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How to Get Your Health on Track In 2009

January 24th, 2009

by Alison Held
We’re more than half-way through January. Have you been able to stick to your health goals?

For many, the New Year revolves around taking better care of ourselves and ultimately reaching a state of ideal physical health. While it is a good idea to set your standards high, January has become a very daunting month for many.

Initially we are motivated to get to the gym, cook more dinners at home, eat healthier breakfasts….yet, as the weeks go by, we become uninspired, lose momentum, and often feel disappointed. Instead of looking at all that we’ve accomplished in just a few short weeks, we focus on the fact that we are not anywhere near to our end goal. To combat this perceived failure, I suggest you break down your gigantic desires into mini-steps and then create a personalized rewards system to implement positive reinforcement.

Your rewards should be fun and inexpensive. For instance, everyday that you get to the gym put a beautiful sticker on your wall calendar. Or, for every new recipe you make at home, add this delicious dish to your recipe portfolio. Each time you eat a vegetable; tell yourself that you are a, “healthy, vibrant person who loves life!” Keep coming up with new ways to reinforce all the good that you are doing for your body!

If your goal is in fact to be at your best state of health by mid-year, think about what steps you need to take to get there. Be specific and write each step down! Instead of saying that you’ll go to the gym 3x a week, schedule a gym date with yourself at a consistent time and put this directly into your calendar. If being at your ideal health by June means eating more vegetables and fruit, come up with creative ways that this goal becomes a part of your regular routine. Will you try one new vegetable a week? How about making sure you get three different vibrant colors of food into your digestive tract each day? You could also consider making a green or red drink investment for the next 180 days. Be creative and make sure it is something that you can commit to from a physical, mental and emotional state.

The best way to stay on track is to create a support system. Find a good friend who will help hold you accountable, hire a nutritionist, set up some sessions with a coach, create a reminder notice system on your computer, tell your trainer all about the good things you are doing. Stay committed by keeping a positive mind. Surround yourself with YES people and situations. Come up with a personalized mantra that you say over and over again throughout the day. When you fall down, take a deep breath and tell yourself that change is possible and you deserve only the best. Here’s to a healthy year!

Alison Held, MS is a nutritionist with extensive experience designing customized nutritional programs in private practice, business and non-for-profit settings. Please visit healthfuldirection.com to sign up for her complimentary monthly email newsletter that offers helpful tips and recipes so that you can become the healthiest version of yourself.

Read More On: sensible health, weight loss