‘Tis the season for holiday cookies, cocktails, and an extra 5lbs. But don’t worry, New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner! Well, I don’t know about you but I am classic for setting a New Year’s resolution, sticking with for about 2 weeks and then finding some reason to abandon ship. In fact only about 8% of people who make a resolution end up sticking with it. So why bother, right?
Last year I decided that I was tired of making the traditional I am going to lose 10lbs, and eat healthier resolution. I find that the issue with these large goals is that there is no accountability, no measurable tasks, no end in sight. So I decided I was going to try a different approach. I am fairly goal-oriented person. I like to see results. I like to be held accountable for what I am trying to accomplish. So I took a huge step out of my comfort zone and decided to train for my first fitness competition. What better way to be held accountable then to have to get up on a stage and have your muscle tone judged? While this may have been a little on the extreme side and I am now an expert in what 4 oz. of chicken looks like. The process taught me much about myself-, my strengths, my weaknesses, and where I can push myself if I really want to. I learned so much about how the body works and how it responds to all different kinds of factors: diet, exercise, stress, and emotion. I saw how nutrition is so important to our daily lives and how the right foods can help improve more than just the number on the scale. A healthy balance in your kitchen can truly lead to a healthy balance in your overall life.
I took a lofty resolution and created a goal for myself that I not only accomplished, but ended up falling in love with – a sport, that in all honesty, I never understood. Bodybuilding. It is a sport of developing the body through exercise and diet for physique competitive exhibition. In reality, it is a battle to not just build your physique, but also your mind and confidence. Bodybuilding is just as much a mental sport as it is physical.
Before last year, I couldn’t fathom why people would want to put themselves through such a process. I was the first to say I would rather carry an extra couple pounds, then measure my food and give up pizza. I still have days where I don’t understand the madness behind this sport, but it has allowed me to see my potential for accomplishing what I set my mind to.
So as 2015 fades into history, don’t dwell on what you didn’t do, but think of what 2016 has to offer. Take your resolution and break it down to the root cause. What is driving you to want to make a change? Each small step in the process is just as important as the end result.
Happy Holidays, stay safe, be well; and put down that 2nd cookie!
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By Kathryn Danylik-Lagasse
Health & Safety Manager
Spurwink Services
