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You ask so much of your body… why not start 2010 with a resolution to treat it better? Pay Your Body Back™ before it pays you back in ways you won’t like!
New Years can be a great opportunity to make positive changes in your habits to benefit your health. Resolutions, however, can set you up for disappointment if you aren’t clear and reasonable about your goals.
Think about it. How long do your New Year’s resolutions last? A few weeks? A few months? It is often hard to keep a resolution – sometimes because we defeat ourselves from the start by making too large of a commitment.
Resolutions are really commitments to ourselves. Things we choose to change or do to improve our lives. Yet, making too large of a commitment can be far too difficult. Making a smaller commitment you can keep on a daily basis may be much more successful.
For example resolving to lose 50 pounds may be too large of a commitment. However, resolving to cut out fast food lunches and make healthier choices at lunch time is something you can do on a daily basis.
Making one small commitment and keeping it every day can make a large difference in your health and the way you feel about yourself. Success feels good. Remember, though, it is about building up days and reaching the end of the year. If you slip up – don’t get discouraged. Start again and keep building up the days.
Also, don’t forget to celebrate your success; it will help keep you motivated. When you reach a week, do something nice for yourself. After a month, make sure to reward your good work.
Here are some ideas for resolutions that can make a difference in your health:
Eat a healthy breakfast everyday
Eat fish once a week
Drink more water
Get 30 minutes of exercise or 10,000 steps every day
Have a glass of red wine (just one) with dinner
Take 5 minutes each day to relax, breathe and think about the good things in your life
Smoke 1 less cigarette than the day before
Celebrate the success of your small commitment to yourself!
I wish you low stress and great success in 2010!
Add a Comment1 Comments
Eliz,
I like the concept and simple idea of paying my body back. When I think of all it does, all on its own -- my heart beats, my lungs inflate, my eyes see, my ears hear, my muscles and bones carry me through the day, and on and on and on -- it seems only right to spend a little bit of time thinking about paying all those efforts back.
And that seems a lot easier to commit to than the things we want to "cut out." So often we are "cutting out" sweets or fats or etc in order to accomplish something we DON'T have. But if, for instance, I cut out sugar to pay back my kidneys for all their good work, that feels right.
I know from your trademark mark that "pay your body back" must be some sort of a program. But I just like it as a thought. Thank you!!
January 5, 2010 - 9:01amThis Comment