Hello 2011

As you ring in the New Year and search out your 2011 New Year resolution please do me a favor. Do not and I repeat do not set a weight loss goal as your resolution. I know what you are thinking. "That pretty much defeats the purpose of a resolution!" Bear with me on this one. This year, pick a new goal. Something fun and challenging, something you never thought you would be able to accomplish because you thought you were too fat, too thin, too out of shape, too busy, too lazy. This is the year that you are going to prove yourself wrong. So, the sky is the limit. A 10k race? A mountain climb? Sky Diving? A marathon (you can join me)?

Once you have set your goal lets go about drawing up our game plan. The good news is that you won’t start January off in a dead sprint only to give up by February 1st. Nope, we are all going to start at a realistic pace and gradually increase until we have hit the floor running. This means by May you will be well on your way to a changed person. MAY! What in the heck! Why in the world would I ever want to wait that long to be "different?" Well, quite honestly because if by May you are still on track with your New Year’s Resolution you will also be on track in June, July, August. Are you following me?

So here is an example. Your resolution is to go on a 10 mile hike. In January you would start by visiting your local gym three times a week. NO, not five six or seven times just three. We are looking to create a habit. Sit down and pick the three easiest days to exercise. If Mondays are horribly busy at work and home, Monday is not a good day to count on for exercise. Three days a week for four weeks. People I think we can handle twelve days. Once you hit February you will be well on your way to habit mode and also ready to kick up the intensity a notch. Some of you will even be able to add in a day or two each week.

If you are still reading hoping to get months March-December's game plan, stop reading. We are going to take this year one step at a time. So your homework is to set your resolution. Make it lofty and make it fun. Let’s make 2011 better than 2010. You are strong enough, determined enough and worth it!