Who among us has not made a New Years Resolution to get fit and healthy in the coming year?  But can we make it last?

 

People who are successful at maintaining their health and fitness over a long period of time have several things in common.

 

Be holistic. Focus on overall health instead of unique body parts.  Rather than your hips or thighs or upper arms, look at your body as a form of energy that you want to increase through exercise and eating well.
 
Listen to your body’s messages.  Instead of choosing one of the many diets that work for other people, find the way of eating that works for you.  Listen to your body’s messages.  Pay attention to which foods sustain your energy and which foods deplete it or make you feel like you’re on a roller coaster.

 

Change your mind, change your body.  We are all conditioned to believe certain things about ourselves.   But the brain has the capacity to form new pathways and disconnect old ones if we can find a way to reach into the deepest recesses of our mind.  Tap into your power through meditation or visualization.

 

Keep your metabolism guessing.  Physical bodies adapt to patterns.  Keep your metabolism working at peak levels by varying your activities and the food you eat.  Some people advocate having a break of two or three days where you have only liquids.  Find what works for you.

 

Love yourself now.   If you can’t look at yourself in a mirror without groaning, or go

shopping without feeling depressed, start now to learn to love who you are.  To quote Pierre Chardin, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”  Loving yourself as you are now may take some work and some time, but you’re worth it.