Forces, of FBI at the age of 50 or above. 

Here are some more tips to starting slowly and preventing failure of your goals within the first month of the New Year.

January - April

Start exercising and drinking water NOW! You may find that you do not have to alter your diet at all as long as you are burning calories by exercise. By drinking anywhere from two quarts to a gallon of water a day and cutting back on soft drinks. You can lose up to 25 pounds this year!

The type of exercise you need to start doing is walking, biking or swimming for 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week.  Some ideas can be found in any of the 45-Day Programs for Beginners or Intermediate Workouts.

May - September

Now you can pick up the physical fitness training a bit by lifting weights or starting a good calisthenics program. Exercises like pushups, pull-ups, crunches, and squats mixed with more walking or occasional running can boost your fitness level to new heights.

If your fitness program is not working for you at this time, you need to take a look at your diet and what you are consuming daily. If you are not losing weight by walking 4-5 times a week and drinking nearly a gallon of water a day, you need to consume fewer calories. This does not mean you have to starve yourself. It simply means eating foods with fewer calories. More nutrients like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats cooked by methods other than frying would be a good start to changing your diet.

October - December

By this time, you should feel great about your physical progress and have more energy than you have had in years. Running, biking and swimming several times a week should be habit by now and feel refreshing and stress relieving after each workout. If you have not quit smoking cigarettes by now or at least tapered off, it is time to start trying a little more aggressively. Usually, however, if you have maintained a fitness program this long, quitting has already occurred. But if you have not quit, now is the time to try either the "cold turkey" method or some type of patch method.

So in summary - start exercising now! Email me if you have any questions at stew@stewsmith.com .

 

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Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  He specializes in military and law enforcement fitness, particularly Special Operations units.  Please feel free to email him at Stew@stewsmith.com with any comments or questions.