Fit Friday – Tips for Keeping those NYE Resolutions for Better Health

Happy Fit Friday! I'm really thinking about making my resolutions this year to stay healthy after all of the Holiday eating I've just done! So I did a little research and found a few tips to help me stick to my resolutions this year because I really want to stick to it all year instead of just January, so I thought I would share some tips then I'll share my resolutions.

1. Be realistic and specific - Strive for a goal that is attainable. Don't just say, I want to get into awesome shape, what are some realistic and attainable goals? ie. I want to lose 20lbs this year instead of just saying I want to get fit. It will help you visualize what you actually want to accomplish.
2. Track your progress - It helps me to break things down in smaller goals. If the ultimate goal is to lose 20lbs, focus on that first 5lbs so you don't get overwhelmed. My goal this year is to be able to run a mile in under 6 minutes, but right now I have gone from a 10 minute mile to an 8 minute mile... so now I will celebrate and focus on small time changes. Even a 15 second gain will be a gain for me! Also if it's weight that you are going for, I like to take a picture of myself every week and then I put the pictures side by side to actually see the difference in front of me. Once you start seeing results it's even more motivating and you want to keep going!
3. Stick to it - Even if you don't want to! It took me about two months in the gym to actually ENJOY waking up early to go work out and get past the sore muscles! I read that it takes 21 days to become a habit and 6 months for it to become a part of your personality. So just remember to be patient and persistent. It will get easier! Nothing happens overnight!
4. Talk about it- For me its FACEBOOK FACEBOOK FACEBOOK (and blogs!) it's motivating when you share with your friends and they back you up. I LOVE now going out and seeing people who see my posts and talk to me about it. And you never know who has some of the same goals and it's great to work on those with a partner! My favorite texts from friends now are when they text me and ask if I want to go run/workout/ or go to hot yoga. Motivation is contagious!

So now I'll share my resolutions that I think are attainable since I've grown into this new lifestyle of fitness and want to keep progressing and not hit a plateau!

• Drink more water - I've read several opinions of how much to actually drink a day, but I know that I am not getting the amount of water that I need in a day, so I'm going to invest in a good water bottle to carry with me through out the day to refill and drink
• Focus on a Better Diet - I've been slacking on my diet lately and I need to get back on track with that. I WAS eating by the Skinny Bitch diet because I read that book and LOVED it and it made me really re-think all the ingredients I put into my body. For myself the goal is to stay focused on ingredients and eat as clean and natural as possible.
• Another idea that I am stealing from my friend Amber Wilder (who is in GREAT shape btw) is that she takes a picture of a body inspiration that she wants to look like and keeps it on her refrigerator so that when she goes to eat she is reminded of her goal and keeps that in mind when getting her meals ready.

So there you go! Hope this all helps and Have a Happy New Year and feel free to share your progress to me throughout the year and we'll motivate each other!