As the new year approaches, the store ads and magazines start showing weight loss products, fitness equipment, and healthy eating advice. I was just looking through Costco's magazine yesterday and although I enjoyed reading the health & fitness articles, I thought it quite a flip from all the sugar and unhealthful, fattening foods geared to Christmas they sold and promoted the last few months.
Usually I wait until after New Year's Day (even until the children are back in school) to get myself focused on my health goals I typically veer away from to some degree each Christmas season. (I am getting better each year, I think, but still don't adhere to my plan completely as I set out to do).
This year, however, I just can't wait that long. Once Christmas was over, I thought "I'm done! I can't eat this stuff anymore!" I'm ready to focus now, not later. So I have. It took me until Monday to get prepared for my eating plan, but I'm doing it. I'm actually doing it amidst everyone home from school, relatives in and out, etc. And instead of feeling like "but there's this party coming up" or "there's still some cookies in the cupboard," I'm fine with focusing now. My health is so tied to how I eat that I don't want to endure the pitfalls anymore. And even when I am fortunate enough to eat something unhealthy and not feel an immediate problem, I know of the long-run problems that can ensue. I'm not willing to take those risks. I've got to be smart about my health.
So what are your goals? I'd love to hear them. For me, I want to eat mostly raw with whole foods for my cooked. I've been dependent on too many high-sugar foods that health food stores carry, so I've told myself they're healthy, but they really aren't. Even if they're made with unrefined sugar or organic ingredients, they are addicting to me and aren't what my body needs. So that's an overall plan for me this 2010 -- to get away from those foods once and for all. Once I'm eating steadily that way, my workouts will improve. When I eat well, I get up at 5:00ish no problem, with vim and vigor and keep up with my fitness rotations just fine. When I don't eat as well, I sleep longer and don't leave enough time for powerful workouts or even meaningful yoga sessions. I miss spending 90 minutes doing yoga.
Off to sleep on this a bit more. I'll share more for the new year in a few days. TTFN!
Hi Rene... Wow am I happy to have found your blog!
ReplyDeleteI am 60 days into P90X with Tony Horton and bulking up too much!
So this morning, after watching the infomercial, I bought Slim in 6!!! Slimming down rather than building muscle is me...
So now what I am interested in is do you just keep doing the same rotation or how do you continue are 6 weeks?
Thanks
Mich
Hi Mich -- Yes, Slim in 6 keeps you leaner as you get strong for some reason. It's great! I know people who get great results with P90X, but when I work my legs like that, my thighs get bulkier and I don't like my jeans too tight in the thighs.
ReplyDeleteAs for my rotations, I just do the Slim Series or Slim in 6 workouts for 4-6 weeks, depending on what's going on in my life, then switch to a different style of workout (more cardio, more yoga, etc.) for another 4-6 weeks. You need to change your focus after 6 weeks to challenge your body in new ways, then you can come back to those workouts later. I probably do these rotations 3-4x a year.