As we wind down 2011 with the advent of a New Year right around the corner, what goals do you have for 2012?

Did Christmas become a collective excuse for consumption, as if the best way to celebrate the spirit of the season is to rack up empty calories and an excuse to over indulge in your house this year?  If so, the implicit assumption is that happiness can be gift-wrapped with food and gifts; only to suffer the self-ridicule days afterwards as our collective waistbands expand.

The problem is that the short term choice of excessive calories from poor nutrition choices gives us jolts of pleasure. As a result, we end up squandering the Christmas holiday season looking for joy in all the wrong places and then kick ourselves afterwards for making poor choices.

Will you be among the many that will have New Year’s resolutions to diet or exercise, lose weight, and get into shape?  Only to find yourself stopping because of muscle aches and joint pain that result from months or years of inactivity?   Or do you find that you cannot manage the time to exercise and add healthy food choices into your daily diet?  To have your resolutions come true, takes a plan along with determination and dedication that each of us have within us.  Its time to clear the slate, move forward to a new you with the commitment required.

It takes motivation along with a strong desire to make lifestyle changes; take a look at your children, are they heavier than you were at their age?  If so that should be motivation enough.  Our children emulate what they see and live each day, you owe it to them to become active and become a role model for them.  Have you been told by a medical professional that you have pre-diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure?  Are you carrying around a few extra pounds, have knees, feet or other joints that hurt?

If you are looking for a role model, take a look at this video of Colleen (on Twitter as @Try2bfit), here is a woman who make the conscious decision that she did not want her daughter growing up overweight and made the decision to make lifestyle changes that resulted in her losing over 120 pounds and now a full marathon runner!  Did she do this overnight? Or with a quick fix of the latest diet fad? No.  It took time and effort; however the motivation, desire and drive were there, which is all that is needed.  You will hear more from Colleen and a few others over the next few months first hand and more details on their personal journey to health.

Today, there are approximately 3 million more obese adult Americans than there were at the start of 2008. Obesity, which was in the 25% range throughout 2008, jumped to 26.8% in early 2009, and has remained in the 26% range since. (1)

The obesity epidemic that is sweeping across the USA results in chronic conditions that are related to obesity — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis and diabetes — are also on an upward flight. While it is possible that the rise in obesity and chronic disease may in part reflect changes in Americans’ lifestyle that have been greatly influenced by the advent of television and now the impact of the internet; we are exercising less and eating fewer healthy foods, and a continuation of a longer-term trend.

Most of us need to improve our health habits, as a country grappling with an obesity epidemic and high levels of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, take note of how individual Americans say they have succeeded in losing weight provides much-needed insight into what strategies are really working.  If more of us adopt healthy lifestyles, obesity and other diseases — and their impact on quality of life, medical costs, and overall well being — will become less of a problem.

Each of us has the ability to live well into our later years with a life that is full of vitality. Taking care of ourselves now will make the difference.  It’s all comes down to making different choices and you will have a healthy future that should be void of the chronic diseases that are prevalent in society today – obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol).

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)even a modest weight loss, such as 5% to 10% of a person’s total body weight, is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars.  The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a great resource of information, ideas and a plan for safe weight loss.

My personal goals are to probably pretty similar to many of yours.  2012 will be the year that I commit to getting back into shape.  This means that every day I will increase my activity level, which means I will commit to a goal of  walking 10,000 steps a day.  Decrease my caloric intake by 10% and add additional fruits and vegetables to my diet each and every day.  Will this be easy, no however I am committed. There will be days where I cannot manage 10,000 steps due to travel or family commitments, however there will be others where I will exceed 10,000 steps thus my goal is to average 10,000 steps a day.  Walking cost nothing and can be done anywhere, that is why I will start here.

I like you should anticipate sore muscles and minor joint pain as activity level is increased.  Muscle aches and pains are normal and expected when you first begin activity, this is a sign that your body is waking up.  The pain that accompanies the awaking of long dormant muscles can easily be managed with an Arctic Ease wrap or pad.

The benefit of the Arctic Ease® products is that they do not limit your mobility.  They are a great solution for mild to moderate aches & pains and inflammation from the pain associated with arthritis and back, joint and muscle pains and sprains, along with repetitive motion injuries, minor burns and bruises. The Arctic Ease® products provide relief hours of odorless relief from pain and inflammation without the hazards and discomfort of ice or frozen gel packs or irritating menthol patches.

Do not be discouraged by initial roadblocks. Persistence is what it takes to succeed; hard work with a dose of good luck defines a perfect formula to achieve success.   In 2012 be led by your dreams and goals; nothing is impossible with the right attitude.

What are your goals for 2012?

 

 

Source:  Gallop Poll charts